The Top 50 Albums of the Decade

The past decade has been good to us, beginning with the question that prelude's every decade:  what music will define this decade?  For me, the 2000s were absolutely the decade for indie rock!  I'm not alone in this thought either.  The genre exploded into mainstream consciousness over the course of the last 10 years, thanks in large part to the internet, iPods, and digital music in general.  I probably consumed more music in a single year of this decade than I had in all my years prior to it!

But the list below isn't just a list of indie music.  It is simply a list of my favorite albums, and the memories that each one of them bring to mind.  I hope you find some enjoyment in my reflections on the greatest decade I've yet to live through, and I hope that this next 10 years is just as kind to us.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOP 50

#50. The Elected: Sun, Sun, Sun (2006)
One-Liner: A charming, if not perfect, road trip album.

Life-Defining Moment: The only memory I have in my head currently, is driving down Hanna Rd. on my way home from work, shortly after picking up Sun, Sun, Sun. I wasn't all that into it. Then Blake Sennett sings, "Your check's signed in diapering ink," on "Fireflies in a Steel Mill." The band kicks in, the drums start up, and suddenly, I'm enlightened or changed in some small insignificant way.

Best Song: "Fireflies in a Steel Mill"

#49. Metric: Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003)
One-Liner: The first Metric album I ever heard, and still their best.

Life-Defining Moment: I think it was 2004 when I first listened to Metric, so there are a lot of memories here. The first one that pops into my head is driving around with my friend and his girlfriend, trying to get her to appreciate indie music. Metric was my way in. And while she acknowledged the awesomeness of this album, I don't think she ever crossed over. Her loss.

Best Song: "Succexy"

#48. St. Vincent: Actor (2009)
One-Liner: One of the strongest female solo albums of the last decade, though not as memorable as her first.

Life-Defining Moment: Having been released within the last 12 months, there are too many moments still floating around in my head (I just listened to this 4 days ago). But the coolest Actor-related moment for me was seeing the video to "Actor Out of Work." It was upon viewing it that I officially fell in love with Annie Clark. xoxoxo --Just kidding.

Best Song: "Actor Out of Work"

#47. Bjork: Medulla (2004)
One-Liner: An album that completely changed what I thought about music.

Life-Defining Moment: I was going to school in Dallas at the time Medulla came out. I remember putting this CD in my old-school Xbox and watching the visualizations as I got lost in the complexity of it all. It is an album featuring only the human voice (mostly), for those of you not in the know, and was the first full Bjork album I ever heard.

Best Song: "Where is the Line?"

#46. Headlights: Kill Them With Kindness (2006)
One-Liner: An unfocused, but relentlessly charming debut album.

Life-Defining Moment: I got a copy of this album by renewing my subscription to Under the Radar magazine. I remember opening the package and being disappointed by the CD they ended up sending me. As it turns out, it was probably the best option.

Best Song: "Songy Darko"

#45. The Streets: The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living ( 2006)
One-Liner: Mike Skinner's most commercial, and coincidentally, solid Streets album.

Life-Defining Moment: My sister was dating a guy named Mitch at the time of this album's release. He mentioned The Streets to me one day, and I responded with a "Meh, I don't really like it." But for some reason, I downloaded it anyway. And I loved it! It was one of the first albums I ever reviewed on Audio Overflow (it wasn't even called Audio Overflow at the time), and I still think of it fondly.

Best Song: "Prangin' Out"

#44. The Honorary Title: Anything Else but the Truth (2004)
One-Liner: A random purchase gone well.

Life-Defining Moment: In 2004, I was trolling Best Buy with a friend, looking for a random CD to buy. I did this from time to time, based solely on album covers. It just so happened that Anything Else but the Truth has an awesome cover. So I picked it up, listened to it, made fun of it, and discarded it. It wasn't until a week later that I gave it a serious listen and discovered how awesome of an album it was.

Best Song: "Revealing Too Much"

#43. Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (2005)
One-Liner: The CD that changed everything.

