"Let's repeat the same process, but do it better," co-creator Jamie Hewlett reasoned about reviving Gorillaz for a second helping of virtual insanity, Demon Days. "Everyone thought it was a gimmick. If you do it again, it's no longer a gimmick, and if it works then we've proved a point."

The motley crew of 2D, Noodle, Russel, and Murdoc subsequently sold eight million copies of the record and album singles were nominated for four golden gramophones at the 2006 GRAMMYs. Gorillaz took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for "Feel Good Inc," while the album spawned a string of classic singles, proving that the group was far more than a gimmick.

Released in the U.S. on May 24, 2005, this second studio album was initially conceived as a feature film.  But on realizing that most movie execs didn’t share their creative vision, Hewlett and Damon Albarn decided to mesh their 2D comic book visuals and musical prowess in the studio. The result was a dark pop concept album about "the world in a state of night."

Of course, Hollywood’s loss proved to be the music industry’s gain as an army of well-respected collaborators lined up to climb aboard the group’s genre-hopping train, resulting in a record even more adventurous than their eponymous 2001 debut. 

Although Gorillaz have continued to push the sonic and aesthetic boundaries of pop over six further albums, they’ve arguably never bettered their politically-charged second release. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, here’s a look at eight ways the meeting of minds instantly achieved classic status. 

It Changed The Collective Game

While Gorillaz’s self-titled debut album featured a variety of cult acts (including rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Cuban vocalist Ibrahim Ferrer), their follow-up considerably upped the star power ante. Hip-hop legends De La Soul, rock and roll pioneer Ike Turner, and none other than Hollywood bad boy Dennis Hopper were just a few of the household names who gleefully signed up to collaborate with a bunch of cartoon characters. 

"Each and every person was chosen to appear for the particular attribute or texture, or aspect of culture they represent," drummer Russel helpfully explained in an accompanying comic. 

Demon Days’ collective but cohesive approach was soon adopted by a whole host of artists with both the cultural cache and the bank balance to attract A-list talent. Two years later, Mark Ronson invited Amy Winehouse, Kaiser Chiefs, and Robbie Williams to guest on his covers album Version. And everyone Clean Bandit to Coldplay have all since recognized the benefits of opening up their studio doors to a popcultural who’s who. 

It Went Viral Before Going Viral Was A Thing

YouTube had only just launched, Facebook was still restricted to college campuses, and Twitter was barely a twinkle in its founders’ eyes when Demon Days hit the shelves. Yet in another sign that Gorillaz were on a different level, the album still managed to go viral thanks to a clever series of marketing stunts.

The band launched Reject False Icons, a "culture jamming" website which encouraged fans to spread the word far and wide via stickers and graffiti. Then, in a somewhat surprising move, they embraced their inner Simon Cowells with an online talent contest designed to find their next collaborator. You can see/hear the winners on the release of fourth single "Kids With Guns"/"El Manana," with Schneeflocke providing new artwork for the latter, Asidus serving up a "Dirty Harry" remix titled "Uno Quatro," and Sourbee delivering an animated video for the B-side "Don’t Get Lost in Heaven (Original Demo Version)." 

It Made GRAMMY History

In 2002, Gorillaz made GRAMMY history when they became the first animated outfit to pick up a major nod with "Clint Eastwood" (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group). Four years later, they once again made GRAMMY history when they became the first animated outfit to actually win one. The De La Soul-featuring  "Feel Good Inc." was awarded Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, beating out works by human nominees such as Stevie Wonder & India.Arie and Foo Fighters & Norah Jones.

The 2006 GRAMMYs proved to be quite the night for 2-D, Noodle, and co. The same track also received nods for Record Of The Year and Best Music Video, Short Form, while "Dirty Harry" was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. They also kicked off the whole shebang alongside Madonna in a visually stunning mash-up featuring the Queen of Pop’s "Hung Up." 

It Pioneered The Post-Genre Age

"You are now entering the harmonic realm," a booming otherworldly voice proclaims on Demon Days' brief "Intro," signaling the sonic odyssey ahead. Indeed, from the ska-grime fusion of "All Alone" and creeping synth-funk of "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head" to the folksy hip-hop of "Feel Good Inc." and distorted blues of "O Green World," Demon Days prided itself on breaking down the usual genre barriers. 

