100 Best Albums of the Decade: 1

1: Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2001)

Eminem summed it all up when he said "the love you take is equal to the love you make". Err, sorry that was Paul McCartney. What Slim Shady actually said was "just bend over and take it like a slut okay Ma?".

There was no other artist quite like Eminem this decade. Highly controversial, brutally honest and a pure master of his craft - Marshall Mathers was unique in the colorful spectrum that is pop music. He won critical acclaim, grammys, conquered the charts, sold out arenas, broke sales records, scored a legion of fans, made a long list of enemies, suffered through personal losses and marital struggles in the public eye - and always seemed to come out on top well... at least before this year.

Some artists distance themselves from the drama and complications in their lives (Radiohead). Others embrace them as just a part of living (95 percent of all musicians). A very select few live out those daily issues and through each and every verse of their music and endear themselves to their audience (Bruce Springsteen). And only someone named Eminem could do in such a spectacular fashion.

The Marshall Mathers LP is a perfect storm of unabashed artistic expression wrapped in an accessible pop package. Eminem makes no bones about who or what has pissed him off and he's out for blood. Nothing is off limits and no amount of shock value goes untested. Whether talking about raping his own mother, murdering his ex-wife, consuming every drug imaginable, robbing banks or killing N*Sync - Slim Shady name checks all the things he deems a disposable cockroach and completely vilifies them.

Sure in the rap world it's easy to come off as just another angry wannabe gangster. But Eminem spits rhyme with such conviction that you can't help believe every word he says. When he talks about choking his ex in the woods - you tend to think he already would've done it if he didn't have a studio to vent all his inner desires and frustrations. With Eminem it's almost never music. It's therapy.

But there is more to the surface than just an angry white boy from Detroit. "Stan" is the most important pop single of this decade because of how timely it is even on the brink of a new decade. A deranged fan who wants to literally be Eminem goes off the deep end when his fan mail isn't returned on time. This was before TMZ, celebrity gossip blogs and the worship of celebrity that is so common today. Eminem is the anti-Jonas Brothers. Someone who garners attention that was never wanted in the first place.

But amongst all the violence is a softer side of Slim - if you can call it that. "The Real Slim Shady", "Drug Ballad" and "I'm Back" are the least controversial tunes where he finds a way to win you over with his dry humor and his laid back flow (even if there is still a hint of bitterness sprinkled here and there).

The Marshall Mathers LP is also an autobiography of sorts. Eminem invites you into his world and shoves your face in all the grime and dirt of his past which only makes him more human to you. "Marshall Mathers", "The Way I Am" and "Kim" take you back with how incredibly powerful Em's complete disregard for how a "sane" person might deem his music. He never holds back which makes this record all the more real.

But when all the media attention (for whatever reason) starts to come Slim's way, he simply puts up the finger that "you put up when you won't just put up with the bullshit they pull" on "Who Knew". He claims he never wanted all this attention and stardom. So when George Bush said he was the biggest threat to American youth in 2001, Eminem asked the most important question. "Where were the parents at?"

It's a record of its era that has somehow remained to stay outside of time's ability to make everything seem dated. Em's honesty has to be the biggest reason. When an artist welcomes others into his own living space it's a once in a lifetime opportunity that yields unexpectedly pleasant results - and ten years later something I call it a masterpiece. Top Tunes:(Stan, Criminal, Who Knew)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 2

2: Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

Rated the best album of the decade by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork Media, Kid A is a record that is sometimes highly regarded for reasons other than the music. Is it experimental? Yes. Is it an album that can be hard to wrap your head around? Yes. Does Radiohead take a big step forward with complete disregard commercial viability? Yes. But do those reasons justify this album being the classic that it is? No. Some critics and music "know it alls" cling to Kid A so much because they feel it makes them an individual. Breaking news - it doesn't.

Rock has always been a constant struggle between opposite forces. The forces of "business as usual" (which likes to simply recycle what they know already works and never seems to hurt the bottom line) and the forces of "modernity" (which tends to progress music forward into a new state of existence) always seem to be going head to head. But for some reason Radiohead seem to live outside of this struggle. They are a force unto themselves. They live in their own world and live by their own rules.

Kid A is such a great record because it always sounds fresh. Released almost 10 years ago, the album sounds timeless because there was nothing constricting the band from their vision for the music. It was made outside of any kind of context therefore this is no context with which to date it. It's kinda like Joan River's face. Synthesizers, processed vocals, freak out jazz breakdowns, funky bass grooves, paranoid lyrics, drum machines and a plethora of other instruments all get a chance to shine. Sure that might make this album seem a bit off kilter, but listen closely and you hear the most important band of this generation making their magnum opus without fear.

Every song makes you feel like your (a) sinking in slow motion to the bottom of the ocean or (b) flying through the sky free from gravity's chain (sometimes even both - and those songs are the best). Either way this feeling can be incredibly paranoid or incredibly comforting. But that is how Kid A was pieced together. Thom Yorke and company try to get a reaction from everyone so that even if you don't like it, you can at least relate to it in some way - meet the newest version of Bob Dylan.

