Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by LedZep

I've included a few archival albums/compilations too, because why not.

• Chart updated: 04/12/2024 15:45
• (Created: 01/29/2017 00:57).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 5 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 16 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

• Summary
• Composition
• Ratings
• Favourites
• Comments
• Your feedback

View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

Sort by

• Overall Rank
• Num. Charts
• Avg. Rating
• Num. Ratings
• Release Date
• Title
• Artist
• Date Added

1. (=)

The Mantle 

 Agalloch

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

The ultimate sadboi metal. It's the most "winter" album I've ever heard. In fact, I don't associate any album with a particular season as much as this one. The temperature in the room drops a few degrees when that gorgeous intro starts. At the same time it's so otherworldly and yet very much human. Reminds me of a silent, untouched forests covered in snow, and then the next moment it transports me right in the center of the blizzard. But ya know, unlike a lot of harsh, wintery black metal, you could never freeze in this blizzard. You watch its might and glory from the eye of the storm. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2020]

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

191 charts

Rank Score:

1,483

Rank in 2002:

20

Rank in 2000s:

188

Overall Rank:

1,196

Average Rating:

 78 (235 votes)

Comments:

9

2. (=)

Vespertine 

 Björk

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

I'll start this one by saying that I'm not at all sure what's her best album. I mean Homogenic has a terrible cover but the best highlights, this one has the vibe, Post is the most diverse (and has Hyperballad), while the debut is all about great bops. And after all, I think it's the atmosphere of Vespertine that has won me over again and again. Soft, warm and incredibly personal, it lacks the huge choruses of its predecessors but stands on its own as one of the most unique pop albums of all time. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2020]

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

790 charts

Rank Score:

9,611

Rank in 2001:

4

Rank in 2000s:

26

Overall Rank:

164

Average Rating:

 83 (972 votes)

Comments:

58

3. (=)

Madvillainy 

 Madvillain

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

"The best emcee with no chain ya ever heard". And nobody with the chain could rival him either, to be honest. Late 90s and the early 2000s underground rap is some of my favourite music of all time. When the MCs were pushing the boundaries of the genre further and further, making classics on a yearly basis. The equivalent of 67'-73' rock. And Madvillainy is one of the brightest lights of that revolution, the very rare occasion where you have two of the all-time greats making a supergroup that's even better than the sum of its parts. One thing that isn't mentioned enough is the flow of the album. With 22 songs, it could've easily been a scattered, disjointed collection of half-baked tunes. But instead we got some of Madlib's best instrumentals, DOOM's cleanest and smoothest flows and rhymes, and incredible skits and interludes to boot. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2020]

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

1,020 charts

Rank Score:

16,221

Rank in 2004:

2

Rank in 2000s:

8

Overall Rank:

83

Average Rating:

 86 (1,166 votes)

Comments:

92

4. (=)

Black Sea 

 Fennesz

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

Christian Fennesz had an unbelievable streak from the acclaimed 2001's Endless Summer 'till the end of the decade. And the pinnacle of all the soundscapes, glitchy guitar drones and various other experiments he's been conducting during this period is 2008's Black Sea. With fuzzy, warm textures, Black Sea creates a world (or sea) of its own. It stands as one of the best ambient, drone, glitch, minimalist and experimental electronic experiences ever in my eyes. His other works are well worth checking out too, 'cause they're not too far behind in terms of quality. [First added to this chart: 02/01/2020]

Year of Release:

2008

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

152

Rank in 2008:

139

Rank in 2000s:

1,456

Overall Rank:

8,091

Average Rating:

 80 (38 votes)

Comments:

0

5. (=)

The Cold Vein 

 Cannibal Ox

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

One of the rare hip hop albums I would call "epic". I'm not sure if I can think of another hip hop record that sounds so huge and cinematic. Its dark and gritty but warm production, scenic verses and the sheer amount of great material all make for what is possibly my favourite hip hop record of all time. "Picturesque" might be the best word to describe The Cold Vein. El-P must be the one of best hip hop producer of all time, hands down. [First added to this chart: 05/02/2020]

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

221 charts

Rank Score:

1,434

Rank in 2001:

20

Rank in 2000s:

193

Overall Rank:

1,237

Average Rating:

 79 (230 votes)

Comments:

11

6. (=)

Ire Works 

 The Dillinger Escape Plan

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

The first two songs sound like typical Dillinger chaotic madness. And that's not a negative, I absolutely love that sound. But when those weird electronic interludes start, you know you're in for a unique experience. Even in Dillingers' immaculate discography, there isn't an album this experimental, yet wonderfully crafted and memorable. From modern melodic metal bangers (Black Bubblegum, Milk Lizard) to the incredible middle where you have 5 tracks inside 10 minutes, to the epic 1-2-3 punch of Dead As History, Horse Hunter and Mouth Of Ghosts to close this masterpiece, there's not a bad moment. Also, those 3 tracks make for the best combo to close the album I've heard... well, ever. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2020]

Year of Release:

2007

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

254

Rank in 2007:

88

Rank in 2000s:

923

Overall Rank:

5,261

Average Rating:

 76 (62 votes)

Comments:

3

7. (=)

Lateralus 

 Tool

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

What the hell can I say about Lateralus that hasn't already been repeated to death? I mean, forget about Maynard's lyrics for a moment. The songwriting is what makes this a true masterpiece for ages. The moment when Parabol goes straight into Parabola's opening riff still hasn't been topped in popular music. It's easy to label them as pretentious and overrated, and I partially understand why some people are not too keen on them, but even if you ignore the lyrics, Fibonacci stuff and so on, you're left with some of the best written alt metal songs of all time. [First added to this chart: 01/28/2017]

