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.
For 40-31 (Part 7), click HERE.
30) King of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon successfully evaded the sophomore slump with their American breakthrough Aha Shake Heartbreak. The Followill clan, who successfully took Europe by storm with Youth and Young Manhood, finetuned their sound to make a record that appealed to their own countrymen. They've since never looked back. Leadoff single "The Bucket" was met with considerable acclaim, which really got the ball rolling for these guys. It didn't hurt to have multiple songs featured in commercial campaigns and top-rated TV shows such as "Entourage". Evoking everything from early seventies garage rock to Southern blues, Aha Shake is simply 36 minutes of the decade's best rock music.
29) TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
Any band that can swing a David Bowie collaboration gets the stamp of approval in my book. TV On the Radio's third full length album, Return To Cookie Mountain (a possible Super Mario reference?), did indeed feature Mr. Stardust's background vocals on the brilliant "Province". But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the record contains a host of other guests that only further cement this album's standing among the best of 2006. The anthemic "Wolf Like Me" is what really launched this Brooklyn band into the indie-rock stratosphere. Big things are expected for TV On The Radio's follow-up, Dear Science, which comes out in just over a month.
28) The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)
The first thing that comes to mind when people initially hear The Streets is "England's answer to Eminem". However, if you skim below both Mike Skinner's (his real name) skin color and his delivery, you'll discover that there simply is no comparison. And despite what the pseudonym might imply, Skinner does not exactly lead a thug life. In fact, the content of The Streets' debut completely forsakes stereotypical hip-hop undertones all together -- to the point that some could argue that this is even a rap album at all. Hell, this one could very well fit in the notorious spoken word bin for all I care. But, if you want to get all technical, The Streets is considered "garage" music in the sense that it blends rap, two-step, and reggae. In any case, Skinner is a wizard of wordplay as is evident on a stellar debut.
27) Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)
If Kanye West were to hang up his glow-in-the-dark shutter shades tomorrow, there's no question that Late Registration would be considered his masterpiece. When Mr. West burst onto the scene in 2003, he took hip-hop by storm. Everyone became Kanye-crazy -- so as one can imagine, a lot was at stake for his follow-up. And let's just say he didn't exactly disappoint. Whether it was the Jamie Foxx-duet "Golddigger," or the Curtis Mayfield-sampled "Touch The Sky," Kanye took it to a whole other level with his poppy, radio-friendly blend of hip-hop. Hell, he even made Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame tolerable with ballad "Heard 'Em Say". The success of this release prompted 'Ye to even release a live album called Late Orchestration, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
26) The National - Boxer (2007)
The National are just another success story of relentless perseverence. Matt Berninger and gang had been around since 1999 and had been cranking out some pretty excellent records since 2001. However, they only recently started turning some heads last year with the near-flawless fourth album Boxer. Berninger's morose baritone single style is definitely an aquired taste, but if you give the band a chance, you'll discover some pretty deep material here. Just to give you idea of this album's accoladaes: Paste Magazine named it their album of the year, "Mistaken for Strangers" was #92 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Best Songs of 2007, and yes, even Pitchfork (boo!) ranked Boxer #17 in their annual end of the year best-of list.
25) Bob Dylan - "Love And Theft" (2001)
What can I say? Bob's the man. After a forgettable run of albums in the 80's and early 90's, Dylan returned to form with 1997's Time Out of Mind. Earning critical acclaim from nearly every source (and even Album of the Year at the Grammys), this one proved that Bob still had a little gas in his tank. And although many thought that this record would be Dylan's swan song, he returned in 2001 with the equally brilliant "Love And Theft". And as the fantastic 2007 film I'm Not There depicts, this one explores Dylan's continually changing musical persona. Long gone are the days of early 60's folk, mid 60's electric rock, and pretty every other genre that Dylan has straddled throughout his legendary career. "Love And Theft," at its core, is a homage to rockabilly, jazz, jump blues, and country swing -- music that manages to even predate his folk days. How bout them apples?
24) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (2008)
I think I've driven my point home about this album, so I will spare you my accolades. For my complete review of Evil Urges, click HERE. When the dust settled, this one actually ended up received some pretty mixed reviews (most notably from arch-nemesis Pitchfork), but don't be fooled because Urges actually shows some growth for MMJ in a VERY positive direction. I really like how they progressed from their masterpiece, Z -- so much so that this one steadily gains some ground on its predecessor. I've said it before and I will say it again: My Morning Jacket is the best live band in the world.
23) Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell (2003/2004)
This is yet another controversial Ryan Adams pick, but hell, this one's just a classic to me. Love Is Hell was originally supposed to Ryan's highly-touted follow-up of completely new material since successful breakout Gold. However, one Adams' label listened to the material, they insisted that it was not "commercially viable" and scrapped plans to release it at all. As a result, Ryan was forced to quickly regroup and record Rock N Roll. Upon Ryan's insistence, Lost Highway compromised by choosing to release Love Is Hell as two separate EP's in late 2003 - Love Is Hell pt. 1 and Love Is Hell pt. 2. Both did much better than expected, prompting to release the album as initially conceived in 2004. And here's a fun fact, if any of you ever wondered where I came up with the title for this very blog's name, just listen to "Please Do Not Let Me Go".
22) Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)
After splitting up the Red House Painters -- one of the more under appreciated bands on the '90's -- Mark Kozelek formed Sun Kil Moon with former Painters drummer Anthony Koustos. This move proved to be fortuitous, as Ghosts of the Great Highway soon became Kozelek's best-selling and most critically-received album to date. Inspired by a laundry list of deceased boxers (of all things), Ghosts proved to be a much more quiet and intimate setting for Kozelek. Most of the content on this record is acoustic-driven and lyrically more extroverted than the work from his former band. Drawing up comparisons from everyone from Nick Drake to Neil Young, this album only goes to show that Kozelek is one today's most gifted songwriters. If you've ever seen the Steve Martin/Claire Danes film "Shopgirl," Ghosts is represented in the soundtrack with the inclusion of "Carry Me Ohio," and "Lily and Parrots". As an added bonus, Kozelek himself has a small role in the movie.
21) Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
It boggles my mind that this album was released over eight years ago. I was a junior in high school and I recall fondly hearing "The Real Slim Shady" being incessantly blasted from the cars in the student parking lot. To me, this song was the high school equivalent of "Hey Ya". Ah, the days. And here's an even more mind-boggling stat: The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 1.76 million copies in its first WEEK. Today, in a era of a record industry meltdown, an artist would be lucky to sell this many copies in a YEAR. Needless to say, this record went on to sell 21 million copies worldwide and solidified Eminem as one of the most influential artists of all time. And although he's been laying low for quite awhile now, Eminem is supposedly releasing his forst studio album in four years in late 2008.
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