This piece of music is a philosopher's wet dream. It's completely cerebral and totally devoid of anything "pop". Yet it still sold over 1 million records to proove that if something feels right and sounds good - people will buy it. In your face Britney Spears. Top Tunes:(How To Disappear Completely, Everything In Its Right Place, Motion Picture Soundtrack)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 3

3: Beck - Sea Change (2002)

Beck was simply content to live life as the poster boy for cool "I don't give a shit" 90s white boy groove. I can't really say I blame him. The 90s seemed like a time where nothing could go wrong. Sure Clinton got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but that was chump change compared to this decade's problems. Beck fit right in at home whipping out ready made tunes that perfectly fit the era.

But that was just a mask. The real Beck Hansen didn't come out to the world until 2002 when he released his most honest and heart wrenching album Sea Change - an album as desolate as the desert horizon, as broken as Beck's weary heart and as lost as all of us were in the months following 9/11. Beck played a chameleon as he morphed his own self made image into a wandering drifter looking for all the answers the rest of humanity is searching for.

Nigel Goodrich, famous for work with Radiohead, served as producer and helped Beck to grow up an become the rock star he always should have been. Gone are the drum machines, loops, fills and other tricks he had come so use to relying on. Lonesome acoustic guitars, subtle echoes from slide guitars and rustic piano all come together to paint a beautiful picture of a broken heart coming to terms with a love never to return.

Beck also finds his real voice. Not his goofy and monotonous rap, but a strong and radiating baritone that fills up all the cracks left by a minimalist approach. "The Golden Age" and "Guess I'm Doing Fine" are essentially there to show off his new found knack for crooning paired with an almost nonexistent backing track (save for the drums which are the only instrument that really sounds like the bitterness that Beck surely must have held for the woman who spurned him).

What has Beck done since then? Released two more albums back in his comfort zone. I don't know if I'm rating this album so high simply because it's unique, or just a fluke. Surely not both right? And surely not because it's a fluke either. Top Tunes:(Guess I'm Doing Fine, The Golden Age, Sunday Sun)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 4

4: The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)

The White Stripes went from their greasy garage in Detroit to the summit of greatness when their career defining fourth album Elephant was unleashed like an atomic bomb on the world of music in 2003. A record that sounds like a band petite in size growing out of their shell and making rock the size of a Roman Legion, blues rock went from the delta back into the world conscious thanks to Jack White and his cohort in crime Meg.

The songs are all about love and a young twosome wrestling and coming to terms with a such a necessary evil. And White means business from the starting gun as he sings about a will so strong that "a seven nation army couldn't hold me back". Failure is not an option and come hell or high water he's determined to carve out a niche to store the things most precious to him.

While the band's first three records ever gently got their foot in the door, the doors come blasting off the hinges here. These are some the most blustering and most abrasive tracks ever added to the Stripe's library. "Black Math", "Hypnotize" and "Little Acorns" are the poor man's version of "Psycho-Billie Freak Out". Sludge guitar and thunderous drums sound like the end of the world - or at least someone coming home pissed off after an eternity at the office. Meet White's wrath.

But that's just his poker face. The man's real mission to win you over with his sensitive side. "In The Cold, Cold, Night", "I Wanna Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart", and "You've Got Her In Your Pocket" are easy to pass over at a quick listen. But doing so would deprive you of this album's real impact. The boisterous stuff seems more gaudy when mixed with these lonesome tunes. And the somber songs come off as more believable when paired next to an 8 minute blues jam like "Ball & Biscuit". You need a well balanced diet.

Elephant is crammed with tenacity, speckled with vulnerability, and bleeds tangibility. You don't listen to this batch of well cooked tunes - you feel them to your very core. This band has just taken you to church and baptized you in the spirit of the blues. Top Tunes:(Seven Nation Army, Ball & Biscuit, The Air Near My Fingers)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 5

5: Kanye West - The College Dropout (2004)

Before proclaiming that George Bush didn't care about black people, defending Beyonce's video that apparently was one of the best ever, boasting about how fresh his suit was at President Obama's inaugural ball, calling people squid brains for making him late an Bonaroo last year when it was never their fault in the first place, posing as Jesus on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2006, telling Conan O'Brien he had to pee during an interview or liking fish sticks, Kayne West was simply a producer turned rapper who first gained notoriety for his incredible debut The College Dropout.

Pop music would not have been nearly as engaging as it was without the presence of Mr. West. His flow and his knack for clean production built on top of a strong conviction for rap make this album one of the best hip hop records ever. It's easily accessible and provides enough treasure for music fans of all walks of life. Dancers, philosophers, gangsters, your grandma, indie kids and white people who wish they had an ounce of soul power can find something in common here.

Sure his exploits took over his music but if you shut all of the nonsense out and focus only on the tunes you find that West is speaking the truth and preaching to nonbelievers. "Jesus Walks" is one of the most important songs written for this generation. Blues backing vocals mixed with the innocence of a children's choir on top of a thundering bass all topped off with a prayer for peace and salvation. Not your average formula for a hit single from a genre like hip hop.

