¶ Pitchfork pitched in with theirs back in October, the NME did it more recently, and this weekend the Observer/Guardian published theirs. Today it’s my turn. I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath for what is the ultimate list of the top fifty albums of the decade.
And was it a good decade? There was no emerging or prevalent musical ‘movement’ that I’m aware of, unlike Britpop and the ecstasy-fuelled Dance of the Nineties. That decade will always be a defining era for me because it’s when my musical taste left the mainstream for a more independent view. This past decade saw a similar but lesser renaissance, as I discovered alt-country through the likes of Lambchop and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and trekked a little further off the beaten track into the world of Animal Collective, Explosions in the Sky and a Band of Horses. Judging from this list of albums, though, it seems as if I’ve not quite shaken being an indie kid at heart, and that’s fine by me.
So here it is, culled from my own personal collection and ordered in terms of the albums I like most (therefore my order is right and ‘corrections’ you might like to make are inherently wrong).
Is A Woman
Lambchop (2002)
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals (2001)
Greatest Palace Music
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (2004)
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Arctic Monkeys (2006)
Leaders of the Free World
Elbow (2005)
The Hazards of Love
The Decemberists (2009)
Funeral
Arcade Fire (2004)
The Sophtware Slump
Grandaddy (2000)
Rounds
Four Tet (2003)
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Explosions in the Sky (2007)
Picaresque
The Decemberists (2005)
Hail to the Thief
Radiohead (2003)
The Decline Of British Sea Power
British Sea Power (2003)
Cease to Begin
Band of Horses (2007)
Astronomy for Dogs
The Aliens (2007)
Colour It In
The Maccabees (2007)
Absolution
Muse (2003)
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes (2001)
Happiness In Magazines
Graham Coxon (2004)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (2005)
Black Mountain
Black Mountain (2005)
Blueberry Boat
The Fiery Furnaces (2004)
( )
Sigur Rós (2002)
Boxing Hefner
Hefner (2000)
Superabundance
The Young Knives (2008)
Cansei De Ser Sexy
CSS (2006)
I Am Kloot
I Am Kloot (2004)
Amber
Clearlake (2006)
Keep On Your Mean Side
The Kills (2003)
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes (2008)
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Sound Of Silver
LCD Soundsystem (2006)
The Closer You Get
Six By Seven (2000)
Let It Come Down
Spiritualized (2001)
Antidotes
Foals (2008)
Up The Bracket
The Libertines (2002)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (2000)
#1
Fischerspooner (2002)
Antics
Interpol (2004)
American IV – The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash (2002)
Xtrmntr
Primal Scream (2000)
Is This It?
The Strokes (2000)
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective (2009)
Since I Left You
The Avalanches (2001)
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend (2008)
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Death From Above 1979 (2004)
These Were…
The Earlies (2004)
Give Up
The Postal Service (2002)
Show Your Bones
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2006)
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp (2000)
Fifty seems like a pretty big number, but it seems I bought a lot of albums in the past ten years. My long-list comprised 120 releases, and it was pretty tough subsequently leaving out great albums such as Third, Neon Bible, Kid A, as well as artists like Beck, Beirut, Bon Iver, Calexico, Wilco and even Basement Jaxx, Madonna and the Streets. Such is the nature of stupid lists like these. Have you got an albums of the decade list? What albums you would have put in here?
Comments
1
That’s quite a diverse range of albums there, from Lambchop to Goldfrapp to Johnny Cash to CSS! It’s this kind of list that starts me off… if only I can find the time to consider all the album from the last ten years. A great effort!
2
No Half Man, Half Biscuit? I am suprised.
3
pretty much spot on in my books… I would have probably added in the wolfmother album though.
4
Many debates to be had, but putting Antics in at the expense of Turn On The Bright Lights is unforgivable in my book. Also, I see you’ve neglected to include any unlistenable noise crap… ;)
5
Cennydd: I haven’t amassed a huge amount of unlistenable noise, although I have been picking up a few tips from you along the way :-) As for Antics vs. Turn on the Bright Lights… I don’t actually own Turn on the Bright Lights so it couldn’t make this list (another glaring omission to fill) and anyway I rather like Antics.
