The top 5 albums of this decade

[RPS]

Try not to pick more than 5 (kind of defeats the purpose) and try to give some sort of explanation as to why...

5. M.I.A – Arular (2005)

M.I.A. is the one of the few artists these days who is doing something new and original. It's a bold statement, but this decade has been about reinventing the wheel and updating genres. Not that there is a problem with that - the White Stripes have a great career out of inventing and rebranding classic rock. There have been some artists who have been bold to be original and think outside the box. Artists like TV On the Radio and M.I.A. have defined this decade as an area of new-sounds and experimentation. On Arular, M.I.A. combines so many varying elements of music from so many areas of the world it becomes like a tour of the Globe. And it doesn't seem to be some sort of gimmick for M.I.A. M.I.A. is here to represent the new face of the global community. A girl from Sri Lanka, moved to London, making music for the Western Hemisphere by combining elements from the Middle East, Africa and the West. Sunshowers is the best song on the album. Over an infectious beat and hand clap, M.I.A. raps without a care, dropping controversial lines like "You wanna win a war?/Like p.L.O I don't surrendo" and "He got Colgate on his teeth/And Reebok classics on his feet/At a factory he does Nike/And then he helps the family". It doesn't get much better than this.

4. Blur – Think Tank (2003)

In 2003, I had no idea who Blur was. I knew Song 2 and that was about it. I downloaded Think Tank on a whim and I instantly fell in love. I know it is a somewhat divisive record, but to me it's perfect. From the opening sounds of Ambulance, you can tell you are in for a treat. Having now listened to earlier Blur records, you would think that a record without Graham Coxon would fail. He was such a driving force behind their earlier records. But on Think Tank, it's Damon Albarn's show. Just look at his later work in Gorillaz and the Good, The Bad, The Queen to see that the guy was the one dominating what this record was going to sound like. And never before has Damon Albarn's vocals been so on. Good Song is a great example; he may not be the best technical singer, but over the electronic sounds, Damon Albarn's voice sounds at peace and beautiful.

3. Antony and the Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now (2005)

On the opener to I Am A Bird Now, Antony doesn’t hold back. In 4 minutes and twenty seconds, he lets the audience into all of his anguish, heartbreak and fears. The experience is unsettling, beautiful and shocking all at the same time. The song still gives me goosebumps; how can someone emote and express such complex feelings all at once? Some singers can barely pull off anguish – Antony is able to express so much more in so many different ways in just one song. The next song sees Antony sing “My Lady Story/is one of annihilation/ My Lady Story/is one of best amputation.” Antony seems to on-purpose subdue his powerful voice to let the powerful words emerge. On Today For I Am A Boy, Antony switches between gender so easily that you come to realise that they are just words and have no real meaning. Deep in Antony, both masculine and feminine reside and he yearns to manifest his feminine side. The guest appearance of Boy George on You Are My Sister is a career highlight and one of the best on the album. However, it is Fistful of Love that is Antony’s real shining moment. Although this song can be misconstrued as a song of lost-love, I tend to see it as a celebration of sadomasochism and fisting and yet it still the most lovely and touching songs (that still makes me cry to this day). Outside of M.I.A’s Arular, there was nothing in 2005 that came even close to matching how ground breaking and exhilerating I Am A Bird Now.

2. M.I.A – Kala (2007)

Ever since 2007 I have touted Justice’s † as the best album of the year. It was earlier this year when I realised I had made an error. I had just gone to a concert and see M.I.A in concert and my outlook on 2007 changed. Hands down Kala is the best album of the year. Vicious, noisy and provocative are just some of the adjectives I’d use to describe Kala. From the opener, Bamboo Banga, M.I.A presents a sound scape radically different than anyone recording today. Mixing elements of electronica, hip hop and world music, M.I.A is something radically different. Although she has a large fan-base in North America, it doesn’t dictate her sound. M.I.A. reaches far-out, to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, borrowing from all of their respected music traditions to create a breath-taking sophomore album. The lyrics and M.I.A’s delivery are spot on here. With lyrics such as “M.I.A. coming back with power-power” delivered with such restrained and almost robotic anger, M.I.A name drops country after country to show her credentials. On Bird Flu, M.I.A. mixes the unsettling sounds of birds and screeches with a menacing and overwhelming drum line beat. On the most well-known track, Paper Planes, M.I.A. gives a nod to past dissenters in music history, sampling the Clash and showing her teeth. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, M.I.A. speaks out against the injustices in Immigration, a source too close to home. For all of these reasons (and many more), M.I.A’s Kala was the best album of the year.

