Blink-182's Blink-182 won 2003. Blech. Let's see who wins 2004. Billboard chart-topping albums of 2004: Alicia Keys - The Diary of Alicia Keys (cont. from 2003) Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (cont. from 2003) Josh Groban - Closer (cont. from 2003) Twista - Kamikaze Kenny Chesney - When the Sun Goes Down Norah Jones - Feels Like Home Usher - Confessions D12 - D12 World Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin Velvet Revolver - Contraband Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs Jadakiss - Kiss of Death Lloyd Banks - The Hunger for More Jimmy Buffet - License to Chill Ashlee Simpson - Autobiography Various Artists - Now! 16 Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying Alan Jackson - What I Do Nelly - Suit Green Day - American Idiot Rascal Flatts - Feels Like Today George Strait - 50 Number Ones Rod Stewart - Stardust R. Kelly and Jay Z - Unfinished Business Various Artists - Now! 17 Eminem - Encore U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Jay Z and Linkin Park - Collision Course Ludacris - The Red Light District Billboard chart-topping singles of 2004: Outkast - Hey Ya (cont. from 2003) Outkast - The Way You Move (cont. from 2003) Twista - Slow Jamz Usher - Yeah Usher - Burn Fantasia - I Believe Usher - Confessions Pt. II Juvenile - Slow Motion Terror Squad - Lean Back Ciara - Goodies Usher - My Boo Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot What are your top three albums for 2004? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Wilco - A Ghost is Born 2. Madvillain - Madvillainy 3. Mastodon - Leviathan What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
Pretty much the rest of the 2000s are insane formative years for me from this point on. Very hard to pick just 3 as so many of these records are all timers for me. 1. Madvillian - Madvillainy 2. Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want To Be 3. Jimmy Eat World - Futures ALSO My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge Straylight Run - Straylight Run The Used - In Love and Death Green Day - American Idiot Kanye West - The College Dropout MF DOOM - MM...FOOD (MF DOOM put out 2 of the greatest hip hop records ever in the same year!!) Lil Wayne - Da Drought 2 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter Jadakiss - Kiss of Death Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News The Black Keys - Rubber Factory Hot Rod Circuit - Reality's Coming Through The Killers - Hot Fuss Butch Walker - Letters The Alchemist - 1st Infantry Alexisonfire - Watch Out! Slipknot - Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses Say Anything - ...Is A Real Boy Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter-Culture Sugarcult - Palm Trees and Power Lines The Spill Canvas - Sunsets and Car Crashes Midtown - Forget What You Know Arcade Fire - Funeral Bayside - Sirens & Condolences The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine Sum 41 - Chuck Converge - You Fail Me Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans Senses Fail - Let It Enfold You
remainder of the top 20: 4. Kanye West - The College Dropout (realistically #3 but I didn't want to give him points) 5. Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News 6. Arcade Fire - Funeral 7. Green Day - American Idiot 8. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge 9. Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South 10. Engine Down - Engine Down 11. Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs 12. Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum 13. Interpol - Antics 14. Converge - You Fail Me 15. Brian WIlson - Smile 16. Pedro the Lion - Achilles Heel 17. Jimmy Eat World - Futures 18. Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake 19. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows 20. The Killers - Hot Fuss honorable mentions: alexisonfire - watch out! ambulance ltd - lp as tall as lions - lafcadio autolux - future perfect bad religion - the empire strikes first the black keys - rubber factory brian wilson - smile the chariot - everything is alive… chevelle - this type of thinking could do us in circle takes the square - as the roots undo colossal - welcome the problems descendents - cool to be you the dillinger escape plan - miss machine elliott smith - from a basement on the hill feist - let it die felix culpa - committment franz ferdinand - franz ferdinand guided by voices - half smiles of the decomposed the hives - tyrannosaurus hives isis - panopticon john frusciante - shadows collide with people kasabian - kasabian keane - hopes and fears kid kilowatt - guitar method killswitch engage - the end of heartache kings of leon - aha shake heartbreak loretta lynn - van lear rose mase - welcome back mewithoutyou - catch for us the foxes neurosis - the eye of every storm nick cave and the bad seeds - abattoir blues/the lyre of orpheus probot - probot R.E.M. - around the sun rilo kiley - more adventurous rise against - siren song of the counter culture slipknot - vol. 3 the subliminal verses sonic youth - sonic nurse sparta - porcelain straylight run - straylight run sufjan stevens - seven swans taking back sunday - where you want to be ted leo and the pharmacists - shake the streets these arms are snakes - oxeneers or the lion sleeps when its antelope go home tv on the radio - desperate youth, blood thirsty babes u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb usher - confessions william basinski - the disintegration loops stuff to check out: air - talkie walkie alanis morissette - so-called chaos animal collective - sung tongs bjork - medulla bonnie prince billy - sings greatest palace music ciara - goodies courtney love - america’s sweetheart deerhoof - milk man the hold steady - almost killed me iron and wine - our endless numbered days john legend - get lifted mf doom - mm..food norah jones - feels like home now its overhead - fall back open prince - musicology the roots - the tipping point stereolab - margarine eclipse the streets - a grand don’t come for free twista - kamikaze
