Top Ten Albums Turning 10

It was said in the movie Dogma that religion is like a glass of water. The younger you are, the smaller the glass is, the easier it is to fill. A love of music behaves much the same way. For some people, it’s just a sad fact that music will never sound as good to you as it did when you were a kid. If you were one of these folks ten years ago, you’ll appreciate this nod to ten superb albums that kicked off the millennium, and have still yet to be topped.

Kid A, Radiohead

Radiohead is one of the only bands in the world that gets better with every record, and Kid A was beyond relief in that respect. With 1997′s OK Computer, the band was starting to dip their toes into serious territory.They kept the momentum going with all of their follow-up albums.

The Moon & Antarctica, Modest Mouse

If there’s still people out there who have yet to get into this band, start here. This album is basically Modest Mouse 101, and the turning point when the band gained full speed, and finally rounded out their sound with the aid of a major label.

All Hands on the Bad One, Sleater-Kinney

The infamous femme trio renown for sparsely structured chick rock, beefed things up with All Hands on the Bad One. This is Sleater-Kinney at their richest in terms of sound, and another great album that really defines the group.

Fevers and Mirrors, Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes‘ albums before and after this struggle to be as good as Fevers and Mirrors, their third studio album. Classic tracks include “The Calendar Hung Itself” and “Sunrise, Sunset.”

Figure 8, Elliott Smith

This was Smith‘s last gift to the music world in the form of a full-length, just three years before the songwriter took his own life. Critics hailed its artful juxtaposition of light-hearted instrumentalism against a dark lyrical background.

D’Angelo, Voodoo

While the abs of this man sped up the puberty process for many teen girls watching the video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” the rest of the album was just as stimulating. Known as the R&B singer‘s masterpiece, Voodoo debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Relationship of Command, At The Drive-In

The band that eventually birthed Sparta, and the mega-successful Mars Volta, already carried two pretty awesome albums under their belt before Relationship of Command. Yet it was their third release that is seen as one of the pillars of post-hardcore discography.

Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, Blonde Redhead

There really is no other singer quite like Kazu Makino. By the band’s fifth release, followers already had a clear idea of what the singer could do, but had no idea how mature the trio could actually get. Melody really was their post-adolescence, and even greater albums have followed.

Things Falling Apart, Nine Inch Nails

Despite the fact Nine Inch Nails produced a gazillion remix albums that registered at a “meh,” Things Falling Apart, which remixed tracks from their critically jeered fourth album The Fragile, managed to stand out from the rest. The original B-side “10 Miles High” and a cover of Gary Numan’s “Metal” highlighted the album particularly well.

Holy Wood (In The Shadow of the Valley of Death), Marilyn Manson

After a foray into Bowie-esque synth rock with 1998′s Mechanical Animals, loyal Mansonites were left slightly worried about the direction of the band. In many ways, Holy Wood redeemed Marilyn Manson as a first-and-foremost, rock band, and is arguably their last decent album. But even it had its downsides (see: “Disposable Teens” which just seemed like the third rehashing of “The Beautiful People.”) Apparently they ran out of riffs after “Antichrist Superstar.”