1. Hercules & Love Affair - S/T (2008)

People have written Hercules and Love Affair off as simply "genre-revivalism". I'm not sure if they got the memo, but Hercules and Love Affair aren't reviving disco (it never really died), but they are reinventing the genre. Taking inspiration from music movements (elements of house, and disco being the most obvious), fabled heroes (Hercules) and it's three distinct singer (including Antony), this can't be simply labelled revivalism. The tracks are just too good to be written off like that. On the opener, Time Will, Antony sings with subdued passion over one of the most inspired instrumentals of the year. When he sings "I cannot change you but I will" it all clicks. Hercules Theme is bar none one of the best songs of this decade. The horn section, the androgynous vocals, that amazing drum beat. It is simply amazing. On Blind, Andy Butler creates the most dance-worthy riffs of this century and in a genius move, combines it with the powerful vocals of Antony. The chorus chimes in with an inspired horn section and than it all is TOO perfect. All of these people have come together and all of their talents have culminated in best single of the year. Some would be worried that the rest of the album couldn't match up, but the last three songs are just as good as the first three songs. From top to bottom, not a single song fails to deliver and each is just as important as the one before it.

[New Damage]

Close But No Cigars...

Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008); Queens of the Stone Age - R (2000); Shinedown - Leave A Whisper (2003)/Us and Them (2005);

5. Nickelback - Silver Side Up (2001)

One of the first massive songs for me, "How You Remind Me", was on this album. Partly due to nostalgia probably, but still it's a damn fine record. People will complain about them, but they do have some pretty cool bluesy, grinding riffs that I dig on this album.

Stand Outs: How You Remind Me; Hollywood; Where Do I Hide?; Hangnail; Just For;

4. The Exies - Head For The Door (2004)

Like many others probably, I first heard of The Exies through "Hey You" on the original Guitar Hero. I checked out some of their stuff on their MySpace and loved it (namely "Ugly", which was apparently the Survivor Series 2004 theme), so went and bought the album after only hearing about 3 songs. And it didn't disappoint. Just a solid album which is IMO their pinnacle. The first 2 before it were more poppy/indie but still good, the album following this is a little too emo, but again not bad.

Stand Outs: Hey You; Slow Drain; Don't Push The River; FSOS; Splinter

3. Audioslave - Audioslave (2002)

Chris Cornell + Rage Against The Machine = sold. First time I really heard of Audioslave was through the Diva Search of 2004/5 with "Be Yourself" as the theme, but had seen adverts for them in WWE magazine and saw the "Cochise" video a couple of times too. I downloaded a few sample tracks off this album and "Out of Exile" and liked them, so I got both albums for Christmas that year. This album is so much better than the other two already good albums. It has a perfect opener in "Cochise", awesome middle with "Shadow on the Sun" and "I Am the Highway" and oh so much more.

Stand Outs: Cochise; I Am The Highway; Getaway Car; Shadow on the Sun; Like A Stone

2. Shinedown - The Sound of Madness (2008)

)), but it really is a good album. Loved "Sound of Madness" first time I heard, and this is one of those albums that has bonus tracks that should never have been bonus tracks and should've been on the album in the first place.

I admit, at first when I heard this album, I thought it wasn't as good as either of it's predecessors. But it really has grown on me, especially since about November time. Maybe partly due to nostalgia again (I was listening to it a lot at work, which has kinda stopped (long story

Stand Outs: Sound of Madness; Second Chance; The Crow & The Butterfly; Devour; Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide

1. Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish & The Hotdog Flavoured Water (2000)

Again, more nostalgia, first album, "My Way" and "Rollin'" being involved with WWF 2000/2001 etc.. But fuck it. It's glorious. When I go a few weeks/months without listening to it, then play it again, I always forget how fantastic it is. As a twelve year old when I got it, a lot of the songs I weren't too keen on, be they too heavy or too sweary, but it still grew on me a lot. About a year after I had it, I absolutely loved it, and still do now, and I'm still finding out parts of it and songs that mean more to mean as I age. Maybe I'm just maturing, I dunno. For example, over the past 6-8 months, "The One" has become one of my favourites on the album, where before it was just there. If they released that, maybe they wouldn't have the reputation they've got. Same goes for "Hold On" feat. Scott Weiland, a favourite since day one. The only down sides are the super-swearing of the likes of Hot Dog means that people will be put off, Ben Stiller's looping laugh of doom for 5 mins, and that 3 Limp Bizkit albums have "Intro" on them, meaning that "Intro" is one of my 15 top played songs on Last.FM .