The first half of Dropout focuses on the struggles of saving a penny. "We Don't Care", "All Falls Down" and "Spaceship" all pack a powerful punch where West calls out the world for what it is - blind to ignorance and the tussle of those who don't have heroes. He brilliantly uses his words to describe himself and humanity at the same time - "We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it".

The second half the album transforms into a party as "The New Workout Plan", "Slow Jamz" and "Breathe In Breathe Out" are all about gettin' you in the mood to groove and do yo' thang (whateva yo' thang be). The best part about the fiesta tracks? No auto-tune. You're welcome world.

While Ludacris, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z and Mos Def all make appearances throughout the album Kanye never lets his friend outshine him. He's constantly in control of what's going on and never really outstays his welcome. Sure this album is over an hour long, but when every track bleeds excellence, you almost wish there was another hour of material offered. Anyone down for a Kanye West White Album? Top Tunes:(Jesus Walks, Through The Wire, All Falls Down)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 10-6

10: Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

Released with the revolutionary pay-what-you-want system, In Rainbows first became famous for how people could listen to it. However once the hype died down, everyone realized what it was they actually had the pleasure of enjoying - an incredibly liquidized album in which every song perfectly plays off one another. The second best Radiohead album, In Rainbows is the perfect blend of the artsy jams the band is famous for, as well as the electronic influences they have long been experimenting with. Whether singing about drowning, a suffocating love or the world's obsession with celebrity, Thom Yorke and company created an instant masterpiece that has only grown better with age. Top Tunes:(Videotape, House Of Cards, Weird Fishes)

9: Brian Wilson - Smile (2004)

You think Axl Rose had it rough when he labored for 17 years to make Chinese Democracy? You must not have heard about Brian Wilson. The former mastermind behind The Beach Boys, Wilson hit the height of his creative prowess in 1966 when he composed Pet Sounds - a record influenced by The Beatles and tailor made for The Beatles. Smile was to be the sequel. But thanks to a nervous breakdown, a growing drug habit and a lack of confidence from his band mates, Wilson faded from public life and only a handful of tunes from the album ever saw the light of day.

However 37 years after the fact, Wilson brushed off the dust on his forgotten masterpiece and showed the world that with age comes wisdom, and that genius never dies. Each tune radiates warmth and charm and cradles you like the California sun. Sure the lyrics "Sunny down snuff I'm alright" may have no meaning to you, but to Wilson is means the world. His demons exorcised and his troubled past behind him, Smile is the most glorious of reawakenings. Top Tunes:(Good Vibrations, Surf's Up, Our Prayer/Gee/Heroes & Villains)

8: Jay-Z - The Blueprint (2001)

An album as big as his ego, The Blueprint had the unfortunate release date of 9/11/01. But that didn't stop Jay-Z's greatest album from conquering the charts and the entire rap world. Let's take a trip down memory lane before HOVA went soft, became a CEO and decided to get all up in Rihanna's and Alicia Keys' ass (sorry Beyonce but you know it's true).

Sure his boast of representing "for the seat where Rosa Parks sat" might seem a bit extreme but Jay's confidence and self admiration are the two biggest ingredients for the album's success. Pair those elements with slick production on the part of Kanye West, Just Blaze, Eminem and a few others and this album becomes the sound of a veteran creating a magnum opus that hammers you with rhyme, flow and some of the heaviest beats of Jay's career. Top Tunes:(IZZO (Hova), Takeover, Jigga That Nigga)

7: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf (2002)

In 2002 the Queens of the Stone Age reigned as rock's supreme royalty - if only for what seemed like the blink of an eye. The stars were aligned for this group of desert rockers to make their bid for glory after their self titled debut (1998) and Rated R (2000) established them as supreme indie riff masters and metal head kings. Singer / guitarist Josh Homme and then bassist Nick Oliveri got the party started on Songs For The Deaf with their unique blend of hard rock crunch and punk sensibilities, then decided to invite back, vocalist for the The Screaming Trees, Mark Lagegan, and first timer - drummer supreme, Mr. Dave Grohl.

A very lose (and by very loose I mean almost non existent) concept album, SFTD plays like a night time journey through the desert on the way to Joshua Tree where the band calls home. One of the most versatile albums of the decade, QOTSA show off their thinking muscles and rev their creative juices through high octane jams, mellowed out melodies, brilliant guitar solos and crunching rhythms. Titled Songs For The Deaf because it was expected to be listened to by no one, this record opened up the band to a whole new audience and has sold almost 1 million copies. Top Tunes:(Song For The Dead, Go With The Flow, The Hanging Tree)

6: OutKast - Stankonia (2000)

One of the most important hip hop albums ever. Stankonia redefined what great rap could be as Big Boi and Andre 3000 thought outside the box and took their bright mix of funk, soul and Southern charm to the masses. America had "Youth full of fire ain't go nowhere to go". So these two super stars built a home for all to gather and get down in the new "electric revival" or "pull an Anne Frank and hide out in my attic for like maybe two weeks". Which ever you prefer.

