50 Albums That Defined The 2000s

By Jack G King /

21. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free

Following the widely-hailed success of debut album Original Pirate Material, Mike Skinner's grittily realistic take on working class UK life is further expanded upon in A Grand Don't Come For Free, a masterpiece of down-to-earth romanticism. Telling tales of casual drug use, broken television sets and betting on the football, Skinner mixes a potent cocktail of soft-hearted musical beauty and cold English reality. 'Dry Your Eyes' remains one of the most unnervingly spot-on breakup ballads ever written. Decade Defining Track: Fit But You Know It