Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s
by ForegroundNoise

The 2000s is the only decade at the moment where I feel I've reviewed enough records to make a half decent list, but will amend and add as I listen to more stuff. I've also decided to limit it to one album per artist to ensure that everyone who deserves it gets their time in the limelight. Other notable releases (ONR), solo records, or projects by related artists that I think are worth checking out are mentioned in each entry's notes.

Please feel free to look through my public ratings and leave your suggestions in the comments below! Never someone to turn down the recommendation of a passionate music fan.

Also if you're interested, I've made a chart for my favourite underrated albums of this decade which you can check out via this address: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=58986

Below are my favourite short releases of the decade, and below that any stand-out albums that do not qualify as contemporary (retrospective compilations, live albums etc.). As for the term 'short release' this refers to anything that falls under less than half an hour in length, a distinction I prefer to the outdated classifiers of traditional LP/EP boundaries (also makes for more exciting individual lists).

Best Short Releases of the 2000s

1. Jay Reatard - Blood Visions (2006) [US]
garage punk (In The Red, 29:09) - 9/10
2. Jeromes Dream / Orchid - Jeromes Dream / Orchid (2000) [US]
emoviolence (Witching Hour, 11:43) - 9/10
3.Brave Little Abacus - Demo? (2008) [US]
emo • experimental rock (n/a, 21:16) - 8.5/10
4. Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom & the Ys Street Band E.P. (2007) [US]
chamber folk • progressive folk (Drag City, 24:06) - 8/10
5. Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron & Fred Squire - Lost Wisdom (2008) [CA/US]
indie folk (P.W. Elverum & Sun, 24:41) - 8/10

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Retrospective/Archival

Bang on a Can - In C (2001) [US]
minimalism • indeterminacy • chamber music (Cantaloupe Music, 45:30) - 9/10

Julius Eastman - Unjust Malaise (2005) [US]
modern classical • minimalism (New World, 192:54) - 8/10

Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out of Something (2000) [US]
indie rock • lo-fi/slacker rock • Midwest emo (Up, 55:15) - 8/10

• Chart updated: 08/11/2025 16:15
• (Created: 02/07/2018 17:07).
• Chart size: 50 albums.

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1. (=)

Kid A 

 Radiohead

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art rock • experimental rock • electronic

(Capitol, 49:55)

10/10

"Stop sending letters
Letters always get burned
It's not like the movies
They fed us on little white lies"

I know what you're thinking. Another 2000s chart. Another Kid A in the top spot. Cue groan. Cue eye roll. Cue clicking away to another tab.

There is a dirty secret to universal acclaim: it has a threshold. Once crossed, it does more harm than good. All of a sudden, to like that which was once a marker of your own refined taste, seems now so pedestrian, so unimaginative.

Kid A, and Radiohead more generally, are acute sufferers from this over-saturation of acclaim. That is not to say all criticisms of the band aren't untrue, the most common one I see thrown their way is they are derivative, and certainly I agree that only rarely does the band cut a path through their experimentation that is entirely unique. We must not forget, however, that experimentation is a means, not an end; a fine line exists between innovation for new modes of appeal and creating something obnoxiously inaccessible for its own sake (and this is coming from someone who thinks Trout Mask Replica is the best rock album of the 60s). Radiohead bear the brunt of elitist criticism because the embellishment of their relatively mainstream sound with elements of the experimental underground is seen as an infringement on more boundary-pushing artists.

Yet I'd argue, it's in this very act that the strength of the band lies. Radiohead have never been at the front lines of the avant-garde, but they instead use their fame to incorporate seemingly disparate underground influences into mainstream rock; the IDM, folk and jazz that twist and writhe through this album are in no small part responsible for turning many, myself included, to the most interesting recesses of those genres, all whilst maintaining the band's undeniably visceral impact. "The National Anthem"'s infectious bass line and clattering drums holds together a track that disintegrates with every passing second, demanding your own throbbing response; the title track's first refrain of 'standing in the shadows at the end of my bed' lets slip a moment of forlorn human pain in an otherwise icy robotic landscape.