mewithoutYou - catch for us the foxes circle takes the square - as the roots undo modest mouse - good news
1. circle takes the square – as the roots undo 2. say anything – ...is a real boy 3. rise against – siren song of the counter culture 4. jimmy eat world – futures 5. converge – you fail me 6. arcade fire – funeral 7. alexisonfire – watch out! 8. kanye west – the college dropout 9. mewithoutYou – catch for us the foxes 10. modest mouse – good news for people who love bad news 11. the blood brothers – crimes 12. senses fail – let it enfold you 13. taking back sunday – where you want to be 14. bayside – sirens & condolences 15. underoath – they're only chasing safety
1. Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans 2. Kanye West - The College Dropout 3. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill Best suf album. Arguably my favorite collection of ES songs if it counts. And as much as Kanye sucks, I can’t avoid that pre-shitty Kanye has 4 or 5 of the best albums of the 2000s. honorable mentions: tv on the radio, the Walkmen, Wilco, rilo kiley, tbs, Brian Wilson SMiLE, hot fuss, sung tongs, funeral (begrudgingly) good year overall and an enormous transitional year in my overall tastes as I came out of my first Beatles phase (preceded by a healthy dose of pop punk and emo) and dove headfirst into indie
1. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge 2. Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy 3. mewithoutYou - Catch for Us the Foxes Another insane year with three of my top 10 of all time. The early 2000's are clearly my formative years. Revenge is my favourite album of all time and it's not even that close. It's my favourite piece of art of any kind. I genuinely think it's perfect. I don't think anything will ever even come close to it for me and I'm ok with that. I know a lot of people have fallen out of love with Say Anything over the years but I still adore ...Is a Real Boy. It obviously connected with me a lot when I was younger but I still find these songs super well written and fun. There's a level of sincerity throughout that really helps boost the more theatrical and strange moments into something special. If more pop punk sounded like this I'd be a much bigger pop punk fan. There's a lot to love about the first mewithoutYou album but they improved so much on Catch for Us the Foxes, adding way more melody and texture to the aggression musically and more singing/spoken word from Aaron creating a really unique sound. What really elevates this to one of my all time favourites is the lyrics which are easily some of the best I've ever heard with certain themes and ideas that have left a lasting impact on me. Honourable mentions; 4. The Used - In Love and Death; Not quite as incredible as their first album but I still think this is a really great record. Filled with super catchy melodies and interesting songwriting. "Sound Effects and Overdramatics" is easily one of their best songs and shows off Bert's incredible scream. 5. Keane - Hopes and Fears; Gorgeous little piano rock album. The melodies/vocals on this are so damn good, every time I listen to it I want to try and find other stuff that sounds like this but I've yet to find anything that quite hits the same spot. 6. Kanye West - The College Dropout; Fantastic debut album, great production and interesting song topics. There's a few songs I don't love but most it is some of the best work he ever did. 7. Relient K - Mmhmm; This is the first album I really love from Relient K, they really made a big step forward with this one with the softer/more serious parts in particular really elevating their sound for me. "When I Go Down" is still one of their best. 8. McFly - Room on the 3rd Floor; Another hugely nostalgic album for me, I love this band and still find this a super fun listen. 9. The Killers - Hot Fuss; I've always loved "Mr. Brightside" but never really gave this much of a chance as a whole until recently and it's mostly fantastic. Really love their sound on this and kinda wish they made more music like it. There's a couple of songs I don't care for at all but the rest is ace. 10. Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch; Super fun and creative album, love her songwriting and vocals. "Us" is a clear highlight but the whole thing is constantly interesting. 11. Jimmy Eat World - Futures; Futures has always been super inconsistant for me, there's four songs I absolutely love and then a bunch that I like but don't get that excited about. Those four songs are super good though. 12. Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety; Not quite as good as their next album but after revisiting this last week I still have a lot of fun with these songs. There's some really fun stuff on here. 13. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire; Sadly peaks on the opener but the rest of the album is pretty good too. Always really loved Amy's voice and the mix of electronics and orchestration backing up the band is lovely. 14. Hanson - Underneath; Another album that is mostly held up for me by a few songs I really, really love but there's still enough good stuff across the whole album to make it worth a listen. I still wish Taylor sang every song for them though. 15. Madvillain - Madvillainy; This is probably an album that I respect and appreciate more than I enjoy, not to say I don't enjoy it because I think it's great. I can just see a level of talent in it that I don't think I can fully appreciate but I still love the general concept of the record and most of the songs.
