Best Albums of 2004

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1.

Funeral 

 Arcade Fire

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"not a lot of good music in the 2000s???? You must not be looking very hard."  Reply

- ornr | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +23 votes (23 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:

2,898 charts

Rank Score:

33,184

Rank in 2004:

1

Rank in 2000s:

3

Overall Rank:

15

Average Rating:

 88 (3,684 votes)

Comments:

402

2.

Madvillainy 

 Madvillain

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"Easily one of the best albums I've listened to. If you have difficulty getting into it like I did the first time, take a break from it and come back later, like I did. It ended up being one of my greatest decisions."  Reply

- BigPoppa93 | 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:

1,078 charts

Rank Score:

13,864

Rank in 2004:

2

Rank in 2000s:

8

Overall Rank:

86

Average Rating:

 86 (1,229 votes)

Comments:

94

3.

American Idiot 

 Green Day

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"Green Day should've stopped here. Go big, take yourselves too seriously, and reach for messages you've avoided before. It is a grand album, with some grand tracks, but convinced Green Day they were something they weren't - U2."  Reply

- junodog4 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (12 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:

1,019 charts

Rank Score:

9,280

Rank in 2004:

3

Rank in 2000s:

22

Overall Rank:

147

Average Rating:

 75 (1,852 votes)

Comments:

147

4.

The College Dropout 

 Kanye West

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"This album helped change hip-hop arguably more than any album in the history of the genre. For the 10-15 years before this album, it was difficult to have anything other than a "gangsta" persona and be successful commercially. Kanye changed that. You could rap about insecurities, college, religio...""This album helped change hip-hop arguably more than any album in the history of the genre. For the 10-15 years before this album, it was difficult to have anything other than a "gangsta" persona and be successful commercially. Kanye changed that. You could rap about insecurities, college, religion, and even touch on social issues in a fresh new light. Look at all the new school backpacker rappers that he has clearly helped pave a way for. Fittingly, the chorus to the first song on this album rings "WE DONT CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAYYY" And as much as people want to knock Ye' for his arrogance, without it, he wouldnt have the balls to make this or to walk into a "try-out" wearing a polo and backpack and impress Jay-Z enough to sign him. We wouldnt have the innovation musically he has largely caused in mainstream hip-hop production. His influence is enormous. I say thank god for Kanyes ego, otherwise we'd still be listening to 50 cent and washed up Dre beats, instead we're bumpin "CAN WE GET MUCH HIGHAH" nuff said. Favorite Tracks: We Dont Care, All Falls Down, New Workout Plan, Slow Jamz, Two Words, Through the Wire"  [+]  Reply

- tbau1191 | 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:

911 charts

Rank Score:

8,355

Rank in 2004:

4

Rank in 2000s:

29

Overall Rank:

178

Average Rating:

 83 (1,443 votes)

Comments:

89

5.

Hot Fuss 

 The Killers

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"One of my favorite albums of all-time. To me, this is pretty much the ideal combination of synth-pop and indie rock. Jenny Was a Friend of Mine is one of my favorite opening tracks of all-time. Fueled by an incredibly catchy bassline and a loud and powerful chorus, this got me hooked on the Kille...""One of my favorite albums of all-time. To me, this is pretty much the ideal combination of synth-pop and indie rock. Jenny Was a Friend of Mine is one of my favorite opening tracks of all-time. Fueled by an incredibly catchy bassline and a loud and powerful chorus, this got me hooked on the Killers. Mr. Brightside, probably the best song they've ever done, is ridiculously catchy and bounces from great melody to great melody, with emotional lyrics all the way through. Smile Like You Mean It is a more somber track, driven by a nice synth hook. Brandon's low vocals are captivating, and this is a perpetually interesting song. Somebody Told Me is the poppiest song they own, with the glamorous chorus that begs for radio plays. I'm not the biggest fan, but some of their most accessible material. All These Things That I've Done is easily the most epic song in the Killers' catalogue, and is truly everything you could ask for in a song. Great buildup, catchy verses, amazing chorus, iconic lyrics. Andy, You're a Star is the album's odd left turn, but a great one. The simple three chord structure turns some listeners off, but the track blossoms with a beautiful second half, supported by female backup singers. On Top has an incredible synth beat and oozes sexiness throughout. I wasn't a huge fan at first, but this one just gets better and better with more listens. Change Your Mind is a perpetually underrated track. While nothing about it will jump out at you at first, it has a very great riff and just a nice feel throughout. I love the earnest lyrics, and never tire of this one. Believe Me Natalie is the most unremarkable track on the album and is unnecessarily long at over 5 minutes, but has nice moments. "Forget what they said in SoHo, leave the Oh! No!s out." Midnight Show was another grower for me. With its fast-paced, synth influenced rhythm, it is definitely catchy. Brandon's vocals on the chorus are a high point on the album for me. Everything Will Be Alright is probably the most unique song the Killers have ever released. And I love it. The vocal effects just ooze raw emotion, and make this probably my favorite sad pop song. The guitar solo at the end provides great closure for the album, and a distinct feeling of satisfaction."  [+]  Reply

- paddy26 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 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:

1,027 charts

Rank Score:

7,245

Rank in 2004:

5

Rank in 2000s:

36

Overall Rank:

217

Average Rating:

 78 (1,507 votes)

Comments:

116

6.

