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The Guardian's top 100 albums of the 21st century


METALMAN

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Also, I don't want to do a huge list but it is easier to say here is the best album of each year

 

  • 1976: Ramones - Ramones 
  • 1977: The Clash - The Clash 
  • 1978: Blondie - Parallel Lines 
  • 1979: The Clash - London Calling 
  • 1980: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables 
  • 1981: The Human League - Dare!
  • 1982: The Clash - Combat Rock 
  • 1983: Madonna - Madonna 
  • 1984: Madonna - Like a Virgin 
  • 1985: Tom Waits - Rain Dog 
  • 1986: Metallica - Masters of Puppets 
  • 1987 George Michael - Faith 
  • 1988: NWA - Straight Outta Compton 
  • 1989: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising 
  • 1990: Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour 
  • 1991: Nirvana - Nevermind 
  • 1992: Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works
  • 1993: Pet Shop Boys - Very 
  • 1994: Blur - Parklife 
  • 1995: Rancid - ... And Out Comes the Wolves 
  • 1996: Beck - Odelay 
  • 1997: Daft Punk - Homework 
  • 1998: Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
  • 1999: Le Tigre - Le Tigre
  • 2000: The Hives - Vendi Vidi Vicious 
  • 2001: Daft Punk - Discovery
  • 2002: 2 Many Djs - As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt 2
  • 2003: The White Stripes - Elephant
  • 2004: Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters 
  • 2005: Sleater Kinney - The Woods
  • 2006: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
  • 2007: MIA - Kala
  • 2008: Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair 
  • 2009: Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
  • 2010: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma 
  • 2011: Danny Brown - XXX
  • 2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
  • 2013: Beyonce - Beyonce 
  • 2014: Todd Terje - Its Album Time
  • 2015: Sufjan Steven's- Carrie and Lowell
  • 2016: Frank Ocean - Blonde 
  • 2017: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN
  • 2018: Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
  • 2019: Billie Eilish - When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? 

 

Hardest years were 2001, 2005, 2014 and 2016.This is an objective list so it is true. 

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On 14/09/2019 at 14:44, RPS said:

Also, I don't want to do a huge list but it is easier to say here is the best album of each year

  • 2000: The Hives - Vendi Vidi Vicious 
  • 2001: Daft Punk - Discovery
  • 2002: 2 Many Djs - As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt 2
  • 2003: The White Stripes - Elephant
  • 2004: Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters 
  • 2005: Sleater Kinney - The Woods
  • 2006: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
  • 2007: MIA - Kala
  • 2008: Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair 
  • 2009: Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
  • 2010: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma 
  • 2011: Danny Brown - XXX
  • 2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
  • 2013: Beyonce - Beyonce 
  • 2014: Todd Terje - Its Album Time
  • 2015: Sufjan Steven's- Carrie and Lowell
  • 2016: Frank Ocean - Blonde 
  • 2017: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN
  • 2018: Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
  • 2019: Octo Octa - Reasonant Body 

 

Hardest years were 2001, 2005, 2014 and 2016.This is an objective list so it is true. 

Here is mine, also objective:

  • 2000: Death Cab For Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
  • 2001: The Strokes - Is This It
  • 2002: James Taylor - October Road
  • 2003: Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
  • 2004: Arcade Fire - Funeral
  • 2005: Babyshambles - Down In Albion
  • 2006: Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of this Country
  • 2007: MIA - Kala
  • 2008: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
  • 2009: The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant
  • 2010: Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
  • 2011: Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - We're New Here
  • 2012: Beach House - Bloom
  • 2013: MIA - Matangi
  • 2014: Tinashe - Aquarius
  • 2015: Grimes - Art Angels
  • 2016: Christine and the Queens - Chaleur Humaine
  • 2017: Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness
  • 2018: Christine and the Queens - Chris
  • 2019: Lloyd Cole - Guesswork 

 

I even stole your formatting to really mess with your head.

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Definitely agree that there's an absolute lack of (non britrock) rock albums on the list. The usual stuff like Song for the Dead, ...Like Clockwork, American Idiot, Meteora, Hybrid Theory, Absolution, Toxicity, Wasting Light, and so forth.

Also where the heck is Demon Days and/or Gorillaz? 

Hell, I'd have expected any of Rush of Blood, Viva la Vida, or Mylo Xyloto to be on the list.

