100 Greatest Songs of the 00’s #66 Wilco – War on War

Released: 2002

It’s one of contemporary music’s most famous stories of the decade; after three modestly successful albums Wilco handed the tapes for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to the executives at their Reprise label, only for them to find it rejected outright. In the music industry’s post-Napster panic, nobody really understood how anybody was going to make any money anymore, and so despite their cult status Jeff Tweedy and co. were left metaphorically out on the street.

The band’s response was to commit the heresy of allowing it to be streamed, for free, without much idea of what would happen next. In response the record found both critical adoration and via the story, a whole new audience. The situation it created was perfect if you liked sticking it to the man, and despite the preview when the album was released physically it put up impressive numbers. This wasn’t exactly passing on The Beatles, but for the 21st century, it was three popcorn stuff.

War On War, I am Trying To Break Your Heart, Heavy Metal Drummer – your pick of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ‘s best tune can be taken and very few people will be offended. It’s that sort of record, one to be savoured with delight rather than darkly obsess over. The former’s charms are out front, a simple but heart warming show of lighting-in-a-bottle wonder. For once both the music and the gotcha are worthy of being handed down through the generations.