Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s
by 
buzzdainer 
The most striking development in the twenty-first century music world is the way cyber-balkanization through digital media has rendered just about everyone into distinct musical camps that don't talk to each other much. So it has become possible, for instance, for a person to love Josh Ritter (associated with indie folk and Americana) but never to have heard of Josh Rouse (who works in much the same musical terrain, just with a different audience). During the seventies and eighties, I typically knew just about every song in Casey Kasum's weekly top 40 (which I listened to religiously), whereas by the 2000s I'd be lucky--or unlucky, depending on your perspective--to know even one. So how did I discover new music? Well, in the first half of the decade, by listening to WNCW (a great community station based in Spindale, North Carolina), raiding my then-girlfriend's music collection, and attending concerts in Asheville. A lot of my musical loves came out of, or were influenced by, the rivers and hollows of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Pisgah National Forest near where I lived.
Later, I relocated first to Vermont and then to Nevada, where I became suffused with both the seedy cityscape of Reno and the spectacular natural landscapes of Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin. I started playing music with a group of friends, reading a lot of music reviews (No Depression magazine was my favorite until it went out of print, though it remained an active online presence), and listening to more indie rock and electronica. I was probably a more adventurous music listener than I was in the nineties, but I still missed out on some pretty cool post-rock, garage rock revival, abstract hip hop, plunderphonics, and other genres I didn't know about, or just ignored for whatever reason. So I'm exploring some of that stuff now. As with all my charts, I'd love to receive your feedback, and I'd appreciate any music recommendations you might have. Happy reading!
- Chart updated: 04/07/2024 16:15
- (Created: 02/16/2016 19:11).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 24 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 34 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from 2003. (Remove this filter)
My favorite album by Josh Ritter, the artist I've listened to more than any other over the past fifteen years or so, who writes meticulously crafted lyrics within his relatively traditional, organ- and guitar-centric, Dylan-inspired folk Americana. These songs evoke beautifully the rolling agricultural landscapes of Ritter's native western Idaho, a place I first visited in 1997 when I helped my sister move from Boulder, Colorado, to Moscow, Idaho (Ritter's hometown), to start graduate school. Hello Starling is chock full of stories and mythologies unique to Ritter's tunnel-blasting, lentil-growing, West-winning oeuvre. The romantic "Kathleen" is the highlight here, with one of the all-time greatest musical pickup lines: "All the other girls here are stars; you are the Northern Lights."
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
"Not simply an excellent album," wrote Matt LeMay in his review for Pitchfork, "Chutes Too Narrow is also a powerful testament to pop music's capacity for depth, beauty and expressiveness." That is such a great summary of what I love about this album. James Mercer and company have crafted here a collection of songs that make excellent use of Mercer's impressive vocal range, while at the same time showing an attention to detail in performance and production that give the album a timeless feel. "So Says I", the album's first single and my favorite track here, succeeds largely through the subtle variations worked into its verses, and enjoys its strongest moment in the transcendent harmonies adorning its brief, seamless bridge, concluding with these lines: "But all our crying voices, they can't turn it around / And you've had some crazy conversations of your own."
