Favourite Album For Each Year Of The 2000s

Ah…the 2000’s…when the way we listened to music, and indeed the way we found it changed dramatically.

The internet really started to become a strong source and (at least for me) the days of finding new music on the radio passed.

My music tastes were no longer satisfied by the product that radio stations dealt out and so I had to get more creative.

Thanks to a mate who works in IT, I discovered a whole new set of artists to listen to as the decade moved on.

So without further ado, I bring you the Favourite Album For Each Year Of The 2000s thread. (Do try and keep it to just one selection per year if you can…but it’s a free world so do what you need to do :slight_smile: )

My list is as follows:

2000 The Sickness - Disturbed (special mention for Night & Day II - Joe Jackson)

2001 The Interzone Mantras - The Tea Party

2002 Comalies - Lacuna Coil

2003 Fallen - Evanescence

2004 Antics - Interpol

2005 Bullet In A Bible - Green Day

2006 Wolfmother - Wolfmother

2007 Dark Passion Play - Nightwish

2008 Rise And Fall, Rage and Grace - The Offspring

2009 In This Light And On This Evening - Editors

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ministry of sound everything

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Easily the most difficult yet. I knew I was in trouble when the short list came in at 42. Great decade for OZ music and some of the omissions are criminal.
2000 Danilo Rea: Lost in Europe
If Petrucciani plays with a French accent, Rea has a notable Italian touch. Playful and endlessly inventive.


2001 Bill Frisell: Blues Dream
The first Frisell CD I owned and still my favourite. Swamp rock meets blues and jazz and surf and beyond. And I just noticed the only non acoustic option in my top ten.

2002 The Necks: Athenaeum, Homebush, Quay & Raab
One of the great OZ bands, a super band no less. More than a touch of Kraut Rock in their back catalogue.

2003 Brad Mehldau: Live in Tokyo
The dominant pianist of the last two decades. Many claim Largo is his great work but I tend to gravitate to the naked form of the solo.

2004 Andrea Keller: Angels and Rascals
Andrea is a local and a marvelous composer and player and I think this won an Aria. She appears to have assumed the late great Allan Browne’s role as custodian of Melbourne jazz and you can catch her round the traps most weeks.

2005 Fred Hersch: Leaves of Grass
Hersch’s wonderful treatment of Walt Whitman’s greatest work. Lovingly created and featuring two terrific singers in Kate McGarry and Kurt Elling. Great poetry is notoriously difficult to sing but these two do it with ease. No 2 for the decade.

2006 Alister Spence Trio: Mercury
One of the hidden treasures of OZ music. Spence is arguably our best composer and regularly produces raging pulsating works. This long running trio also includes Lloyd Swanton, from the Necks, and Toby Hall, the consummate rhythm section.

2007 Maria Schneider: Sky Blue
Difficult to narrow down choices in this decade but this was the unquestioned release of the decade. A sumptuous, transcendent and glorious orchestral masterwork. Hard to find outside ArtistShare.com. She eschews the major labels because she says she has more control of her music and finances this way and would need 10 times the sales on a major label to match ArtistShare. Love to post the magnificent Cerulean Skies but this is a live version of one of the other tracks.
If you’re a Bowie fan the name might ring a bell as she was the collaborator on “Sue”, the lead single from the acclaimed Blackstar cd.


2008 Keith Jarrett: Testament
For me the best of the short form improvisations and particularly poignant as it was recorded just after his wife left him, for the fifth, and it turned out, last time(Sometimes you’re not surprised to hear certain people are difficult to live with). Anyway Jarrett wasn’t artistically fazed, he sublimated his suffering and created this beautiful piece before exiting the stage through a vale of tears.


2009 Jessica Williams: The Art of the Piano
Regularly cited as one of the foremost pianists of the era but she suffers from the keyboard player’s curse, spinal problems and had to sell her piano to pay for medical costs. She now lives in poverty, sans instrument. Another victim of the US health system. Possessing exquisite touch, she is a master interpreter of the American songbook and a significant composer as well.

PS Bring on the 10s’ nonet, I’m ready. Already struggling to split 2 outstanding 2018 releases.

2000: Ween - White Pepper
2001: Tomahawk - Self Titled
2002: Isis - Oceanic
2003: Ween - Quebec
2004: Fantomas - Delirum Cordia
2005: Beck - Guero
2006: Mogwai - Mr. Beast
2007: Earth - And the Bees made Honey in the Lion’s Skull
2008: My Disco - Paradise
2009: Russian Circles - Geneva

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2000 - Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele

Member of Wu-Tang makes good going solo. Classic Rap Album.

2001 - Daft Punk: Discovery

First and still the best.

2002 - El-P: Fantastic Damage

Super talented and one of my favourite artists.

2003 - Jay-Z: The Black Album

Not the biggest Jay-Z fan but this is incredible. Full swagger.

2004 - Arcade Fire: Funeral

Possibly the best band of the 2000’s along with Radiohead

2005 - My Morning Jacket: Z

Had on repeat for a long time. Great album.

