Top 50 Albums of the 21st Century

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

22. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

 

Genre: Alternative/Psychedelic Rock

Run Time: 47:25

 

 

 

Neo-psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips released the album widely proclaimed as their masterpiece with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in 2002. The instruments of the band sound magical and, well, psychedelic, sucking you in and making it impossible to stop listening. Sappy in some parts and serious in others, the band shows it's lyrical and musical range in creating a true psych rock masterpiece.

[Vin+ 3,121]

Scale The Summit is pretty good.

[Bay 2,003]

Total please.

 

 

 

 

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

21. The National - High Violet (2010)

 

Genre: Alternative Rock/Post Punk Revival

Run Time: 47:40

 

 

 

The National have become one of the more successful alt rock bands of the 2000's with their easy listening instruments, deep vocals and overall relaxing style. Their 2010 release, High Violet, debuted at #3 on the US Billboard charts and featured the hit single "Bloodbuzz Ohio", which some consider their masterpiece song.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

20. Teenage Bottlerocket - Total (2005)

 

Genre: Pop Punk

Run Time: 29:43

 

 

 

As with any pop punk album, you won't hear overly technical musicians or ingenious lyrics on Teenage Bottlerocket's 2005 release. What you will hear, however, is catchy, fun songs that make you want to spend 30 minutes listening to the whole album. I remember first hearing this album and being absolutely enthralled with it. I was exploring pop punk extensively and this album stood out and dominated my playlists for well over a month. Truly a great listen.

[Bay 2,003]

OMG Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2012 by BayAreaBomber

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

19. My Morning Jacket - Z (2005)

 

Genre: Alternative/Indie/Art Rock

Run Time: 47:00

 

 

 

My Morning Jacket's meaningful and gorgeous music have made them one of my favorite bands of all-time. Many say that their 2005 album, Z, is their best release ever. The album opens with one of the best songs of the Century: "Wordless Chorus". After hearing that, there's no way you won't be listening all the way through.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

18. System of a Down - Hypnotize (2005)

 

Genre: Heavy/Alternative Metal

Run Time: 39:46

 

 

 

There's probably been no metal band as successful and revolutionary in the 21st Century as System of a Down. In the 2000's, they became a smash hit of a metal band, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts with two different albums. Hypnotize is the second of those albums to do so. Their 2005 release is certainly different from their previous ones. Alot of the songs are slower and more vocal-based than in albums passed. However, it stands as a fantastic record and a metal essential.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Hypnotize

[Bay 2,003]

Mezmerize is better so I wonder if it's on here.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

Mezmerize is better so I wonder if it's on here.

 

2. There is a strict limit of TWO albums per artist.

 

Take a guess.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

17. Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)

 

Genre: Progressive Death Metal

Run Time: 1:04:23

 

 

 

Certainly the most aggressive album to come out on the list in terms of vocals, but Between the Buried and Me is one of the best bands around in terms of instrumentals. As with any progressive band, the tempo is not constant and the overall sound of the music is constantly changing. Colors will probably always stand as the band's masterpiece. I was in the 8th Grade when I first heard this album and it was on repeat for weeks on end.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Tridentdawgpound

[Bay 2,003]

Take a guess.

 

Lame.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Ooh, I forgot about the two-albums-per-band restriction. Second album has to be Toxicity, then, and I'm sure it's in the top ten, maybe higher.

 

At this point I'm not confident in Young Trident's appreciation for Dream Theater or Tool, so I'm just hoping to see Hybrid Theory in the top ten.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

16. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree (2005)

 

Genre: Folk/Indie Folk

Run Time: 39:20

 

 

 

Anyone who pays attention to my regular posts in this section knows that I'm an absolute Mountain Goats fanboy in a somewhat obsessive way. I firmly believe that anything John Darnielle breathes on becomes musical gold. This is an example of an artist with multiple masterpieces, The Sunset Tree being among them. If you don't want to listen to the whole album (which would make us totally not friends) at least listen to "Dance Music". My favorite song by him, and that is one HELL of an accomplishment.

[Bay 2,003]

^ Lion's Teeth

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

15. The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious (2000)

 

Genre: Garage Rock

Run Time: 27:55

 

 

 

Swedish imports The Hives have a sound completely different from any other commercially successful band of the Century. The band is often referred to as a "garage rock" band because the instruments sound as if they were played in an empty garage. Their 2000 release features most of the songs that are known by the general public (aside from the two feature track it also includes "Die, All Right"), and stands as a staple of modern garage rock.

[Bay 2,003]

^ Die All Right

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

14. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (2011)

 

Genre: Rock/Post-Grunge

Run Time: 47:55

 

 

 

May I present the first album that required me to feature three tracks because whittling it down to two isn't a feat man can accomplish? So, the Foo Fighters are pretty badass. In 2011, they outdid themselves with their best album since The Colour and the Shape with Wasting Light. It seems like they took their style from the 21st Century and finally perfected it on this record. Nothing else I can say, just listen and enjoy.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Tridentdawgpound

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I am probably in the minority on this one, but...I've always found the Foo Fighters to be a tad overrated. They deserve credit for making as much good music as they have, but I haven't heard a Foo Fighters song that blows me away, that really strikes me as a great song. They are the Aerosmith of their generation, imo, a band that produces solid song after solid song, but nothing spectacular.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

13. Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)

 

Genre: Progressive Sludge Metal

Run Time: 46:58

 

 

 

The early parts of this list were filled with a good amount of sludge metal, but everyone of those bands is in a race to be second fiddle to Mastodon. No band has achieved more commercial success nor been as influential in the sludge genre in the Century to date. Their rise to prowess was finalized by their masterpiece. Leviathan, released in 2004. The album is a concept album based off of the novel "Moby Dick", and features the smash hit "Blood and Thunder" to open the album.

[Bay 2,003]

I am probably in the minority on this one, but...I've always found the Foo Fighters to be a tad overrated. They deserve credit for making as much good music as they have, but I haven't heard a Foo Fighters song that blows me away, that really strikes me as a great song. They are the Aerosmith of their generation, imo, a band that produces solid song after solid song, but nothing spectacular.

 

Have you heard anything on the first couple? I'd say those are way ahead of the majority.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

I am probably in the minority on this one, but...I've always found the Foo Fighters to be a tad overrated. They deserve credit for making as much good music as they have, but I haven't heard a Foo Fighters song that blows me away, that really strikes me as a great song. They are the Aerosmith of their generation, imo, a band that produces solid song after solid song, but nothing spectacular.

 

I have never been a Foo Fighters fan. They have some decent songs that I can listen to, but I wouldn't ever choose to listen to them.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

12. Miike Snow - Miike Snow (2009)

 

Genre: Indie/Synth Pop

Run Time: 47:17

 

 

 

Passionately hated everything on this list to date? Well, you may be in luck because this is totally unlike the rest of it. Swedish synthpop band Miike Snow achieved instant fame in 2009 with their eponymous and debut album. Catchy, upbeat, and uplifting, the album is a good listen for any occasion. This is another one of those albums that I was infatuated with when I first heard it. I would recommend a listen to anyone.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

11. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards (2006)

 

Genre: Indie/Piano Rock

Run Time: 52:23

 

 

 

If you want to be a successful band, having a debut as classic as Robbers and Cowards is probably something that would benefit you. In 2006, the rock community became infatuated with a small-time California band who called themselves Cold War Kids. The band is defined by their catchy, piano-heavy rhythms and vocalist Nathan Willet's perfectly accompanying vocals. This is an album I would put on the overall indie rock essentials list to someone trying to get started in the genre.