Question:
And finally, the one for 2003. Another great year with The White Stripes releasing their best album, Dizzee Rascal delivering a gem in the rap/hip-hop world, Radiohead keeping it strong, Outkast went a completely different route with great success, Sufjan Stevens finally broke through, The Strokes returned, we were introduced to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Damien Rice, while the Drive-By Truckers, Jay-Z and The New Pornographers released awesome albums as well. Pick your fave, list why, list any discrepancies and list any albums that were left out.

1. The White Stripes – Elephant
2. Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner
3. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
4. Outkast – Spekerboxxx/The Love Below
5. Sufjan Stevens- Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State
6. The Strokes – Room on Fire
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
8. Damien Rice - O
9. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
10. Jay-Z – The Black Album
11. The New Pornographers – Electric Version

Choices:
The White Stripes – Elephant
Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
Outkast – Spekerboxxx/The Love Below
Sufjan Stevens- Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State

 

1 - Notwist – Neon Golden
2 - Sufjan Stevens – Michigan
3 - Wrens – The Meadowlands
4 - Four Tet – Rounds
5 - Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts of the Great Highway
6 - Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
7 - Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
8 - Okkervil River – Down the River of Golden Dreams
9 - Grandaddy – Sumday
10 - M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas, Lost Ghosts
11 - Strokes – Room on Fire
12 - Postal Service – Give Up
13 - Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
14 - David Francey – Skating Rink
15 - Fiery Furnaces – Gallowsbird’s Park
16 - Califone – Quicksand/Cradlesnakes
17 - Ween – Quebec
18 - Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
19 – Wind-Up Bird – Whips
20 - Damien Jurado – Where Shall You Take Me?


2003 was such a great year for music for me. I really don't have anything else to say.

Although Radiohead and the White Stripes released great albums, my favorite was probably Cat Power's "You Are Free" or Broken Social Scene's "You Forgot it in People". A terrific, underrated album I think should be a strong contender is Blur's "Think Tank".

Other not mentioned greats include:

Blur: Think Tank
The Rapture: Echoes
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists: Hearts of Oak

Unlike you guys, I didn't think 2003 was all that spectacular. Aside from a handful of great albums, I thought there were a lot of mediocre releases. Looking over these lists, I see a lot of good, but not outstanding, albums.

Tier 1:
White Stripes

Tier 2:
Drive By Truckers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lucinda Williams, Fountains of Wayne, Shins, Outkast

And the same here:

I know that there has to be some new people and also old people that would like to shar their lists of the top albums of 2003 or even mention an album or two.

My personal list has changed quite a bit, so I will need to re-post it. Personally, I love these kind of lists because it gives us a chance to debate some choices and also find new stuff that we have't heard.

This was actually a really good year.

Postal Service - Give Up
Decemberists - Her Majesty
New Pornographers - Electric Version
Wrens - Meadowlands
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Ted Leo - Hearts of Oak
White Stripes - Elephant
Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
Muse - Absolution
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers

Wrens - Meadowlands. Easily.

2003 was a great year for music!!! The first time I actually had to make a top 20 list.

When I originally made the list (in 2004), I had Death Cab for Cutie as #1, but otherwise, this list is pretty much the same.


01. The Wrens: The Meadowlands
02. Explosions in the Sky: The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place
03. Sufjan Stevens: Michigan
04. Death Cab for Cutie: Transatlanticism
05. Radiohead: Hail to the Thief
06. Broken Social Scene: You Forgot it in People
07. The Shins: Chute Too Narrow
08. The Notwist: Neon Golden
09. Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
10. Ted Leo/Pharmacists: Hearts of Oak
11. The Unicorns: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
12. Four Tet: Rounds
13. The Strokes: Room on Fire
14. The Books: The Lemon of Pink
15. Manitoba: Up in Flames
16. My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves
17. The Postal Service: Give Up
18. Exploding Hearts: Guitar Romantic
19. The Decemberists: Her Majesty
20. The New Pornographers: Electric Version

Other good albums released by Cat Power, AFI, Fountains of Wayne, British Sea Power, Magnolia Electric Company, the Stills, etc. This was again, a REALLY good year for music, in my opinion - a lot of good music and from a variety of genres also.