2006 - LCD Soundsystem: 45:33

Enough said.

2007 - The-Dream: Love/Hate

In the era of Mega Singles The-Dream bucked the trend and made what is effectively a concept album where each song is linked. One of the greatest R&B albums of all time.

2008 - TV On The Radio: Dear Science

Great live band.

2009 - Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavillion

A beautiful mess.

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2000: At The Drive In - Relationship of Command

2001: System of a Down - Toxicity

2002: … And you will know us by the trail of dead - Source tags and codes

2003: A Perfect Circe - Thirteenth Step.

2004: The Killers - Hot Fuss

2005: The Mars Volta - Francis the mute

2006: The Fratellis - Costello Music

2007: Daft Punk - Alive 2007**

2008: Empire of the sun - Walking on a dream

2009: kasabian - west ryder pauper lunatic asylum

**Yeah, a live album is a cop out, but part of my criteria is 'which album did I physically listen to the most from that year?" And this wins hands down.

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Honourable mentions: Every Hard NRG album.

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00 Mer de Noms - A Perfect Circle
01 Lateralus - Tool
02 Source Tags and Codes - …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
03 Sleeping With Ghosts - Placebo
04 Hot Fuss - The Killers
05 Demon Days - Gorillaz
06 Imago - The Butterfly Effect
07 Sawdust - The Killers
08 Final Conversation of Kings - The Butterfly Effect
09 Armistice - Mutemath

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We have some Trail Of Dead fans in here, nice! I’m still considering some years’ choices, including if that’s my 2002 or not.

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I’m in, boys.

2000:
The White Stripes - De Stijl
Jack White is back and this was a great return.
Best song: Hello Operator

2001:
The Strokes - Is This It?
Only actually listened to this for the first time in 2009 but it change the direction I took with my music and pretty much changed my life in a lot of ways. Bored me to tears at first but once you start to feel it there’s no turning back. Great song after great song. Is This It into The Modern Age as a first pair - wowee.
Best song: Someday.

2002:
HONOURABLE MENTION: White Stripes - White Blood Cells.
Best: The Streets - Original Pirate Material.
I started with his 2nd album but this is an incredible debut. Recorded in his bedroom on $5,000 worth of computer equipment (that he incidentally bought whilst doing a gap year in Sydney!), he used his wardrobe and a few mattresses as a recording booth. So low-fi and DIY apparently in one track you can hear his Mum calling him downstairs for dinner. Those first few strings on the first track are apt for an album that changed British Hip Hop so much.
Best song: Turn the Page (for what it meant). But there are great songs everywhere. Geezers Need Excitement, Don’t Mug Yourself (!!), The Irony of It All, Weak Becomes Heroes.
[Terrible YouTube quality incoming]

2003:
Honourable Mention: The White Stripes - Elephant
Best: The Strokes - Room On Fire.
It’s more of the same, and it’s still incredible. Same great sound, same great songwriting. Whatever Happened as an opening song is a great way of saying “yep, we’re back”
Best song: Automatic Stop (Whatever Happened and Between Love and Hate are close).

2004:
Honourable Mention: The Streets - A Grand Don’t Come for Free.
Best: The Killers - Hot Fuss.
This decision was only made easier because I wanted a new band on this list. Otherwise it’d be really tough.
Debut album for a band who disappointed me with their last and underwhelmed me with their second to last. These guys duked it out with The Strokes as my favourite teenage bands but it was probably the love of B Flowers that gave these guys the mantle. The songs are just great and although most know them as the Mr Brightside guys, they have so much to offer if you go digging.
Best song: Smile Like You Mean It, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine and listen to Andy, You’re a Star for something new if you’ve heard the hits (which you have).
This is great live particularly the end.

2005:
Honourable mentions: White Stripes - Get Behind me Satan, Kanye West - Late Registration (I don’t like his non-hits as much on his early albums).
Best: Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary.
This is just an awesome band that I didn’t discover for a little while. Many consider this one of the best alternative albums of the 00s so I gave it a crack and loved it. Spencer Krug (sp?) is a good writer/singer/artist - everything he does is good. The two big songs on this lead into one another - great songs.
Listen to: I’ll Believe in Anything. One of the better songs I’ve ever heard IMO.