[First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,666
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Originally released as two EPs (both of which I purchased when they came out, only to discover later that I could have waited and acquired the whole album at a lesser cost), Love Is Hell is one of Ryan Adams's moodiest and most enigmatic albums, a self-indulgent kiss-off to singer-songwriter Beth Orton, from whom he'd recently gone through a painful breakup. This album, I believe, could have benefitted from some trimming, starting with the obnoxious, feedback-soaked "Fuck the Universe." But the best material here, particularly the paranoid, piano-led "Political Scientist," stands up to the finest songs in Adams's catalog, which is saying something.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
One of the things Drive-By Truckers do best is to examine life in the American South from a variety of perspectives, an approach that works so well on Decoration Day because of the strength of three enormously talented singer-songwriters in Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Jason Isbell. I can remember an argument I had with some guy about the meaning of these lyrics from Jason Isbell's "Outfit": "Don't call what you're wearing an outfit / Don't ever say your car is broke." Should a Southern man refrain from saying his car is "broke" because the diction makes him sound like a dumbass redneck? Or because it implies that he can't fix his car himself? Help us out. It's important.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank Score:
514
Rank in 2003:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
This album doesn't get a lot of love from critics, and to an extent I think that's justified. "Wish You Were Here," for instance, contains some of the lamest, laziest songwriting of Ryan Adams's career, such as this pointless string of expletives: "It's all a bunch of shit / It's totally fucked up." But I don't think the criticism that the album is too derivative makes much sense, since that is explicitly the point: this is Adams obviously and nakedly performing songs that are paens to his influences. And a lot of it is good. "Burning Photographs," for instance, is a nod to Echo & the Bunnymen-style neo-psychedlia, and it's pretty evident to me that Adams is fully invested in the passion of the song, not just pretending to be. I put that song, and several others from this record, comfortably among Adams's best.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
"I want to do right, but not right now," proclaims the narrator of "Look at Miss Ohio," the brilliant opening track to this fine album, alluding to the playful rebelliousness that defines a number of the tracks here. By turns raw, spare, direct, and achingly pretty, the approach Gillian Welch and longtime musical collaborator David Rawlings bring to the material on Soul Journey feels crafted for private enjoyment rather than public consumption, and the end result is not only Welch's most personal work to date but one of her most emotionally satisfying as well. If I have a complaint, it's only that I'd like to hear Rawlings turned loose a bit more, as he was on Time (The Revelator), to find his groove in his characteristically understated guitar solos. Here the songs are wound a bit too tightly for him to find that kind of space.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
A buddy of mine in Reno has this album in the CD player of his car for the better part of the four years I lived there, having been introduced to M. Ward at the Treasure Island Music Festival at some point in the mid-2000s. I was hooked upon hearing it. There's a sort of spiritual gravity to music in M. Ward's niche in the musical world because it exists in the cracks between genres and passing movements. Because it can mix-and-match from so many points in musical history--everything from Delta blues to alt-country to Britpop--it's an aesthetic that's brimming with ideas and unlikely to tap itself out anytime soon. That's a very good thing, since the whirling energy of "Helicopter," Ward's fantasy about rescuing innocents from the corruption and violence of the world, feels like it comes from a place where a lot of other great ideas abound.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Total albums: 7. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9 | 9% | |
| 2001 | 6 | 6% | |
| 2002 | 11 | 11% | |
| 2003 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2004 | 9 | 9% | |
| 2005 | 11 | 11% | |
| 2006 | 14 | 14% | |
| 2007 | 14 | 14% | |
| 2008 | 8 | 8% | |
| 2009 | 11 | 11% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Devendra Banhart | 5 | 5% | |
| Josh Ritter | 5 | 5% | |
| Drive-By Truckers | 5 | 5% | |
| Ryan Adams | 5 | 5% | |
| Neko Case | 3 | 3% | |
| Spoon | 3 | 3% | |
| Wilco | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 13th to 12thFor Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 12th to 13thFuneral by Arcade Fire |
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Other decade charts by buzzdainer
buzzdainer has shared 6 more decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | buzzdainer | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | buzzdainer | 2010s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | buzzdainer | 2000s decade chart | 2024 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 34 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/12/2024 09:35 |  LedZep | 1,103 | 84/100 | |
| 09/04/2023 03:49 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 | |
| 09/03/2023 12:12 |  Tamthebam | 651 | 85/100 | |
| 12/18/2020 20:12 |  jnfbn | 309 | 96/100 | |
| 12/18/2020 15:30 |  StefanR10 | 82 | 88/100 |
Rating metrics:
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This chart is rated in the top 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.1/100, a mean average of 92.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 92.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.1.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s comments
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From Moondance 09/04/2023 03:55 | #298963
Very entertaining chart - love the love for the mostly 'undiscovered', like Josh, Joseph, Okkervil River, Gregory, Xavier (an Aussie of course), Rhett, Langhorne & Franti - most of whom I have only recently discovered (& now enjoy) via this site and member charts.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 09/03/2023 11:00 | #298953
Tremendous and what appears to be a very personal chart. Love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From buzzdainer 12/19/2020 18:33 | #262942
buzzdainer 12/19/2020 18:33 | #262942
"Dusty, Sandy Music" would be a perfect title for a playlist of my favorite music from the 2000s. I'd say all the recent feedback is totally valid. This is definitely a heavily Americana-centric chart, especially when you consider that the American hip hop I like probably deserves a place within the genre of "Americana," in the sense that hip hop is the most powerful (musical) medium through which a segment of American society understands the world. I can definitely see the benefit of diversifying my listening to include more of the world, and a larger cross-section of genres. Guilty as charged.
