This list touches on my favorite albums of the last ten years. These picks are entirely personal. I am not taking cultural impact or game-changing ideas into account here (things Jeff and I are definitely taking into account with our ongoing “Best Albums of the 2000s” project); instead I took a look at what the album meant to me when it was released (or when I first heard it) and what it means to me now.
At the end of 2009, PMA will release our “official” Albums of the Decade list, incorporating reader votes along with our favorites. But for now, you can take a look at my favorite albums of the last 10 years.
Like I said before, the last 10 years have been the biggest of my life, especially my life as a music lover, so these next 50 albums are the albums that have shaped and molded me into whoever I am today. As always, if you’d like to take the time and list your favorites of the decade, please do. Your opinions and comments are always welcome. Chirp in on the comments and I will try to respond to as many as I can. Also: my Favorite Songs of the Decade.
50 |
 |
Coldplay Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) |
49 |
 |
Sufjan Stevens Michigan (2003) |
48 |
 |
MGMT Oracular Spectacular (2008) |
47 |
 |
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (2008) |
46 |
 |
Daft Punk Discovery (2001) |
45 |
 |
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) |
44 |
 |
The Killers Hot Fuss (2004) |
43 |
 |
Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere (2006) |
42 |
 |
Modest Mouse The Moon and Antarctica (2000) |
41 |
 |
Radiohead Amnesiac (2001) |
40 |
 |
The National Boxer (2007) |
39 |
 |
Jay-Z Blueprint (2001) |
38 |
 |
The National Alligator (2005) |
37 |
 |
The Streets A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004) |
36 |
 |
LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem (2004) |
35 |
 |
The Shins Chutes Too Narrow (2003) |
34 |
 |
Robyn Robyn (2008) |
33 |
 |
Spoon Kill The Moonlight (2002) |
32 |
 |
OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) |
31 |
 |
Animal Collective Feels (2005) |
30 |
 |
Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca (2009) |
29 |
 |
M.I.A. Arular (2005) |
28 |
 |
Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (2008) |
27 |
 |
Animal Collective Strawberry Jam (2008) |
26 |
 |
Clipse Hell Hath No Fury (2006) |
25 |
 |
Burial Untrue (2007) |
24 |
 |
Dizzee Rascal Boy In Da Corner (2003) |
23 |
 |
The Antlers Hospice (2009) |
22 |
 |
Grizzly Bear Yellow House (2006) |
21 |
 |
The White Stripes Elephant (2003) |
20 |
 |
Arcade Fire Neon Bible (2007) |
19 |
 |
Sigur Ros Ágætis Byrjun (2001) |
18 |
 |
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (2008) |
17 |
 |
M.I.A. Kala (2007) |
16 |
 |
The Knife Silent Shout (2005) |
15 |
 |
TV on the Radio Dear Science, (2008) |
14 |
 |
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest (2009) |
13 |
 |
Wilco Yankee Foxtrot Hotel (2002) |
12 |
 |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever To Tell (2003) |
11 |
 |
Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007) |
10 |
 |
Sufjan Stevens Illinois (2005) |
9 |
 |
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver (2007) |
8 |
 |
The Strokes Is This It (2001) |
7 |
 |
OutKast Stankonia (2000) |
6 |
 |
Kanye West College Dropout (2004) |
5 |
 |
Panda Bear Person Pitch (2007) |
4 |
 |
Radiohead Kid A (2000) |
3 |
 |
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) |
2 |
 |
Radiohead In Rainbows (2007) |
1 |
 |
Arcade Fire Funeral (2004) |
*Albums tagged with US release dates.
Photo by Jacqueline Rivera. Check her out, she’s marvelous.
Tags: Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Radiohead
hey dude,
it seems if you put that list together then you’d freaking love the Gulag Orkestar by Beirut. Check it out bro
Peace
I don’t understand how everyone loves Merriweather Post Pavilion. Every time I try to listen to it, I get incredibly bored. This is coming from someone that listens to Sigur Ros religiously and loved the silences and the stillness of Eluvium’s Copia.
My Girls sounds like an interlude between songs on a much better album, but that much better album would keep it as an interlude; a short little something to get from one point to the other, but that better band would never force the listener to sit through close to 6 minutes of this monotony.
This is just this year’s BATTLES or LCD Soundsystem: A group that might technically be well put together but is just no fun to listen to. I can only hope that the world gets over this strange fascination soon. To put it as one of the top albums of the decade seems lazy more than anything to me.
wait.! Daft Punk, the role models of every skinny boy making music with ableton/final scratch/a computer, is that low on the list?
also, what about DFA 1979/mstrkrft etc?
