Best Albums of 2004

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11.

Hopes And Fears 

 Keane

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"i count this as 3rd generation radiohead via piano. The choruses are majestic. The statements are more simple (than radiohead). 4 of the first 5 songs are grand, knockout pop songs -- "somewhere only we know", "this is the last time" ("you fall on me for anything you like"), "bend and break" ("If...""i count this as 3rd generation radiohead via piano. The choruses are majestic. The statements are more simple (than radiohead). 4 of the first 5 songs are grand, knockout pop songs -- "somewhere only we know", "this is the last time" ("you fall on me for anything you like"), "bend and break" ("If only I don't suffocate / I'll meet you in the morning, when you wake ") and "everybody's changing" ("Trying to make a move just to stay in the game / I try to stay awake and remember my name / But everybody's changing / And I don't feel the same."). But the rest of the album is good too. The desperation at the chorus of "we might as be strangers" feels palpable in a melodramatic way. i love the tinge of beautiful sadness in "she has no time". "bedshaped" is a powerful (for them) closer."  [+]  Reply

- paladisiac | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

381 charts

Rank Score:

2,486

Rank in 2004:

11

Rank in 2000s:

109

Overall Rank:

697

Average Rating:

 74 (530 votes)

Comments:

40

12.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus 

 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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"Definitely Nick Cave's best album. Chock full of brilliant songs. Somewhat inconsistent as most double albums are - would have made a killer single album. Here's my imaginary track-listing: 1) Nature Boy 2) There She Goes 3) Abattoir Blues 4) Let the Bells Ring 5) Messiah Ward 6) Breathless 7) Ea...""Definitely Nick Cave's best album. Chock full of brilliant songs. Somewhat inconsistent as most double albums are - would have made a killer single album. Here's my imaginary track-listing: 1) Nature Boy 2) There She Goes 3) Abattoir Blues 4) Let the Bells Ring 5) Messiah Ward 6) Breathless 7) Easy Money 8) Supernaturally 9) Carry Me 10) O Children"  [+]  Reply

- flamingyesdept | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

420 charts

Rank Score:

2,394

Rank in 2004:

12

Rank in 2000s:

113

Overall Rank:

725

Average Rating:

 80 (449 votes)

Comments:

21

13.

Brian Wilson Presents Smile 

 Brian Wilson

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"It's hard to explain quite how amazing this album is. Had it been released in December 1966 as originally planned, it would have changed the course of popular music forever, having just as great, if not a greater, impact than the Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's. But even released four decades later it...""It's hard to explain quite how amazing this album is. Had it been released in December 1966 as originally planned, it would have changed the course of popular music forever, having just as great, if not a greater, impact than the Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's. But even released four decades later it stands as an extraordinary feat of musical ingenuity. Not only was this album years ahead of its time - it was decades ahead. Even released in 2004 this sounded fresh and groundbreaking. This album is coherent like no other I have ever heard. Musical and lyrical themes and ideas intertwine and recapitulate throughout the record, providing a thoroughly cohesive and consistent listen throughout; its unique three-movement structure is downright ingenious, with all the songs linked inseparably. The arrangements are just incredible, production pin-perfect and performances stunning. Even at 61, Brian Wilson's voice remains powerful and provides impeccable delivery. The breadth and depth of emotions covered in this album is simply incredible, moving from the amazing beauty of Our Prayer to the jaunty and uplifting Heroes and Villains to the somber and thought-provoking Surf's Up to the experimental Mrs O'Leary's Cow and then the downright joyous Good Vibrations. The lyrics, courtesy of Wilson's collaborator Van Dyke Parks, are poetic in their vivid imagery and depth of imagination. In all then, this is possibly the most incredible album I've ever heard, and as far as I'm concerned the definitive artistic statement in popular music. To consider this album was originally conceived over half a century ago by a 23 year-old man who was half-deaf, had terrible drug-addiction issues, suffered paranoid schizophrenia and experienced several mental breakdowns, who somehow was able to piece it all together perfectly 40 years later is nothing short of astounding. It upsets me greatly that this isn't even in the top 500 on this website, it's just a bit rediculous really."  [+]  Reply

- flamingyesdept | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

380 charts

Rank Score:

2,373

Rank in 2004:

13

Rank in 2000s:

115

Overall Rank:

732

Average Rating:

 79 (509 votes)

Comments:

23

14.

Seven Swans 

 Sufjan Stevens

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"There are lots of bands out there priding themselves on making lo-fi indie. This album shows that you can do that and stil be accessible. That Dress Looks Nice on You, Abraham and the title track are all very nice but the best is the closer, Transfiguration, a lilting, banjo-driven, unapologetica...""There are lots of bands out there priding themselves on making lo-fi indie. This album shows that you can do that and stil be accessible. That Dress Looks Nice on You, Abraham and the title track are all very nice but the best is the closer, Transfiguration, a lilting, banjo-driven, unapologetically Christian beautiful piece of music."  [+]  Reply

- jhuik | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

369 charts

Rank Score:

2,230

Rank in 2004:

14

Rank in 2000s:

125

Overall Rank:

775

Average Rating:

 80 (495 votes)

Comments:

21

15.

