'Since U Been Gone': The Crossover Pop Needed, The Anthem Rock Deserved
The Kelly Clarkson smash wasn't just a great pop song: In 2004 it was a cultural bellwether, a sign that the walls between mainstream and underground were starting to crack.
This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem.
A slow-burning indictment turned celebratory bounce. A 2000s radio hit that owes as much to the hooky riffing of '80s smashes like Laura Branigan's "" and The Go-Go's' "" as it does to buzz-bin rock from its own era. 's joyous, singalong-ready vocal performance, that stripped-down bass line and triumphant guitar break, combined into a track that can please multiple, disparate audiences. "Since U Been Gone" is one of the best artifacts of the early 21st century, and not even those who consider themselves hip are
