You know I was going to do it. You had to.
The only thing is, I'm good at making the lists, but I'm absolutely horrible at putting things in order. I can never pick a favourite, not with something like this. It's just too hard for me to choose one album as better than all the rest. Sure, I could pick my personal favourite, but without an explanation, it's all just opinion. Granted, that's what most of this is anyway (obviously, I haven't heard all the records released in the last 10 years, and my taste varies from other peoples', etc., etc.) But I have my reasons.
So here they are, in no particular order. My list of top albums of the decade:
Jay-Z, The Black Album
One of, if not the, best rap albums of all time. Jay-Z retired, then came back, and while a lot of people were saying that it was a cash grab or some sort of publicity stunt, Jay-Z was in the studio, putting down an innovative blend of rap and rock that no one had really heard before. He was working with Rick Rubin (what!?) and Kanye West (who!?) and doing crazy things. And why? Because he's Jay-Z, and he can. He's a guy who's never really content with the way the 'rap game' is going, but he doesn't complain about it. He changes it.
Corinne Bailey Rae, Corinne Bailey Rae
I can distinctly remember getting in my brother's car a couple years ago, and Seasons Change was coming through the speakers, and he turned to me and said, "You have this record, right?" (Of course I did.) He goes, "Good. This chick is the real deal." For a guy who's record collection consists of (a majority of) jazz and metal (strange combination, yes), that's pretty high praise. There's something about Corinne. Musically, she's brilliant. Her voice is unique but familiar and comforting at the same time, and her songs are beautiful, no matter what the tempo or subject matter. But if you listen to that album beyond the vocals and lyrics? It's just incredible. The players are tight, the production is flawless, and it all just comes together perfectly. I can't wait until her next album comes out in January.
Marc Broussard, Carencro
Without a doubt, one of my all time favourites. It's always in my heavy rotation pile. From the opening seconds, the heavy thump of a bass drum, you can't help but move a little bit. Maybe you tap your foot, maybe you bob your head, but you move. If you're like me, you don't stop until the last song. And then the hidden track comes on and he pulls at your heartstrings because he's singing about his son. He's gotten much bluesier, much more soulful in recent years (since it was released on a major label, Carencro, he's said, didn't give him the creative freedom he wanted). I prefer the new sound, but I still consider this record his best. From Home, to The Beauty of Who You Are, Lonely Night in Georgia, and The Wanderer, this record is full of gems. It'll go down in history as one of the best (in my opinion.)
Kanye West, Late Registration
Sure, The College Dropout gave us Jesus Walks (one of the best tracks of the past 20 years, probably) and Graduation gave us Stronger, but Late Registration gave us Gold Digger and Diamonds From Sierra Leone (holy eff, that song is amazing). More than that, though, it proved that Kanye was more than a one-record man. It proved that the hype was not hype, it was truth. It proved that Kanye's talent went beyond just making beats for Jay-Z and rapping about Jesus. Late Registration is like a story book, if you listen to it from beginning to end. If you want to know who Kanye is as an artist, I'd say listen to Late Registration first. On Diamonds From Sierra Leone, he boasts, "I forgot better shit than you ever thought of." I don't doubt it for a second.
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Cold Roses
It still amazes me that I bought this album for $12 at a Best Buy in Watertown, New York. Why? Because it's so good, such a complete album, that I feel like it's just really, really weird that I didn't pay more for it. And it feels like the kind of record you put on order from your local record store and have to wait weeks for it to come in. That probably only makes sense to me (such a situational example). Listen to When Will You Come Back Home, Now That You're Gone, or How Do You Keep Love Alive, and try to tell me this record isn't fantastic. And that's just on the first disc. The thing with this record is, it feels like it's quintessential. Like anyone who listens to Ryan Adams at all, has this record, because it feels like him. It's a little weird at parts, it's a little quirky, a little romantic, lyrically profound. Maybe it's weird to say, but when I listen to this album, I see Ryan Adams. All his records are good, but none are as good as this one. It's a masterpiece.