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  • 2000: Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
  • 2001: Tool - Lateralus
  • 2002: Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected?
  • 2003: Linkin Park - Meteora
  • 2004: Green Day - American Idiot
  • 2005: Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil
  • 2006: My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
  • 2007: Paramore - Riot
  • 2008: Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
  • 2009: Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
  • 2010: Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
  • 2011: Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
  • 2012: 
  • 2013: Fall Out Boy - Save Rock and Roll
  • 2014: Royal Blood - Royal Blood
  • 2015: Neck Deep - Life's Not Out To Get You
  • 2016: Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor
  • 2017: Creeper - Eternity, In Your Arms
  • 2018: IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance
  • 2019: The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

    Purely picked from my iTunes library, if I cared to look more in depth I'd probably change half of it. Lot of difficult years to pick from so I'd probably change half of this tomorrow in any case, 2018 in particular had at least three of my favourite albums.
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On 13/09/2019 at 16:28, Naitch said:

I've heard three at best. Lily Allen at #72 is a definite; Eminem at #67 and Justin Timberlake at #87 are strong maybes. Moreover, there are 37 entries where I don't even recognise the name of the artist(s), including one in the top ten (The Streets).

I was saving this quote to question how you didn't know The Streets, but then Gorka put some of their songs down for you.

Seriously though? The Streets are really good.

I do prefer A Grand Don't Come For Free though.

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2 hours ago, metalman said:

Here is mine, also objective:

  • 2000: Death Cab For Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
  • 2001: The Strokes - Is This It
  • 2002: James Taylor - October Road
  • 2003: Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
  • 2004: Arcade Fire - Funeral
  • 2005: Babyshambles - Down In Albion
  • 2006: Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of this Country
  • 2007: MIA - Kala
  • 2008: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
  • 2009: The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant
  • 2010: Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
  • 2011: Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - We're New Here
  • 2012: Beach House - Bloom
  • 2013: MIA - Matangi
  • 2014: Tinashe - Aquarius
  • 2015: Grimes - Art Angels
  • 2016: Christine and the Queens - Chaleur Humaine
  • 2017: The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
  • 2018: Christine and the Queens - Chris
  • 2019: Lloyd Cole - Guesswork 

I even stole your formatting to really mess with your head.

Cannot mess with my head.

Also, our lists are completely different, but lots of overlap. The Strokes, Arcade Fire and Janelle Monae I strongly considered putting in those respected years. Also, it is interesting to me that your first half of the century trends more rock and the second half more pop and definitely more female focused, which is definitely true of my list as well. I think the 2000s will be remembered as rock musics last gasp of ongoing relevance. Consider this - would a debut album by a rock band break anyone's top 10 list for this decade? Maybe, but highly unlikely. I can't even think of a new rock band who has come around this decade. The big and notable releases in the rock world were from bands who came to relevance a decade ago. 

On the flip side, our current decade will definitely be remembered as the time period by which pop, r&b and hip hop really began to become lauded over rock music. Rock music is irrelevant. House and electronic music are dirty words because it got appropriated. Really, the most culturally relevant genres are pop, r&B and hip hop. 

 

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I did one of those year by year lists, cause I love a list.

  • 2000: Bright Eyes - Fevers and Mirrors
  • 2001: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
  • 2002: Bright Eyes - Lifted
  • 2003: Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan
  • 2004: Arcade Fire - Funeral
  • 2005: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
  • 2006: Islands - Return to the Sea
  • 2007: The National - Boxer
  • 2008: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
  • 2009: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
  • 2010: Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
  • 2011: Bon Iver - Bon Iver
  • 2012: Tame Impala - Lonerism
  • 2013: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
  • 2014: Todd Terje - It’s Album Time
  • 2015: Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
  • 2016: Bon Iver - 22, A Million
  • 2017: Laura Marling - Semper Femina
  • 2018: IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance
  • 2019: Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

Think I found 2008 and 2019 the hardest in terms of all the stuff in those years I've loved. 

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Hi, here's mine of these.

  • 2000: You Think It's Like This But Really It's Like This by Mirah
  • 2001: Is This It by The Strokes
  • 2002: The Execution of All Things by Rilo Kiley
  • 2003: Elephant by The White Stripes
  • 2004: Funeral by Arcade Fire
  • 2005: Demon Days by Gorillaz
  • 2006: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood by Neko Case
  • 2007: The Cool by Lupe Fiasco
  • 2008: PIED PIPER by the pillows
  • 2009: My Maudlin Career by Camera Obscura
  • 2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
  • 2011: Colors of Jazz by Blazo
  • 2012: Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
  • 2013: The Electric Lady by Janelle Monae
  • 2014: Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
  • 2015: No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney
  • 2016: Blackstar by David Bowie
  • 2017: Antisocialities by Alvvays
  • 2018: Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves
  • 2019: Dedicated by Carly Rae Jepsen

biggest surprise in tallying these is that Gorillaz actually only ended up winning out in one year, because 2001 and 2010 were extremely competitive. 2005 was too, though; The Woods by Sleater-Kinney and Late Registration by Kanye could have won most years but not that one.

