Best Albums of the 2000s

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Explore the best albums of the 2000s, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts. Last updated: 5 hours ago

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2000s decade summaryThe best artists of the 2000s were Radiohead, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Coldplay, Sufjan Stevens, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, The White Stripes, Wilco and Animal Collective.

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11.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

"This is not a good album. This is a complete masterpiece by one of the best bands of the 2000s. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. There is not a single weak moment on this record. Filled with beautiful melodies, gorgeous singing, and what is most important, GREAT songs, one after the other. I c..." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,372 charts

Rank Score:

11,727

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

12.

"This IDM/dance album benefits from James Murphy making most of these songs more personal, interjecting his personality into this album much more than this debut." Reply

paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2007

Appears in:

1,251 charts

Rank Score:

11,324

Rank in 2007:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

109

Average Rating:

84 (1,415 votes)

Comments:

13.

Elephant

The White Stripes

"Raw edgy dirty rock. What a great album ! The Stripes recorded this album with all vintage instruments, none dated post-'63. Dripping into a melting pot of styles of music keep the pace changing and developing. A great garage band that uses very little to accomplish so much." Reply

~SMiLE~ | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 6

Year of Release:

2003

Appears in:

1,544 charts

Rank Score:

11,272

Rank in 2003:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

111

Average Rating:

83 (2,165 votes)

Comments:

130

14.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

"Yoshimi is a young Japanese artist facing the battle of her life: the battle for her life. Adrift from her family and lover, Yoshimi journeys alone into a fantastical robot-world where she wages a war with fate. Will her will to survive be powerful enough to master the evil forces that threaten t..." Reply

- zonrod | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 4

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,335 charts

Rank Score:

10,637

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

116

Average Rating:

83 (1,694 votes)

Comments:

107

15.

For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver

"Decided to get back into Bon Iver. This is a beautiful album. Justin's voice is so haunting and his falsetto is to die for. The simplicity of it enhances it fully, their second album falls from being over produced. Justin escaped into the Woods for a few months to work on this album and you can h..." Reply

- TheRanter | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 5

Year of Release:

2007

Appears in:

1,267 charts

Rank Score:

10,299

Rank in 2007:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

16.

"I fantasize about listening to this album. I love Robin Pecknold's voice, and the reverb gives it something more that distinguishes it from everything it's influenced by." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 5

Year of Release:

2008

Appears in:

1,320 charts

Rank Score:

10,176

Rank in 2008:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

126

Average Rating:

83 (1,625 votes)

Comments:

17.

Songs For The Deaf

Queens Of The Stone Age

"One of the most powerful and sexiest rock record ever made. The transitions with the radio at the end of songs is just amazing." Reply

- nipplefart | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 8

Year of Release:

2002

Appears in:

1,173 charts

Rank Score:

9,900

Rank in 2002:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

129

Average Rating:

83 (1,542 votes)

Comments:

18.

Discovery

Daft Punk

"One of the best electronic albums of all time and maybe the best feel good album of all time." Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 7

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

1,087 charts

Rank Score:

9,895

Rank in 2001:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

130

Average Rating:

83 (1,451 votes)

Comments:

19.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

"a lot of themes from OKC are expanded upon here. I don't think it's technology that Thom's railing against though, I think it's always been society - its systems and the pointless ladder climb, but most of all Parliament and the royal family of the UK. technological themes are probably only used ...""a lot of themes from OKC are expanded upon here. I don't think it's technology that Thom's railing against though, I think it's always been society - its systems and the pointless ladder climb, but most of all Parliament and the royal family of the UK. technological themes are probably only used b/c technology doesn't exist in the natural state of things, the perfect target to subtly and indirectly attack government and other artificial systems through. Dollars & Cents is a clear denouncement of even the currency system - and there isn't a system we've set up that doesn't get spit on by this era of RH albums. from Life in a Glass House, "don't talk politics and don't throw stones/your royal highness says." in other words, the queen would like for you to just keep running the rat race, ignoring what the gov is doing, not thinking about alternative political systems, and the implied question is, are you going to do as she says? if you don't do as she says, you'll be killed: the phrase "ppl in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" is an old one, and means that if you're so easily attacked, you can't afford to attack, presumably b/c retaliation from them would lead to your end. you're in a disadvantageous position. think about it, if you're standing at a window in a glass house, would you throw a stone at someone from there, when they could so easily throw one back and cut you to pieces as the house shatters over you? why would the title of the song be Life in a Glass House if he didn't want to throw stones, but can't? who is Thom afraid to throw stones at, if not the government? and if not the gov, why would the "ROYAL HIGHNESS" be the one to say "don't throw stones" in the song? and why would the message of the chorus be, "I'd love to talk, but can't" if those stones weren't symbols for words? and what words would be so dangerous to say about our "royal highness" as to compare to throwing stones from a glass house? translation, the royal family controls the political world and to intervene would be suicide. to imply that you live in a glass house and would love to speak about politics from it, but can't, is to cleverly say that you have some pretty violent political ideas that could get you killed if expressed. it's simple logic really but I'm prob going to get a lot of downvotes from stupid people for calling Thom out as this nihilistic anarchist, but seriously just look at him and tell me that doesn't fit. the chorus of this song is likely all about how Thom would love to get his messages across more directly, but unfortunately can't publicly promote a coup d'etat. "I'd love to chew the fat, but someone's listening in." taken into context of the previous verse, the hopelessness/anger of previous tracks on the album, and the violent imagery found in tracks like Knives Out and Morning Bell (which I believe to be an attack on the system of marriage and related laws - specifically divorce laws), it simply can't be seen as anything else. he sounds so defeated in the song too. he knows he'll never get what he wants. it sounds like a funeral dirge, like he's preparing for burial. "There are many things to talk about/be constructive/there are weapons we can use/be constructive with your blues/even when it's only warnings/even when you talk the war games" - this, from Dollars and Cents, just a few tracks b4 Life in a Glasshouse. apply that same logic and knowledge to this verse, from the mindset of someone like Thom, do you understand what he's saying here? his "blues," his problems with all of the artificial systems, can be used as weapons to fight his perceived war. how can his words accomplish what he wants? indirectly of course, through you.... he argues with himself through the chorus, at once telling himself to be quiet, but he wants "peace" and a "promised land," presumably a land without the systems - like currrency. "we are the dollars and cents," "we'll crush your little soul." he tells himself to be quiet while repeating this as well. if it was as simple as an anti-corporate message, to restrain himself would not be necessary. it's about what he's NOT explicitly saying. he had even more balls in OKC though, I think in Paranoid Android he shows his true colors. the "unborn chicken voices" in his head are the seeds (eggs) of ideas he's trying to suppress - megalomaniacal, dictatorial fantasies of being in control and taking everything down. "when I am king you will be first against the wall." he's trying to fight it though, it's really sad actually, "ambition makes you look pretty ugly." he knows he's crazy, "I may be paranoid." but he's not artificial and won't be part of the machine, "but not an android." he knows anarchy would suck as well if he did take it all down though, "the dust and the screaming," "the panic, the vomit." but it's better than the alternative and the BS that comes with it, the following line, the scornful and sarcastic spitting of "god loves his children," brings to mind the worst man-made thing of all and perhaps reveals the root of his hatred... he's obviously not too keen on religious systems. he often sounds obnoxious and punk, like Sid Vicious or Iggy Pop, and all of these albums are probably what an anarchist like Sid Vicious would create if he was as intelligent and sophisticated as Thom. I used to think Thom sounded whiny, but he's really just extremely disgusted, bitter, and dissatisfied. I think, at least subconsciously, most ppl feel the same way, even if their network of friends and family keep them from doing anything extreme about it. he's a crazy, brilliant anarchist, and much less subtle on No Surprises from OKC - "bring down the government, they don't speak for us." also from that same song, "a heart that's filled up like a landfill/a job that slowly kills you/bruises that won't heal." I don't think he likes the job system very much either, lol. he has contempt for everything unnatural. I think he feels crushed by the artificial soundscapes of a lot of the songs from the RH albums of this era, it's in his voice, but he does this to himself for a reason. it certainly draws a lot of emotion to work with, and may be an attempt to get others to see things the way he does. I don't think the claustrophobic themes are literally a fear of small spaces either though, but the artificial systems that make him feel trapped. I wonder what goes on in his head? this is just speculation, educated guesses, but he probably believes that he's working to change ppl's attitudes until they collectively decide to revert back to the natural state that every other species is in. it's over 20 years later and he's still driven.... by what? I believe that some part of him feels that what he's doing is important, he's not just making sound waves, he's on a mission. maybe he fantasizes about hopefully getting into just 1 person's head, to influence some man's decision to assassinate members of Parliament or start burning churches down. either Thom and I have a lot of ideas in common, or I've just seen the things that are in my own head in the music. I hope I'm not that nuts, but I know I wouldn't be the only one to hear RH music and think I understand them while being way off... unfortunately whenever someone else explains to me what RH music means to them, I think, "WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" so feel free to drop me a line if that's the way you feel about what I'm saying, but I see no other way to translate, "bring down the government, they don't speak for us" or the ego driven Paranoid Android. I don't think any realist/nihilist/anarchist would see their music any other way, and an intelligent, realistic psychologist with experience would probably agree that my prediction of Thom's end goals has a good chance of being accurate. what was the title of his first solo album again? oh and Greenwood, being a close friend of Thom's and composing the soundtrack to the brilliant, nihilistic, anti-religious film "There Will Be Blood" leads me to believe he's in much the same boat, whether Thom steered him there or their mutual feelings brought them together in the first place, or their similar surroundings and shared experiences just naturally brought them to the same conclusions, I won't guess. but he's probably in the same "crazy" boat by whichever means and if you google "radiohead 2016" and see the rest of the band, it probably wouldn't surprise you to learn that all of them thought like this. anyway... I basically typed this in hopes ppl will take the album more seriously and move it up in their charts so that it reaches the top 100 and eventually top 50 where it just simply belongs. this is far more than just music, this is a war." Reply