Don't let the album cover fool you. These two tricksters my seem intimidating, but all they wanted to do was a throw a party for the new millennium and introduce themselves to your daughter as gentlemen. They ain't looking for puppy love and when you're so fresh and clean as these Atlanta geniuses, you always make being so cool look so easy. Top Tunes:(B.O.B., Ms. Jackson, So Fresh, So Clean)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 15-11

15: Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)

No one has yet to preserve their legacy at the twilight of their career quite like Johnny Cash. The Man in Black is perhaps the only music legend, other than John Lennon and George Harrison, to see just how beloved he was before his death. Many artists either (a) pass away before they reach their full potential or (b) fade away and become a recluse before their death upon which they are once again seen for their brilliance rather than their failures.

Rick Rubin produced this stripped down affair and brilliantly brought out the frailty and somberness in the 71 year old voice of Cash. Every song sweats intimacy, heart ache and brutal honesty - ya know, what every great country record (or rock record for that matter) should have. Whether covering The Beatles or Simon & Garfunkel to recall the glory days, or singing a Nine Inch Nails song and chastising himself for all to hear, you can't help but feel like you're listening to a grand father tell you an important life lesson before passing on.

When The Man Comes Around is so great because it plays like a musical biography and obituary. It's a summation of Cash's entire career. Highs and lows, good and bad - it's all there. Cash had one more trip to the confessional before he left us for good. Top Tunes:(Hurt, When The Man Comes Around, Personal Jesus)

14: M.I.A. - Kala (2007)

An album originally in line to be produced by Timbaland, M.I.A. saw how robotic and stale he made Nelly Furtado and said, "Thanks but no thanks" and became a wanderer who turned her sophomore effort Kala into a world wide celebration of tribal beats and third world pride. Who knew a stoner film would propel this Sri Lankan / British underground queen into a new age pop star?

From the opening jam "Bamboo Banga" you know that something incredibly wonderful is happening. M.I.A. builds the whole song up one part at a time. What begins as a simple beat turns into a complicated symphony of poly rhythms and... race car sounds? Trust me it works. "Paper Planes" became one of the most unlikely top 10 hits of all time thanks to the film Pineapple Express. Based around a sample from The Clash the track features gunshots, cash registers and innocent children wanting nothing to do with you other than kill you and steal yo' moniez. Maybe M.I.A. won't have to resort to armed robbery now that people know who she is. Top Tunes:(Paper Planes, Bamboo Banga, Jimmy)

13: The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (2005)

Jack White broke his finger while recording Get Behind Me Satan. But of course Mr. White being the saint new age rock that he is, pressed on with his companion Meg and recorded the red headed step child of the band's entire career. Satan may not give you the instant gratification of the band's other albums, but if you're willing to let these tunes fester you discover just how astute the band's songwriting is.

Due to White's injuries guitar is essentially a back up instrument. Only 2 songs boast the heavy blues riffs that the duo is famous for churning out. Instead piano receives most of the attention which turns many of the tracks into old rag time throwbacks or depression era gospel tunes. "The Nurse" is perhaps The Stripes' most experimental moment ever as Jack get his groove on with marimbas. Some fans were pushed away by the band's new direction, but these seasoned rockers were pushing themselves - and to glorious results too. Top Tunes:(As Ugly As I Seem, My Doorbell, The Denial Twist)

12: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot very well could never have seen the light of day. When Wilco recorded this masterpiece of subtlety in 2001, Reprise Records refused to release it and subsequently dropped the band. Jeff Tweedy and company managed to buy the rights to the album and streamed the entire thing on their website. Long story short - Wilco 1 Music Industry 0.

Released just 7 months after 9/11, Foxtrot somehow morphed into a therapy record of sorts. Even though all 11 songs were recorded before that fateful day, each track seems to eerily fit the mood of America in the haze of those first few months. Perhaps Tweedy's already constant frown and paranoia seemed to just fit the trend. Or perhaps Wilco did really did give this album everything they had - every sad cell and lonesome note in their body. Top Tunes:(Ashes of American Flags, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Jesus, Etc.)

11: My Morning Jacket - Z (2005)

My Morning Jacket were comfortable with simply being southern rockers who knew how to jam and make misty mountain tunes that were mailable and easily stretched into extended riff sessions on stage. MMJ were also given the Samson like power of manliness through singer Jim James' facial hair. These Kentucky boys' talent was equally proportioned to the length of his rugged Neanderthal-like bush on his face... well not really.