No mention of Calexico yet? 'Feast of Wire' is an outstanding album. Here's my top 10.

1. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief
2. Sufjan Stevens- Greetings from Michigan
3. Calexico- Feast of Wire
4. The Shins- Chutes too Narrow
5. Broken Social Scene- You Forgot it in People
6. The Wrens- Meadowlands
7. Guided by Voices- Earthquake Glue
8. New Pornographers- Electric Version
9. White Stripes- Elephant
10. Death Cab for Cutie- Transatlanticism

I still think this was a really great year. Not much has changed in this list:

1. The White Stripes – Elephant
2. Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner
3. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
4. The Strokes – Room on Fire
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
6. Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
7. Andrew Bird – Weather Systems
8. The New Pornographers – Electric Version
9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Take Them On, On Your Own
10. Sufjan Stevens — Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State
11. Damien Rice – O
12. Jay-Z – The Black Album
13. Drive-By Truckers – Decoration Day

1. Fountains of Wayne "Welcome Interstate Managers"
2. White Stripes "Elephant"
3. Fourtet "Rounds"
4. Warren Zevon "The Wind"
5. Basement Jaxx "Kish Kash"
6. Joe Strummer "Streetcore"
7. Belle and Sebastian "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Fever to Tell"
9. Massive Attack "100th Window"
10. Zwan "Mary Star of the Sea"
11. Joss Stone "The Soul Sessions"
12. Minus 5 "Down with Wilco"
13. Less Than Jake "Anthem"
14. American Hi-Fi "The Art of Losing"
15. Robyn Hitchcock "Luxor"
16. Johnny Lang "Long Time Coming"
17. Richard Thompson "1000 Years of Popular Music"
18. Van Morrison "What's Wrong with this Picture"
19. Saturday Looks Good To Me "All Your Summer Songs"
20. Lyle Lovett "My Baby Don't Tolerate"

1. White Stripes – Elephant
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
3. Cat Power – You Are Free
4. Kings of Leon – Youth and Young Manhood
5. Jay-Z – The Black Album
6. Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
7. Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun
8. Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People
9. Gilian Welch – Soul Journey
10. Black Keys – Thickfreakness

Hmm...Tough year. I didn't think too hard about this, and it would probably change a bit upon further reflection. The first two listed are my top two of the lot, but the rest are not ordered.

Boy In Da Corner - Dizzee Rascal
Stumble Into Grace - Emmylou Harris
Think Tank - Blur
Welcome Insterstate Managers - Fountains of Wayne
Vaudeville Villain - Viktor Vaughn
The Decline of British Sea Power - British Sea Power
Chain Gang of Love - Raveonettes
Hearts of Oak - Ted Leo/Pharmacists
Cast of Thousands - Elbow
Master and Everyone - Bonnie "Prince" Billy

In no particular order:

A.F.I. - Sing the Sorrow
Calexico - Feast of Wire
Cat Power - You Are Free
Damien Rice - O
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Jack Johnson - On and On
Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
The White Stripes - Elephant
Yann Tiersen - Goodbye Lenin! Soundtrack

This message has been edited. Last edited by: brainofp,

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
SunnO))) - White 1
Four Tet - Rounds
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Wolf Eyes & Black Dice - Wolf Eyes & Black Dice
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Broadcast - Haha Sound

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jonathanbrisby,

SunnO))) and Lightning Bolt in the same year??

Let me relive 2003 forever...

Ha.
In no particular order-
The Decemberists - Her Majesty The Decemberists
The New Pornographers - The Electric Version
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird's Bark (Park? I never remember...)

What! No Ambient Metal sin?

no particular order:

The White stripes - elephant
The Notwist - Neon Golden
AFI - sing the sorrow
British sea power - The decline of british sea power
Radiohead - Hail to the thief
The Postal Service - Give up

2003:

1. Wrens - Meadowlands
2. Unicorns - Who Will Cut our Hair...
3. Radiohead - Hail to the Theif
4. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
5. New Pornographers - Electric Version
6. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves
7. TV on the Radio - Young Liars
8. Death Cab - Transatlanticism
9. White Stripes - Elephant
10. Shins - Chutes too Narrow