I remember those Usher singles being very ubiquitous. Interesting year. I know my favourite album but quite a few other contenders for top three.
1 Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks 2 Usher - Confessions 3 Madvillain - Madvillainy HMs Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway The Black Keys - Rubber Factory Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter Culture Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place Jimmy Eat World - Futures Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News Soooo many bangers on that Kelly Clarkson record, Behind These Hazel Eyes one of the best solo car karaoke songs out there. Rubber Factory's great for scratching that loud white boy blues itch when it shows up.
Relient K - mmhmm Brandtson - Send Us a Signal Further Seems Forever - Hide Nothing Jimmy Eat World - Futures Arcade Fire - Funeral Lovedrug - Pretend You're Alive mewithoutYou - Catch For Us the Foxes Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety Spill Canvas - Sunsets and Car Crashes
Man what a year. 1. Kanye West - The College Dropout 2. MF Doom - Mm..Food 3. Cam'ron - Purple Haze Also: Madvillain - Madvillainy I Can Make a Mess - I Can Make a Mess Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want to Be Saves the Day - Ups and Downs The Blue Nile - High Jay Z x Linkin Park - Collision Course The Killers - Hot Fuss Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Pat, Engine Down is a pretty cool band - I've still gotta hear more of their stuff - but I've noticed them high on your lists lately and had never heard of them, so I bookmarked these albums to listen to. Really like what I've heard - where/when did you first hear them?
i had purple haze marked as 2005. damn. also if madvillainy loses by a point to jimmy eat world, i will be blaming you
the singer joined sparta for their third album and a sparta song was on, like, madden 05 or something, so i downloaded all of their stuff and then found out about engine down, a much better band. funny that the same singer replaced jim from sparta in the at the drive in reunion as well
Oh Keeley Davis! Holy shit lol def knew the Sparta/ATDI side of that story but didn't make the connection. Right on thanks!
1. Madvillain - Madvillainy 2. MF Doom - Mm..Food 3. Cam’ron - Purple Haze 4. Ghostface Killah - The Pretty Toney Album 5. MF Doom + MF Grimm - Special Herbs + Spices Volume 1 6. Victor Vaughn - VV:2
What a year, ranked based on impact and my current relationship with the albums. 1. The Killers - Hot Fuss 2. Mewithoutyou - Catch For Us the Foxes 3. Rise Against - Siren Song… ——— Honorable mentions to: Kanye West (back then, fuck the guy now) Underoath Modest Mouse Mastodon Arcade Fire Senses Fail MF DOOM Rise Against Sufjan Alexisonfire And the countless others I can’t remember. Staked year for sure.
