"and it went a little like this..."There has been a slight change in the process of bringing to you the most beloved albums of the past decade (hence, the massive delay). Pretty much most of the second paragraph of the last post can be disregarded. Forgoing the categories, the albums will be filed under their respective year of release and presented in a neat and orderly fashion for your perusal. Pigeonholing these albums into specific categories was not only an exercise in futility, it was exceedingly unfair. The rest of the previous post still applies, however.
The only part of that second paragraph that still stands is that bit about the 1%. I’ve picked the best, and separated them from the rest, and naturally am saving them for last.
[REMINDER: all the albums were considered together. That is to say, albums from 2000 and 2001 were up against albums from every other year, not just their own. Some years are just going to be better for music. Hence the TC count. The TC (or Total Considered) is the number of albums from any given year that were beaten out for the slot on this list. It is followed by the percentage of records from that year that made it to the list.]
So, without further ado (let’s just get this over with already), here are:
Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free; Loud Records (If you've seen Chappelle's Show, you've heard This Beat...)
Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030; 75 Ark Records (Secretly plotting your demise...)
Iron Maiden – Brave New World; EMI
Johnny Cash – American III: Solitary Man; American Recordings
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Pay Attention; Island Def Jam Records (Remember third-wave ska-core? It was hot in those suits...)
Richard Cheese – Lounge Against the Machine; Ogilo Records (It's an improvement...)
Ween – White Pepper; Elektra
Wesley Willis – Never Kill an Ape; Wesley Willis Records
The Best Albums of 2001: (TC 95: 11.58%)
Aesop Rock – Labor Days; Definitive Jux Records
Andrew WK – I Get Wet; Island Records (I know someone who does exactly this...)
Clem Snide – The Ghost of Fashion; spinART Records
Daft Punk – Discovery; Virgin Records (It's my understanding that this mostly happens in Spain...)
Fugazi – The Argument; Dischord
Manu Chao – Próxima Estación: Esperanza; Virgin
Necro – Gory Days; Psycho+Logical-Records (Valuable lessons...)
Oysterhead – The Grand Pecking Order; Elektra Records (I was there when this happened...)
Spoon – Girls Can Tell; Merge Records
System of a Down – Toxicity; American Recordings (This is how it started...)
Tenacious D – Tenacious D; Epic Records (And so it was written...)
Tool – Lateralus; Volcano Entertainment (If you watch only one of these videos, let it be this one...)
The Best Albums of 2002: (TC 104: 9.62%)
Bad Religion – The Process of Belief; Epitaph Records (The singer is a science professor...)
Boards of Canada – Geogaddi; Warp Records (This is the best way to listen to this song...)
Bohren & der Club of Gore – Black Earth; Wonder Records
Elvis Costello and the Imposters – When I was Cruel; Island Records
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot; Warner Bros. Records
The Les Claypool Frog Brigade – Purple Onion; Prawn Song Records (Buckle up...)
Nekromantix – Return of the Loving Dead; Hellcat Records (I wish they all could be Subcultural Girls...)
The Roots – Phrenology; Geffen Records (They didn't get here by playing to Jimmy Fallon every night...)
Strung Out – An American Paradox; Fat Wreck Chords
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Nonesuch Records (A double kick drum by the river in the summer...)
The Best Albums of 2003: (TC 116: 6.03%)
Bonobo – Dial ‘M’ For Monkey; Ninja Tune Records
Children of Bodom – Hate Crew Deathroll; Century Media
Infected Mushroom – Converting Vegetarians; BNE/Yoyo Records
Jay Z – The Black Album; Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam Records
Electric Six – Fire; XL Recordings
The Mars Volta – De-loused In the Comatorium; Universal Records
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief; Parlophone Records
The Unicorns – Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?; Alien 8
The Best Albums of 2004: (TC 163; 6.13%)
The Arcade Fire – Funertal; Merge
Clutch – Blast Tyrant; DRT Entertainment
Fintroll – Nattfödd; Century Media
Grizzly Bear – Horn of Plenty; Kanine/Warp Records
GWAR – War Party; DRT Entertainment
Hella – The Devil Isn’t Red; 5 Rue Christine
Interpol – Antics; Matador
Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days; Sub Pop
Mastodon – Leviathan; Relapse Records
Marigold – Half Winter, Half Spring in the Unreal City; Self-Released
MF Doom – MM Food; Rhymesayers Entertainment
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Shake the Sheets; Lookout! Records
Tom Waits – Real Gone; ANTI-
The Best Albums of 2005: (TC 161; 6.83%)
13 & God – 13 & God; anticon./Alien Transistor
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm; Wichita Recordings
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning; Saddle Creek
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; Self- Released
Dangerdoom – The Mouse and the Mask; Epitaph
Death Cab For Cutie – Plans; Atlantic
K’Naan – The Dusty Foot Philosopher; BMG Music (Canada)
M83 – Before The Dawn Heals Us; Groom (Europe)
Minus the Bear – Menos el Oso; Suicide Squeeze
My Morning Jacket – Z; ATO
The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema; Matador
Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary; Sup Pop
The Best Albums of 2006: (TC 138; 9.42%)
!!! – Mythtakes; Warp Records
The Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not; Domino
Band Of Horses – Everything All The Time; Sub Pop
Beirut – Gulag Orkestar; Ba Da Bing!
Buckethead – The Elephant Man’s Alarm Clock; TDRS Music
Built to Spill – You in Reverse; Warner Bros.
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife; Rough Trade Records
Girl Talk – Night Ripper; Illegal Art
The Knife – Silent Shout; Rabid Records
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33; DFA
M. Ward – Post-War; Merge Records
Mogwai – Mr. Beast; Matador
Peeping Tom – Peeping Tom; Ipecac Recordings
Ratatat – Classics; XL Recordings
Rodrigo y Gabriella – Rodrigo y Gabriella; ATO Records
Zombi – Surface to Air; Relapse
The Best Albums of 2007: (TC 66; 18.18%)
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam; Domino
Battles – Mirrored; Warp Records
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork; Turbo
Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles; Last Gang Records
Dan Deacon – Spiderman of the Rings; Carpark Records
Golgol Bordello – Super Taranta; Side One Dummy
Justice – Cross; Ed Banger Records
Menomena – Friend and Foe; Barsuk
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular; Sony/Colombia
The National – Boxer; Beggars Banquet
Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?; Polyvinyl
Shellac – Excellent Italian Greyhound; Touch & Go
Yeasayer – All Hours Cymbals; We Are Free
The Best Albums of 2008: (TC 17; 17.64%)
Does It Offend You, Yeah?! – You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into; Virgin
High Places – 03/07 – 09/07; Thrill Jockey
Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust; EMI
The Best Albums of 2009: (TC 14; 53.71%)
Eminem – Relapse; Interscope
Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk; Rough Trade
Mos Def – The Ecstatic; Downtown
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix; V2 Records
Taken By Trees – East of Eden; Rough Trade
