Top 53 Music Albums of 2004
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 02/11/2026 20:45
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:55).
- Chart size: 53 albums.
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2004 – NEW WEST
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Where The Devil Don’t Stay
2. Tornadoes
3. The Day John Henry Died
4. Puttin’ People On The Moon
5. Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
6. The Sands Of Iwo Jima
7. Danko/Manuel
8. The Boys From Alabama
9. Cottonseed
10. The Buford Stick
11. Daddy’s Cup
12. Never Gonna Change
13. Goddamn Lonely Love
If you ask me what my favorite album is, I can’t answer that. If you ask me what my favorite song is, I’ll put on “Danko/Manuel” by Drive-By Truckers and tell you that this is as close as it gets. In fact, if you’re going to be in a band with me, being willing to play this song is the first test. The Dirty South, the Truckers fifth album, is as good as they get…and that’s pretty damned excellent. Having a songwriter like Jason Isbell limited to just four songs speaks volumes about how loaded the Truckers really were. A loose concept album about the downside of Southern living, The Dirty South marks the peak of the career of this excellent Southern rock and alt-country giant. It’s all good here.
Mike Cooley delivers some of his most memorable material in “Where The Devil Don’t Stay”, “Daddy’s Cup”, and the brilliant story song “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”. Patterson Hood brings “Puttin’ People On The Moon”, about people driven down by environmental pollution. “Tornadoes” and “The Sands Of Iwo Jima” are excellent, and “The Boys Of Alabama” gives you the “other side of the story” of Buford Pusser and Walking Tall. And Isbell, along with the perfect “Danko/Manuel”, brings the rollicking “Never Gonna Change”, and closes things with this perfect lyric: “I’ll take two of what you’re having/I’ll take all of what you’ve got/To kill this Goddamned lonely, Goddamned lonely love”. This is a great album. Please go buy it. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By DAVID BARBE
1. Where The Devil Don’t Stay
2. Tornadoes
3. The Day John Henry Died
4. Puttin’ People On The Moon
5. Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
6. The Sands Of Iwo Jima
7. Danko/Manuel
8. The Boys From Alabama
9. Cottonseed
10. The Buford Stick
11. Daddy’s Cup
12. Never Gonna Change
13. Goddamn Lonely Love
If you ask me what my favorite album is, I can’t answer that. If you ask me what my favorite song is, I’ll put on “Danko/Manuel” by Drive-By Truckers and tell you that this is as close as it gets. In fact, if you’re going to be in a band with me, being willing to play this song is the first test. The Dirty South, the Truckers fifth album, is as good as they get…and that’s pretty damned excellent. Having a songwriter like Jason Isbell limited to just four songs speaks volumes about how loaded the Truckers really were. A loose concept album about the downside of Southern living, The Dirty South marks the peak of the career of this excellent Southern rock and alt-country giant. It’s all good here.
Mike Cooley delivers some of his most memorable material in “Where The Devil Don’t Stay”, “Daddy’s Cup”, and the brilliant story song “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”. Patterson Hood brings “Puttin’ People On The Moon”, about people driven down by environmental pollution. “Tornadoes” and “The Sands Of Iwo Jima” are excellent, and “The Boys Of Alabama” gives you the “other side of the story” of Buford Pusser and Walking Tall. And Isbell, along with the perfect “Danko/Manuel”, brings the rollicking “Never Gonna Change”, and closes things with this perfect lyric: “I’ll take two of what you’re having/I’ll take all of what you’ve got/To kill this Goddamned lonely, Goddamned lonely love”. This is a great album. Please go buy it. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
752
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2004-NONSUCH
Produced By T BONE BURNETT
1. How To Quit
2. All Night
3. I Dreamed I Stopped Dreaming
4. Open The World
5. Red Silk Five
6. Reflecting Light
7. Infiltration
8. Draw Man
9. I Wanted To Be Alone
10. Love Changes Everything
11. If I Could Write
12. Hole In My Pocket
13. One Day Late
Not to be confused with the producer with the same name, Sam Phillips began her career as Christian artist Leslie Phillips. Once known as the Christian Cyndi Lauper, she ended her Christian career and changed her name with the release of The Indescribable Wow in 1989. She's never been a chart topper, but she's recorded consistently since 1983. Having T Bone Burnett as a husband and producer hasn't hurt.