Stand Outs: Hold On; The One; My Way; Take a Look Around; My Generation

[Skummy]

I'll edit in with reasons later, but for me;

1. Scott Walker - The Drift

2. The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners

3. SunnO))) & Boris - Altar

4. Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now

5. Television Personalities - My Dark Places

Lucksmiths and TVP are largely because they do a genre of music I like, and do it phenomenally well, even if there isn't anything new being done there - Antony's probably will go down as something of a classic, and rightly so, and PRP probably summed it up better than I can...SunnO))) & Boris has some of the most beautiful music I've heard this decade, while "The Drift" is just light years ahead of what anyone else has done in the past twenty years except, maybe, Scott Walker himself. Nothing else sounds like it (well, there's elements of post-war avant-garde classical music, but even taking that into account), and it's just a phenomenal piece of work that should go down as one of the most incredible albums of all time.

[Jack_Attack]

5. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys

Of the host of DIY indie bands which emerged from the shadow of The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys definately made the biggest impact. I believed the hype upon hearing the unbelievable intro to I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, and effortlessly cool bassline of When The Sun Goes Down. Mardy Bum had a similar effect, and it contained the first solo I learnt to play completely on the guitar.

Favourite Track: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

4. You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into - Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Possibly the most consistant album on the list without a single song I find even slightly mundane. The music seems to have been forciably ripped from the '80s and crudely glued into the present, a piercing digital onslaught which slows only twice to become brilliantly mellow and sensitive (Dawn of the Dead, Epic Last Song).

Favourite Track: Let's Make Out

3. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

To be honest I only included this album on the list for three songs. Sure it has other good moments, the very Bowie-esque Weekend Wars for example, but the reason it comes in at 3rd is due to the three released singles. All three hit me with that special feeling the first time you hear a really good song. Electric Feel is probably the closest thing to sex in musical form, pulsating and melodic in equal measure. Kids is the catchiest non-shit song of 2008, and Time to Pretend is the most moving. Both are tailor made for the youth of today.

Favourite Track: Time to Pretend

2. Up the Bracket - The Libertines

The most ragged, working class, mostBritish album on the list. Trashy yet intelligent, with some of Pete Doherty's wittiest and most charming lines. The album manages to be driving (Up the Bracket), forlorn (Tell the King), and thrashy (I Get Along). Requires a great deal of listening to before it begins to drag.

Favourite Track: Time For Heroes

1. American Idiot - Green Day

Introduced me to rock music in general when I was 12. Utterly fantastic album, different to anything they've done previously. Simple and complex at appropriate times, each song a good tune in its own right. Great spin on the typical teenage angst concept, telling an enthralling musical story.

Favourite Track: Jesus of Suburbia

Edited January 25, 2009 by Jack_Attack

[Mr Evil Guy]

5. Will Smith - Lost and Found

4. Killa $al - NY's Hardest Vol. 1

3. S Club 7 - Reach

2. Kidz Bop 14

1. Kevein Federline - Playing With Fire

Nah for real it'd probably be more like this...

5. Arcade Fire - Funeral

- This is the shit, everyone knows Arcade Fire. One of the best debut albums by an artist in like years. It's sooo sick. Like, really.

4. Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die

- At first I thought they were fucked, now they're like one of my favorite bands. It's just really awesome pop music.

3. TV On The Radio - Return To Cooie Mountain

- Wolf Like Me had like 100 listens on my old computer, I Was A Lover and all kinds of shit are standout.

2. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

- Listen to it. You will know. Just Heimdelsgate Like A Prometian Curse is enough to make people fap.

1. Wolf Parade - Apologies to Queen Mary

- Again, this is so sick. Grounds For Divorce is my most played track, on my old computer I'll Believe In Anything was top 5, the rest of it is really good to. It's just amazing.

