Best Albums of the Decade

When I make a “Best Of…” list, I generally name it “Lacey’s list of the best…” because that’s exactly what it is—mine. If you want to see a (slightly) more objective list, check out Pitchfork’s list or Paste’s list. Those are made by a collaboration of trained ears. The only collaboration for this list was between the left and right ear, so everything is inherently subjective to my personal tastes.

That said, there are some albums on here that I’ve placed for their contributions to music as a whole. I’m quite sick of the Strokes’ first album, but in 2001 it kicked off a decade of a microstyle of rock that so many other groups replicated throughout the next nine years. In other words, it probably deserves to be much higher up on this list, but personally, I don’t want it to be.

There are also some albums that if I went only according to my personal taste, they would have been much higher. Ben Kweller’s self-titled list barely squeaked its way onto the end of my list, but it would probably be in the top ten for the number of times I’ve listened to it.

There were some rules I placed here, namely that I ranked only the best album per band. I would venture to say that every single band in my top ten also deserve to have another album from the 2000s on this list (except for the Postal Service simply because they only have one album, but Ben Gibbard would appear in other places), but I kept it to their best.

While I’m giving disclaimers about the top ten, note also that this order could be shuffled in nearly every permutation and remain accurate. This is my list as for the moment, but I could change preferences at any time.

1. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: The recurrent themes, experimentalism, and brilliant lyrics stand for themselves. From the gradual, heavy opening of “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” to the seemingly light chords of “Heavy Metal Drummer,” Wilco cemented their place as one of the best rock bands of all time.

2. Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel the Illinoise: The idea was crazy. An album for all 50 states, what? Illinois is his second (and supposedly final) installment in the series as he has since said that it was all a big joke, albeit one that he himself fell for. The perfectionistic orchestration of it all is incredible. Taking up an entire cd at nearly 80 minutes long, Sufjan tells the story of a state through dramatic folk tales, touching real-life stories, and eerie instrumentals. Despite its second place ranking, I sense that this may be the most legendary album to come out of the 2000s.

3. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning: Released mid-decade on the same day as dramatically different yet also notable album Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (both Bright Eyes albums but not sold as a double album), there’s no need to prove Conor Oberst’s prolificacy. He’s the best singer-songwriter to come of age in the 2000s, and this is his peak. As a country-tinged folk album, this one will not age throughout the next couple decades.

4. The Postal Service – Give Up: It was a crazy idea back in 2003 for electronic musician Jimmy Tamborello (of Dntel) and indie songwriter Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) to make an album together. Death Cab hadn’t gained too much fame yet as landmark album Transatlanticism didn’t come out until the latter part of the year, so the situation was nothing like it is now. “Techno” music went out of style a couple decades earlier. Nonetheless, this formula worked. Brilliantly. Most of it was the seamless songwriting and the way Gibbard’s voice blended to the synth, but the style was also something that would shape the decade. Despite the fact that music snobs are still mad at newcomer Owl City for “stealing” the idea from the Postal Service—-they didn’t invent this kind of music. They only brought it back in a legendary way.

5. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls In America: Hard rock doesn’t have much of a home these days between the hip hop on the radio, singer-songwriters on indie stations, and dance-synth of indie pop, but the Hold Steady are holding on to what’s left. That is, they’re paving the way of the movement. Picking up where Bruce Springsteen left off in 1984, the hyper-intelligent lyrics blended with virtuostic guitar riffs and legendary keys are something worth listening to. Alluding to Jack Kerouac in lyrics, the Hold Steady takes a cue from the beat poet that the partying lifestyle is a much deeper artistic topic than it looks.

6. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow: This is the Shins’ best album, but just barely. You could argue for either of their other albums. Honestly, the Shins aren’t doing anything musically that other bands aren’t doing. They’re the epitome of early 2000s indie rock, but others were doing the same formula. They were just doing it really, really well. It’s cliché, but Natalie Portman was right in The Garden State that “This band will change your life.”

7. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife: On paper, you’d never think the Decemberists’ weird-to-the-extreme music would work, let alone that they’d get signed to a major label and sell a ton of records. Even if you disregard the literature of the storytelling-lyrics, this is classic music. This band ended the decade being the weirdest they could possibly come up with—-a rock opera about a centaur and forest queen—-and selling the most records they’ve ever sold. (That album, Hazards of Love, ranks behind this one, but not by much.)