Life-Defining Moment: I'm at Jeremy's house one night, and we're all hanging out. In walks Nathan, who I introduced to Of Montreal a month earlier with their 2001 album, Coquelicot. I'm eager to show him the new CD, so I put in Sunlandic Twins and wait to see everyone's reactions. I remember how cool it seemed at the time. Now, it's more tired than anything else. Still solid though.

Best Song: "The Party's Crashing Us"

#42. Justice: ✝ (2007)
One-Liner: The best pure electronic album of the decade

Life-Defining Moment: I don't know what I was expecting when I downloaded ✝ for the first time, I just know it couldn't have been what I got. All I know is, I was reading the review on Pitchfork, and the next thing I know I'm downloading it. A few minutes later, I'm completely entranced. A few years later, nothing has changed.

Best Song: "D.A.N.C.E."

#41. Band of Horses: Cease to Begin (2007)
One-Liner: A stereotypical indie rock band makes a not-so-stereotypical album.

Life-Defining Moment: You know that moment in "Is there a Ghost" when all the electric guitars and drums kick in? Yeah...

Best Song: "The General Specific"

#40. Rooney: Rooney (2003)
One-Liner: Definitely the best summer album of the decade.

Life-Defining Moment: I remember leaving Best Buy after purchasing this CD and showing it off to my friend, Josh. He didn't get it, but I was loving every second of it.

Best Song: "Daisy Duke"

#39. Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
One-Liner: Oberst's most-solemn and touching record to date.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving with a lot of the same friends mentioned in #43, this time through west Texas, blaring "Road to Joy" through my tiny truck speakers.

Best Song: "Landlocked Blues"

#38. The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004)
One-Liner: The only great thing this band has ever done, and a game-changer for me, musically.

Life-Defining Moment: I couldn't sleep. I turned on the TV at 5am. MTV. The video for "Somebody Told Me" is on. I wait until 10am, go to Best Buy and buy the whole album. Sometimes you just know.

Best Song: "Mr. Brightside"

#37. Stars: Set Yourself on Fire (2004)
One-Liner: The album that began my formal obsession with pop music.

Life-Defining Moment: I was working at a desk in 2004, listening to internet radio. and "Elevator Love Song" (a track from another Stars album) came on. I loved it, so I went to my local record store to pick up a copy. They didn't have one…but they did have this one.

Best Song: "Your Ex-Lover is Dead"

#36. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife (2006)
One-Liner: Meloy flexes his storytelling skills for the band's first all-the-way-through great album.

Life-Defining Moment: When this album came out, I used to play it on my iPod at work over the PA system all day. There's nothing like rocking out to track 2 while doing menial tasks for money.

Best Song: "The Crane Wife 3"

#35. The Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
One-Liner: It made progressive rock cool again…if only for a little while.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving around the summer of 2004 with my somewhat-significant other (too complicated for words, really), air drumming, singing, and other sad forms of rocking out. All this while driving, mind you. Specifically, driving with her and her brother on the way back from Conroe.

Best Song: "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt"

#34. Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping (2008)
One-Liner: Possibly Of Montreal's weirdest album to date…also one of their best.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving to my new job Monday through Friday at 6:45am. This album was playing every day on my recently-stolen 3rd Gen iPod nano, and I just let it loop over and over again. After 2 months I moved on to Crystal Castles…I don't see that on this list. Do you?

Best Song: "Triphallus, to Punctuate!"

#33. Rilo Kiley: Take Offs and Landings (2001)
One-Liner: Rilo Kiley's proper debut, and the only one that wasn't a subsequent disappointment.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving in the fall of 2004 with a friend in the Dallas area. I had just picked up this CD from the old Virgin Megastore (RIP) and put it in my stereo. The girl is I'm with is upset. She doesn't want to listen to it (she probably wanted to listen to something way worse, they do that you know?). But then "Science vs. Romance" starts playing and, oh, this CD is actually really good. We listen to the whole CD, and she deals with it, because - hey - she likes it now too!

