Top 200 Albums of the Decade (200-175)

Despite the fact that most folks will sum up the past decade as the time when MP3s ruled supreme and the concept of the album as we used to know it died, there’s certainly a lot of good that came about as well. For every overhyped blog-created band there were a number of DIY releases that astonished critics and likely never would’ve seen the light of day in any other time period. Furthermore, with the cutthroat record labels searching for ways to fatten the bottom line, bands such as Radiohead and others looked to self-release albums own their own terms. With all that in mind, here’s the first installment of the top 200 Albums of the Decade.

200.	Josh Ritter The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
	There weren’t many albums from this decade that I played more than this one. Solid from beginning to end, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter not only represents the great deal of maturity that Josh Ritter has undergone through the course of his young career, but it also is easily representative of one of the true bright spots the 2000’s had in terms of singer-songwriters.“To the Dogs or Whoever”
199.	The Walkmen Bows + Arrows
	From the frenzied pace of “The Rat” and “Little House of Savages,” The Walkmen showed a fire and prowess that had only been hinted at previously. From here they would continue to show staying power, but Bows + Arrows deserves its own place here as the point at which The Walkmen established themselves fully as a band.“The Rat”
198.	Lily Allen Alright, Still
	Now here’s something that could only happen in this decade– Ms. Allen’s big break came through thanks to none other than Myspace. After unleashing a number of demos on her page, her quirky pop-flavors won over music fans and eventually labels alike. Combine her flair with the magic touch of Mark Ronson and you’ve one of the quintessential pop albums this decade.“Smile” (Explicit)
197.	Doves The Last Broadcast
	Despite an impressive string of very, very good albums, Doves are still under the radar when it comes to their popularity here in the US. Even so, it’s hard to ignore an album like The Last Broadcast, which in terms of individual moments, features some of Doves best work as band.“There Goes the Fear”
196.	Black Rebel Motorcycle Club B.R.M.C.
	While they didn’t have the staying power of The Strokes or The White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club was right at the forefront of the garage revival bands of 2001 and this self-titled debut was considered among the cream of the crop. While they would only once come close of matching this album with the more Americana-influenced Howl, B.R.M.C. still stands as one of the better examples of garage rock done right.“Whatever Happened to My Rock N Roll (Punk Song)”
195.	DJ Shadow The Private Press
	Given the critically acclaimed status of DJ Shadow’s debut Endtroducing…, it seemed that his sophomore release was almost doomed from the start. Not so fast– while not quite memorable enough to achieve instant classic status, DJ Shadow provided one heck of a follow up to satisfy even the harshest critics.“Six Days”
194.	Cody ChesnuTT The Headphone Masterpiece
	Between the surprising MTV2 coverage to helping The Roots pen one of their strongest singles with a remake of “The Seed,” Cody ChesnuTT was an overnight success of sorts. While his solo talent was too raw for radio, with “Look Good In Leather” being the only song to receive any kind of commercial attention, it’s not surprising that ChesnuTT was unable to maintain that level of mainstream appeal– not that he wanted anyway as he would step away from music a short period of time after. That being said, The Headphone Masterpiece, a title that stems from the fact that the recording and production was done from the comforts of his home, is a sprawling, stream-of-consciousness approach to R&B/Soul that is truly refreshing.“The Seed” (Explicit)
193.	The Flaming Lips At War With the Mystics
	Musically invigorating, the lyrics on At War With the Mystics just weren’t quite enough to give it the staying power that their other albums benefitted from. That being said, The Flaming Lips had a handful of great singles on this album, and it was also a logical progression from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.“The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”
192.	Muse Black Holes and Revelations
	After being constantly referred to as that band that sounds a bit too much like Radiohead (except with half the talent), Muse truly broke the cycle with Black Holes and Revelations. Anchored by the glammed-up “Supermassive Black Hole,” the anthemic “Starlight” and Depeche Mode-influenced “Map of the Problematique,” it’s clear that Muse had an array of influences walking into this project. The resulting album is by far and away their most interesting, as refreshing as it is dynamic.“Supermassive Black Hole”
191.	My Chemical Romance The Black Parade
	This album just about destroyed every preconceived notion I had about the band, not to mention blew the similarly conceived rock-opera American Idiot out of the water as well. My Chemical Romance aimed incredibly high with this album, and mostly delivered– a truly exceptional experience.“Dead!”
