EDITOR’S NOTE: The Best of the 2000s is a four-part feature in The Oklahoma Daily. The articles are based on the writer’s opinion.
15.) Vampire Weekend- “Vampire Weekend”
Vampire Weekend fought the hype machine and won. Its self-titled debut has no noticeable flaw, and I’m sure it’s the only album to ever reference Lil’ Jon and grammar rules in a 5-minute span. It’s Ivy League meets Afro-Pop, a studious combination that never gives way to distractions.
14.) Bloc Party- “Silent Alarm”
Probably my personal favorite, a barrage of extraordinary openers (“Like Eating Glass,” “Helicopter,” “Positive Tension” and “Banquet”) led to an equally exceptional album that felt strikingly modern and current, with a wild, loose nature at heart.
13.) TV On The Radio- “Dear Science,”
No band caught the mood of 2008 quite like TV On The Radio did with “Dear Science,” an album that was obviously much more accessible than equally great early efforts and balanced exotic (“DLZ”) with poppy (“Golden Age”) wonderfully.
12.) Outkast- “Stankonia”
Interludes be damned, “Stankonia” was still a rap/pop album that stood head and tail above the rest. Give me an album with a trio of singles as great as “Ms. Jackson,” “B.O.B.” and “So Fresh, So Clean.” It’s not going to happen.
11.) Interpol- “Turn On The Bright Lights”
An obvious admiration of New Order and Joy Division was apparent, but while fellow groups merely emulated their heroes, Interpol wrote an album that was, dare I say, not too far off the plane of those bands it idolized. “Untitled” and “Obstacle 1” were haunting and thrillingly fresh.
10.) Kanye West- “The College Dropout”
He’d been a beat-making, humble workhorse for years before striking out on his own. People wonder why he is so cocky, but when your first effort is this good, no great, the success is bound to get to your head. He flaunted technique (“Get ‘Em High”) and mass appeal (“All Falls Down”) equally in this head-turning debut.
9.) Kings of Leon- “Aha Shake Heartbreak”
“Aha Shake Heartbreak” feels like Kings of Leon at its most liberated, as though it is just pouring its soul onto record. It is heavy on sweet Southern charm and wears it like a crown. There is almost something distinctly Oklahoman about the album in fact, and “King of the Rodeo” seems to capture that feeling best.
8.) The White Stripes- “White Blood Cells”
It only takes two to create some of the best rock of the decade. The world was introduced to Jack and Meg White with “White Blood Cells,” while “Fell In Love With A Girl” and “We’re Going to be Friends” let us know we’d be getting to know them for a long, long time.
7.) Spoon- “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”
Britt Daniel may be the best songwriter America has to offer, and he flexes his creative muscle with “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.” Terribly named but also terribly good, the album works around simple rhythms and has hooks so catchy, you feel as though you could sing-along with the first listen to “The Underdog” or “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb.”
6.) Arctic Monkeys- “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”
It’s the fastest selling debut album in the UK, it’s gone quadruple platinum and it’s the winner of the 2006 Mercury prize, all for good reason. Alex Turner instantly became the songsmith of a generation with his honest, brash lyrics that melded over the polished garage sound of his supporting primates.
5.) Animal Collective- “Merriweather Post Pavilion”
It’s an acquired taste — a bittersweet one at that — but just a taste is all you will need to be completely hooked. It’s a textured, vivid, colorful explosion of guitar cascades and dizzying synthesizers that not only gets in your head, but takes your whole body away to another place.
4.) The Strokes- “Is This It?”
It made garage rock cool again, and also proved impossible to top. The effortless cool of “Last Nite” and flawless fashion of “Barely Legal” made for a full, complete album that never took a breath in its rush of faultless, polished jaunts that gave rock music the kick it needed.
3.) Phoenix- “It’s Never Been Like That”
Finally reaching commercial success with this year’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” the band had already crafted a thing of Europop wonderment in “It’s Never Been Like That.” Brimming with catchy ditties like “Long Distance Call” and “Rally,” even the supporting songs were better than most of the singles of their contemporaries.
2.) Radiohead- “Kid A”
Right out the gate, “Kid A” set a high standard for the rest of the decade. It has Radiohead at its creative peak, and “Kid A” marked a completely new musical horizon, one many would replicate but never come close to. It became Radiohead’s vision of the future, and despite the lonesomeness of “Everything In Its Right Place” and futuristic thump “Idioteque,” “Optimistic” hints at everything being just fine.
1.) Arcade Fire- “Funeral”
“Funeral” is the single most triumphant, invigorating listen in recent memory. Never has a band managed to stay so cohesive, yet sound fresh and original with every song. Each of the “Neighborhoods” is its own little journey, before you plunge over the cliff with “Wake Up” and drown in “Rebellion (Lies).” It’s a glimpse at the human spirit; you’ll never want to look away.
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haye0943 2 years, 5 months ago
i understand that this is completely opinion, and i can't really make a judgement on this list because i haven't heard of almost any of these albums. besides stating that being obscure doesn't necessarily make an album or artist great, i want to say that Muse's "Black Holes and Revelations" deserves to be on that list.
EN 2 years, 5 months ago
"I've not heard of the majority of these albums. I like music that is popular and good. Not weird and obscure."
No, you are lazy and narrow-minded. You get your music from the radio, American Idol, or whatever the recording industry shills tell you to listen you.
The best music is genuine, original and genre-bending - not a pander to the lowest common denominator, like most pop (but not all).
xanth524 2 years, 5 months ago
The film critic Ebert said at one point that top ten lists (or any kind of ranking system) is a complete waste of time and arbitrary.
While I tend to agree with him, I do think you have done a good job creating a controversial, but knowledgeable, list.
I have been habitually reading your stuff since August, and want to give you props on having a wide expanse of musical knowledge and nice writing to go with it.
I am shocked to see Arctic Monkeys up here, as well as Vampire Weekend, but it was fun to look at and argue about with my buds.
Keep it up!
OUguy 2 years, 5 months ago
I've not heard of the majority of these albums. I like music that is popular and good. Not weird and obscure.
carney 2 years, 5 months ago
7 albums released in the aughts that are better than all of these, save for perhaps Funeral and Kid A:
--Sufjan Stevens "Illinois" --Drive-By Truckers "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" --Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" --LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver" --The Hold Steady "Boys and Girls in America" --Radiohead "In Rainbows" --Daft Punk "Discovery"
Radiohead 2 years, 5 months ago
To OUguy -
first off, Kanye West and Outkast are on this list, are they not "popular and good?"
Pop music does not normally deliver cohesive albums such as these [there are some exceptions]. The albums pop artists create are more focused on singles for radio play, ect. Just because music is "weird and obscure" does not mean it is bad. Neither does it mean pop music is bad.
"popular and good" is truly an opinion, so I'll respect that.
Some great pop albums that I've listened to include: Tha Carter III - Lil' Wayne, 808's and Heartbreak - Kanye West [Isn't Kanye on this list? come on man.] Come Away With Me - Norah Jones Far - Regina Spektor Songs About Jane - Maroon 5 How To Save A Life - The Fray Enema of the State - Blink 182 Dookie - Green Day
However, These albums listed suggest a more thorough, cohesive album, where no song can be excluded to get the meaning of "the album" as a whole.
On an entirely different note, Joshua, Kid A, is [imo] definitely a notch above Funeral =) [just a notch]