A Ghost Is Born 

 Wilco

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""A Ghost is Born" is an album that gives as little as it can to new listeners. The contrast dynamics, the slow building guitar hums and distorted fuzz, the muted vocals all serve to alienate any casual listener right off the bat in a way that could leave a bad taste in your mouth. This experience..."""A Ghost is Born" is an album that gives as little as it can to new listeners. The contrast dynamics, the slow building guitar hums and distorted fuzz, the muted vocals all serve to alienate any casual listener right off the bat in a way that could leave a bad taste in your mouth. This experience could lead any listener to fore-go the album altogether for easier Wilco albums like "Summerteeth", "The Whole Love", or "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." However, this record has been the most rewarding listening experience of my life. The album is written ambiguously to replicate the different shades of grey that exist inside of the human experience instead of hammering itself out in black and white. If you allow them, the songs on "A Ghost is Born" will grow and expand with each repeated listen. "  [+]  Reply

- jbray | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

414 charts

Rank Score:

2,221

Rank in 2004:

15

Rank in 2000s:

126

Overall Rank:

778

Average Rating:

 80 (508 votes)

Comments:

39

16.

Sung Tongs 

 Animal Collective

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"Pretty much the perfect freak folk record"  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

300 charts

Rank Score:

1,942

Rank in 2004:

16

Rank in 2000s:

143

Overall Rank:

896

Average Rating:

 78 (488 votes)

Comments:

24

17.

Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge 

 My Chemical Romance

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"When I was 13, this album would have received a 100. But I am 21 now and while my consumption of alcohol has only increased, my exuberance for music that gets teenage blood pumping has sobered. Plenty of other bands have fallen by the wayside, but My Chemical Romance remains as one of my picks fo...""When I was 13, this album would have received a 100. But I am 21 now and while my consumption of alcohol has only increased, my exuberance for music that gets teenage blood pumping has sobered. Plenty of other bands have fallen by the wayside, but My Chemical Romance remains as one of my picks for best acts of the mid-2000's. Their image is often marred by their association with the late emo punk scene, leading to countless accusations of whiny three chord noise made in the garage of somebody's mom. But I'm willing to put my neck out for this band because I believe they are not properly merited. Three Cheers exhibits tremendous ambition by attempting to exhibit the fatalistic dramatics of The Smiths in a hardcore-inspired punk setting. Gerard Way is crafty with his singing, balancing between anthemic melodies, melodramatic sound effects, and exasperated screams. Ray Toro's guitar contributions are indispensable - his technical solo virtuosity bring in a late 80's metal energy and intricacy that only a few other bands at the time, namely Avenged Sevenfold, were displaying. The result is an album that is incredibly bloated, yet earnest. MCR had some work to do in improving their chops and sound diversity, but they came up with the exact sound they were looking for, and this indulgence in theatrics earned them a considerable loyal following."  [+]  Reply

- dmercado | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

1,490

Rank in 2004:

17

Rank in 2000s:

173

Overall Rank:

1,172

Average Rating:

 73 (350 votes)

Comments:

18

18.

Our Endless Numbered Days 

 Iron & Wine

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"A nice album. Nice for singing along, or as the cover shows, just laying the grass and relaxing to."  Reply

- Hayden | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

278 charts

Rank Score:

1,472

Rank in 2004:

18

Rank in 2000s:

178

Overall Rank:

1,192

Average Rating:

 77 (322 votes)

Comments:

12

19.

The Libertines 

 The Libertines

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"Not as good as Up The Bracket, but deserves slightly better than #11 for this mediocre year."  Reply

- vesander | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

313 charts

Rank Score:

1,432

Rank in 2004:

19

Rank in 2000s:

184

Overall Rank:

1,219

Average Rating:

 75 (499 votes)

Comments:

20

20.

Leviathan 

 Mastodon

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"The first Mastodon album I got into, and still by far my favourite. It's the heaviest album I've listened to that I still absolutely, wholeheartedly enjoy. It's like watching the movie 300. Somehow, despite all the blood and brutality, it still manages to keep a sense of majesty, and the dark, gr...""The first Mastodon album I got into, and still by far my favourite. It's the heaviest album I've listened to that I still absolutely, wholeheartedly enjoy. It's like watching the movie 300. Somehow, despite all the blood and brutality, it still manages to keep a sense of majesty, and the dark, gritty story it tells is grossly engaging in its own colourful way. And that ending. Holy fuck, that ending. You can't get more perfect than finishing a 47 minute sludge metal album with an acoustic seafarer's lament. It's like the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel. And it's the only joy you've felt in 3 days. And you'll probably starve to death before you reach it. I seriously cannot put this record down. My ears are bleeding. Please send help."  [+]  Reply

- sageamagoo | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

2004

Appears in:

258 charts

Rank Score:

1,320

Rank in 2004:

20

Rank in 2000s:

195

Overall Rank:

1,305

Average Rating:

 82 (328 votes)

Comments:

11

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 2 of 100

Best Albums of 2004 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
Various Artists	10	1%
John Frusciante	3	0%
The Rolling Stones	3	0%
Pearl Jam	2	0%
Mount Eerie	2	0%
Modest Mouse	2	0%
Devendra Banhart	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	436	44%
	174	17%
	48	5%
	47	5%
	46	5%
	30	3%
	23	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	941	94%
Yes	59	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	984	98%
Yes	16	2%