1) Radiohead: Kid A (2000)
After 1995′s bombastic The Bends and 1997′s soaring OK Computer, Radiohead had established themselves as the saviors of rock in an era dominated by the Backstreet Boys and Puff Daddy. Then they came up with Kid A, an icy and cerebral record with exactly one rock song steeped in the melancholy atmopherics of Scott Walker and the jittery electronics of the Warp Records catalog. Though it was released to mixed reviews and divided audiences nine years ago, Kid A is now almost universally regarded as the greatest album of its time, a bold and brilliant reinvention of the rock record whose current influence is rivaled only by The Beatles.
2) The Strokes: Is This It (2001)
The real saviors of rock came a year later from the heart of New York City. Is This It is an unusual record because of its restraint: each instrument is played impeccably and neatly inhabits its own little space, seemingly unaware of what the others are doing. They’re unified by the growling voice of Julian Casablancas, the only uncontrolled element in an otherwise immaculate package, which over the course of each song incites all of the perfect little instruments to rock out, albeit in a very demure fashion. Is This It is short, concise and perfect, a feat the band has struggled to replicate with their subsequent filler-heavy records. And let us not forget that The Strokes singlehandedly spawned an NYC rock renaissance, thrusting some of the decade’s best bands — including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio and Interpol — into the spotlight.
3) OutKast: Stankonia (2000)
Its manic psychedelic centerpiece “B.O.B.” is the the decade’s best song, but Stankonia as a whole is also one of the greatest hip hop albums ever recorded, a record as bright and kinetic as its superb predecessor Aquemini was moody and mysterious. Recorded in the duo’s prime, every track is a dazzling burst of creative energy, from the heartfelt funk of “Ms. Jackson” to the scatterbrained experimentation of “?” to the socially conscious bossa nova of “Humble Mumble”. Though in retrospect it’s bittersweet that Stankonia marks the last time that Big Boi and Andre 3000 found themselves on the same page, it’s a vibrant swan song for one of the most fruitful musical partnerships ever (Lennon/McCartney, Hall/Oates, Boi/3000).
4) LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver (2007)
Sound of Silver isn’t the purest distillation of dance-punk, the decade’s most exciting musical movement that was largely created by LCD’s frontman James Murphy (that honor would go to Disc 2 of their debut self-titled album). It’s more of a variation on the genre which adds depth and soulfulness to a style not known for having much on its mind. Composed largely of epics (more than half of its songs run past the six minute mark), Sound of Silver is a strange and magnificent dance record about loss and aging.
5) Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (2007)
Arcade Fire’s glorious debut Funeral made a much bigger splash critically than its slicker second record Neon Bible, but in many ways it feels like a scattershot demo compared to the absolute triumph that followed it. Neon Bible was the band’s first record after achieving critical darling status and the heightened anticipation that goes along with it, and they rise to the challenge with boundless energy and intensity, along with a set of timeless songs. More than any other band working today, Arcade Fire is searching for meaning in a frivolous world…
6) Justin Timberlake: FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
…which is not to say that frivolousness can’t be a lot of fun. Justin Timberlake is the George Clooney of pop music, a handsome dude who has decided to use his good looks and considerable talent for projects he cares about. Unlike his fellow pop brethren who crank out a subpar release every November to sell as stocking stuffers, Timberlake waited four years between his excellent solo debut Justified and (the admittedly ridiculously titled) FutureSex/LoveSounds. The result is the greatest pop record of the decade, a modern day Thriller that feels alive and spontaneous where most pop seems stilted and focus-grouped. Let’s hope the four year gap between FS/LS and his next record is just as productive.
7) Madvillain: Madvillainy (2004)
DOOM and Madlib are eccentric, reclusive geniuses with a somewhat spotty track record given how shockingly prolific they are. So when news of their collaborative project Madvillain leaked, no one knew what to expect; would we have a legendary hip hop summit of epic proportions or a thrown together one-off from some eggheads with other things on their minds? Thankfully, Madvillainy emerged an instant classic bursting at the seams with ideas: most tracks clock in at a minute or two because because these guys are so inspired that they’ve got to get to the next thing.
8) M.I.A.: Kala (2007)
Boy, did I love M.I.A.’s debut Arular. I love hip hip, Bhangra, Afrobeat, dancehall… basically everything M.I.A.’s into, and she stirred them together into a delicious stew of global harmony and put a Baltimore club beat behind it. Then Kala came out and truly blew my mind. It’s a darker, harder, more expansive and more complicated record that takes risks and succeeds wildly. Who else would think of singing “Where Is My Mind?” over a track that sounds like a mechanical apocalypse, or sampling a long-forgotten song from a 1982 Bollywood film called Disco Dancer, or mixing “Rumpshaker” with the Clash’s “Straight To Hell”?
9) Midlake: Trials of Van Occupanther (2006)
The most beautiful record of the decade came from an unlikely source: a five-piece from Denton, TX, drawing inspiration from lush 70′s rock like Fleetwood Mac and America. But gorgeous strummy tracks like “Bandits” and “It Covers The Hillsides” prove how unique and vital this band is. It’s such a shame that Van Occupanther‘s two biggest standouts didn’t become huge hits; the unforgettable “Young Bride” layers ornate strings over relentless percussion, and “Roscoe” is the type of soulful rock Kings of Leon would kill to write.
10) Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
It seems fitting that a decade that kicked off with Kid A‘s glacial electronic soundscapes comes to a close with Animal Collective’s warm, inviting, hopeful ones. There’s not much more that I can write about Animal Collective or Merriweather Post Pavilion that I haven’t said before, except that this record absolutely belongs in this esteemed company even though we haven’t been listening to it as long as the others. In fact, everyone will probably think it deserves a much higher position 10 years from now.
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