10. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R (2000)Although they climbed the charts with their followup, Songs for the Deaf, it was it's predecessor that was their true achievement. Full of tight, catchy, kick ass stoner-metal, this stands as the best album of the entire genre. "Better Living Through Chemistry" could possibly be the greatest hard rock song of the decade.
9. Ataxia - Automatic Writing (2004)
This unnoticed album isn't making anyone's lists. This was one of the billion of albums the Red Hot Chili Pepper's John Fruciante made in 2004. A collaboration between him and Josh Klinghofer (his replacement in the RHCP), and Joe Lally, this is a droning album of sparse post-punk-like rock that stands as one of the most depressing albums of the decade. It features some great solos and amazing bass lines. Too bad they only came together for one session.
8. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)
This stands as of the few Nu Metal albums that shouldn't be destroyed forever (oh yeah, that's another style of the decade I forgot to trash). Unlike their untalented peers, System of a Down managed to make complex experimental pop-metal. The songs change tempos suddenly without warning. Thrash becomes Armenian folk, then combines together. Dark and powerful, the lyrics in this album are either genius political satire or a bunch of nonsense. I can't really tell. All I know is that this album is awesome and stands the soundtrack to late teen years for many of my generation.
7. Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium (2002)
In late 2002, early 2003, everyone I know put this album into the CD player and it didn't leave until later that summer. This album was the musical equivalent to crack. Somehow, The Mars Volta combined, the prog-excess and soaring falsetto vocals of Rush, with the catchiness of Ramones style punk, the mystique of Led Zeppelin, and a little bit of Latin Jazz to make a album that is unlike no other. It featured some of the most kick-ass guitar solos of the decade, solid bass playing that proves that Flea is the great rock bassist ever, lyrics that were so pretentious, they had to be awesome. Mars Volta was shaping up to be the greatest band ever, then their prog excess imploded upon itself again and again with each successive release. All we have is this, their tightest album (running at only 60 minutes!).
6. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief (2004)
Radiohead finally returned to rock with this moody masterpiece. Still laden with the electronic textures and tear-inducing harmonies that made previous Radiohead so great. The beefed up length softened its impact a bit, but this still stands up as another incredible release from the greatest band of my lifetime.
5. The Roots - Game Theory (2006)
The Roots finally cut out the sprawling excess and experimentation for their seventh studio album. ?love's grooves have never been tighter, Black Thought's lyrics have never been sharper, the songwriting has never been catchier. This is also the darkest the group has ever been. More proof that hip/hop deserves to be taken seriously as a musical style.
4. Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun (2000)
Yeah, this album does have some filler, but for the first eight tracks, it features some of the funkiest R&B made after the genre peaked in the late-1970's. Throw in the extended suite, "Green Eyes" and the tear-inducing, "Bag Lady" with ?love on drums, not to mention Erykah Badu's divine voice and you have neo-soul's ultimate achievement.
3. Beck - Sea Change (2002)
Somehow, Beck went from a super fun, country-funk hipster to a morose, weeping folk-rocker. The ultimate breakup album, this is a man crying through music. The album is made all the more incredible by the Beatles-style melodies throughout the album. I love to put this on when I feel sad; it always does the trick.
2. Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
So, how do you follow up a critical and popular smash hit album like, Stankonia...break up of course. Outkast's Big Boi and Andre 3000 didn't actually breakup, but they did record two solo albums and threw them together into a single package, highlighting the individual strengths. Not to say this isn't an Outkast album. Andre was present in much of Speakerboxx, exchanging verses here and there as if they are still a group, but Speakerboxx was obviously the work of Big Boi and the Love Below was obviously the work of Dre. Speakerboxxx is pop rap at its finest, funky, fun and above all danceable. The Love Below was the greatest album Prince never made. A sprawling, insane funk album with hints of club, hip/hop, lounge jazz, psychadelic rock, among other styles. The album went number one, spawned two number one hits, "The Way You Move" and "Hey Ya". It also won the Grammy for album of the year. Not bad.
1. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Ok Computer is considered by many to be the greatest rock album of the 90s. It was an international smash hit that nearly unanimously praised by critics world wide. Suddenly, Radiohead went from being the band that did that one song "Creep" in the early 90's to superstars. So they did what any band would, abandoned their popular sound and release something completely different. Somehow, they got even better. Trading guitars for synthesizers and some boxes with cords, Radiohead made one of the greatest electronica albums ever and my personal favorite album of the decade. Despite the overt artiness of this album, it is still a collection of perfect pop songs, just well obscured by gorgeous sonic textures and other musically descriptive words that critics love to use. All I'll say is that it is an incredible album, a Sgt. Peppers of my generation.
1 comment:
no Nickelback?
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