This has definitely been the hardest choice so far. This year is where the most foundational albums of my life lie. Some of these are albums I purchased with my own money for the first time, some of them are classics I learned to love later in life, and some of them coast off of 2-3 very good singles. 1. Jimmy Eat World - Futures Liked but did not love this album when I was a kid. Too many slow, plodding songs that kept me from the real heat like the title track or Pain. Eventually, I grew up and realized the "slower songs" were some of the best the band has offered. Kill and Polaris especially are two all-timers. I'll probably get banned for saying this, but 23 is not nearly as profound or grandiose for me as it seems to be for everyone else. Good tune though. 2. Green Day - American Idiot My memory is fuzzy, but the first album I bought with my own money was either this or From Under the Cork Tree. We all know how inescapable this album was for several years after release. And the good news is that it mostly holds up! It loses me a little in the back half and always did as a kid as well, but I have fond memories of my friend getting cut off at karaoke about halfway through Jesus of Suburbia. Another quick story: I had a windbreaker jacket with speakers built into the hood and a little FM dial sewed into the arm, so I called THE local radio station and asked them to play Holiday at precisely 10:15 AM, when I'd be outside for recess. They dutifully obliged and I thought I was the coolest kid in the world for those 3 minutes. 3. Descendents - Cool to Be You This was a tough call. I think this is my favorite Descendents album and it's one I frequently point to as a good example of bands aging their lyrics up as they get older. There are songs on here about divorce, child custody, and just watching TV on the couch with your wife. There's also a fart song, but at least it's catchy? The ultimate aging-incel album, I wouldn't take this as gospel, but I think it's perhaps the purest distillation of the Descendents message. VERY Honorable Mentions: Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First This was almost my #3. It was my favorite Bad Religion album for a long time and is still in my top 5 for sure. Brooks Wackerman once again puts on a punk drumming masterclass, but the back half of this shines as the band pushes themselves into unfamiliar territory for 4-5 tracks. It was on this tour they recorded the live DVD at the Palladium as well, which is a great show and possibly one of the last times that Gurewitz actually appeared on stage with the band. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge An excellent album in which the deep cuts were just a touch too abrasive for my young ears at the time. Loved the singles and especially the video for I'm Not Okay, but it took me longer to get into the rest. Album still bangs though. Sum 41 - Chuck Pretty handily the best Sum 41 album in my eyes. They finally realize their classic rock/modern rock/modern pop punk hybrid potential and deliver insane riffs and massive choruses. Relient K - Mmhmm Man, THIS album. One of RK's best and would be higher in any other year. Some of their best songs on here and it marks the first time they released an entirely consistent album. Keegan from Camp Trash posited on Twitter a few weeks ago that RK was better than Blink and based on the strength of this album, it's probably true (although his Twitter takes are often way too hot for their own good). New Found Glory - Catalyst Me and my best friend's first favorite album to listen to together. The highs are incredibly high on this album, as is Jordan's voice, and the band never quite recaptures the energy of this album again in their career. Good Charlotte - The Chronicles of Life & Death The most successful "pop-punk band does Alkaline Trio" album, imo. In fact, they might have beaten Alk3 to the punch since Crimson didn't come out until 2005. But this dour and experimental album is weird by most standards and succeeds in myriad ways despite its ambition. Bowling For Soup - A Hangover You Don't Deserve This Butch Walker-produced pop punk behemoth is definitely too long and overstuffed, but man do the hits hit. Obvs has two of their biggest hits, but there are several album cuts that are almost as ubiquitous (Come Back to Texas, anybody?) The rest: Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want to Be Bought this because I liked the singles. I still pretty much only like the singles. The Used - In Love and Death Bought this because I liked the singles. I still pretty much only like the singles. The Killers - Hot Fuss I am one of those "first half is stronger" people on this album, but what a debut! Butch Walker - Letters I know this is a lot of people's Butch gold standard, and it just isn't for me. It's a little too melodramatic for me and I prefer his breezier work a couple years later. Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses Bought this because I liked the singles. I still pretty much only like the singles. Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy As @SpyKi alluded to, I am one of those people who fell off with Say Anything, specifically at I Don't Think It is. I haven't listened to this album in a long time and I have doubts that it holds up, but I played it a lot when I was younger for sure. Midtown - Forget What You Know What a depressing album. That is also bold and catchy. Sugarcult - Palm Trees and Power Lines Bought this because I liked the singles. I still pretty much only like the singles. Chevelle - This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In Bought this because I liked the singles. I still pretty much only like the singles. Head Automatica - Decadence BEATING HEARTS BABY (baby is this love for real?) Gatsby's American Dream - In the Land of Lost Monsters EP Weird little transitional EP, but I listened to it a lot as an avowed GAD fanboy. Cake - Pressure Chief Deceptively good.
Where You Want to Be stands out as very easily TBS's best album, as well as a very good rock album for the year. I return to it a lot, probably the most out of scene albums of the era