8. The National – Boxer: They were unknown when they put out this album, but word spreads quickly when you release a perfect album. On first listen, it’s hard to hear anything besides the uniqueness of Matt Berninger’s deep baritone. Once you get beyond that, you notice layer upon layer of melodies on guitar, piano, and strings, overlaying intricate lyrics. This album takes about 20 listens to sink in, and once you get there, you won’t be able to turn it off.

9. Radiohead – Kid A: It’s probably sacrilegious that I’ve placed this album this low. Radiohead is the reason that nearly every other band on this list exists (except for U2, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, of course. In those cases, it’s the other way around). I’ve just never gotten that into Kid A personally, but that’s mostly because whenever I listen to Radiohead I just have to listen to OK Computer because it’s irresistibly good. In Rainbows, the band’s end of the decade album, ranks very closely behind Kid A in my opinion.

10. Arcade Fire – Funeral: Here’s another band that seems like a horrible idea but turns out to be legendary. Who would think that a seven-person band is a good idea? The songwriting is perfect, and the layers upon layers of instruments make this album a legend. Their second album, Neon Bible, is also incredible.

11. Spoon – Kill the Moonlight: While they struggled to make a name for themselves for half of the ‘90s, the 2000s were when Spoon came of age as a band (even though the members were already in their 30s and 40s). This album has Spoon at its peak rhythmically, but any of their albums from this point on also deserve to be on this list. Few bands better mark the transition from the birth of alternative rock (i.e. the Pixies, Pavement) to modern indie rock.

12. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend: Probably the most unique album of the 2000s, even though it has become more popular than nearly every other on this list. From Columbia University to being covered by Peter Gabriel and sharing a stage with Crosby and Nash, this band has come a long way. Blending African rhythms in a Graceland-esque way, throwing in some classical conventions, a heavy dose of rock, and more multisyllabic words than a Shakespearean sonnet, they made something work that never should have. (The amazing thing is that they’ve started off the next decade proving that they can add to this formula. Stay tuned for a review of their sophomore album.)

13. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes: This album is just as good as #12, and as unique to its time as that one. However, this one is reminiscent of 30 to 40 years ago, while Vampire Weekend is unlike any other band. The songs are great, the style is something that needs to be brought back, and rarely can music transport you to a place (frolicking in the forested mountains of the Pacific Northwest) as directly as this. Vampire Weekend has proven itself with a second album, but I’ve yet to hear another peep from Fleet Foxes. Let’s hope they can challenge themselves with a new album cutting deeper into the path they’ve made.

14. Elliott Smith – Figure 8: I can’t explain the excitement of being able to include one of Elliott’s albums on this list. I’ve been a (major) fan of his for some three or four years, but he’s been dead six. Although two posthumous albums have been released, I’ve never had the joy of listening to a freshly released album of his, let alone see him perform live. This album doesn’t rank quite as high as its predecessor XO, but it’s still one of my all-time favorite albums.

15. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker: Ryan Adams’ first solo album paved the way for his many, many to come. Releasing 11 studio albums in the 2000s, not to mention some live recordings and dozens of free albums on his website, he was obviously busy. While he did release quite a few stellar albums, he’s also made some crap. Heartbreaker, however, is fantastic. A perfect alternative country showcase, Ryan Adams cemented his standing as the king of alt-country with this first solo album.

16. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat: Taking a break from her band Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis channeled her creativity into this solo effort that is better than all of the Rilo Kiley albums combined. That’s no criticism to Rilo Kiley—-they have made some great albums—-it’s just that this one is incredible. She shows that her talent is most applicable to timeless folk with a country tinge, despite her ability to rock. Unfortunately, her follow-up solo album released in 2008 is less than half the caliber of this, but in light of Rabbit Fur Coat, I’ll forgive her for it.

17. M. Ward – Post-War: Matt Ward is the best acoustic guitarist of his generation, so when he writes a great melody, it’s a classic. I’ve never thought his songwriting skills are quite on par with his guitar skills, but then again, there can only be so many Paul McCartneys and Bob Dylans in the world. This album is a great expose of his unbelievable instrumentation and production.