Best Song: "Science vs. Romance"

#32. St. Vincent: Marry Me (2007)
One-Liner: St. Vincent's first album is a classic, and beautiful album.

Life-Defining Moment: Showing the CD artwork to my dad after I bought this CD, he made a face - a not-pleasant face. Perfectly understandable, considering the cover, but a classic response.

Best Song: "Paris is Burning"

#31. Incubus: Morning View (2001)
One-Liner: In the 9 years since the release of this album, the band has yet to make something anywhere near this good.

Life-Defining Moment: I was sitting in the high school cafeteria, debating the awesomeness of Incubus with a friend. He insisted that they were not that good. Then Morning View came out. I think he still calls them his favorite band to this day.

Best Song: "11am"

#30. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend (2008)
One-Liner: An instantly charming, and relentlessly playable album.

Life-Defining Moment: My dad, again, thought to tear into the song "Mansard Roof" by describing the drums as "Ricky Ricardo, Babaloo" drums.

Best Song: "Oxford Comma"

#29. Wallpaper: Doodoo Face (2009)
One-Liner: A hilarious, catchy, and technically advanced pop album.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I listened to the song, "Doodoo Face," I was driving to work at 5:30am and I literally burst out laughing when Ricky Reed says "Dang, you nasty/ You smelling like soccer practice!"

Best Song: "I Ain't Most Dudes"

#28. Mates of State: Team Boo (2003)
One-Liner: An insanely fast-paced, audibly jarring pop album that is equal parts love and mania.

Life-Defining Moment: I wasn't too familiar with this album when I bought it way back in 2004 or 2005. But I wanted it, so I bought it. Driving home from the store, I put it in my CD, not really knowing what to expect entirely. "Ha Ha" is one of the best album-openers of the decade and instantly made me a fan of Mates of State!

Best Song: "Fluke"

#27. Sigur Ros: ( ) (2002)
One-Liner: A great, if not top-heavy album that may just be the best album of all time.

Life-Defining Moment: Well, obviously not, but let me explain the statement. I was driving with two girls in 2004 when they asked me what the best CD ever was, and I responded with ( ). Why? Because it's in a made-up language, and is just as great to me as it is to someone in Uruguay or Japan! It is an album whose language is not a hindrance, but a doorway. And it's beautiful!

Best Song: "Untitled Track 4"

#26. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca (2009)
One-Liner: The only DP album I've ever heard, and it's so good I'm kinda scared to continue on.

Life-Defining Moment: Going on a weekend trip with a friend, we listened to this album in its entire. I'm not sure why that memory is the one that sticks out, but it WAS a pretty good weekend.

Best Song: "Temecula Sunrise"

#25. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs (2008)
One-Liner: Ok, in my opinion, it's their best album

Life-Defining Moment: I equate this song with work, because at the time of its release I loaded every song on my iPod and played that shit at work like crazy. Just ask Ben, he'll tell you!

Best Song: "Grapevine Fires"

#24. Pop Levi: Never Never Love (2008)
One-Liner: The best male pop album of the decade? Hmmm….YES!

Life-Defining Moment: I always forget how awesome this album is until I listen to it. "Fountain of Lies" is one song that brings back a particular memory. Driving - as always - to work, though this time to my new job, it was my first day. "Fountain of Lies" begins playing, and I'm singing along as I'm pulling into the parking lot, completely oblivious to my surroundings. It eased my first-day jitters and became a perennial favorite at the same time!

Best Song: "Dita Dimone"

#23. Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir (2007)
One-Liner: A CD so sweet and wide-eyed that it made me an instant fan.

Life-Defining Moment: I was going to the movies with friends, and I was playing "No One Can Win." Most people weren't paying attention, but one guy said "Hey this sounds like The Beatles." I really didn't hear it, but I'm glad he did. He still listens to Loney, Dear.

Best Song: "No One Can Win"

#22. Zero 7: The Garden (2006)
One-Liner: A jazzy electronic album with wonderful vocalists.

