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release' this refers to anything that falls under less than half an hour in length, a distinction I prefer to the outdated classifiers of traditional LP/EP boundaries (also makes for more exciting individual lists).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

________________________________________________________________

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: 03/24/2024 14:15
• (Created: 02/07/2018 17:07).
• Chart size: 50 albums.

There are 9 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 19 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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18. (23) 5

De-Loused In The Comatorium 

 The Mars Volta

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___________________________________________________________________________

progressive rock • post-hardcore

(GSL, 60:45)

9/10

"Last night I heard lepers
Flinch like birth defects
Its musk was fecal in origin
As the words dribbled off of its chin (Chin)
It said 'I'm lost,
I'm lost, now I'm lost
Now I'm lost'"

ONR:

Frances the Mute (2005)
progressive rock • experimental rock • art rock (GSL, 76:55) - 8/10
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/17/2022]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

454 charts

Rank Score:

3,729

Rank in 2003:

8

Rank in 2000s:

78

Overall Rank:

482

Average Rating:

 78 (656 votes)

Comments:

39

21. (20) 1

Fever To Tell 

 Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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indie rock • garage rock revival

(Interscope, 37:25)

8.5/10

"Wait-
They don't love you like I love you"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/07/2018]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

448 charts

Rank Score:

2,830

Rank in 2003:

10

Rank in 2000s:

101

Overall Rank:

629

Average Rating:

 77 (642 votes)

Comments:

30

33. (=)

A Promise 

 Xiu Xiu

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electronic • experimental • post-industrial

(5RC, 38:52)

8/10

"All that you left, you left for someone
All of this hurt that's wilted off
All this relief, it's the oddest thing
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God"

ONR:

Knife Play (2002)
experimental rock • synth punk (5RC, 42:17) - 8/10

Fabulous Muscles (2004)
art pop • experimental rock (5RC, 37:33) - 8/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 07/15/2020]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

76 charts

Rank Score:

579

Rank in 2003:

56

Rank in 2000s:

451

Overall Rank:

2,669

Average Rating:

 78 (99 votes)

Comments:

8

36. (=)

I Trawl The Megahertz 

 Paddy McAloon

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modern classical • chamber jazz

(EMI, 53:36)

8/10

"I said 'Your daddy loves you'
I said 'Your daddy loves you very much
He just doesn't want to live with us anymore'"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 12/23/2023]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

34 charts

Rank Score:

128

Rank in 2003:

182

Rank in 2000s:

1,675

Overall Rank:

9,337

Average Rating:

 79 (35 votes)

Comments:

2

39. (=)

Velocity : Design : Comfort 

 Sweet Trip

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glitch pop • IDM

(Darla, 73:41)

8/10

"True
Only it's true
When you make me die in your hands
Or run away from this parade

See
Faint and diseased
Would you make me die in your hands?
Run away from this charade"
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 07/12/2021]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

193 charts

Rank Score:

2,204

Rank in 2003:

15

Rank in 2000s:

129

Overall Rank:

818

Average Rating:

 82 (219 votes)

Comments:

21

42. (=)

Re.Sort 

 Sora

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glitch

(Plop, 42:15)

8/10
___________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 09/07/2023]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

4 charts

Rank Score:

6

Rank in 2003:

1,309

Rank in 2000s:

12,789

Overall Rank:

65,085

Average Rating:

 73 (3 votes)

Comments:

0

46. (=)

So 

 So (UN)

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glitch

(Thrill Jockey, 43:01)

8/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 03/05/2024]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

4 charts

Rank Score:

16

Rank in 2003:

845

Rank in 2000s:

8,272

Overall Rank:

41,814

Average Rating:

 73 (1 vote)

Comments:

0

50. (=)

Rounds 

 Four Tet

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____________________________________________________________________________

folktronica • IDM

(Domino, 44:55)

7.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 06/27/2018]

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

196 charts

Rank Score:

1,075

Rank in 2003:

30

Rank in 2000s:

255

Overall Rank:

1,603

Average Rating:

 80 (207 votes)

Comments:

4

Total albums: 8. Page 1 of 1

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s composition

Year	Albums	%
2000	6	12%
2001	7	14%
2002	4	8%
2003	8	16%
2004	5	10%
2005	3	6%
2006	5	10%
2007	4	8%
2008	5	10%
2009	3	6%

Artist	Albums	%
Unwound	1	2%
cLOUDDEAD	1	2%
Enablers	1	2%
Stars Of The Lid	1	2%
Grouper	1	2%
LCD Soundsystem	1	2%
Joanna Newsom	1	2%
Show all

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

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 6 from 18th to 12th Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Up 5 from 23rd to 18th De-Loused In The Comatorium by The Mars Volta

Biggest fallers
Down 2 from 17th to 19th Untrue by Burial
Down 1 from 12th to 13th The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid by Stars Of The Lid
Down 1 from 13th to 14th The Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s similar charts

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• Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s by SquishypuffDave (2014)
• Top 33 Music Albums of the 2000s by WindowAbove (2014)
• Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s by Komorebi-D (2018)
• Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s by mjp11 (2023)
• Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s by iansmith (2017)
• Top 50 Music Albums of the 2000s by kinglyostrich (2014)

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

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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	1,090	86/100
85/100	06/07/2023 05:06	leniad	687	85/100
90/100	06/06/2023 11:15	Johnnyo	2,011	79/100
100/100	08/22/2022 13:42	replacementlevel	50	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

Showing all 9 comments |
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Rating:  

85/100

From leniad 06/07/2023 05:06

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

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

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

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

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

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

dope chart!

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

Rating:  

100/100

From MCOTho 03/28/2019 00:54

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

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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