John Mayer, Continuum
This is the album that John Mayer fans were waiting for. Anyone who'd seen him live around the time Heavier Things came out, said to themselves, "Why doesn't he do more of that?" because his live show was full of blues breakdowns (Come Back to Bed and Covered in Rain gave us a taste) and guitar chops that hardly anyone would have expected. Sure, Room For Squares showcased his lyrical abilities and his cute-guy pop sensibilities, and Heavier Things was more grown up, lyrically, with him talking about relationships in a more literal way. It had more guitar and deeper meanings. Continuum was on another level. It is, as an album, the most accurate representation of his talent. (Battle Studies doesn't count just yet, since I'm still digesting it.) Every song on the album is a brilliant piece of work. The songs are well-written, well-played, and well-produced, but it's more than that. There's some intangible thing about this album that's hard to explain. It's almost like his career has been a coming of age tale, and Continuum is the record where he'd found himself, his place in the world (and the industry) and said, "Okay, guys, check it out." He lets the songs speak for themselves, and for him, and what's left at the end of it is a collection of songs that an entire generation of 20-somethings can listen to and say, "I get it. I get it now."
D'Angelo, Voodoo
This album will be on a lot of lists. It had better be, since it's probably the best of its genre seen in recent years. And yes, I consider 2001 recent, because this record, when you put it on, still feels current. Not a lot of records from 2001 feel that way. D'Angelo can sing. That's not a secret, and it's not anything anyone can dispute. Voodoo doesn't feel like a showcase of his vocal ability, not like most R&B records are (see Usher, Joe, Chris Brown, et.al.). Voodoo is D'Angelo showing how much more he can do than just sing, or maybe more importantly, how much more he can do while singing. His arrangements are practically mind-blowing, and the group of artists and players he gathered only helped to prove how good he is as a musician, above and beyond just being a talented singer. And we can't forget the Untitled (How Does it Feel) video. No, we can't.
Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy
It still blows my mind to think of how many people don't know how talented Lee Ann Womack is. She'll probably go down in history as the woman who sang I Hope You Dance, and that's a real shame, because the rest of her repertoire is, in my opinion, much better than that song. Call Me Crazy is a collection of songs that somehow bridge the gap between old country and new country, with the majority of the focus being on the former. She makes it relevant, however, singing of heartache, losing yourself, the trappings of not-quite-lost love, and 'the greats' (on I Think I know, which in itself is reason enough to pick up the album). Country music needs more people like Lee Ann Womack and Jamey Johnson to remind it that synth drums and screeching guitars aren't always the way to go. Sometimes we all need a little mandolin, steel guitar, and a song with a hook like, "If these walls could talk, they'd pray."
Patty Griffin, Children Running Through
You knew it'd be on here. All of Patty's albums are fantastic. Flawless in a really flawed way (in a beautiful way; the way you can hear sirens in the background [accidental] on the original studio recording of Let Him Fly). I feel like Children Running Through was her chance to show that while the songs are amazing, timeless, she is too. Her voice is incredible, there's no denying, and her tone alone invokes goosebumps if you let it (and why wouldn't you?). Though the album is more polished than her others, somehow more 'professional' in it's production quality and overall feel, it's, as always, the songs that make it what it is. Patty can make you cry, from nostalgia alone (Burgundy Shoes), from a story that's probably made up (Trapeze), from happiness (Heavenly Day) or from the inspiration of her singing about a man she never met (Up To the Mountain). She should have won the Grammy for this one. And her upcoming Downtown Church album, I just know, is going to be an amazing way to kick off the new decade.
Alicia Keys, The Diary of Alicia Keys
Most of the lists I've seen outlining the decade's best have listed Songs In A Minor, which I suppose I can understand, given that it was the album that thrust Alicia Keys into the lives of the masses with her spirited piano playing, braided hair and insane voice. Fallin' is probably one of the most easily recognizable songs of the decade, one that people will say they remember for ages. The Diary of Alicia Keys, however, is a more well-rounded album. It's more than just vocal acrobatics and "look at me!" piano playing (both of which I loved about Songs in A Minor.) It's got a sweetness about it, a heart that I think was missing from her first album. The songs about love are more universal, applicable to everyone. If I Ain't Got You is one of my favourite songs to this day. If I Was Your Woman is a classic (one I lovelovelove) and Diary is just a gorgeous concept. Alicia's musicality isn't overshadowed by anything, and in fact her lyrics showcase how talented she is at her craft. She makes her songs sound like the ideas behind them, and that's no easy task.