2006:
Honourable mentions: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say… , The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
Best: The Killers - Sam’s Town.
Arctic Monkeys almost pipped them but I went off what I listened to and I absolutely belted this thing. Like The Strokes, they re-announce themselves with the opener to their 2nd album and never look back. I think Rolling Stone called this the most underrated album of the 00s and I’d agree. Every song on it is good and the best songs are some of the best I’ve heard. Read My Mind is a beautiful song and this one sort of got forgotten a bit I reckon:
Listen to: My List, Bling, Bones

2007:
Honourable mention: White Stripes - Icky Thump. Kanye - Graduation (close!)
Best: Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare.
Really loved this as a whole package when I was young and it came out. They’re back with more finesse and a lot better songs IMO. Learnt every word to every song VERY quickly. 505 is a cracking closer.
Listen to: Every song. But if I narrow it down, Brianstorm, Balaclava, D Is for Dangerous, Do Me a Favour, 505…

2008:
Honourable Mention: TV On The Radio - Dear Science
Best: The Killers - Day & Age
TVOTR was a good album and they will have their day for their next release but D&A was the first album I actually waited for and bought on release. I smashed it. It was the last very good album they put out. They followed this up with their Live From The Royal Albert Hall DVD which as far as live concert DVDs goes can’t really be beaten IMO. This album is good. Opens and closes VERY well with some good songs throughout and a couple of AAA including:
Listen to: A Dustland Fairytale, Goodnight, Travel Well as an album closer and farewell to a departed mother.

2009:
Honourable Mentions: Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
Best: We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls.
Probably flipped the coin on this one too and just wanted to talk about a new name. This was when I started to just scour the internet for highly rated, new, random, music. These guys had a weird name and a highly regarded debut so I tried it and loved it. The intro song is one of the few songs I’ve ever put on, loved IMMEDIATELY, stopped the album and replayed the one song. There’s other great tracks here too.
Listen to: Quiet Little Voices, Roll Up Your Sleeve, Keeping Warm, THIS:

That’s my decade. Hope you enjoy. Most of my real competition begins post 2009/2010 so we’re definitely not waiting till 2020 to do the next decade.

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Let me know what you guys think

You basically did my ‘b list’ for me. I really wanted The White Stripes in.

And Dustland Fairytale… Nice choice.

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Jetpacks! Me too!

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2000 Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows (Yes, At The Drive-In, Modest Mouse, and possibly Shellac had better albums, but I flogged this one to death)

2001 The Strokes - Is This It (great year, Les Savy Fav, Ladytron, Liars, Ash, Jimmy Eat World, Fischerspooner all put out excellent albums. But this first Strokes still rules. Any album that can shove its 3 best songs in the middle of side B and get away with it has to be freakin good.)

2002 mclusky - mclusky Do Dallas (nods to Interpol, The Notwist, and Trail Of Dead, but this is one catchy balltearer of an album)

2003 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

2004 The Futureheads - s/t (played this non-stop on a trip through Europe, now a bunch of famous sights have Futureheads songs soundtracked to them in my memory. Apologies to Arcade Fire and Franz Ferdinand, but this came with tense jerky catchy energy that “punk” bands around the same period had sadly lost.)

2005 M.I.A. - Arular (odd one out for me, but I was hanging in many Osaka bars where DJs would often drop tracks from this and they always lifted the room.)

2006 Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time

2007 Future Of The Left - Curses! (Many prefer their second but this is ace)

2008 Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight (may be my album of the ‘00s)

2009 We Were Promised Jetpacks. - These Four Walls (great decade for earnest rocking Scottish bands)

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Can I play?

2000 Powderfinger - Odyssey Number 5

2001 Ben Folds - Rockin’ the Suburbs

2002 Muse - Hullabaloo Soundtrack

2003 Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen

2004 Relient K - MMHMM

2005 Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil

2006 Frenzal Rhomb - Forever Malcolm Young

2007 Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

2008 Weezer - Red Album

2009 Muse - The Resistance

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Some really interesting choices here

2000 Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy
(Fav Track)

2001 Fugazi - The Argument

2002 RHCP - By The Way

2003 Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs

2004 Pearl Jam - Live at Benaroya Hall

2005 John Frusciante - Curtains

2006 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

2007 Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild

2008 Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu - Gurrumul

2009 John Frusciante - The Empyrean

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Damn that was hard, went with a different band/artist for each year, even though there could have been some double ups…

2000 Doves - Lost Souls
2001 Weezer - The Green Album
2002 The Libertines - Up The Bracket (still buzzin!)
2003 Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
2004 Prince - Musicology
2005 Ryan Adams - Cold Roses
2006 You Am I - Convicts
2007 Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
2008 Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
2009 Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

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Kudos to Swoodley for the thread, one Blitz does well, where it is tolerant of different strokes and folks and all that.
But one comment, I’m a bit of a music stalker, if I see someone bopping to an unheard tune I want to know what it is. There are women on Blitz, there really are, or at least there were, and I’d love to know what music they like, I really would.

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Good call!!! I swear “Even If You Don’t” was a number one smash in a just and fair parallel universe…

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My time to shine :sunglasses:

2000 - Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park
2001 - Horror Show by Iced Earth
2002 - Power Of The Dragonflame by Rhapsody
2003 - Shadow Zone by Static-X
2004 - The Glorious Burden by Iced Earth
2005 - Ascendancy by Trivium
2006 - The Hours That Remain by Mercenary
2007 - Dark Passion Play by Nightwish
2008 - Twilight Of The Thunder God by Amon Amarth
2009 - Crack The Skye by Mastodon