A Boot And A Shoe is her 10th album, recorded while she and Burnett were divorcing. It's stripped down, with the bass and drums at the front, and a very mature album. Phillips' knack for excellent hooks is here ("All Night" should have been a hit), and her slightly quirky style works very well. The album flows beautifully, and is a haunting work. Not as rocking as her previous albums, it's ultimately the songs and the voice that carries it, and it's extremely well done. One of her best albums overall. Phillips continues to record regularly...she's released multiple albums since without Burnett, handling the production herself. An underrated and prolific artist. [First added to this chart: 10/14/2012]
Produced By T BONE BURNETT
1. How To Quit
2. All Night
3. I Dreamed I Stopped Dreaming
4. Open The World
5. Red Silk Five
6. Reflecting Light
7. Infiltration
8. Draw Man
9. I Wanted To Be Alone
10. Love Changes Everything
11. If I Could Write
12. Hole In My Pocket
13. One Day Late
Not to be confused with the producer with the same name, Sam Phillips began her career as Christian artist Leslie Phillips. Once known as the Christian Cyndi Lauper, she ended her Christian career and changed her name with the release of The Indescribable Wow in 1989. She's never been a chart topper, but she's recorded consistently since 1983. Having T Bone Burnett as a husband and producer hasn't hurt.
A Boot And A Shoe is her 10th album, recorded while she and Burnett were divorcing. It's stripped down, with the bass and drums at the front, and a very mature album. Phillips' knack for excellent hooks is here ("All Night" should have been a hit), and her slightly quirky style works very well. The album flows beautifully, and is a haunting work. Not as rocking as her previous albums, it's ultimately the songs and the voice that carries it, and it's extremely well done. One of her best albums overall. Phillips continues to record regularly...she's released multiple albums since without Burnett, handling the production herself. An underrated and prolific artist. [First added to this chart: 10/14/2012]
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Produced by Dennis Herring. No idea what Modest Mouse was until "Float On" skewed its way into my brain in 2004. Discovering this band has been a joy, including this album, which is full of great and quirky Modest Mouse gems. This was a gateway album to the rest of their discography, for which I will be forever thankful. I know some people are disappointed by this album. I am not one of them. In fact, I believe that this album is worthy to stand next to anything else the band has done.
[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,203
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2004-NETTWERK
Produced By THE FINN BROTHERS & MITCHELL FROOM
1. Won't Give In
2. Nothing Wrong With You
3. Anything Can Happen
4. Luckiest Man Alive
5. Homesick
6. Disembodied Voices
7. A Life Between Us
8. All God's Children
9. Edible Flowers
10. All The Colours
11. Part Of Me, Part Of You
12. Gentle Hum
When these two get together, only good things can happen. New Zealand brothers Tim Finn (Split Enz) and Neil Finn (Crowded House) combine for their 3rd collaboration. The first was on the classic Crowded House album Woodface. Here, the harmonies are exceptional, and the songs of excellent quality. "Won't Give In", "Nothing Wrong With You", and "Edible Flowers" are the standouts, but this is a great album altogether. As usual for the Finns. A great listen and a must if you love great harmonies.
Neil continues with Crowded House. There still has not been a follow up to Everyone Is Here...but hopefully soon. These guys just can't lose. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By THE FINN BROTHERS & MITCHELL FROOM
1. Won't Give In
2. Nothing Wrong With You
3. Anything Can Happen
4. Luckiest Man Alive
5. Homesick
6. Disembodied Voices
7. A Life Between Us
8. All God's Children
9. Edible Flowers
10. All The Colours
11. Part Of Me, Part Of You
12. Gentle Hum
When these two get together, only good things can happen. New Zealand brothers Tim Finn (Split Enz) and Neil Finn (Crowded House) combine for their 3rd collaboration. The first was on the classic Crowded House album Woodface. Here, the harmonies are exceptional, and the songs of excellent quality. "Won't Give In", "Nothing Wrong With You", and "Edible Flowers" are the standouts, but this is a great album altogether. As usual for the Finns. A great listen and a must if you love great harmonies.