I find it kind of disappointing how every single “hipster” top albums of the decade list is the exact same, or at least incredibly similar. Seems to me all the hipsters who make these lists read about music from the same people and websites and are told it is really good from other hipsters who seem credible because they write about music. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of the choices put on this list and could agree in many places (such as the albums or artists being very influential on the progression of music), but music is about opinion and taste. I am sure you enjoy those albums or have once enjoyed them but how many of them do you actually listen to OFTEN? To me the best albums are the ones you could listen to over and over again and never get sick of; albums where there is no time and place for listening, but can be enjoyed to there fullest extent over and over again. If i wanted a hipster’s opinion of the top albums of the decade i would go to picthfork, and not waste my time looking at someone who gets there opinions from pitchfork and other websites and just repeats them in a slightly modified list. That being said, I did take the time to look at this list, so my time has been wasted. And I am bored enough at the moment to waste some more time writing a comment about it (could have been playing solitaire). Now all that being considered, I think a more accurate title for the list above would be the top most influential albums of the decade (not all above were influential, but most of them were very influential on music and brought something new or unique to the table). Then again this is all just MY opinion
wow. not only did you waste your time in wirting this drivel, you’ve effectively wasted mine, as well as all others who read this piece.
advice : first, learn the difference between ‘their’ and ‘there’. second, get a life and write your own dman blog if its that much a waste. opinions are, in fact, like a**holes, and everyone here has one, and each stinks as badly as yours……
I could tell at number 32 you had absolutely no taste. but once I got to the top 10 I was incredibly disappointed. As a collection of this sort is near impossible to appease anybody, I still find it necessary to say that I feel you were remiss in not mentioning either of The Chronics, Jagged Little Pill, You’d Prefer an Astronaut or any of the Between the Buried and Me albums.
damn, what a boring list.
none shall pass -Aesop Rock
god loves ugly- Atmoshere
Marshall Mathers LP- Eminem
Personal journals- Sage Francis
Movies for the blind- Cage
every album from Apathy
violent by design- Jedi Mind Tricks
eminem
Its too hard for me to commit to a list, but mine would have Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha right up on top.
Some others that would be on my list that aren’t on yours:
Nickel Creek – This Side
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That
Jump Little Children – Vertigo
The Dodos – Visiter
Man, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Oh and here is my list:
Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
Kanye West – College Dropout (2004)
Songs: Ohia – The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
Deftones – White Pony (2000)
Outkast – Stankonia (2000)
TV on the Radio – Dear Science (2008)
Dr. Dog – Fate (2008)
solid list PMA. Very solid. Kind of ballsy to put Funeral at #1. I imagine all the hipper-than-thou blogs are going to put Kid A or Merriweather Post Pavilion on top.
awesome list.. here is mine
1. Rob Mathes, Evening Train
2. Sigur Ros, Takk
3. U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind
4. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
5. Peter Gabriel, Up
6. Ryan Adams, Gold
7. My Morning Jacket, Z
8. Arcade Fire, Funeral
9. Coldplay, Rush of Cold Blood to the Head
10. Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism
1. Merriweather Post Pavilion- Animal Collective
2. Boy In Da Corner- Dizzee Rascal
3. Ys- Joanna Newsom
4. Stankonia- Outkast
5. The Runners Four- Deerhoof
6. Madvilliany- Madvillian
7. Kala- M.I.A.
8. White Blood Cells- White Stripes
9. Late Registration- Kanye West
10. Illinios- Sufjan Stevens
11. Is This It- The Strokes
12. Blueberry Boat- Fiery Furnaces
13. Sound of Silver- LCD Soundsystem
14. Kid A- Radiohead
15. Sung Tongs- Animal Collective
16. Supreme Clientele- Ghostface Killah
17. Jewellery- Micachu
18. Microcastle- Deerhunter
19. Blueprint- Jay-Z
20. The Glow Pt. 2- The Microphones
i totally agree with pretty much everything. or at least see where you’re coming from. I do feel like Ys by Joanna Newsom should be where person pitch is. and i love panda bear. animal collective has been my favorite band since seventh grade. Ys is just so amazing though. Changed my life. But real real real real real real good list.
“Donuts”, “Graduation, “The Black Album” didn’t make the cut?
hell hath no fury above the blueprint? come on. no lupe? I know it your opinion, but i disagree. also, I’ve tried listening to Merriweather post pavilion several times, and i think is has to be the most overrated album of the year.
Therefore you lose all credibility.
Come on, not ONE Muse album in the entire list?! Blackholes definitely belongs on this list
to be fair that list is almost perfect
muse – most overated band ever and shouldnt be there, neither should the foo fighters or anyone like that because they are BAD
GOOD JOB
I can’t say I like this list. The amount of M.I.A., Arcade Fire, and Coldplay just feel so wrong.
what about death cab for cutie, lupe fiasco, and john mayer?
http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/02-black-and-gold-sam-sparro.mp3
KANYE SHOULD BE #1.
A definite hip hop classic.
hellll yeahhhhhhh
and late registration > college dropout
ass
Miss the Notwist on here. Not a fan, Luis?