Fall Out Boy, Infinity On High
Honestly, I could have picked any Fall Out Boy record and made a case for it being one of my favourites of the decade, but this one is just above...above. The fact that Jay-Z appears on the first track to kick things off doesn't hurt. From Under the Cork Tree showed the fun side of FOB, the punk/emo stylings they needed to bolster their following. That certainly worked. But Infinity On High was their homecoming, it felt like. It was more mature than Cork Tree, and more musically refined. There is just more depth to the songs, musically and lyrically. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race is fantastic, and Take Over, The Break's Over has provided me with hilarious memories of driving around with my sister in my parents' van singing "Wouldn't you rather be a weeble than a divorcee" (the real line is "Wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee," which is incredible.) I could list every track and tell you all the things I love, but it'd be redundant. Infinity on High shows a more grown up FOB, one that grows as its fanbase does. Smart.
Justin Timberlake, Future Sex/Love Sounds
If Justified was Justin's successful break into the solo pop/R&B scene, then Future Sex/Love Sounds is his explosion into a genre that he's created in his own mind and somehow convinced his record label would translate to the masses. It did. Needless to say. So many people want so badly to write him off as just a pop singer, unable to do much more than just that. I'm not sure if they owe him an apology or if he owes them one, but either way, it's almost impossible to hate on Justin Timberlake. LoveStoned/I Think She Knows is a brilliant piece of music, parts a and b, that is probably only a glimpse at what Justin is capable of. Losing My Way tugs at heartstrings and headspace and makes people think about their lives (if it hasn't for you, it should; I'd advise to listen to this on headphones real loud and close your eyes when the choir comes in). (Another Song) All Over Again has jazz sensibilities that JT probably has no business possessing. The record leaves you wanting more. The thing with Justin is, his next record will probably be completely different from this one. And only JT could make a career of changing his style entirely every few years.
Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
If Gretchen Wilson is a redneck woman, Miranda Lambert is the girl stealing Wilson's boyfriend while she makes her weekly trip to Walmart. Lambert got her start on Nashville Star, country music's version of American Idol (but that's just to put it broadly; Nashville Star actually showcases contestants' songwriting ability, rather than merely being glammed up karaoke). I watched her sing Greyhound Bound for Nowhere, just a verse and a chorus, and I was hooked. And her first album was great, with that song, Kerosene, What About Georgia, etc. But if anyone ever asked me who Miranda Lambert is, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the album I'd point them towards. The title track is full of energy and rage and whiskey, and the music sounds like the idea; angry, bitchy, and at points, a little drunk. More Like Her and Desperation show a softer side, a heart beneath the armor (literally, she's got the tattoo of the revolvers to prove it) and Dry Town and Love Letters are a bit of a throwback, something she's kind of become known for. The fact that she covers Patty Griffin's Getting Ready (though, I have to admit, it isn't quite as good as the original) doesn't hurt either. She's left of center, and she doesn't apologize. There's no one out there like her, and as the years pass and she puts out more albums that build on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's success and niche, I don't think there'll ever be anyone like her.
Honourable Mentions
India.Arie, Acoustic Soul
Gavin Degraw, Chariot
Lupe Fiasco, Food and Liquor
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
Joe Purdy, Last Clock on the Wall
John Legend, Get Lifted
*NSync, No Strings Attached
Ray Lamontagne, Trouble
The RH Factor, Hard Groove
Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun
Brad Paisley, Part II
John Mayer, Room For Squares
There are probably more that I'll think of and want to add here. The 00's was a decent decade for music, I'd say.
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alicia keys,
corrine bailey rae,
d angelo,
fall out boy,
jay z,
john mayer,
justin timberlake,
kanye west,
lee ann womack,
marc broussard,
miranda lambert,
patty griffin,
ryan adams