The reason Z is such a joy to listen is due in part to the addition of Bo Kester, a keyboardist who brings along his bag of synthesized goodies. The electric loops and dub back beats, a departure from the band's earlier and more earthy songs, expands the MMJ's blue grass jams into stadium sized trip outs. When James flexes his falsetto on "Wordless Chorus" he isn't just showing off his mad skills, he's shouting for joy in his band's magnum opus. Top Tunes:(Wordless Chorus, It Beats For You, Off The Record)

100 Best Albums Of The Decade: 20-16

20: OutKast - Speakerboxx / The Love Below (2003)

One wants to be Tupac minus the whole death part, the other wants to be Prince minus the whole symbol part. Instead of trying to fit all of their ideas into one album of coolness, OutKast delivered a hip hop version of The White Album. When Stankonia blew the duo up into mega stars they knew that they had to put up or shut up on the next record. A double album is always risky business - but this is OutKast we're talking about.

Speakerboxx is Big Boi's disc of party tunes and groove-tastic funk. As opposed to a Jay-Z type beat where you feel pummeled with rhythm, every ounce of OutKast's music uplifts you and transports you to another world - one where Bush wasn't in office and you could look in the mirror and not loathe what you see glaring back at you. Top Tunes:(Ghetto Musick, The Way You Move, Church)

The ever colorful Andre 3000's The Love Below was a romantic foray into experimental pop with just enough old school sensibilities to please new and old fans alike. The intro sounds like something straight out of a soap opera only instead of listening to some whore bitch about getting the clap, you get over an hour of off the wall music that defies to be put into a box. Top Tunes:(Hey Ya, Roses, Prototype)

19: Blur - Think Tank (2003)

When founding guitarist Graham Coxon unexpectedly quit Blur while recording Think Tank, one could understand why this album would be doomed for the junk bin instead of low-fi dub rock glory. If any record draws its lineage to Radiohead's Kid A, Think Tank is the heir to the experimental British rock throne. Vocalist Damon Albarn exercised his thinking muscle, and with no guitarist, decided to blend Blur and Gorillaz to spectacular results.

Instead of bringing in a faceless session player to fill the void Coxon left, Albarn created a space for lush backing vocals, hypnotic drum loops, soft piano and mellow acoustic guitars to subtlely star in his magnum opus on paranoia. Blur had always been good, but the band had never really achieved greatness until their final album. It's better to burn out than to fade away I suppose. Top Tracks:(Out Of Time, On The Way To The Club, Sweet Song)

18: Mastodon - Blood Mountain (2006)

Just because you're in a heavy metal band and you can shred face doesn't mean you have to be devoid of substance. That is what the majority metal failed to realize for the decade. When generic crap rock like Creed faded away, generic crap metal took it's place. "Look we're so hardcore our band name is ABORTED FETUS! BRUTAL!!!!!!!!" Get over yourselves. Mastodon showed how thunderous riffs, pounding rhythm, screaming vocals and smart, technically savvy tunes win out in any genre - let alone metal (and they aren't even straight edge).

Blood Mountain is a loose concept album filled with wolves, ogres, sysquatches (a cross between sasquatch and a cyclops) lion slicers, and giants. This group of tattooed whiskey chuggers from Atlanta take you on a journey through mythology and metal, while bringing along a bag of tricks including shifting time signatures, bombastic blasts of guitar and chest crunching cymbal crashing. And they did it all without ever playing Warped Tour. Top Tunes:(Sleeping Giant, Colony Of Birchmen, Crystal Skull)

17: Fleet Foxes - Self Titled (2008)

Northwestern U.S. was famous for grunge and plaid in the 90s, but the 00s brought a new sound to the region - lush harmonious folk with some baroque thrown in for good measure. While the plaid still stayed, beards decided that they would crash the party too.

Fleet Foxes may not have been the first band to come out of the region and wave their folk flag high, but they certainly were the heavyweight champs. This rugged bunch of lumberjack wannabes wrote some of the most charming songs of the decade on their self titled debut. The Brawny Man meets The Beach Boys on a boy scout retreat. Top Tunes:(Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, He Doesn't Know Why, Ragged Wood)

16: Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago (2008)

Sure the story might seem a bit routine - boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl walks out leaving boy devastated. But the incredible intimacy and heart wrenching honesty without coming off as just another Dashboard Confessional rip off is truly a monumental achievement. When Justin Vernon (formerly of De-yarmond Edison) reached the height of his depression he hibernated in his father's hunting cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. When he emerged from the rugged terrain he brought along his kick ass beard and his suitcase full of therapeutic tunes.

For Emma Forever Ago is a somber experience. No sunshine or rainbows exist in this parallel universe of sadness and the only thing you have to keep warm is your own tough skin. While his lyrics may not be as accessible as you might hope for them to be, the pictures Vernon paints with his poetic verse are just as serene as the season. Top Tunes: (Re: Stacks, Blindsided, Flume)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 30-21

30: Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

Indie rock on the grandest of scales. Arcade Fire came roaring ever so elegantly into the world in 2004 with their heartfelt, passionate and resonating folk rock that packed quite the powerful punch for a band that used cellos. A family affair headed by husband and wife Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, this mix mash of Americans and Canadians are pioneers of the sound that is so common in rock n roll now adays - gargantuan music paired with grand statements about humanity - too bad no one does it better than Arcade Fire. Top Tunes:( Wake Up, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), Rebellion (Lies))