Life-Defining Moment: Remember my dad? Yeah, this is probably the only CD I've ever shown him that he's actually enjoyed. You just can't beat the duo of Jose Gonzalez and Sia!

Best Song: "Crosses"

#21. Joanna Newsom: Ys (2006)
One-Liner: The album that completely changed my opinion of Ms. Newsom.

Life-Defining Moment: How bout a collection of moments? For some reason, every time the first cold of winter sweeps into Texas, I have this unexplainable urge to listen to Ys. 2006, 2007, 2008, and yes, even 2009 have been filled with Newsom. Not that it's a wintery album, I just equate it with winter at this point.

Best Song: "Emily"

#20. The Wrens: Meadowlands (2003)
One-Liner: An album that's depressing, but strangely hopeful at the same time.

Life-Defining Moment: I tried to cover "She Sends Kisses" back in 2006 with Fruity Loops. The result was decent, but you simply can't recreate the raw energy and power of the song's climax with software. Certainly not Fruity Loops. It never saw the light of day and is now lost forever. Good.

Best Song: "She Sends Kisses"

#19. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
One-Liner: The best rap album of the last decade, and the last GREAT album that Eminem made.

Life-Defining Moment: I remember waiting the "Making the Video" of "The Real Slim Shady" on MTV when I was a sophomore in high school. At the time, I was familiar with Eminem, but I was never really a fan. But the video was hilarious, the music was fresh, and Eminem as a person was also kind of funny. It hooked me, and I ended up listening to this album for years.

Best Song: "Kill You"

#18. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
One-Liner: A cold, heartbreaking, and reflective album that never tires.

Life-Defining Moment: I didn't get around to listening to Bon Iver for a year and a half after its official release. I got an email from an old friend who complemented me on my blog and said "I'm so behind on music, I'm just now getting to Bon Iver." And my thought was…who? I downloaded the album and have since listened to it on almost a weekly basis. It is beautiful in so many ways, and I relate to it wholly.

Best Song: "For Emma"

#17. The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love (2009)
One-Liner: The pinnacle of Colin Meloy's storytelling.

Life-Defining Moment: My life-defining moment for this album was seeing it performed live in its entirety back in October 2009. The Decemberists sounded spot on, and seeing Shara Worden play the Queen in person was just as shocking and eerie as it is on the album! It's something that I'm glad I got to witness, and years from now if people are still discovering this album, I'll be happy to know that I lucked out.

Best Song: "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)"

#16. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer? (2007)
One-Liner: One of Of Montreal's most-accomplished albums, and the one that lived up to the expectations following the commercial success of The Sunlandic Twins.

Life-Defining Moment: I first listened to this album in September of 2006 (it leaked waaaay early) and by the time it finally released in January of 2007 I had logged in several dozen listens. I remember thinking, as I would later write in my review, about how the album managed to capture both the zany Of Montreal of old and the new, radio-friendly pop band that they had become. Many consider this to be the band's masterpiece, and they may be right.

Best Song: "Faberge Falls for Shuggie"

#15. Cursive: Happy Hollow (2006)
One-Liner: An emotional torrent of anti-religion, anti-government rock music.

Life-Defining Moment: Happy Hollow released at a time in my life when I was starting to rethink the way I was raised. Because of this, the album's rebellious tone struck a huge chord with me (and probably explains why it is so high up on this list). Tim Kasher's biting commentary on organized religion, war, politics, and relationships completely validated all of the thoughts that were going through my head and gave me a reason to not doubt myself. Despite the harsh tone of much of the album, the end message is clear: live your life to the fullest and don't be held back by the constructs society may put in your path. For me, at that time of my life, and even now, that speaks to me.

Best Song: "Big Bang"

#14. The Flaming Lips: At War with the Mystics (2006)
One-Liner: An underrated album that finds The Lips at the height of their relativeness.