Neil continues with Crowded House. There still has not been a follow up to Everyone Is Here...but hopefully soon. These guys just can't lose. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
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Produced by John Alagia. An underneath the radar, moderately successful artist, Yamagata's debut, Happenstance, is one of those albums that brings a smile to my face for reasons that aren't immediately obvious. She's a good songwriter, and has a warm and welcoming voice, and seems to be nothing amazing...yet I always come back for more of this record. It's consistently good, and great in ways I haven't yet figured out. Maybe someday I will...but I'm not going to think about it too much. Just enjoy, dammit.
[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 12/13/2012]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
451
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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2004 – SUB POP
Produced By BRIAN DECK
1. On Your Wings
2. Naked As We Came
3. Cinder And Smoke
4. Sunset Soon Forgotten
5. Teeth In The Grass
6. Love And Some Verses
7. Radio War
8. Each Coming Night
9. Free Until They Cut Me Down
10. Fever Dream
11. Sodom, South Georgia
12. Passing Afternoon
Iron & Wine is the stage name of Sam Beam, an indie folk artist from the Southern United States. His first album was a true solo effort, a demo recorded at his home that found its way to the head of Sub Pop Records. He was also helped by his recording of “Such Great Heights”, which The Postal Service included on their single version of the same song. The second Iron & Wine album, Our Endless Numbered Days, contains the same beautiful playing and melodies as his debut, but it’s helped by the inclusion of sparingly used rock instruments and a professional studio. While this album was a large step forward for him, and received a lot of critical acclaim, it failed to chart pretty much anywhere, but has since become his best selling album.
There are truly beautiful moments here. “Naked As We Came” is a triumph. “Passing Afternoon” features a full band led by producer Brian Deck on piano, and is a lovely track. “Sunset Soon Forgotten” and “Each Coming Night” are also standouts. Iron & Wine continues today, having not only released a handful of solo albums, but also many soundtrack contributions and collaborations with artists like Ben Bridwell and Calexico. His music is reminiscent of Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, and while he has experimented with more electric instruments, it’s back to this more acoustic sound that he seems to always return to. This is a fine album, well worth checking out. You may want to hear more from him. [First added to this chart: 06/23/2021]
Produced By BRIAN DECK
1. On Your Wings
2. Naked As We Came
3. Cinder And Smoke
4. Sunset Soon Forgotten
5. Teeth In The Grass
6. Love And Some Verses
7. Radio War
8. Each Coming Night
9. Free Until They Cut Me Down
10. Fever Dream
11. Sodom, South Georgia
12. Passing Afternoon
Iron & Wine is the stage name of Sam Beam, an indie folk artist from the Southern United States. His first album was a true solo effort, a demo recorded at his home that found its way to the head of Sub Pop Records. He was also helped by his recording of “Such Great Heights”, which The Postal Service included on their single version of the same song. The second Iron & Wine album, Our Endless Numbered Days, contains the same beautiful playing and melodies as his debut, but it’s helped by the inclusion of sparingly used rock instruments and a professional studio. While this album was a large step forward for him, and received a lot of critical acclaim, it failed to chart pretty much anywhere, but has since become his best selling album.
There are truly beautiful moments here. “Naked As We Came” is a triumph. “Passing Afternoon” features a full band led by producer Brian Deck on piano, and is a lovely track. “Sunset Soon Forgotten” and “Each Coming Night” are also standouts. Iron & Wine continues today, having not only released a handful of solo albums, but also many soundtrack contributions and collaborations with artists like Ben Bridwell and Calexico. His music is reminiscent of Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, and while he has experimented with more electric instruments, it’s back to this more acoustic sound that he seems to always return to. This is a fine album, well worth checking out. You may want to hear more from him. [First added to this chart: 06/23/2021]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,441
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/01/2012]
Year of Release:
2004
Appears in:
Rank Score:
33,734
Rank in 2004:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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2005 – NONESUCH
Produced By MANU CHAO
1. M’Bife
2. M’Bife Balafon
3. Coulibaly
4. La Realite
5. Senegal Fast Food
6. Artistiya
7. La Fete Au Village
8. Camions Sauvages
9. Beaux Dimanches
10. La Paix
11. Djanfa
12. Taxi Bamako
13. Politic Amagni
14. Gnidjougouya
15. M’Bife Blues
Amadou & Mariam are a blind duo from Mali. They moved to Paris in 1996, and have released seven studio albums so far. Dimanche A Bamako (Sunday In Bamako) is their fourth, and brought the pair to their first real taste of international fame. It was produced by French singer Manu Chao, who also provides vocals and guitar. This album charted in France (reaching #2), Belgium, Sweden and other European countries. Their brand of African blues is upbeat and beautiful, relying heavily not only on drums and percussion, but also on horns and guitar. And both Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are fine singers, so there’s a lot of fine elements to bring together here.