29: Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R (2000)

QOTSA are a mighty machine. Each song is built off of one giant sludge rock riff that is constructed for the purpose of making you (a) head bang (b) dance (c) want to see colors or (d) all of the above. Rated R was the band's sophomore effort as well as the band's first record with bassist Nick Oliveri and Screaming Tree's vocalist Mark Lanegan. Josh Homme and the rest of the gang prove they are the kings of stoner rock from the get go. The opening track's lyrics read like a grocery list for a good time - "Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alchohol... C-C-C-C-C-COCAINNNNNNEEEEE!" Top Tunes: (I Think I Lost My Headache, Better Living Through Chemistry, In The Fade)

28: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell (2003)

Karen O made no bones about what she wanted out of life on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs debut album - dick. Like a nun who finally saw the light at her first Motley Crue concert, Miss Orzolek came to take her pants off, swig adult beverages and have one hell of a party. Nick Zimmer matched her energy with thunderous guitar riffs and Brian Chase rattled and rolled on the sticks. But for all the chaos and sexual energy that oozes from every track, the most tender moment on "Maps" is the indisputable stand out. They don't love you like I love you Karen. Top Tunes:(Maps, Date With The Night, Tick)

27: Fountains Of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)

Fountains Of Wayne were the masters of pop this decade - and they only made two albums. Welcome Interstate Managers is these New Yorker's most refined, slick and catchiest work of their career. Songwriters Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger are master storytellers and use their craft to maximum effect. Whether singing about high school football, unfortunate heart attack victims or all of our Japanese friends chillin' out across the ocean, these guys know that the bottom line is to make it memorable. Paint a pretty picture and they will come. You know what... I just talked about this album without mentioning "Stacy's Mom"... oh wait. Top Tunes:( Mexican Wine, Hackensack, Bought For A Song)

26: PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000)

Polly Jean is always sad. Men never satisfy her and I suppose she doesn't really like herself most of the time - why else would so much of her music be so damn melancholy? Stories finds PJ happy for once with Mr. Wonderful. I'm immortal when I'm with you" she sings to the lucky bastard. When this English songstress is in the right mood, her music is just as fantastic as anyone. Unfortunately, lightning has only struck once for Miss Harvey. I'm still waiting for another reason to put "like" and "PJ Harvey" in the same sentence. Top Tunes:( Horses In My Dreams, Big Exit, A Place Called Home)

25: Bob Dylan - Love & Theft (2001)

Bob Dylan rediscovered his love for the blues during a decade full of lost chances and wasted opportunities - thanks Bush. His first album of the 00s Love And Theft was his shining star. Old school rock and blues ambitions all kept in check under the watchful eye of a resurgent rock icon. He makes it look so easy too. Top Tunes: (Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, Summer Days, Mississippi) couldn't find any links to these songs... sorry

24: Missy Elliott - Miss E... So Addictive (2001)

Before Timbaland worked with Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado or Chris Cornell and became stale and repetitive... he found his muse in Missy Elliott. While most of her songs simply said "I'm Missy Elliott, you need to dance, Timbaland made this hott joint, and I'm Missy Elliott," that was all that you needed. The beats were exotic, hypnotizing and wouldn't let go of you. Missy E put you in a trance. I think the E stands for ecstasy. Her follow up album Under Construction was another solid effort before this dazzling rapper vanished for the rest of the decade. Top Tunes: (Get Ur Freak On, One Minute Man, Take Away)

23: Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

Sure this duo of French DJs never showing their faces and wearing space suits on stage might be a bit of a gimmick, but don't let that distract you from the the beats. A techno / electronic album as universal as vanilla ice cream - this album fits in at weddings, bar mitzvahs, hell even funeral marches or your regular check up at the dentist. Top Tunes: (One More Time, Digital Love, Superheroes)

22: Animal Collective - Merryweather Post Pavillion (2009)

Soft rock made for the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Out of this world trippy-ness blends perfectly with an album cover so easy to stare at that you could easily waste your weekend looking at it. Top Tunes: (In The Flowers, My Girls, Summertime Clothes)

21: Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (2006)

One of the most colorful albums of the last ten years was also one of the biggest surprise hits. Much like the cover, St. Elsewhere was an explosion of so many different elements that even the slightest misstep could've made the album fall apart. But when Danger Mouse is producing, you tend to be in good hands. When the dust settled Gnarls Barkley were briefly deemed kings of the musical world behind the awesome "Crazy". Sure they haven't matched that level of success again, but that doesn't mean you can discredit something so funky. Top Tunes:( Crazy, St. Elsewhere, Go-Go Gadget Gospel)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 40-31

40: Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)

Compared to Modest Mouse's last two record The Moon & Antarctica is a strange case. Where is the chaotic songwriting? Where is the yipping and howling vocals? But have you ever seen Antarctica? Notice how there is absolutely nothing there? The simplest of sounds can carry on endlessly in the bitter cold and biting wind. That's what this record sounds like. Acoustic guitars and somber singing by Isaak Brock make this a true gem in the Modest Mouse library.Top Tunes:(3rd Planet, Gravity Rides Everything, I Came As A Rat)