Life-Defining Moment: Again, my life defining moment for this album is seeing the band perform most of it live in September 2007! It, to this day, remains the most amazing live show I've seen and I have serious doubts about any band being able to top that. If I had to narrow down a moment which was particularly enjoyable, it would be Wayne getting the crowd to chant "FUCK!" on "Free Radicals." That, or him screaming "C'mon motherfuckers!" while spraying the crowd with his stage fog gun.

Best Song: "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"

#13. The Unicorns: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone (2003)
One-Liner: A flash of brilliant indie-pop/rock, accentuated by the sudden break up of the band that created it.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I had ever heard The Unicorns was in early 2004, just as I was starting to discover indie music in general. As such, they had a huge impact on my perception of music and the acceptance of indie music. A moment that stands out in my mind was having the opportunity to see the band perform live in my hometown of Houston, TX in 2004, only to pass on the chance. It was the last show the band ever performed, and I've never forgiven myself. They are, and always will be, the most heartbreaking break-up of this wonderful decade.

Best Song: "Ghost Mountain"

#12. Loney, Dear: Dear John (2009)
One-Liner: An emotionally deep album, and one of the best male solo albums of the decade.

Life-Defining Moment: The moment that changed my outlook on the album was the first time I heard "Harm/Slow" and really listened to the lyrics. For me, the song is so bleak and depressing that it completely transformed the album from something that was dark, sure, but still kinda hopeful; to an album that is all darkness and no light.

Best Song: "Everything Turns to You"

#11. The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema (2005)
One-Liner: Indie power-pop at its best and most rambunctious.

Life-Defining Moment: I had never listened to this album before, but my wallet was just begging to be opened and my ears begging for new music. I had read about Twin Cinema and how great it is was, and about The New Pornographers (who I had never heard before) so I decided to get it. Boy was I in for a surprise! I got into my vehicle and cranked it, jamming out to it for weeks. It is a perfect album, and one I'm a little disappointed didn't make it to the top 10, frankly.

Best Song: "Sing Me Spanish Techno"

#10. The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute (2005)
One-Liner: A sophomore album so dense and complex that it requires you to listen to it again and again.

Life-Defining Moment: "Dude, the new Mars Volta just leaked!" "No way, which site are you on?….Cool I'm going there!" It's downloading right now!" "Mine too." It finished!!" "Lucky!" "I don't know this first track is starting off pretty slo….WHOAH!"

Best Song: "Cygnus….Vismund Cignus"

#9. Muse: Absolution (2004)
One-Liner: Muse's best album, and the one that kept me a fan of rock music when the rest of the rock world was sucking hard.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I heard "Hysteria" I thought it was a song from a Tony Hawk game. I was wrong. That's moment #1. Moment #2 takes place about a month later when a band I'm in decides that we want to play "Time Is Running Out" live. So we do. The MP3 still exists. Anyone want me to upload it?

Best Song: "Butterflies & Hurricanes"

#8. Field Music: Tones of Town (2007)
One-Liner: A pristine pop record in a time when the term "pristine pop" is overused.

Life-Defining Moment: Honestly, this CD took a while to click with me. It wasn't until I heard "Working to Work" that it finally made sense. I started listening to the music, the lyrics, the feel of the whole thing. What I got was an awesome album, and one that ended up being my top album of 2007!

Best Song: "Working to Work"

#7. M83: Saturdays=Youth (2008)
One-Liner: A lush throwback to the emotions of 1980s brat-pack films.

Life-Defining Moment: I was leaving a friend's apartment with another friend, and I was showing him "Kim & Jessie" for the first time. We both agreed that it sounded like it should've been the intro song in Donnie Darko. Then we started trying to figure out what that song actually WAS. Then we did. It was "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears. We both started belting out the chorus to that song acapella immediately thereafter. So just to recap: two dudes, driving alone, singing Tears for Fears acapella. Yep, probably one of the gayest things I've ever done.

Best Song: "Kim & Jessie"

#6. Of Montreal: Satanic Panic in the Attic (2004)
One-Liner: Of Montreal's "transition" album also happens to be their best.

