Best Albums of the 2000s: #16 Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

Arguably the most recognizable group of decade—if not for their signature sleek black helmets and trademark pyramid DJ booth—Daft Punk remains one of the most influential, yet mysterious groups of recent years. The French duo of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter emerged near the end of the 1990s as a worldwide electronic sensation. In becoming this popular, Daft Punk released their sophomore album Discovery (2001) to the likes of widespread critical acclaim, as they took control of the reins over the world dance scene















Discovery wastes no time in displaying its epic showcase of dance music, as the first half of this album turns into a clinic demonstrating some of the best dance tracks of the decade. Between the club/techno synthesizers of “One More Time,” the spiraling build-up on “Aerodynamic,” and the robotic pop-licks of “Digital Love,” Bangalter and Homem-Christo display their production chops with a wide creative range. “Harder Better Faster Stronger,” however, exhibits the duo’s best use of sampling with their automated phrases and varying repetitions of them.

Since the turn of the century, Daft Punk has stood as one the largest proponents of sampling in pop and dance music, creating some of the most memorable moments within mainstream music. These instances not only occurred within their own use of their original music, but also from being one of the most heavily sampled bands of this decade. In doing so, no other band has helped to formulate the thought and opinions behind the once controversial use of sampling. Discovery masterfully exemplifies the practice of sampling in its essence—creating an audio collage of new and original music out of the works of others.

Daft Punk - Discovery

More from the War on Pop's Decade in Review:
#17 The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
#18 LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
#19 Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light (2009)
#20 Common - Like Water For Chocolate (2000)
#21 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
#22 Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (2007)
#23 Beach House - Devotion (2008)
#24 El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead (2007)
#25 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)