Of course, in today's post-genre world, where acts like The 1975, Muse, and Arcade Fire are just as likely to drop a synth-pop banger as a rock-out anthem, such musical diversity is nothing new. But back in the mid-'00s, when alternative, electronic, and hip-hop were mutually exclusive terms, Gorillaz's adventurousness was rightfully viewed as revolutionary. Completely bypassing the 'difficult second album syndrome,' Demon Days undeniably paved the way for the streaming age where anything is possible and anything goes. 

It Legitimized One Of The '00s Most Prolific Producers

Danger Mouse, a.k.a. Brian Joseph Burton, had already made quite the splash before taking over from Dan the Automator as Gorillaz's producer of choice. He'd famously spliced together the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's The Black Album to make ground-breaking mash-up The Grey Album. But the gray areas around its defiance of copyright laws meant that he was still very much a figure on the fringes.

However, Demon Days undeniably legitimized his talents, leading to a Producer Of The Year nomination at the 2006 GRAMMYs, a category he ended up winning five years on. "It was a no-brainer when there was interest there from Damon," Danger Mouse later said. "I had a very up-and-down year [in 2004], but it was definitely a big up when I got a chance to [work with Gorillaz]." The multi-talent subsequently achieved success in the duos Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells, helmed records by the Black Keys, Beck, and U2, and reunited with Albarn for another side project The Good, the Bad and the Queen. 

It Foreshadowed Chaos

While Demon Days’ sound was often vibrant, its lyrical themes — as foreshadowed by the Dawn of the Dead soundtrack-sampling "Intro" — were often steeped in the apocalyptic. "Fire Coming from Out of the Monkey’s Head," for example, was inspired by the question, "What is going to happen when they've taken all of the oil out of the earth? 

Elsewhere, "Dirty Harry" takes aim at the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11 and the Iraq War. "All Alone" finds rapper Roots Manuva blasting those who manipulate the Bible’s teachings for their own ill-gotten gains. And on "Last Living Souls," an anxiety-ridden 2-D meditates on the increasing isolation of the human race. Such dystopian vibes were inspired by a train journey Albarn took with his family to Mongolia from Beijing in which he saw countless rundown satellite towns. 

While the album was viewed by some as unnecessarily alarmist at the time, it’s now considered an eerily prescient critique of the modern financial, environmental, and political landscapes.  

It Gave Several Artists Their Biggest Hits

Remarkably, De La Soul had never reached higher than No. 34 on the Hot 100 ("Me, Myself and I" in 1989) before enjoying their first of many Gorillaz guest spots on "Feel Good Inc." The Demon Days lead single not only peaked at a new career high of No.14, but it also gave the flower power trio their first ever GRAMMY and an eight-week stint atop Billboard’s Modern Rock Songs Chart, too. Furthermore, it still remains the highest charting single that Albarn has put his name to, surpassing Blur’s "Girls and Boys" and signature hit "Song 2."

Gorillaz’s sophomore also helped another name who emerged in the late ‘80s to score their biggest ever domestic hit. Indeed, Madchester legends Happy Mondays had twice reached No. 5 in the UK with "Step On" and "Kinky Afro." But 15 years later, frontman Shaun Ryder went all the way to the top spot with "Dare" thanks to an improvised vocal apparently inspired by a sudden alteration to his headphone levels. 

It Spawned Numerous Iconic Videos

"Feel Good Inc." was awarded Best Special Effects and Best Breakthrough at the 2005 MTV Video Awards for its Idiocracy-esque commentary on how the mainstream media has dumbed down society. But there was plenty more dystopian madness where that came from. 

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"El Mañana" picks up where the latter left off as Noodle comes under attack from, and appears to be killed off by, two incredibly persistent helicopters hovering above a floating island. "Dirty Harry," the group’s first location-based promo, sees the Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown entertain a bunch of air crash survivors in the Namibian desert before they’re all rescued by a Gorillaz-driven military vehicle. While "Dare" pays homage to a glut of classic horrors in a dream sequence where Ryder is reduced to a disembodied head. By adding live-action to their signature 2D comic book animation, the Demon Days campaign looked as intriguing as it sounded.