That said, I also like the idea of my charts being a place where other BEA members can find some great Americana, including some deep cuts. That wouldn't be possible if my charts were loaded up with selections popular on other people's charts. Ultimately, I just follow my ears wherever they take me. I'm excited to dig into some of the albums you've recommended, jeitee. I've listened at some point to all of them, with the exception of Grouper. I'll probably start there.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
sssvnnn 12/18/2020 16:49 | #262868
sssvnnn 12/18/2020 16:49 | #262868
Very dusty and sandy music - fine.
Now that I know you lived in Nevada I understand your chart better.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From jeitee 12/18/2020 15:32 | #262859
I absolutely loved your opening comment. I always appreciate someone venturing to discover all kinds of music. Decent variety of genres in the list as well. Love the ys representation (my fave of all time!) Here are some of my top 00s picks I recommend which aren't already in this chart. vespertine by bjork for some experimental pop/electronic, madvillainy for experimental hip hop, mirrored by battles for experimental/math rock, dragging a dead deer up a hill for psychedelic drone veering on dream pop, and bitte orca for more experimental pop. Oh and for some more familiar territory, a great indie folk pick is in the attic of the universe by the antlers. Short, beautiful 20something minute piece.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From StefanR10 12/18/2020 15:30 | #262858
StefanR10 12/18/2020 15:30 | #262858
Nice Collection of under rated music
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Boltzmann 12/18/2020 09:34 | #262845
Boltzmann 12/18/2020 09:34 | #262845
I don't like the albums I know, and I tried The Dirty South by Drive-by Truckers, and let's say I liked the cover art more (but I didn't hate the music to be honest). However, I'm glad that you use this site what it's for, and then I don't mind that I don't have your taste.
I like that you made a chart of albums you liked. There's not too many of the usual albums so I have something to explore; yet you don't fill your chart with obscure picks, so I don't know what you like.
However, what I do not like is that you really only seem to switch between two or three genres, and they're all very American. Would be great if you let go of that.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From buzzdainer 03/17/2019 21:59 | #233700
buzzdainer 03/17/2019 21:59 | #233700
Thanks Gowi, ExTeaSea, and LebowskiRams, for stopping by to make a comment. Though our charts are all quite different, it's interesting to see that one band we call agree on from this era is Modest Mouse. To be totally honest, I'm not sure how well they've aged for me over the past fifteen years or so, but then again, I really haven't listened to them a lot lately. Makes me want to give them another listen on this lazy spring break Sunday afternoon to see if they have the same impact on me that they did when I first heard them. Thanks, y'all, for the trip down memory lane!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
mickilennial 03/08/2019 18:11 | #233221
mickilennial 03/08/2019 18:11 | #233221
An interesting portrait of the records that mean the most to you of this era, but I can't help but smile with such support for alt-country and lesser known reformists of folk music during an era where country itself had gone "plastic".
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 03/07/2019 02:37 | #233167
ExTeaSea 03/07/2019 02:37 | #233167
Love that you have Blackalicious, Caribou and My Morning Jacket. Cool chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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