- jackbrown8786 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 7

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

1,358 charts

Rank Score:

9,485

Rank in 2001:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

20.

Björk

"I like Homogenic, but it never made me feel other-worldly and in a sort of ice-dream reverie like Vespertine manages to do for me. Great albums take you somewhere else, on a journey or to a place of comfort. This is why it is her best album. I was a bit surprised to see Homogenic rated higher..." Reply

Strangel | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 9

Year of Release:

2001

Appears in:

856 charts

Rank Score:

9,339

Rank in 2001:

Rank in 2000s:

Overall Rank:

143

Average Rating:

83 (1,023 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 2 of 100

Best Albums of the 2000s composition

Year	Albums	%

2000	102	10%
2001	100	10%
2002	108	11%
2003	110	11%
2004	86	9%
2005	107	11%
2006	101	10%
2007	92	9%
2008	89	9%
2009	105	11%

Artist	Albums	%

Bruce Springsteen	6	1%
Animal Collective	6	1%
Porcupine Tree	5	1%
The White Stripes	5	1%
Radiohead	5	1%
Dream Theater	5	1%
Wilco	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	547	55%
	222	22%
	56	6%
	39	4%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	18	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	992	99%
Yes	8	1%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	11	1%

Best Albums of the 2000s chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 3 from 50th to 47th Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
Up 2 from 99th to 97th The Resistance by Muse
Up 2 from 83rd to 81st Person Pitch by Panda Bear

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 3 from 72nd to 75th White Pony by Deftones
Down 2 from 47th to 49th The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem
Down 2 from 48th to 50th Untrue by Burial

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