39: The Black Keys - Attack And Release (2008)

Who knew that Akron, Ohio would be the home of the best blues outfit this side of The White Stripes? The Black Keys (consisting of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney) hired Danger Mouse to produce this raunchy set of blues jams that make a man feel big while he struts down the street. White boys can have soul power too sometimes. Top Tunes:(I Got Mine, Lies, Oceans And Streams)

38: Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)

"I need a gun to keep myself from harm," Damon Albarn sings in his ever so paranoid falsetto. I can't really blame him for being so fearful. In a decade which saw the 9/11 attacks, two endless wars in the Middle East, a planet that's steadily warming, famine and genocide... ya know, normal things that we as humans create, Gorillaz tried to make us aware of the dangers around us on Demon Days. What happened just a few months later? Hurricane Katrina. Thanks for the warning guys. Guess we all have to learn to swim sooner or later. Top Tunes:(Feel Good Inc., Dirty Harry, Demon Days)

37: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (2008)

When Led Zeppelin united for a one off show in December of 2007, rumors abounded that the icon rock group would finally bury the hatchet and go on tour - fat chance. Robert Plant has always been uneasy about such a thing. And besides when you have an excellent duet project with blue grass songbird Alison Krauss (whom he's most likely banging), why would you want to leave? At times hauntingly gothic, and others romantically upbeat Raising Sand is a modern country masterpiece. Thanks to producer T. Bone Burnett, this duo never seem to falter from their already lofty pedestals. Top Tunes:(Killing The Blues, Through The Morning Through The Night, Polly Come Home)

36: U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)

Some had written U2 off as just another once great band falling by the wayside at the turn of the century. But these Irish rockers took a look around and realized that art and rock going hand and in hand was a thing of the past. So they decided to focus on tunes and tunes alone for their incredible comeback album All That You Can't Leave Behind. The man who sang "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" has gotten "Stuck In A Moment". And what a moment it is. It'sThe Joshua Tree for the new millennium. Top Tunes:(Beautiful Day, Walk On, In A Little While)

35: The Yeah Yeah Yeah's - It's Blitz! (2009)

That isn't just any old egg getting squashed to bits by Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O. That little egg is called perception - perception of what you would expect from a YYY record. It's Blitz! sheds the bombastic guitar licks, powerful drumming and screeching vocals. Instead a new kind of band that relies on synthesizers, drum machines and subdued singing emerges. Though it might be a departure from their first two albums, this one seems like a natural progression instead of a giant mis-step into a failed experiment. Get on your dancin' shoes. Top Tunes:(Dull Life, Runaway, Hysteric)

34: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (2007)

Techno and electronica can be tedious genres. It's so easy to sound mundane and obnoxious and so hard to make things truly memorable. LCD Soundsytem thought outside the box when they made Sound Of Silver. Each track sounds like a completely different band blasting one of their greatest hits. However there is enough common elements to tie all these idea together and keep under one roof. They sure know what the kids like these days. Top Tunes:( North American Scum, All My Friends, Us Vs Them)

33: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)

This is the album that got The White Stripe's foot in to door. In an era dominated by shitty rap-rock outfits (I'm looking at you Fred Durst, Korn, Linkin Park and Papa Roach) Jack and Meg White went back to the vaults of garage rock and wrote some of the best tunes they ever concocted. Whether it's a simple folk diddy or an all out fuzz rock assault The White Stripes kept the flame of rock lit. Their sound and influence would spread like wild fire throughout the decade - and better things were still to come. Top Tunes:(I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman, Offend In Every Way, We're Going To Be Friends)

32: Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2007)

Drama, drama, drama. That's all that Miss Winehouse seems to want to talk about. Drugs, rehab, love, hate... God get over it. Just kidding. Amy Winehouse took the pop world by storm with her retro soul classic Back To Black which read like a musical diary filled with some of the most personal lyrics of any album - let alone an album made by a tattooed crack smoker with emphysema. After winning 5 Grammys for her work on this record the stakes on much higher for her follow up. It'll probably be titled I Have AIDS. Top Tunes:( Back To Black, Rehab, You Know I'm No Good)

31: The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

Voted the best album of the decade by New Musical Express and the second best by Rolling Stone, I suppose ranking Is This It at 31 makes me an odd ball - or maybe it makes me a realist. Don't get me wrong, this record is a grand debut from The Strokes as well as one of the freshest albums of the previous 10 years. I will give the band credit for being one of the first garage rock revival bands to come out at the turn of the century, but plenty of bands who came later built a glorious house on top of the strong foundation The Strokes put down. Top Tunes:( Last Night, Is This It, Someday)

100 Best Albums of the Decade: 50-41

50: The Strokes - Room On Fire (2003)