6
Can I have all my albums back now please?
7
Excellent list, however, I would have included Boxer by The National.
8
pretty much spot on in my books… I would have probably added in the wolfmother album though.
9
Man, I don’t even think I’ve bought 50 albums this decade…
10
Nice to see ‘Clap your hands say yeah’ in there, which is one of my favourites of the decade.
11
I find many of these new alternative-popular type bands extremely boring and samey.. just my opinion though.
12
No Sufjan Stevens? Lame. Very lame indeed.
13
Lordy Rich – a very brave attempt at a great list, and one that, frankly, exposes my rather growing detachment from music. I put it down to being co-producer of two children in the last 10 years – it seems to be harder to find time to both buy and enjoy music.
Anyway – a good list. For what it’s worth I would: – swap ‘Hail to the Thief’ for ‘Kid A’ which is a stellar album. – put Goldfrapp much higher up the list too, although very happy to see it there. – add ‘Beirut – Gulag Orkestar’ – add ‘Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ – add ‘In Rainbows’ ‘cos I’m a complete Radiohead fanboy – add ‘The Rapture – Echoes’
But then again that would be my list rather then yours wouldn’t it….
14
warren: instead of simply dissing my taste in music, how about naming some alternatives to these ‘new alternative-popular’ bands you loathe so much? Or has no one come up with anything good since the Smiths in your opinion?
15
Pokorny: You call my list list ‘very lame’ – I call your comment lamer still. I haven’t yet bought any Sufjan Stevens – how about recommendation? That would be more useful than just slagging me off, surely?
16
I would definitely have included Modest Mouse, since they are probably one of the best bands of this decade… but each to his own, I guess.
17
I’m so glad you had Grandaddy in your top half – a much much under rated band who I truly love and was lucky enough to get to know on a personal level over the years.
I’m suprised Midlake didn’t make it but kudos to you Richard as there are some great albums in there!
18
Thomas: I’ve always wanted to like Modest Mouse but I can never quite get into them. Like you say – each to his own.
John: Glad you approach of Grandaddy. I probably listen to Sumday more, but I think Sophtware Slump is the better album. As for Midlake: Roscoe is my song of 2006 but the rest of the album (and other albums) don’t quite hit the spot enough to make the list.
19
“There was no emerging or prevalent musical ‘movement’ that I’m aware of, unlike Britpop and the ecstasy-fuelled Dance of the Nineties.”
Might be right for rock, but have you heard of dubstep? About the biggest thing in electronic music since the emergence of jungle and minimal techno in the 90s, and oh so diverse in these days.
Otherwise a pretty neat list, with the Arctic Monkeys and Fischerspooner and DFA1979 and etc., Although on such an alternative heavy list I miss Songs for the Deaf by QotSA and Amplifier by Amplifier.
20
haha I was listening to the arctic monkeys when I read this list. very good selection. its too bad that its impossible to listen to enough music to make a worthy comprehensive list of the whole decade. (you did better than most people, though I think bon iver and beirut could’ve made it)
21
Good list. I would’ve put Pinback’s Blue Screen Life on though.
22
I cannot believe Portgual. The Man’s 2009 The Satanic Satanist album is not present on this list. I also think that Animal Collective”s Merriweather Post Pavilion should be much higher on the list. The biggest travesty that is this list is that Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest 2009 is not present. This album is beyond spectacular and definitely one of the top 10 of the decade.
23
Lambchop first huh…very interesting. Glad to see the avalanches and super furry animals. I think the omission of wilco was a mistake, as well as grizzly bear. Don’t listen to the tools saying Sufjan and Portugal.The Man should have made the list..both very overrated. Overall a great list, I’ll definitely be looking into the ones I don’t know so well as you seem to have very good taste. Anyway thanks for the effort, keep it up!
24
ooh and I missed the Aliens, another unexpected and very welcome addition…the closer I look the better the list gets!
25
I can´t believe you included The Earlies. I love that album and is also one of my favorites. Great list.
26
I loved the Black Mountain album, Thought it should of been higher!!
27
You have built a great site .Ii am using these album listing in my site hot categories..also i very much liked that article on browser handling different padding and margin properties
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