Best Albums of the Decade 12-1

 As 2010 comes to a close I can’t help but think about all the great things music has given us over the past decade. I know technically the decade is usually from 2000- 2009, but Id like to include 2010 in this list. I mean what would the 2000’s be without Brittney Spears? Eminem? Lady Gaga??  So I would like to list my top 25 albums of the decade.

Here I continue my list with albums 12- 1

12. Jet: Get Born: (2003) Jet came onto the scene as a small rock band, which just happened to get lucky and be in an apple commercial. What I did not expect was to love the album as much as I did. They are good old fashioned rockers, who in my opinion, if they had a larger following, could be the Rolling Stones of today. Think about it, they are imports (Australians in this case); they have an awesome new rock sound, and basically are completely embodied by rock music. Favorites off the album are Cold Hard Bitch, Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Look What You’ve Done, and Last Chance.
11. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000): From Stan to The Real Slim Shady to The Way I Am and Kim Eminem broke onto the rap scene in full force and really showed us all what he was about in this album. What I mean when I say that is, a cranky, semi depressed, disenfranchised man who also happens to be an extraordinary rap talent. Never before did I think I would say (with conviction) that white man can rap!
10. Death Cab for Cutie: Transatlanticism (2003): From the opening number The New Year to the last song on the album and a personal favorite A Lack of Color, there isn’t a song on this album I dislike. Each tune tells a story and is a perfect transition to the one following it. I thank Josh Schwartz and the OC for my introduction to this album. Whatever the case, it is still one of my favorites to date.
9. Lilly Allen Its Not Me Its You (2009): Many of my friends/family could tell you I went through a serious Lilly Allen phase. I listened to this album NON stop for about 2 months in 2009. Each song is better than the next. Particular favorites are 22, The Fear, and Everyones At It. Lilly is just so cool. She uses her music to express the way she feels about society as a whole (much like the best artists do) and she sounds incredible while doing it. I love the whole British anti-princess thing she has going for her and it definitely works in relation to all of her songs.
8. Snow Patrol: Eyes Open (2006): Snow Patrol, for quite a while, was my favorite band. This album is largely responsible for that fact. Yes, I believe I know all of the lyrics to every song (I say believe because they are strange so I get some wrong occasionally). Yes, one of my all time favorite songs is on this album (Open Your Eyes). And yes, I listened to British radio a lot in 2006, and this was one of the most played albums at the time. All these things and more put this album in my top 10 of 2000’s.
7. Arcade Fire: Funeral: (2004): This album is pure magic from start to finish. I have to commend Funeral for giving me two of my favorites AF songs Wake Up and Rebellion (Lies).  Both songs are incredibly ingenious melodically and surreal in their lyrics. These two things make the album ultimate indie rock cool, in my opinion.
6. Maroon 5: Songs About Jane: (2002) Maroon 5 came onto the scene with the hit Harder To Breathe. Maroon 5 came into my heart with this album. Songs like  Must Get Out immediately identified the way I was feeling (in HS). What was so great about it was the fact that it was bluesy pop at its best. There is something soulful about Adam Levine and I thank him for that.
5. Lady Gaga: The Fame Monster (2009): Lady Gaga has changed my life for the better. Never before did I think I would listen to and actually enjoy dance/club music. Gaga blew my mind with this album. There are so many amazing hits on it I can’t even believe. For the dance lover there is Just Dance, Poker Face, and Fame. For the exhibitionist there are songs like Bad Romance, Alejandro, Monster and Teeth. Just in case you didn’t think Gaga was talented, listen to her voice on my personal favorite Speechless and let me know your thoughts.
4. Kanye West: Late Registration (2005)/Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010): It is really too difficult for me to choose between two of the best rap albums out there. Yes, Dark Twisted Fantasy came out in 2010 so it shouldn’t really count, but it is a hip/hop master class. Kanye digs into new depths. With Late Registration Kanye gave us Gold Digger, Bring Me Down, and Heard Em Say so how can I not list it?
3.  Amy Winehouse: Back to Black: (2007) From the opening bars of Amy’s hit Rehab I knew this album was gonna be special. Amy may seem crazy (she is), but she has one of the most soulful voices there is out there. Her voice shines on Me and Mr. Jones, Back to Black (my personal favorite), and You Know I’m No Good. What Amy did with this album was give us what we didn’t even realize we wanted, soul.
2. Justin Timberlake Future Sex/Love Sounds (2006) Justified shmustified, in my mind JT is no better than he is on this album (with close seconds of D*** in a Box). Every song is full of pop/funk/r&b wrapped into one sexy bundle. Every day I hear a song from this album on the radio, even though the album came out four years ago. When I hear those songs all I can think is JT please make another album! Favorites include What Goes Around Comes Around, Sexy Ladies, and Love Stoned.
1. Coldplay: Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends:  (2008) In my mind this is one of the best albums ever, let alone of the past decade. Every single minute of this album is something I love and will continue to listen to until I am 100 years old and lecturing my future children about what “good music really was.” Songs like Lost, Strawberry Swing, Lovers in Japan, and the title track Viva La Vida will live on in reputation for being songs that are unique interesting and rock heaven.