Franz Ferdinand 

 Franz Ferdinand

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"They'll always be known as "Those guys that did Take Me Out", probably, but there's so much more here. Favorite track is "This Fire", actually ..."  Reply

- benpaco | 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:

798 charts

Rank Score:

4,732

Rank in 2004:

6

Rank in 2000s:

57

Overall Rank:

351

Average Rating:

 78 (1,200 votes)

Comments:

60

7.

Good News For People Who Love Bad News 

 Modest Mouse

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"Why had nobody told me about Modest Mouse before I joined this site? Why people why? As someone who plays guitar and dabbles in songwriting I listen to a lot of music and think "If I was more focused I could've written this", then you hear someone with a natural gift like Isaac Brock and think "W...""Why had nobody told me about Modest Mouse before I joined this site? Why people why? As someone who plays guitar and dabbles in songwriting I listen to a lot of music and think "If I was more focused I could've written this", then you hear someone with a natural gift like Isaac Brock and think "Why bother?" The variety of songs is such that on first listen I thought it sounded like a compilation of different bands, a feeling enhanced by Brock's ability to go from a cute little Doug Martsch/Wayne Coyne kind of voice to a big shouty Frank Black voice with apparent ease. On subsequent listens as the songs settled in my mind and I became comfortable with the reality that there was only 1 vocalist and not 2 or 3 as I'd first thought I realised I was in the prescence of a special talent. The one question mark that hangs in my head is how calculated the songs are. Has Brock set out to write a Pixies song, a Built to Spill song, a Tom Waits song etc? But if he has what the hell? if you're good enough to write songs like those people go for it. Propelled by the infectiousness of Float On, Bury Me With It and Dancehall (which should come with a medical warning: Do not consume in a public place as IT WILL MAKE you jump around like an idiot) I feel like this album is on an inexorable path towards my top 100 chart and it's gonna take some stopping."  [+]  Reply

- Mr November | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 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:

665 charts

Rank Score:

4,146

Rank in 2004:

7

Rank in 2000s:

62

Overall Rank:

399

Average Rating:

 80 (978 votes)

Comments:

47

8.