18. Bruce Springsteen – The Rising: The best of the post 9/11 reflection albums, but what else do you expect from a legend like the Boss?

19. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst: Breaking away from the Bright Eyes moniker for the first time since puberty, Oberst also veered away from some of the elaborate orchestration of recent Bright Eyes music. Focusing on alt-country, he found his niche behind the acoustic guitar and pedal steel. This is essentially a solo album, but the effect of the Mystic Valley Band backup can’t be limited. Seeing him live playing with this band was a night-and-day difference from Bright Eyes, and the amount of fun he’s having is clear on the record too.

20. Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism: This album defined indie pop for about five years, and should have launched Death Cab into the stratosphere. It ended up taking a couple more albums, but this is their best work to date.

21. The Strokes – Is This It?: I already mentioned that I acknowledge this is a classic record that set the stage for much of the music of the decade, and that’s all I can say about it.

22. Dark Was the Night: This is the only compilation I’m including on this list. It also serves as a who’s who of indie music of the decade. Most of the artists on this list contributed new (or new versions of) songs for this album that raised funds and awareness for AIDS. Nearly every track is incredible.

22. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head: Talk about setting the stage for the decade. Of course they stole all they knew from U2 and Radiohead, but you can’t deny that there are some classic songs on this album (and others).

23. Bob Dylan – Modern Times: Not too bad for a musician’s 32nd studio album. It’s great to see the legend return to the blues.

24. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha: If you can ever see his guy live, do it. His looping, insane violining, and general antics are incredible. This is the best of his amazing collection.

25. Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days: Another stage-setter for the decade, this is the epitome of modern folk music.

26. Feist – The Reminder: This album has such immense variety from track to track, and it undoubtedly set Leslie Feist as one of the best female singer-songwriters of the decade.

27. Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: This Icelandic band is in a category of their own. Their newest album is my favorite, but everything they’ve released is unearthly.

28. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous: Even though the first song on this album is mocking a musician’s pressure to write hits, Rilo Kiley wrote 11 of them here. I especially love that both Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett (Rilo Kiley’s chief songwriters) wrote a tribute song to Elliott Smith in this album that came out just after his untimely death.

29. Ben Folds – Rockin’ the Suburbs: From parodies to ballads, “I'm pissed off but I'm too polite when people break in the McDonald’s line” to the most touching love song of the decade, this is quite possibly the most enjoyable album on this list.

30. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind: Proof #1 of the new millennium that U2 is still one of the greatest bands on earth.

31. Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News: I’m personally a little over Modest Mouse, especially since they show their hometown Portland such little love, but this is a noteworthy release.

32. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk: Not quite equal to the sum of all its parts (Conor Oberst, M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Mike Mogis of nearly every Saddle Creek release) but still amazing.

33. The Faint – Fasciinatiion: On their fifth release, the Faint wrote, recorded, produced, art directed, and released this album totally on their own. Pretty impressive upon listen.

34. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges: Some interesting takes on rock music on this album from one of the few Southern rock bands around these days.

35. Guster – Keep It Together: I had to put a Guster album on here. You won’t find them on any other Best-Of list on the great Internet, but I think they deserve to be. They’ve done some interesting things to the pop-rock formula.

36. Derek Webb – The Ringing Bell: This is another random pick, but it’s a pop gem. Clocking in at barely over half an hour, it’s a blur of pop mastery.

37. Ben Kweller – Ben Kweller: This is an underrated album by an underrated artist. It’s curiously self-titled even though it’s his third release, but maybe the fact that he played all the instruments explains that. His latest release, Changing Horses, a country-focused album, is also great.

38. Carbon Leaf – Indian Summer: I’ve listened to my favorite song from this album, “What About Everything?” 90 times according to iTunes (this counts only the times that my computer has played it, not the times it played on a cd in my car or on my iPod). This band works harder than most on this list and probably barely eeks out a living, beside the fact that they’ve put out seven great albums.

If you’ve actually read this much, you’re either very interested in an amateur review or you love me very much. Thanks.