Life-Defining Moment: I knew Of Montreal, but I didn't know this album. I had went to the Virgin Megastore in Dallas to pick up The Gay Parade, but it was out of print. So I picked up this. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, "Disconnect the Dots" started playing, and it was so unlike what I was expecting that I instantly fell in love with it! I listened to the album the whole way home, and in the process bonded with an album that I never intended on getting. I may not be a HUGE Of Montreal fan today, if it weren't for The Gay Parade being out of stock. Truly life-defining.

Best Song: "Rapture Rapes the Muses"

#5. Radiohead: Kid A (2000)
One-Liner: An experience that most have had, and few have forgotten.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I heard Kid A was shortly after it leaked in 2000 on Napster. My sister was playing it in her car, and we were driving around listening to it. As a 15 year old, I didn't really understand a lot of it. I was listening to a lot of crap at the time. But it struck me as something strange, but cool; something unlike anything I'd heard previously. It wasn't until I got into indie music and bought the album in 2004 that I fell in love with it, but that early impression certainly helped me make the purchase.

Best Song: "Everything In Its Right Place"

#4. The Notwist: Neon Golden (2002)
One-Liner: A deep, chill electronic album that stays with you.

Life-Defining Moment: Like most of the music in my early-indie years, Neon Golden was first recommended to me on Amazon.com. I downloaded the album before I bought it (twice) and played it in my dorm. Weeks later, my roommate, Preston, asks me to burn him a bunch of "my music" on a CD for him so that he can transfer it to his computer. Neon Golden makes the cut, and he loves it! Like, a lot! I haven't talked to Preston in years, because, well, Preston's a dick, but I'm glad I could pass my love of The Notwist on to somebody else.

Best Song: "Consequence"

#3. The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
One-Liner: An album that single-handedly defined "indie rock" for me.

Life-Defining Moment: The first Shins song I ever heard was "Turn a Square." I didn't really like it. Well, not exactly. It just wasn't what I was expecting to hear. So I set the album aside and went on my merry way. A few weeks later, my friend asks me if I've heard The Shins, tells me that they're awesome, and convinces me to give Chutes Too Narrow another shot. I do. And I love it!

Best Song: "Pink Bullets"

#2. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (2005)
One-Liner: The best male album of the decade, and proof that any concept, no matter how mundane, can turn out amazing in the right hands.

Life-Defining Moment: I was picking up my friend Nick at his house to take him to church, and "John Wayne Gacy" was playing. I suppose he was passively listening to the lyrics, because suddenly he burst out with "Is this song about having sex with boys?!?!" I told him who it was about and we listened to it again. He was sold. At the time, Nick was into your generally shitty hardcore rock music. I think this album had a greater effect on him than it did on me. He now finds himself listening to Iron & Wine and Nick Drake more than that other garbage. I would have to think Sufjan had something to do with that.

Best Song: "The Predatory Wasps of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!"

#1. The Postal Service: Give Up (2003)
One-Liner: The album that introduced me to indie music and changed my life in the process.

Life-Defining Moment: There are too many moments. Quite frankly, my late teens and early 20s are soundtracked by this album. How do I pick a moment? Do I choose when Josh first showed it to me on Spring Break 2004? Do I choose that same Spring Break when I woke up everyday and pressed play on my CD player, only to lay back down in bed and listen to the album in its entirety? Perhaps trading off lyrics with a girl who I really liked and thinking how life couldn't get any better is a more apt moment? There are simply too many occasions in my life in which this album played a role. And so I will not choose one moment.

Instead, I leave you with this picture. Imagine me, a 15 year old kid, listening to Relient K, Finger Eleven and Incubus in the year 2000. And imagine me now, a 25 year old man whose favorite albums of the decade include everything on this list and so much more! What caused such a transformation? It was this album being presented to me in the right place and the right moment. Never doubt the power of music, friends.

Best Song: "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"