Because there’s a hefty list below, we’ll not comment on every song. Social Media with a music focus (MySpace, Pandora, Last.FM) has been of enormous importance in the past 10 years. As well as being platforms and tools that have liberated music, they’ve become gatherings of fans and lists by the millions.
Web 2.0 allows us to bookmark, collate and re-process information in a wonderful variety of ways. We use Last.FM extensively, not least because we live most of the year outside the US of A (see footnote regarding Pandora). The list below has been gathered from “loved” tracks in people’s playlists.
Rather than say there is one winner or a ranking based on votes for a particular song, we’ve awarded Gold medals to 17 bands/projects. We’ve taken the view that, like the Olympics, it can be difficult to precisely judge styles of music. Is a gold in a marathon of more “value” than the long jump?
The 54 tracks below are the best we’ve heard and noted over the past few years, representing many albums and changes in line-ups of the various groups of musicians over the past 10 years. They are, we say, among the Best of the Decade for:
- Femme metal
- Gothic Metal
- Symphonic Metal
or whatever other descriptive term you’d like to use. And yes, you’re very welcome to tell us how right or wrong we are!
After Forever – Energise Me
After Forever – Face Your Demons
After Forever – Imperfect Tenses
After Forever – Life’s Vortex
After Forever – My Choice
After Forever – The Evil That Men Do
Darkwell – Nothingness
Darkwell – The Machine
Delain – The Gathering
Delain – Stay Forever
Draconian – Bloodflower
Draconian – Serenade of Sorrow
Draconian – Silent Winter
Draconian – The Gothic Embrace
Elis – Der letzte Tag
Elis – Devil Inside You
Elis – Heart in Chains
Epica – Mother of Light (A New Age Dawns, Part 2)
Epica – Never Enough
Epica – Quietus
Epica – Solitary Ground
Epica – Unleashed
Evanescence – Lose Control
Evanescence – Tourniquet
Lacuna Coil – Heaven’s a Lie
Lacuna Coil – Honeymoon Suite
Lacuna Coil – Senzafine
Lacuna Coil – Spellbound
Leaves’ Eyes – For Amelie
Leaves’ Eyes – Njord
Lunatica – Emocean
Lunatica – Hymn
Nightwish – Feel For You
Nightwish – Planet Hell
Nightwish – Sleeping Sun
Nightwish – Swanheart
Sirenia – Lithium and a Lover
Sirenia – The Other Side
The Gathering – In Motion
The Gathering – Nighttime Birds
The Gathering – Rollercoaster
Trail of Tears – Empty Room
Trail of Tears – Poisonous Tongues
Visions of Atlantis – At the Back of Beyond
Visions of Atlantis – Pharaoh’s Repentance
Within Temptation – Angels
Within Temptation – Ice Queen
Within Temptation – Memories
Within Temptation And The Metropole Orchestra – Jillian (I’d Give My Heart)
Within Temptation And The Metropole Orchestra – Stand My Ground
Within Temptation And The Metropole Orchestra – The Promise
Within Temptation And The Metropole Orchestra – What Have You Done (Featuring Keith Caputo)
Xandria – Calyx Virago
Xandria – Ginger
You can also send tweets to http://Twitter.com/NuGoth
Footnote: We also love Pandora but it cannot be used globally due to the archaic licensing cartels that still control so much of music.
:: female fronted fan :: 
very interesting, I bookmarked the page, thanks and Happy New Year for you and Your Family :)
Hi Linda. Thanks for the positive comment – appreciate you taking the time.
Great List
Nice to see tracks selected are always typical easy choices especially from bands like Nightwish
I own all tracks on the list bar Darkwell and Draconion will definately check them out
sorry meant to say tracks are NOT always typical easy and obvious choices.
Thanks for the comments Joanne. Yes, we tried to avoid including only the obvious tracks, but of course some tracks are great even if they are “singles’ and widely known. Cheers.