The best tracks here are enough to make you want to seek out more from them. “La Realite” and “Beaux Dimanches” are exceptional, but it’s “Senegal Fast Food” that will win over more of an audience in the English speaking world. Of course, because Amadou & Mariam sing in French (the official language of Mali), American and English success has been hard to come by. But this album is worth taking a shot with a foreign language. It’s considered one of the finest world music albums of the 2000’s, and it was a stepping stone for even bigger success for the duo. This one is worth at least a listen…it really is an excellent work by one of the finest artists in music today. [First added to this chart: 02/22/2021]
Produced By MANU CHAO
1. M’Bife
2. M’Bife Balafon
3. Coulibaly
4. La Realite
5. Senegal Fast Food
6. Artistiya
7. La Fete Au Village
8. Camions Sauvages
9. Beaux Dimanches
10. La Paix
11. Djanfa
12. Taxi Bamako
13. Politic Amagni
14. Gnidjougouya
15. M’Bife Blues
Amadou & Mariam are a blind duo from Mali. They moved to Paris in 1996, and have released seven studio albums so far. Dimanche A Bamako (Sunday In Bamako) is their fourth, and brought the pair to their first real taste of international fame. It was produced by French singer Manu Chao, who also provides vocals and guitar. This album charted in France (reaching #2), Belgium, Sweden and other European countries. Their brand of African blues is upbeat and beautiful, relying heavily not only on drums and percussion, but also on horns and guitar. And both Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are fine singers, so there’s a lot of fine elements to bring together here.
The best tracks here are enough to make you want to seek out more from them. “La Realite” and “Beaux Dimanches” are exceptional, but it’s “Senegal Fast Food” that will win over more of an audience in the English speaking world. Of course, because Amadou & Mariam sing in French (the official language of Mali), American and English success has been hard to come by. But this album is worth taking a shot with a foreign language. It’s considered one of the finest world music albums of the 2000’s, and it was a stepping stone for even bigger success for the duo. This one is worth at least a listen…it really is an excellent work by one of the finest artists in music today. [First added to this chart: 02/22/2021]
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[First added to this chart: 05/19/2017]
Total albums: 53. Page 1 of 6
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Top 53 Music Albums of 2004 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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|
|||
| Various Artists | 2 | 4% | |
| Sam Phillips | 1 | 2% | |
| Pearl Jam | 1 | 2% | |
| Ryan Adams | 1 | 2% | |
| Jimmy Buffett | 1 | 2% | |
| Modest Mouse | 1 | 2% | |
| Prince | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
36 | 68% | |
 |
5 | 9% | |
 |
3 | 6% | |
 |
3 | 6% | |
 |
2 | 4% | |
 |
1 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 53 Music Albums of 2004 chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 51st to 52ndThe Essential Louis Armstrong (2004) by Louis Armstrong |
| Down 1 from 52nd to 53rdLive From Austin, TX (2004) by Steve Earle |
| New entries |
|---|
| Got It Tied by Le Boom |
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Top 53 Music Albums of 2004 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.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 5 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/25/2021 09:30 |  Purplepash | 1,717 | 88/100 |
| ! | 02/21/2020 02:06 | DJENNY | 4,338 | 100/100 |
| ! | 12/12/2019 07:47 | Johnnyo | 2,572 | 80/100 |
| ! | 01/10/2013 01:21 | guigs13 | 237 | 88/100 |
| ! | 11/02/2012 00:41 | strawberryfields | 273 | 95/100 |
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Top 53 Music Albums of 2004 comments
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From Johnnyo 12/12/2019 07:47 | #245542
Nice chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From guigs13 01/10/2013 01:21 | #60876
Nice chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
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