For 90-81 (Part 2), click HERE.
For 80-71 (Part 3), click HERE.
For 70-61 (Part 4), click HERE.
For 60-51 (Part 5), click HERE.
For 50-41 (Part 6), click HERE.
40) Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (2006)
There aren't very many modern bands that can carry on the progressive rock torch as well as Muse. And much like forebears Rush, this band is a trio that packs a wall of sound punch in each tune. These guys had been building steady momentum since their first release, Showbiz, in 1999. But they really hit it big with their most recent effort, Black Holes & Revelations, which came out just over two years ago. Spawning a string of hits, which included the expansive "Supermassive Black Hole," the face-melting "Knights of Cydonia," and the radio-friendly Radiohead-sounding "Starlight," this record refused to leave my radar. I'm willing to bet Guitar Hero had a little say in this, but who cares -- this is great stuff. Muse recently released their first live album, called H.A.A.R.P., which is simply epic.
39) Portishead - Third (2008)
Finally! A new Portishead album! Calling this trip-hop group's first release in over a decade "highly-anticipated" is like calling Kanye West "confident". And although diehards themselves doubted this record would ever see the light of day, Third was finally released earlier this year to much fanfare. Was it worth the hype? Absolutely! Third marked the trio's return to the mainstream -- debuting at number 7 on the Billboard charts. This record departed slightly from Portishead's signature trip-hop sound, and instead focused on darker elements often associated with industrial music. The good news is that when it rains, it pours. The band has already completed their promotional touring for Third to begin writing new material for their fourth.
38) Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
What do Stephen King and I both have in common? Aside from kinda sharing names (my middle name is Stephen), we have an unhealthy obsession with Ryan Adams' music. And sure, when you slice and dice it, Gold is a pop record. But truth be told, it is one of the most well-written albums of the decade. There's a reason "When The Stars Go Blue" has been covered by everyone from The Coors to Tim McGraw. I remember when this album came out, I was a freshman in college and 9/11 just happened. Ryan had filmed the video for the album's first single "New York, New York" on September 7th. The morbid part is that the video featured the singer lip-syncing along the East River with a Twin Towers-adorned skyline behind him. People mistook this irony as a means for exploiting the tragedy for all it was worth. It may have just worked for him. Gold is Adams' best-selling album to date.
37) The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday (2005)
The follow-up to their brilliant debut, Separation Sunday is another concept album by The Hold Steady that loosely follows the story arcs of characters "Holly" and "Charlemagne," as introduced on Almost Killed Me. Musically, this one is a little more refined than their first -- exploring complex classic guitar riffs, delving deeper into Franz Nicolay's ivory-tickling abilities, and staying away from the punky verse-chorus-verse formula often implemented on AKM. Separation Sunday is also lyrically more sophisticated -- taking advantage of Craig Finn's witty wordplay while simultaneously squeezing in Springsteen-like storytelling that only gets better on more recent Hold Steady releases.
36) Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
Despite being packaged as an Outkast record, this one is actually comprised of a solo album by each of the group's members. Good thing for Big Boi, because Andre 3000's "Hey Ya" is what really hits this one out of the park. This tune may very well be the number one played song during my college era, but it's one of the rare pop gems that is definitely deserving of its success. As for the rest of the content on the album(s) -- surprise, surprise -- it's Andre 3000 all the way. And although Big Boi's contributions are surely nothing to sneeze at, it's Andre's willingness to step out of the duo's comfort zone that pays off big time. Whereas Speakerboxxx is straight-up Southern hip-hop, The Love Below is unclassifiable -- exploring the depths of hip-hop, funk, rock, and everything in between.
35) M.I.A. - Arular (2005)
Talk about talent! This colorful British-by-way-of-Sri Lanka songstress is also an acclaimed producer, songwriter, and visual artist. And while we are on the subject of unclassifiable music, Ms. Arulpragasam takes it to a whole new level. Mixing in dance and hip-hop elements with punk and dancehall, Arular is perhaps the most original of the decade. The record, which was supposed to be released in 2004, was pushed back nearly six months simply because it was having authorization issues for its heavy sample use. When it finally did come out, M.I.A. turned the music world on its head. She recently played her final concert of the year at Bonnaroo to begin working on a new album, which is schedule for a 2009 release.
34) The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002)
I remember when this band burst onto the scene 13 years ago with "She Don't Use Jelly". The Flaming Lips had been around for 12 years before they struck it gold with this hooky song about preserves, tangerines, magazines, and well, masturbation. A song this kooky would surely cast these guys off into the depths one-hit wonder exile, right? Wrong! Turns out they were just getting started. Four years after "Jelly," the Lips released the epic The Soft Bulletin, and then three years after that, they came out with the now classic concept album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. A psychedelic electro-rock masterpiece whose songs follow the trials and tribulations of protagonist Yoshimi, this one's arrangements are on the same level as a Dark Side of The Moon. So much so that it has been confirmed that this album will be made into a Broadway musical! Move over ABBA.
33) Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
Taking a page out of the Guns 'n Roses handbook, Bright Eyes released two albums on the same day in January of 2005 -- I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash In A Digital Urn. While the latter is largely dismissible, the former is where Conor Oberst and gang really shine. Featuring collaborations along the likes of Jim James and Emmylou Harris, I'm Wide Awake is a folk album for the ages. And although the content of this one isn't exactly sunshine and butterflies (the album begins with a spoken word prologue about a plane crash), the record contains some of the most confessional and heartfelt songs of Oberst's illustrious catalog.
32) Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said by a million people? If the songs on In Rainbows had been garbage, then maybe Radiohead's "pay what you want" stunt wouldn't still be talk of the town in the music world (just an FYI, I gave the guys $5 of my hard-earned cash for this bad boy). In reality, this album is as good as it has ever gotten for Radiohead. Whether it's the whip-fast electro-beat of album opener "15 Step" or the hypnotically bass-heavy "All I Need," this album contains the perfect blend of what was great about rock-laden "Bends-era" Radiohead and experimental "Kid A-era" Radiohead. It's not too raw, and certainly not too contrived. And here's the best part -- after Radiohead basically offered the album for free, it hit number one on the charts (with over 100,000 units sold in the first week) when it was physically released on CD/Vinyl.
31) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell (2003)
Make no mistake about it; the physical aspect of a Yeah Yeah Yeahs show is as important as the music. So much so, that singer Karen O is arguably the most engaging frontwoman since Debbie Harry. But it's not all smoke and mirrors here. If you dissect the brash exterior of each one of the tunes on Fever To Tell, you'll discover some pretty crafty songwriting. "Maps" is one of the most sincere love songs of our time. The only downside to this record is that it ends as soon as it begins. Containing a batch of songs that fall under the three minute mark, this one's got all the underpinnings of a classic punk record. The trio got a little soft on us with their follow-up, Show Your Bones, which is a definitely an acquired taste for traditional YYY fans.
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