This decade has been much more fruitful than I thought when it comes to good music. Not all of it was too incredibly popular, but does that matter? It may take you a while to get through the list but I guarantee it will be worth it.
20. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time – 2006 – 8.6
This album was one of the few nice surprises of the decade and gave me a glimmer of hope for the future. Must listen songs include “The Funeral”, “The Great Salt Lake” and “The First Song”.
The Funeral
The First Song
The Great Salt Lake
19. Foo Fighters – Skin and Bones – 2006 – 8.7
The Fighters had a lot of material waiting on deck in the twenties of this list. My favorite of theirs this decade is kind of cheating because it is live and has a lot of other great hits. I do very much enjoy the sound of the performance though.
Walking After You
Big Me
Everlong
18. The Parlor Mob – And You Were a Crow – 2008 – 8.7
Another pleasant surprise in finding a new band that I really enjoy. There is plenty of influence going into this band that is pretty easy to spot and very easy to love.
01 Hard Times
Tide of Tears (Album Version)
Can’t Keep No Good Boy Down
17. Jeff Buckley – Mystery White Boy – 2000 – 8.7
Although recorded in the 90′s when Jeff was still alive it was released in 2000 and has many of his best. This live album is filled with many of his great songs and ends with the best version of “Hallelujah” (written by Leonard Cohen) ever recorded, because it has “I Know It’s Over” (written by The Smiths) tacked into it which gives it special meaning with relation to what happened to Buckley. I listened to it after a friend died last year and cried like a gigantic little girl. Other highlights include the never studio recorded “What Would You Say?” and the ever popular “Last Goodbye”.
What Will You Say?
Last Goodbye
Hallelujah/I Know It’s Over
16. Vast – Music for People – 2000 – 8.9
I find it odd how much I really, really like Vast. I don’t like many of the bands that have influenced them, but they just have a great sound to me. “Music for People” is my favorite of their works and I strongly recommend “Free”, “I Don’t Have Anything”, “Blue” and “Lady of Dreams”.
Free
I Don’t Have Anything
Blue
Lady Of Dreams
15. Down – II – 2002 – 9.0
This was by far my favorite, full-on heavy album of the decade. For the safety of children I have only included a few.
Learn From This Mistake
Where I’m Going
Landing on the Moons of Meggido
14. Johnny Cash* – American IV: The Man Comes Around – 2002 – 9.0
I had a hard time choosing between Johnny’s albums of the aughts. This one won out because it has a slight edge on how much I like particular songs. Must hear “The Man Comes Around”, “Hurt” and “Danny Boy”.
The Man Comes Around
Hurt
Danny Boy
13. Travis – Ode to J. Smith – 2008 – 9.0
Most of Travis’ material this decade was missing electric work. Their other albums were really good but this one took it for me. Just start listening and you should agree with me.
Chinese Blues
J. Smith
Something Anything
12. Radiohead – In Rainbows – 2007 – 9.1
Despite the fact that there have been reported ties with the Twilight movies about the vampires that aren’t really vampires I still enjoyed “In Rainbows’ a lot. It was Radiohead’s best since “OK Computer”.
All I Need
Faust Arp
Videotape
11. Built to Spill – You in Reverse – 2006 – 9.1
From the first ticks of “Goin’ Against Your Mind” to the last crazy cranking noise of “The Wait” this album was terrific.
Goin’ Against Your Mind
Liar
The Wait
10. Toadies – Hell Below/Stars Above – 2001 – 9.1
Cracking the top ten is the great band from Texas “Toadies”. Many a great time was had while blasting this album in my old backward squirting Jeep Cherokee. Try “Plane Crash”, “Pressed Against the Sky”, “Hell Below/Stars Above” and “Doll Skin” on for size.
Plane Crash
Pressed Against the Sky
Hell Below/Stars Above
Doll Skin
9. Beck – Sea Change – 2002 – 9.2
Yes it can be a bit slow, but I don’t care. The songs are of such a high quality that even though it is a good sleep album it comes in at number 9.
The Golden Age
Guess I’m Doing Fine
Lost Cause
8. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head – 2002 – 9.2
Don’t judge me.
Politik
Clocks
A Rush of Blood to the Head
7. Incubus* – Light Grenades – 2006 – 9.2
I felt that this album was a good fusion of Incubus’ older style like “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” with the style of “Morning View” type material (check “Pendulous Threads” to see what I mean). The result was much better than the disappointing “A Crow Left of the Murder” album.
Dig
Anna Molly
Pendulous Threads
6. Elbow* – The Seldom Seen Kid – 2008 – 9.3
Once again many albums were really good from Elbow this decade but I limited myself to one per artist on this list and this one topped the Elbow list for me. Try “Grounds for Divorce” on for size.
Grounds For Divorce
The Fix
One Day Like This
5. Muse* – The Resistance – 2009 – 9.6
This album has it all, action, drama, romance and plots to take over the entire world. I placed it at the top of the Muse list but I reserve the right to change my mind if more time changes its position in line.
01 Uprising
United States Of Eurasia
MK Ultra
4. Silverchair* – Diorama – 2002 – 9.7
Quite the departure at the time for Silverchair and it really paid off. They came through with their own style in this album rather than seeming like copies of other bands from the nineties. The result is an all time classic album.
Across The Night
One Way Mule
Tuna In The Brine
3. Audioslave – Audioslave – 2002 – 9.7
The last great piece of work that Chris Cornell has participated in. Unfortunately, the other Audioslave albums fell short of impressing as much as this one did. But this one is amazing. If anyone doesn’t love this album, you have my permission to punch their face, especially if it is you.
Cochise
I Am the Highway
Light My Way
2. Big Wreck – The Pleasure and the Greed – 2001 – 9.9
One of the most powerful and well put together albums ever created. Ian Thornley, the mastermind behind Big Wreck has yet to live up to the joy he brought to the world with Big Wreck. Why did they have to split up? Ian Thornley’s other works under the imaginative band name “Thornley” just fall flat. It is not too big of a problem though considering he only puts out an album each time Halley’s Comet flies by. The “Pleasure and the Greed” opens with a noise that makes you think, “Holy shatner, I am in for something amazing” and you are not wrong. As things progress, it just keeps getting more and more impressive. From the soul ripping of “All By Design” to the sunrise feeling you get from “Breakthrough” then on to the thought provoking “Defined by What We Steal”, you are in for an adventure with this album. I just wish they had it in vinyl so I could listen to it Cosby style in the basement.
Undersold
All by Design
Breakthrough
Defined by What We Steal
1. Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone – 2007 – 9.9
The opening of “Birth and Death of a Day” is the sound that you will hear when God rips through all the dimensions we live in to pay you a visit. Now to answer questions like, “why this album?” – I know it is an instrumental album and the songs are long. If you understand that the album experience is about more than singing along and radio friendly songs, then you will come closer to understanding. This album is the most amazing canvas any artist has ever given to paint one’s own pictures onto as they listen. You are not locked in by the direct meaning of words being sung. You can apply any meaning to any of it and that is appreciated. Combine that with the craftsmanship that these guys have put in it and “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone” is the number one album of the aughts. There are countless moments when you just want to say, “Yes, it’s about time” in a Beavis voice.
The Birth and Death of the Day
Welcome, Ghosts
Catastrophe and the Cure
There you have them, the top 20 albums of the aughts. If you have not enjoyed them in this decade you better enjoy them in the next.
* – denotes that artist had more than one album that may have appeared in the top 20 but did not because of the one per artist limit.