I can totally get behind Funeral being the best album of the decade. Good job.
Love this list PMA. I think I ought to get started on mine. Anticipate lots of YYYs, Radiohead, Arcade Fire
I’m SO glad In Rainbows is above Kid A. I love both, but if I could listen to only one Radiohead album over and over again, it would definitely have to be In Rainbows.
The Field – From Here We Go Sublime should be on here. Def.
AWESOME list. Wish you included Lala.com players for each album ^^ Listening binge, here I come.
Tom Waits and Bob Dylan.. anyone? Yeah they aren’t hip and cool, but they still released some of the best albums of the decade.
I totally agree. Tom Waits – Orphans should at least be in the Top 10. I’m not a great fan of the new Bob Dylan albums (mostly like the pre motorcycle accident stuff) but he is still one of the musicians I listen to the most.
Arctic Monkeys only at 45? Why are the Killers there?! Where is Avalanches?
avalanches are in my top 10
Great list Luis. I liked that you specified that this is your list. You have great taste, it’s really balanced.. there’s no doubt that the majority of the people here will like this list a lot. I know I do.
Is it safe to assume Merriweather Post Pavilion is 2009’s #1 album?
I agree with you for the most part but I think you’re missing some key albums.. maybe you should have listened to more music and stop playing Radiohead/Animal Collective over and over again?
Radiohead and Animal Collective are two of my favorite bands ever. Why would I stop listening to them? To run off to another critical acclaimed band? I’d rather enjoy Radiohead and AnCo over and over again.
PS: That photo is awesome
My only beef is that Strawberry Jam is down to #27. It would be #1 in my book, followed by Kid A, then MPP.
I shouldn’t be surprised that Radiohead made 2 of the top 5 albums on this list. Being your Last.fm “friend” I’ve looked through your most played artists and Radiohead is sitting promptly at #1
3,000 plays is outrageous!
I am so surprised no Britney albums made the list… you seem like such a fan!
Overall great list. It hits all the right spots.
I do love Britney. She is definitely a guilty pleasure. She makes me want to have fun and dance around, but her music doesn’t move me the way any of these 50 albums do/did.
Though, in retrospect, I don’t think I would have minded Blackout’s or Britney’s inclusion
Great list. Loving all the picks.
I’m glad you had the balls not to put Kid A at #1… that albums is so overrated it’s ridiculous. Love it to death, but it’s not the best album of the last 10 years.
great list…im liking the heavy radiohead love. oh, and for the sigur ros guys. it was released in iceland (to like 1% of the world in 99) the UK in 2000 and the states in 2001 on Fat Cat recs. kinda looks like the same format as igif too?
yeah, I was thinking that too.. It’s a great format. Much nicer looking than a boring list. It’s clean and slick too. Can I start the campaign that all blogs do their lists like this?
Ah yes. I really loved the way Connor stylized his list. Like Anthony said.. so slick so clean. So fresh.
I agree, all blogs should use it
It’s a simple table.
Yay! That’s one more place for VMPRWKND then… lol
im surprised there’s no bloc party on this list, then again its your list
Don’t be too surprised… I’m a fan, but not a huge one.
GREAT LIST!
I would just replace “Hell Hath No Fury” with “In Search of…”
Aside from that its near perfect in my opinion.
i’m mostly shocked that MPP wasn’t #1. Great list, though.
diplo’s florida?
I really enjoy reading your rankings from far years past. It’s clever since we’re now removed from it, and that’s probably exactly the reason I don’t like your comprehensive list at all.
Why didn’t you finish each year of the oughts first? This pre-emptive list might make more sense then.
You’re working against yourself here, no?
Well, I was going to wait until we finished the year x year analysis/voting/whatnot, but I decided to hell with it and just posted this.
Blame impatience if you want, but I feel that the lists are wholly unrelated, except for the fact that they are covering the “best albums” of the last decade. I assure you my personal picks are a lot different than what will be voted on and decided by PMA. i.e. Coldplay and Daft Punk, two of the Readers’ most voted on albums rank in at #50 and #46 respectively, though their spot in the top 20 is almost secure, because of how many votes they each received.
That Sigur Ros album was released in 1999, not 2005. Might not make the cut then…but Takk was released in 2005 if thats what you mean?
Ouch! That was a huge typo on my part. I meant to put 2000 (when it was released in the US– or am I still off?)
lots of goood albums but i wish Vampire Weekend’s was higher up
yeah, 47 sounds so low, but I don’t think I liked it more than albums 46-1. It’s fantastic though. Where would it be on your list?
I imagine that my list will be pretty similar. I like that you clarified that these were YOUR favorite albums.Sometimes people get all bent out of shape, saying “So and so’s album is sooooo much better than So and So’s album.” Who cares? It’s the album I LIKE BETTER.
What a funny thing. Of your top 10, I love albums 10-6, but I didn’t enjoy 5-1 at all.