190.	Working for a Nuclear Free City Businessmen & Ghosts
	While the Shortlist prize nominated album may owe a great deal to bands such as Joy Division, Working for a Nuclear Free City showed a great deal of promise as a new band to watch with their 2007 release– their US debut. Relying heavily on dense, industrial backdrops, there’s a sense of urgency to their sound that never gets lost.“Kingdom”
189.	Sunset Rubdown Random Spirit Lover
	The third release from Spencer Krug’s “other project” (the primary one being Wolf Parade) is nothing short of wondrous, and its apparent the moment the lead guitar launches into the beginning of the opening “The Mending of the Gown.” While those familiar with Krug’s work will find familiarity with some of the styles presented here, Random Spirit Lover excels through dramatic and poignant songwriting, and heavily-nuanced arrangements.“The Mending of the Gown”
188.	Erlend Øye Unrest
	While his relaxed, observational vocals may be more associated with The Whitest Boy Alive or Kings of Convenience, Erlend Øye’s electronic solo effort is as intriguing as the destinations he traveled just to record the album (each song was recorded in a different city, spanning eight countries in all).“Sudden Rush”
187.	Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
	After finally breaking through with It’s Never Been Like That, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix finds the band finally comfortable within their newfound skin, after having mixed results as a more electronic-based band. While much of the staying power with this album lies within accessible tracks such as “Lisztomania” or “1901,” the epic “Love Like a Sunset” show Phoenix’s talent extends far beyond three minute pop songs.“1901″
186.	Badly Drawn Boy The Hour of Bewilderbeast
	The 2000 Mercury Prize winning album finds Badly Drawn Boy in top form, ranging from the beautifully orchestrated folk vignette of “The Shining” to the guitar pop of “Once Around the Block,” there are no real misses here. The Hour of Bewilderbeast is both a diverse as well as brilliant album.“Once Around the Block”
185.	Damien Rice O
	An achingly beautiful and intimate album, Rice found lightning in a bottle with a string of successes with the singles “The Blower’s Daughter” (released a year ahead of time to much success in Ireland), “Cannonball,” and finally “Volcano.” A must-own for any fans of the singer/songwriter genre, O is a terrific debut.“Volcano”
184.	Feist Let It Die
	Although no one could have anticipated the breakthrough sophomore release that would follow, Feist’s debut certainly wasn’t a shabby start. With her frequent collaborator Gonzales in tow, Feist’s Let It Die is a collection of songs that in a lot of ways is the antithesis of her Broken Social Scene work– quiet, intimate, and incredibly sweet, the lead single “Mushaboom” serves as a centerpiece for this very well done album.“Mushaboom”
183.	My Morning Jacket It Still Moves
	Swooping in like a creature from a far away land, the incredibly heavy reverb of My Morning Jacket gave the band an unassuming stance. Without seeing them live, one could mistake songs such as “Mahgeetah,” “Golden” or “Just One Thing” as being merely quaint. Even on their jam-oriented “One Big Holiday” on “Run Thru,” much of the sting is taken out thanks to the epic reverb. Only within the context of My Morning Jacket’s later albums did people even begin to understand that It Still Moves, was the sound of a band on the fast track to being something truly great.“One Big Holiday”
182.	Interpol Antics
	Admittedly, it was nearly impossible for Interpol to exceed expectations after wowing fans and critics alike with Turn on the Bright Lights. That being said, Antics was about as good a follow up as anyone could sincerely expect, and standing on its own, its a terrifically fun listen. Not quite as dour or grizzly as Turn on the Bright Lights or its successor Our Love to Admire, for that matter– Antics is a self-assured, and steadily entertaining listen.“Public Pervert”
181.	Belle & Sebastian Dear Catastrophe Waitress
	At the time, Dear Catastrophe Waitress stood as Belle & Sebastian’s most polished album, and that shift in production really brought their sound to life, adding a flair of sophistication to their frequently humorous wit. Dear Catastrophe Waitress still stands as the best album the band has produced.“If She Wants Me”
180.	Art Brut Bang Bang Rock & Roll
	Art Brut could be written off as nothing more than a gimmicky band if it weren’t for the fact they were so damned good. The razor sharp lyrics bring to mind Jarvis Cocker, while the band rocks along with the best of them. While Art Brut has yet to fulfill the promise they showed on this awesome debut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll is still one of the essential album of the decade.“Bad Weekend”
179.	King Geedorah Take Me To Your Leader
	Easily one of the most prolific artists of the decade, MF Doom aka Viktor Vaughn aka King Geedorah (and endless other aliases) always seems to have an album or a project handy. Even crazier is the fact that just about all of his musical output is worthwhile, with Take Me To Your Leader being one of the many prime examples. While the album is a bit feature heavy, the contributions are welcome and don’t distract from the overall feel of the album. Take Me To Your Leader is just one of the many great Doom albums from this decade.“Next Levels” (feat. Lil’ Sci) (Explicit)
178.	The Black Keys Thickfreakness
	Perhaps its the midwest origins, or perhaps its the fact that they’re a mere duo of drums and guitar, or maybe its because of the somewhat familiar name. Whatever the case may be, The Black Keys are not the White Stripes, and that is no disrespect at all to this Dayton, Ohio band– they do things their own way. Serving up a blend of blues-rock that is hard to come by these days, Dan Auerbach’s vocals punch through the fuzzy guitar effects with an effortless snarl.“Thickfreakness”
177.	Quasimoto The Unseen
	An exceptionally deranged, scatterbrained album of hip hop abstractionisms that could only be pulled off by someone like producer Madlib. Interspersing old tv clips with DJ cuts, sparse rhymes, and some occasional silliness, The Unseen is something of a cult classic these days, but still well worth hearing.“Discipline 99, Pt. 0″ (Explicit)
176.	Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor
	Hard to believe that this is the guy that got his start from being featured on the Kanye West track “Touch the Sky,” the hype train for Lupe Fiasco quickly grew as Food & Liquor continued to be pushed back due to album leaks. The wait was worthwhile as Lupe released an undoubted breath of fresh air, interjecting a style and substance into hip-hop that hadn’t been prominently seen since the 90’s.“Daydreamin’” (feat. Jill Scott)(Explicit)
175.	Les Savy Fav Let’s Stay Friends
	The always entertaining Les Savy Fav struck gold with Let’s Stay Friends. The first album they had released in six years, it not only was worth the weight, but further solidified Les Savy Fav’s place in indie rock. Whether they’re rocking (“The Equastrian”), dancing (“Patty Lee”), or displaying their quieter side (“Comes and Goes”), Les Savy Fav always brings their “A” game.“The Equestrian”