While a bit more subdued compared to 2001's Is This It, Room On Fire still packs a wallop in the form of melody. While fuzz guitar has reigned on every album the band has produced, vocalist Julian Casablancas takes center stage on this album and grows in leaps and bounds as a front man. Synthesizer also makes a surprise debut helping many of the tunes to fit perfectly into an old school Nintendo game. Top Tunes: (Reptilla, 12-15, You Talk Way Too Much)

49: D'angelo - Voodoo (2000)

"Hey there baby... I know what you want... and I got what you need... so stop fighting it and just let me touch yo' booty!" That's what I picture D'angelo saying based off his face on the cover. But if a sexy black man with a kick ass six pack isn't enough to get your motor goin', I dare you to listen to the first ten minutes of Voodoo - tried it? Need to change your underwear? Ok... Finished? Good. This record is over an hour of pure pillow talk. He's a modern Marvin Gaye minus the cocaine addiction - at least I think? Where is D'angelo now? He's been working on the follow up album for over 9 years now with no release date in sight - R&B Chinese Democracy anyone? Top Tunes: (Untitled (How Does It Feel),Devil's Pie, Feel Like Makin' Love)

48: Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)

The expectations set by "Yellow" are surpassed in spectacular fashion on Coldplay's sophomore effort. Chris Martin and his cohorts take their small English pub sound and expand it into arena ready brilliance. It was the last record the band produced where they didn't over think things and simply let the tunes work themselves out. A Rush Of Blood is the sound of one of the decade's most popular bands hitting stride and peaking in glorious fashion. Too bad everything since this point has been a desperate attempt to out do simplicity. Top Tunes: (Amsterdam, The Scientist, Green Eyes)

47: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)

With a band name like The Arctic Monkeys it's hard to get an idea in your head of what this band would sound like. I suppose that's why Whatever People Say I Am is one of the freshest album I've heard this decade. The other reason being the sheer instant gratification this album gives you. Each song is a quick paced and perfectly timed for full impact. You can't define this album as rock, punk, garage or any other sub genre you so choose. It's simply it's own brand of groove. Top Tunes: (The View From The Afternoon, Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secure, A Certain Romance)

46: Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (2004)

Loretta Lynn is one of the most iconic voices in country music and received a new lease on life, as well as a new audience, when Jack White served as producer on her unexpected coming of age album Van Lear Rose. With a strong mix of classic country arrangements, story telling and slick production on the part of White, this isn't just any country record - it's an autobiography. The coal miner's daughter getting played on VH1? ZOMG! Top Tunes: (Portland Oregon, High On A Mountain Top, Women's Prison)

45: Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)

Sure his ego is the size Chi-Town but Kanye West made rap as exciting and engaging as anyone this decade. Initially written off within the industry as just another producer wannabe rapper, Mr. West showed the world just how incredibly he could be on his debut The College Dropout. Late Registration is the sweetest victory lap for West as he glides from one jam to the next with ease. Old school r&b samples receive a modern face lift. You're welcome Ray Charles. Top Tunes: (Gold Digger, Touch The Sky, Hey Mama)

44: Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin (2007)

Band Of Horses is what The Shins should be but never seem to try hard enough to get out of mediocrity. Cease To Begin is a stunningly simple album rich in harmony and texture. You know why the band chose the album cover to be the moon on the water... because it's one of the best night drive albums you'll ever hear. Top Tunes: (Is There A Ghost, Cigarettes, Wedding Bands, No One's Gonna Love You)

43: Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song (2008)

Country has gone flashy over the last ten years. I don't like it and neither does Jamey Johnson. Sure he can't sell out Lucas Oil like Kenny Chesney or get his videos plastered all over CMT like The Rascal Flats or see his face stamped on lunch boxes like Miley Cyrus, but he has more musical talent and true to the bone country grit than in his little finger than more than half of all country performers around today. After a bitter divorce from his wife and his record label, as well as drug and alcohol addictions, Jamey Johnson composed one of the most honest albums of the last decade rich in country tradition and full of real world sadness. Never heard of Mr. Johnson? Neither has the entire world. Top Tunes: (The High Cost Of Living, In Color, Mowin' Down The Roses)

42: Them Crooked Vultures - Self Titled (2009)

Like a mighty blitzkrieg that lays waste to all in its path Them Crooked Vultures put other so called "rock groups" to shame with their eponymous debut filled to the brim with monstrous riffs and earth pounding rhythm. The fact that TCV is a super group (consisting of John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and The Foo Fighters and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age) should not be held against them. This isn't your usual super-gag or super-let down. This is a band who is on a mission to make your jaw drop and your head bang. Top Tunes: (Elephant, No One Loves Me And Neither Do I, Spinning In Daffodils)

41: The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic (2000)

You know you're in for a special treat from the get go on The New Pornographer's debut album. Not only do a man and woman fornicate on the cover in front of a ram at the foot of a mountain, but you hear a harpsichord within the fist ten second of pressing play. A harpsichord in a band with the word Porno in the band name.... It's all very strange I know but trust me you'll get used to it. Just let Neko Case and company wrap you in harmony. Top Tunes: (Mass Romantic, The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism, The Body Says No)