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  • 2000: The Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse
  • 2001: The Glow pt. 2 by the Microphones
  • 2002: Tallahassee by the Mountain Goats
  • 2003: You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
  • 2004: A Grand Don't Come For Free by the Streets
  • 2005: Terrorhawk by Bear vs. Shark
  • 2006: The Crane Wife by the Decemberists
  • 2007: Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
  • 2008: Dear Science, by TV on the Radio
  • 2009: Post-Nothing by Japandroids
  • 2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
  • 2011: David Comes to Life by Fucked Up
  • 2012: All We Love We Leave Behind by Converge
  • 2013: Sunbather by Deafheaven
  • 2014: Never Hungover Again by Joyce Manor
  • 2015: Painted Shut by Hop Along
  • 2016: Blonde by Frank Ocean
  • 2017: A Hairshirt of Purpose by Pile
  • 2018: Twin Fantasy by Car Seat Headrest
  • 2019: Morbid Stuff by Pup
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16 hours ago, RPS said:

Cannot mess with my head.

Also, our lists are completely different, but lots of overlap. The Strokes, Arcade Fire and Janelle Monae I strongly considered putting in those respected years. Also, it is interesting to me that your first half of the century trends more rock and the second half more pop and definitely more female focused, which is definitely true of my list as well. I think the 2000s will be remembered as rock musics last gasp of ongoing relevance. Consider this - would a debut album by a rock band break anyone's top 10 list for this decade? Maybe, but highly unlikely. I can't even think of a new rock band who has come around this decade. The big and notable releases in the rock world were from bands who came to relevance a decade ago. 

On the flip side, our current decade will definitely be remembered as the time period by which pop, r&b and hip hop really began to become lauded over rock music. Rock music is irrelevant. House and electronic music are dirty words because it got appropriated. Really, the most culturally relevant genres are pop, r&B and hip hop. 

 

Yeah I think that’s a really good point. I still like rock music, but almost entirely stuff that’s over a decade old. The first music that I really got into was largely the NME-style indie rock of the 2000s. Some of the stuff I still like now - the Strokes and the Libertines, but the rest of the decade was bands churning out more and more inferior versions of that. The Kooks, Razorlight and the Arctic Monkeys come to mind, even though I liked all of them at the time.

Every now and then I hear a contemporary rock album that is good, but even as I’m listening to it I’m struck by how weird and what a rarity that is.

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Out of interest, I've loaded up Rate Your Music and filtered it for best album for each year - keep in mind that some of these have well into 5 figures for numbers of people rating them: 

2000 - Radiohead - Kid A 
2001 - Radiohead - Amnesiac (I'm sensing a pattern)
2002 - Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
2003 - Radiohead - Hail to the Thief 
2004 - Madvillain - Madvillainy 
2005 - Sufjan Steven - Illinois
2006 - J Dilla - Donuts
2007 - Radiohead - In Rainbows
2008 - Portishead - Third
2009 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
2010 - Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2011 - Danny Brown - XXX
2012 - Kendrick Lamar - good kid, M.A.A.d city
2013 - Kanye West - Yeezus
2014 - Swans - To Be Kind 
2015 - Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly 
2016 - David Bowie - Blackstar
2017 - Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy 
2018 - Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want 
2019 - Tyler, the Creator - Igor 

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Meh, I really like In Rainbows, it's definitely my favourite 21st century Radiohead album. I did the "pay what you like" thing for it but the download mysteriously failed and I ended up having to get it from Napster or whatever would have been the piratey thing at the time anyway. :(

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1 hour ago, metalman said:

Have any of those people voting for Radiohead ever actually LISTENED to a Radiohead album?

I am meh on Radiohead, but In Rainbow is great. 

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I decided to use the weekend (the period of time, not the artist) to listen to some albums i haven't heard in forever. Thus this list came out of it
2000 - At The Drive-In: Relationship of command

2001 - The Strokes: Is This it? 
2002 - QOTSA: Songs for the deaf (this was a tough one as Wilcos Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Talib Kwelis Quality came out this year)
2003 - Cat Power: You are Free
2004 - Modest Mouse: Good news....
2005 - Kate Bush: Aerial
2006 - Mastodon: Blood Mountain
2007 - The National: Boxer
2008 - Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever ago (i more than sense a pattern here)
2009 - Animal Collective: Merriweather....
2010 - Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid
2011 - PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
2012 - Kendrick: Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City (fun fact: the beat for "art of peer pressure" was produced by a danish guy)
2013 - Nick Cave and the bad seeds: Push the sky away
2014 - Run the Jewels: RTJII
2015 - Father John Misty: I love you honeybear
2016 - Cohen: you want it darker or Bowie: Blackstar. I cannot decide
2017 - The Polish Ambassador: Color of Flight
2018 - Daughters: You wont get what you want
2019 - Baroness: Gold and Grey

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