This was really hard actually. I'm not even sure if that's right, it's hard to choose.

Edited January 25, 2009 by Mr. Evil Guy

[OAK]

I'ma hip hop head... so top 5 hip hop albums of the decade....

Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens

The Roots - Game Theory

Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor

Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) - Train of Thought

[Liam]

In no particular order, especially as I just picked 5 off of my top 100 list that I'm doing, so it'd probably change between this post and when I post mine up >_>

The Flaming Lips 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots'

Initially, when I bought this album, I actually ended up trading it in, because at the time, I just didn't 'get it'. But upon hearing 'Do You Realize?' again, I picked it up on the cheap, and was glad I gave it another chance. A brilliant mixture of songs, and as a single listen, it just works for me. It is one that I'd recommend to everyone, unlike some of the other choices on this list. Seriously, well worth the effort.

Deftones 'White Pony'

Not the most exciting of choices, but this harkens back to my youth more than anything, and in a similar way to 'Yoshimi....', it took me an age to get into this. But when I did, things just clicked for me. I think you either love or hate Chino Moreno's vocals, but I personally enjoy them. You get a nice mixture here, from the more laid back 'Street Carp', to the outright agression of 'Feiticieria'. Not exactly the most 'leet' band to be giving props to, but fuck it, its a great album.

In Flames 'Clayman'

This is metal, to me. It blew me away. Melody, aggression, power, speed. On the title track, the galloping guitars as it heads into the chorus is probably one of my favourite little bits to a song, and as stated, it sounds like what metal should be to me. The guitars rule, and its before the lead singer decided that he'd try and sing more often, which is always a little hit and miss.

Hundred Reasons 'Ideas Above Our Station'

An album thats a bit of a sleeper hit for me, and one I forget how much I like until I return to it. Kinda standard indie rock, but I think what works for me and others who like the album (Ollie) is the quality of the song writing, and that, for the most part, this is all killer, no filler. None of the time on this album is thrown away for no reason, and it makes for a really satisfying listen. Brilliant singles as well.

The Mars Volta 'De-loused In The Comatorium'

Very few albums truly excite me, but this album managed to do it. It was different, fresh, exciting, challenging, and a fucking good listen. Again, it took me a while to get my head around it, but now it easily sits up with my favourite albums ever, let alone of the decade. Due to the nature of The Mars Volta though, I actually don't overly like any of their follow up releases, but as a debut, they couldn't have started as well as they did with 'De-loused.....'

[ADG]

Honourable Mentions: Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly and You Can’t imagine How Much Fun We’re Having (Was so close to getting a top five place),The Gaslight Anthem - The ’59 Sound, Dan Le Sac versus Scroobius Pip - Angles, The Shins - Oh, Inverted World, Feeder – Echo Park, Comfort In Sound and Pushing The Senses, Arcade Fire – Neon Bible and The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

And now….for the TOP FIVE!

5. matchbox twenty – Mad Season (2000)

An album I’ll always have a soft spot for as a memory from my early teenage years. Whenever I’d be taking my dogs out for a walk I’d stick this in my portable CD player and I’d be happy walking until it had finished and I’d know it was time to go home. It does have one weak spot with ‘Leave’ which doesn’t hold up to the rest of the album in my opinion. Incredibly they knew what songs would work as my four standout tracks are also the four released as singles.

Standout Tracks: Bent, If You’re Gone, Mad Season and Last Beautiful Girl

4. Idlewild – The Remote Part (2002)

I first heard ‘You Held The World In Your Arms’ on the soundtrack to Fifa 2003 and immediately loved the track. Thankfully by a stroke of sheer genius EA put in the artists and song titles at the bottom so there was no frantic searching for who the artist was. I’d heard ‘These Wooden Ideas’ from their second album ’100 Broken Windows’ and liked it but it was this album that made me a huge Idlewild fan. Right from the off it’s an excellent record and keeps going all the way through.

Standout Tracks: You Held The World In Your Arms, A Modern Way of Letting Go, American English, (I Am) What I Am Not, Live In A Hiding Place, Tell Me Ten Words, In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction

3. The Postal Service – Give Up (2003)

The first time I heard this album I was blown away. It was just completely different to everything else I’d been listening to at this time which were mainly Idlewild, Atmosphere, Linkin Park, The White Stripes and Muse. This was something completely different from the outset and I was hooked. I could never get anyone else I knew to even listen to them but I loved it. My favourite track has to be ‘Recycled Air’ which is just hauntingly beautiful. Oh so wonderful.