OK Computer might do conventional 'songwriting' better (beautiful verse/beautiful chorus/beautiful verse/beautiful chorus) but rather than rest on their laurels, Radiohead took deliberate steps away from a tried and tested formula and in committing what they thought to be commercial suicide, created what turned out to be one of their most beloved albums. Unlike so many records from my teen years that have fallen by the wayside, Kid A still endures.

ONR: In Rainbows is rightly celebrated as another of the band's high points, whilst Amnesiac has got its own dedicated cult following. What I'd offer as an alternative take is Hail to the Thief being the dark horse of the band's absurdly strong discography. Criminally underrated and overshadowed by its neighbours; in my book it should be right up there with the best of them.

Amnesiac (2001)
art rock • experimental rock (Parlophone, 43:50) - 7.5/10

Hail to the Thief (2003)
alternative rock • art rock (Parlophone, 56:33) - 8.5/10

In Rainbows (2007)
art rock • alternative rock (Xurbia Xendless, 42:38) - 9.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/07/2018]

Year of Release:

2000

Appears in:

3,211 charts

Rank Score:

42,781

Rank in 2000:

1

Rank in 2000s:

2

Overall Rank:

9

Average Rating:

 89 (4,459 votes)

Comments:

561

Total albums: 1. Page 1 of 1

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s composition

Country	Albums	%
	25	50%
	10	20%
	5	10%
	4	8%
	2	4%
	1	2%
	1	2%
Show all

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s chart changes

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s similarity to your chart(s)

Other decade charts by ForegroundNoise

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2020s	ForegroundNoise	2020s decade chart	2025
Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s	ForegroundNoise	2010s decade chart	2025
Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s	ForegroundNoise	2000s decade chart	2025
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Top 22 Music Albums of the 1980s	ForegroundNoise	1980s decade chart	2024

ForegroundNoise

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 19 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100  !	03/31/2024 14:51	Larcx13	1,144	86/100
85/100  !	06/07/2023 05:06	leniad	673	85/100
90/100  !	06/06/2023 11:15	Johnnyo	2,539	80/100
100/100  !	08/22/2022 13:42	replacementlevel	51	95/100
100/100  !	08/22/2022 13:14	Rm12398	99	89/100

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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.3/100, a mean average of 94.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 94.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 5.7.

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s comments

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Rating:  

85/100

From leniad 06/07/2023 05:06 | #297428

Great picks, want to see this At 100 albums

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

Rating:  

90/100

From Johnnyo 06/06/2023 11:15 | #297416

Really good chart and interesting comments. Like it a lot

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

Rating:  

100/100

From Chambord 05/14/2021 18:53 | #269781

I am not familiar with most of these albums. I am giving you 5 stars for your knowledge!

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

Rating:  

90/100

From ExTeaSea 05/17/2020 14:29 | #251626

Great chart! The ones that stick out that I love are Portishead Third and Four Tet Rounds, both wonderful albums. You have awesome taste in music.

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

From RoundTheBend 12/21/2019 18:47 | #245868

I'm confused. No offense was intended. I'm just saying a lot of people on BEA (clarification: being active users/users who use the forums, etc.) would agree with this chart. And they do... that's all.

Not sure how that's an insult... but yeah... I guess you can take it that way.

Like really, all I was saying is this is a perfectly curated chart that probably nobody would disagree with who actively uses the forums.

Furthermore, I'm not sure if you saw my comment, but you keep suggesting that I should get more into genres I already have listened to and don't enjoy/love... I think you are insinuating I am closed minded because I don't have Burial on my chart...but why would I if I don't enjoy it after multiple listens?

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

From RoundTheBend 12/21/2019 00:30 | #245855

This is basically the BEA soundtrack to the 2000s.

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

Rating:  

90/100

From tk421ucopy 06/17/2019 04:43 | #237678

dope chart!

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

Rating:  

100/100

From MCOTho 03/28/2019 00:54 | #234102

I'm more familiar with the albums on this chart than your overall one. Still lots to check out, but I like what I do know a lot. Great resource for discovering new music, which is what this website is all about for me.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From DommeDamian 03/14/2019 10:50 | #233506

Nice collection of albums right there. Cannot get enough of Kid A and Glow Pt2

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

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