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

770 charts

Rank Score:

8,741

Rank in 2001:

5

Rank in 2000s:

31

Overall Rank:

186

Average Rating:

 82 (1,052 votes)

Comments:

76

8. (=)

Let It Roll 

 Willard Grant Conspiracy

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

I really enjoy the gothic country sound, especially the OG 90s and 00s records and trendsetters. The peak of all that melancholic country is Willard Grant Conspiracy. A band which doesn't even hail from Denver (the birthplace of gothic country), yet writes the most heart-wrenching songs imaginable while throwing in some noise, slowcore and other tricks. [First added to this chart: 01/28/2017]

Year of Release:

2006

Appears in:

5 charts

Rank Score:

26

Rank in 2006:

598

Rank in 2000s:

5,967

Overall Rank:

30,700

Average Rating:

 71 (5 votes)

Comments:

0

9. (=)

The Civil War 

 Matmos

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

It's what a lot of folktronica and psychedelic folk at the time was trying to be. Lush, experimental, melodic, mystical and fun. But none of the bands in those genres have ever made as visceral, engaging and diverse a record as Matmos has with The Civil War. It's not a folktronica record per se, it's something much more. A bit glitch, a bit IDM, but always sounding so organic and wonderful. Look at Reconstruction for example, it starts with march drum beat, quickly becomes a complex web of electronic squeals which unfolds before our ears and turns into a melodic guitar riff over incredibly textured electronic background. And that's just in the first 3 and half minutes of 9 and a half minute song. Pelt And Holler is the only "true" electronic track here, without any guitars or live instruments (or samples of live instruments). But, it's a real treat. From the crazy beat to the classic Matmos music concrete elements, it's a blast. I could write an essay about each and every song here. A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure deserves a mention too, another brilliant record by these two geniuses.

Note: pick up a copy (Japan pressing) which has Cabin in the Sky as a closer, that one is possibly the best song on the whole thing, and it works well as a closer too. [First added to this chart: 01/23/2020]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

12 charts

Rank Score:

34

Rank in 2003:

516

Rank in 2000s:

5,079

Overall Rank:

26,331

Average Rating:

 73 (12 votes)

Comments:

1

10. (=)

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven 

 Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Buy album

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• #Sponsored

They called Coney Island "the playground of the world." There was no place like it in the whole world, like Coney Island when I was a youngster. [First added to this chart: 05/08/2017]

Year of Release:

2000

Appears in:

1,064 charts

Rank Score:

14,801

Rank in 2000:

2

Rank in 2000s:

10

Overall Rank:

89

Average Rating:

 86 (1,290 votes)

Comments:

106

• « prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• ...
• 9
• 10
• next »
• Goto Page: 

Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10

Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s composition

Year	Albums	%
2000	16	16%
2001	14	14%
2002	13	13%
2003	11	11%
2004	6	6%
2005	13	13%
2006	8	8%
2007	7	7%
2008	5	5%
2009	6	6%

Artist	Albums	%
Fuckmorgue	1	1%
Agalloch	1	1%
Burial	1	1%
Songs: Ohia	1	1%
At The Drive-In	1	1%
The Field	1	1%
A Silver Mt. Zion	1	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	49	49%
	13	13%
	5	5%
	4	4%
	4	4%
	3	3%
	3	3%
Show all

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 9 from 100th to 91st Everything Is Fire by Ulcerate

Biggest fallers
Down 3 from 91st to 94th From Here We Go Sublime by The Field
Down 1 from 94th to 95th Classics 1998 - 2003: A Selection Of Tracks From The Archive Bunker by Legowelt
Down 1 from 95th to 96th Xerrox Vol. 2 by Alva Noto

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s similar charts

• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by Onater (2019)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by ssteve (2024)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by btener11 (2018)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by Arthurknight (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by pjr428 (2023)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by TheHolyKiwi (2017)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by AvalancheGrips (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by Mercury (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by Jamie (2022)
• Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s by arthurbittencourt (2024)

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s similarity to your chart(s)

Other decade charts by LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

LedZep

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 16 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings

• Rating
• Date updated
• Member

Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
80/100	07/15/2023 19:35	Johnnyo	2,014	80/100
95/100	07/12/2022 00:22	leniad	686	85/100
85/100	07/11/2022 22:47	Rm12398	99	89/100
90/100	12/10/2021 14:07	Cytoma	171	90/100
100/100	10/01/2021 13:21	DommeDamian	969	90/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.7/100, a mean average of 94.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.2.

• Related links:
• Top charts

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s favourites

Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite

Mercury

Repo

Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s comments

Showing all 5 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

Rating:  

95/100

From leniad 07/12/2022 00:22

agalloch and vespertine top 10 is a yes for me

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From Larcx13 11/23/2020 15:13

I absolutely LOVE 2000s underground hip hop scene. There's a lot more that I feel you havent heard yet either but MF DOOM, Aesop Rock and Deltron 3030 are a great start.

Here's some suggestions of other artists that had some critically acclaimed records at that time:
Cunninlynguists, Masta Ace, Atmosphere, J Dilla, Murs & Living Legends, Brother Ali

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From buzzdainer 09/19/2020 18:42

I don't see anything wrong with having a metal-heavy chart if that's the music you loved from the decade. Nice to see some excellent selections from other genres here too, and nice to see some undeniably great entries such as Arcade Fire's Funeral honored here. Great job!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

From LedZep 09/04/2020 09:20

Thanks man! I should probably cut some metal picks. I have 23 of them which is really too much, but I’m not sure which ones to drop...

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From Ben4 05/02/2017 18:27

Lots of good stuff here. I especially like Tool and Mastodon

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment

Your feedback for Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s

Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!