Standout Tracks: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, Such Great Heights, Recycled Air, We Will Become Silhouettes and Brand New Colony

2. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

The first exposure to this album I had was seeing the video for ‘Digital Love’ on a music channel and immediately loving it. I had heard ‘Around The World’ from 1997’s ’Homework’ but it was ‘Discovery’ that really got me into Daft Punk. Still have to see them live but I love this album. I really, really, REALLY love this album. But still it is kept from the top spot.

Standout Tracks: One More Time, Aerodynamic, Digital Love, Harder Better Faster Stronger, Something About Us, Voyager and Face to Face.

1. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)

It’s wonderful. That’s all you need to know. I do not know a single person who has listened to this album and come away from it thinking “yeah, so what’s all the hype about?”. Arcade Fire are immense both in recording and live. There’s just so much power in their music. I will freely admit I’m a little biased as they’re also my favourite live band but damn, the bridge from Neighbourhood #3 into Rebellion was so cool live. If you haven’t got it, get it now. If you have got it, give it a listen.

Standout Tracks: Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), Haiti, Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), Crown of Love, In The Backseat, Neighbourhood #2 (Laika), Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)

[METALMAN]

Did you see Arcade Fire at the Barrowlands?

That was an awesome show.

[YI]

JEEEESUS CHRIST!!! This is bloody difficult.

Shit that didn't make the cut yet were absolutely fucking AWESOME;

"Up The Bracket" by The Libertines [2002]

"Rockin' The Suburbs" by Ben Folds [2001]

"The Element Of Sonic Defiance" by Strung Out [2000]

"Hopes & Fears" by Keane [2004]

"Everything In Transit" by Jack's Mannequin [2005]

"Guilt Show" by The Get Up Kids [2004]

"Maybe I'll Catch Fire" by Alkaline Trio [2000]

"Nothing's Lost" by Styrofoam [2004]

1. "Absolution" by Muse [2003]

Probably my favourite album ever.

2. "Sink Or Swim" by The Gaslight Anthem [2007]

Just...whoooooaaaaa!!

3. "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab For Cutie [2003]

Breathtaking stuff.

4. "Our Darkest Days" by Ignite [2006]

Epic, just epic.

5. "Revolutions Per Minute" by Rise Against [2003]

An album I kind of take for granted these days, but it's bloody brilliant.

[ADG]

Did you see Arcade Fire at the Barrowlands?

That was an awesome show.

Yup, March 11th 2007, the first of their two shows there. Was amazing.

[SRN]

As YI, it is proving exceedingly difficult to choose just five as I have a thousand albums I would want to choose (I do good in tempting the mistress of hyperbole as well, you see) so I have to include some sort of honorable mentions chart unless I want to destroy my own sense of dignity in my musical taste.

Behemoth - The Apostasy [2005]

Darkane - Expanding Sense [2002]

Gorod - Neurotripsicks [2005]

High On Fire - Surrounded By Thieves [2002]

Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness [2002]

Kronos - Titan's Awakening [2001]

Meshuggah - ObZen [2008]

Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked [2005]

Strapping Young Lad - SYL [2003]

Strapping Young Lad - The New Black [2006]

Testament - The Formation Of Damnation [2008]

Turisas - The Varangian Way [2007]

Uranus - Doctrine Of Immortality [2003]

Wormed - Planisphaerium [2003]

5. Hellfire, by 1349 [2005]

Certainly of the better Black Metal records in many many years, "Hellfire" defines everything that a Black Metal of this deacde should be. It is deep, dark and brutal and raging with distorted satanic guitar riffs. An album I almost immediately fell in love with and despite Immortal having a bigger place in my heart (Touching, is it not? ) then 1349 I just could not let "Hellfire" go off the list like that. While also owning "Beyond The Apocalypse", and also being delightly impressed with that, I just cannot wait for their new release this March. If "Hellfire" is anything to go by it is going to be the Black Metal album of the century.