Antics 

 Interpol

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"These days, Interpol are a three-piece unit. This is a reality that tends to correlate to their recent dip in critical applause. Their latest two records, El Pintor and Marauder, both feature the absence of longtime bassist Carlos Dengler. Dengler had departed Interpol due to dissension between h...""These days, Interpol are a three-piece unit. This is a reality that tends to correlate to their recent dip in critical applause. Their latest two records, El Pintor and Marauder, both feature the absence of longtime bassist Carlos Dengler. Dengler had departed Interpol due to dissension between he and the rest of the band after 2010's self-titled album was released. Despite this change leading to reformed spiritual harmony within the trio, the band lost a sizable fragment of their sonic identity. The ex-bassist's greatest contributions to Interpol come in the form of 2004's sophomore effort, Antics. The record was received favorably by the music press but (ludicrously) didn't obtain the same amount of fanfare as their debut record. Antics is punchier, bleaker and just as addictive as Turn on the Bright Lights. It exhibits an artist unburdened by a gaping hole in their lineup and a quintet feverishly relishing their collective creative prime. Antics begins by lighting a slow-burning fuse titled Next Exit. A somber, hypnotic opener introducing the listener, reluctantly, to the forthcoming tale of social turbulence. Vocalist Paul Banks remarks, "You've been building up steam, ignited by this fight, so do this thing with me instead of tying on a tight one tonight", calling for bravery in the face of a discouraging, drug-infused descent. The fuse then greets the explosive with second track, Evil. The track is powered by Dengler's intoxicating bassline that cradles the song throughout its duration. The jovial tinge of the track is diversified by Banks' lyrics that conjure the personas of infamous British serial killers Fred and Rosemary West. Spoken from the perspective of the former, Banks chants, "Rosemary, heaven restores you in life, you're coming with me, through the aging, the fearing, the strife." Fourth track, Take You on a Cruise, serves as the centerpiece, fading in slowly like a ship through a dense fog bank. Banks himself has described this as a slight departure from the pathos of the album. He claims, "It has a different tone to the rest of the record for that reason. It’s a tacky seduction story: this guy who may be worldly and well-educated but he’s trying to get laid with a cocktail waitress." The coalescence of the rhythm section in the second half of the track is as majestic as the maritime imagery Banks' poetry frames. This conglomerate plays wonderfully aside Banks chanting, "White Goddess, red Goddess, black Temptress of the sea, you treat me right," calling upon Greek mythology. The finale serves as one of the band's most overlooked cuts. A Time to Be So Small has sonic textures that fashion an appropriate ending for the album with Banks' baritone bathed in reverb as the track floats away. Fogarino's drum hits here have such a fascinating sense of weight that they can be felt within your chest cavity. The song itself is said to be written from the point of view of a crustacean watching a family squabble between a father and son. Go figure. However, aquatic anomaly aside, the lyrics convey a more sinister coloring. The LP ends with Banks proclaiming, "When the cadaverous mob saves its doors for the dead men, you cannot leave," sharpening the threat of death at sea. Unfortunately for the immensely gifted ensemble, Antics would serve as the band's final full-length classic. Here, the synthesis of emotional tonnage into harmonious elixir is strikingly effortless. Interpol would go on to produce four more above-average, but never legendary albums. As conversed earlier, a portion of it spawned from the crater left by their skillful bass player, but this came long after they'd pumped out their fourth outing. Others would potentially point out that the fracture left behind from the infighting did more damage to the psyche of the band rather than the group's sonic capabilities. Whatever it was, Interpol would never reach these heights again but with that said, not many artists have. A very small sector of the music-making landscape could brandish not one, but two classics to start a recording career. Interpol swam in the deepest of waters with the most fearsome of fauna and emerged remarkably relevant and intact. They've climbed back into their luxury liner with two first-class albums shoveling coal into their furnaces. Interpol has earned the right to go at their own pace now and anything they serve us in the future is a much obliged bonus. The timid, sharply dressed boys from the big city have nothing more to prove. "If time is my vessel, then learning to love Might be my way back to sea The flying, the metal, the turning above These are just ways to be seen" -Public Pervert Standout Tracks: 1. Take You on a Cruise 2. A Time to Be So Small 3. C'mere 95 "  [+]  Reply

- DriftingOrpheus | 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:

499 charts

Rank Score:

3,442

Rank in 2004:

8

Rank in 2000s:

80

Overall Rank:

496

Average Rating:

 79 (763 votes)

Comments:

37

9.

Mm..Food 

 MF DOOM

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"This album is incredibly underrated. It takes everything that I love anout hil hop and uses it in some of the most interestings ways possible. The first thing that I want to talk about is how diverse MF DOOM can be, while also sounding incredibly consistent. He relentlessly spits energetic and hi...""This album is incredibly underrated. It takes everything that I love anout hil hop and uses it in some of the most interestings ways possible. The first thing that I want to talk about is how diverse MF DOOM can be, while also sounding incredibly consistent. He relentlessly spits energetic and hilarious puns about his food obsession, this alone is incredibly unique. There are no moments where this is boring, once this music clicks, I became obsessed and interested in MF DOOM. Another thing that I’d like to address is how heavily he samples TV Shows. He brilliantly searches deeply through a few great superhero TV Shows to describe his own fascinating, villainous character and he even creates a very intricate and well written plot with samples alone. Finally, I want to talk about HIS FLOW. His rhyme scheme is all over the place, he hardly stops to breath, he just sounds relentless. His amount of rhymes per bar is absolutely insane. One of my favorite rap albums of all time."  [+]  Reply

- paranoidandroid5 | 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:

364 charts

Rank Score:

3,271

Rank in 2004:

9

Rank in 2000s:

86

Overall Rank:

535

Average Rating:

 82 (425 votes)

Comments:

18

10.

The Milk-Eyed Mender 

 Joanna Newsom

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"Getting used to her voice takes a lot of time, but when you do, it's well worth it. (Don't play her in front of your friends unless you want to cop a lot of grief...)"  Reply

- eclab | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (12 helpful | 1 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:

325 charts

Rank Score:

2,508

Rank in 2004:

10

Rank in 2000s:

105

Overall Rank:

688

Average Rating:

 80 (377 votes)

Comments:

17

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 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%
The Cure	2	0%
Madvillain	2	0%
Björk	2	0%
Pearl Jam	2	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	432	43%
	176	18%
	49	5%
	46	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	982	98%
Yes	18	2%