4. Voimasta Ja Kunniasta, by Moonsorrow [2001]

Their second full-length album and, so far, best release. That is not to say the rest of their material isn't worth a listen. Voimasta, however, just defines Moonsorrow's style so well. Long, epic and harmonic duets between the vocals and guitar, coupled with the nigh-perfect work from production, it has to be the most atmospheric and binding of all Moonsorrow's records. This little rant might be a bit biased as Voimasta was the first album from Moonsorrow I ever listened to and bought and thus it holds a special place, and it is always the first record to go on when Moonsorrow is taken for a spin.

3. Trivmvirate, by The Monolith Deathcult [2008]

If there is proof that a band can evolve leaps and bounds from one album to another, that proof is TMD's Trivmvirate. Going from making fast-paced Slayer-inspired death metal, of which they were disappointly stale at, they conquered me with this bad boy. Having the perfect mix of sound bits and some techno inspirations, TMD managed to make album of the year, personally. All through this record there are no downfalls, every track is always up the standard and nothing has been cast aside in favor of another track. Grinding death metal mixed with exotic other stuff throughout makes this one one of my all-time favorite records.

2. Alien, by Strapping Young Lad [2005]

My favorite SYL record by far. It is purebred Townsend angriness and everything about it just says a great big "fuck you!" to the rest of the world. I cant use much else to describe what I feel about this album because it is just so awesome. The music is angry, the lyrics are angry and not in the slightest deep or political or anything, which all adds up to a great headbanger record and a pearl in my collection.

1. Elvenfris, by Lykathea Aflame [2000]

There are no words to describe how perfect this record is, so I canonly advise you to listen to it yourself. There exists nothing as complete as this album.

[lari]

I did a top 50 some time ago. I'm just going to paste that in here. It's only heavy metal and mosly of the melodic/classic kind.

Spoiler: Click here to view

1. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death

2. Angel Dust - Enlighten The Darkness

3. Nightwish - Once

4. Skyclad - A Semblance of Normality

5. Nightwish - Wishmaster

6. Pink Cream 69 - Sonic Dynamite

7. Black Label Society - Blessed Hellride

8. Annihilator - Carnival Diablos

9. Axxis - Back to the Kingdom

10. Valley's Eve - Deception of Pain

11. Saxon - Lionheart

12. Gamma Ray - Majestic

13. Iron Maiden - Brave New World

14. Nightwish - Century Child

15. Chris Caffery - Faces

16. Iron Maiden - Dance of Death

17. Blaze - Blood and Belief

18. Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper

19. Annihilator - Waking the Fury

20. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free Pt 2

21. Blaze - Silicon Messiah

22. Avantasia - The Metal Opera

23. Demons & Wizards - Demons & Wizards

24. Star One - Space Metal

25. Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor

26. Helloween - Rabbit Don't Come Easy

27. Blaze Bayley - The Man Who Would Not Die

28. Helloween - The Dark Ride

29. Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World

30. Blaze - The Tenth Dimension

31. Black Label Society - 1919 Eternal

32. Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls

33. Circle II Circle - Burden of Truth

34. Chris Caffery - Pins and Needles

35. Axxis - Doom of Destiny

36. Stratovarius - Infinite

37. Nightwish - Dark Passion Play

38. Axxis - Paradise in Flames

39. Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings

40. Angel Dust - Of Human Bondage

41. Gamma Ray - No World Order

42. Kotipelto - Waiting for the Dawn

43. Feinstein - Third Wish

44. Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King

45. Helloween - Gambling with the Devil

46. Jon Oliva's Pain - Global Warning

47. Within Temptation - Mother Earth

48. Saxon - The Inner Sanctum

49. The 69 Eyes - Blessed Be

50. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

[million$$man]

1. The Muse: Absolution

2. Mudvayne: Lost And Found

3. Metallica: Death Magnetic

4. Rise Against: Revolutions Per Minute

5. Nickleback: All The Right Reasons

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

It would involve Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, Ladytron, Mogwai and Boards of Canada I feel.

[METALMAN]

Did you see Arcade Fire at the Barrowlands?

That was an awesome show.

Yup, March 11th 2007, the first of their two shows there. Was amazing.

Ah. Fantastic. I was there too.

Anyway mine are:

1. Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Belle & Sebastian (2003)

Not a single bad song on this album. Not even an average song. It's absolutely fantastic and quite possibly my favourite album ever.

2. Gold - Ryan Adams (2001)

Another album packed full of fantastic songs. Special thing is this album has seventeen of them and I love them all.

3. We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes - Death Cab For Cutie (2000)

Despite me having this album for ages it was only recently that I really started to love it.

4. Up The Bracket - The Libertines (2002)

This was in many ways the album that got me properly into music. A great energetic listen from beginning to end that still sounds fantastic every time you listen to it.

5. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out This Country (2006)

This album has only ten songs but I love them all. This is another album which I could listen to infinite times without ever getting bored of it.

And honourable mentions:

Spoiler: Click here to view

Funeral - Arcade Fire

Down In Albion - Babyshambles

Silent Alarm - Bloc Party

Cassadaga - Bright Eyes

Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura

Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie

Transatlanticism - Death Cab For Cutie

The Crane Wife - The Decemberists

The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit

The Remote Part - Idlewild

October Road - James Taylor

A Larum - Johnny Flynn

Aha Shake Heartbreak - Kings of Leon

Because Of The Times - Kings of Leon

Myths of the Near Future - Klaxons

The Libertines - The Libertines

Origin of Symmetry - Muse

Cardinology - Ryan Adams

Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams

Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams

Love Is Hell - Ryan Adams

Takk... - Sigur Ros

Is This It - The Strokes

Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

[gunnar hendershow]

I'ma hip hop head... so top 5 hip hop albums of the decade....

Jay-Z - The Blueprint

Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens

The Roots - Game Theory

Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor

Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) - Train of Thought

I'd switch the last 3 with:

Dead Prez - Lets Get Free

J Dilla - Donuts

Aesop Rock - Labor Days

An overall top 5 would include Donuts, Kala, Funeral, and number one would be Kid A. Finding a fifth to round out the list is a challenge.

Edited January 29, 2009 by damshow

[RoyWill Rumble]

I might pick a top five later, but right now I will go completely off the board and say that Bedouin Soundclash's 'Root Fire' is somewhere in that top five. That is one of the most consistently great albums in the 2000s.

[GRIFT]

5. Super Taranta by Gogol Bordello

Frenetic, hectic, energetic and... and ethnic? How about: Gypsy. Super Taranta! is the latest effort from Eugene Hutz and his merry band of gypsy punks. With the energy of Iggy Pop's best work, and more old country sound than you can shake a stick at Gogol Bordello is everything that rock and roll should be. This album is relevant and irreverent all at once.

4. …Burn, Piano Island, Burn by The Blood Brothers

...Burn, Piano Island, Burn is the third full-length studio album by the American post-hardcore band The Blood Brothers and perhaps their finest outing. I think Henry Rollins put it best when it comes to the band and the unique racket they make, "The Blood Brothers make music that will save us all."

3. Lateralus by Tool

Remember when Tool released their masterpiece? Well, believe it or not one of the 90's quintessential bands released their discography's crown jewel in 2001.

2. Revolutionary Volume 2. by Immortal Technique

An album that lives up to the hype of its title, R2 is already considered to be a classic hip hop album and rightfully so. Humorous, socially topical, and relentless with his message Immortal Technique used this album to cement his place as the torch carrier for artists like Public Enemy and KRS-One.

1. Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits

That is right! Grifter picked a Tom Waits album as the best album of this decade! SURPRISE SURPRISE! Well, step back from my relentless love of the man and take the album in as a whole. The prolific songwriter recorded 30 original songs for this album. Oh, and there are 54 songs total that sprawl across three discs-- each with their own feel and character. Each disc is like a different chapter in the same book, and contains all the gritty characters you'd expect from the poet laureate of the gutters and alleys.

Edited January 29, 2009 by GRIFT

[Sousa]

Eh, what the hell. No particular order...

Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs is probably as close to a perfect album as Folds has made since going solo.

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots ranks high on any list of all-time albums I can put together.

Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things barely edges out More Adventurous on my list simply by being more consistent than its successor, but both are great albums that need to be discovered by more people who just got into Rilo Kiley after Under the Blacklight.

Kaizers Orchestra - Ompa til du dør is one of the most inventive, engaging, brilliant, and over-the-top-excellent albums I've ever heard, and the fact that I haven't sold more of you on it is a damned tragedy.

They Might Be Giants - The Else is tremendous, as pure a pop-rock album as they've ever put out, and bafflingly even better with a tighter focus and fewer strange experiments. And "The Mesopotamians" is incredible.