The Twilight Singers – Blackberry Belle (2003)
‘The score to the best film noir never made’: dylan37
Greg Dulli, taking an extended break from Afghan Whigs, made a compelling, dark and soulful rock record. Sordid tales of late-night drives, suicide, desire and femme fatales with killer smiles. Beautiful piano, dirty guitar, and Mark Lanegan lending his devilish tones. The score to the best film noir never made.
Bruce Springsteen – The Rising (2002)
‘Astonishing’: masepod
For me, The Rising by Bruce Springsteen has got to be in there. That someone 30 years into their career can write a requiem for America in the post-9/11 age is astonishing in itself. This album restarted his career, which had tailed off in the 90s, and includes some of his best and most poignant work. Come on, rise up!
Green Day – American Idiot (2004)
‘A solid piece of Americana’: Shoe Banerjee, 37, Boston, Massachusetts
I just think it’s a great album and a solid piece of Americana. It cemented Green Day as a serious band with serious artistic cred. I listened to it on a loop in my car for about two years straight after it came out, so I sort of maxed out on it – but it’s still (as a whole) my favourite album of the century.
The Libertines – The Libertines (2004)
‘A breath of fresh air’: Stevencharles71
Where are the Libertines? Either of the first two albums, but the second album in particular? After the previous decade left guitar music on a life-support machine, with Britpop (there were a few exceptions, but not Oasis or Blur) the tumour at the centre of the disease, the Libertines were a breath of fresh air, with two incredibly strong albums and the only real competition for the Strokes during the earlier years of the 21st century.
Cate Le Bon – Reward (2019)
‘Any of her albums deserve to be on this list’: pennerigate
I haven’t fully thought about all the missing albums [from the Guardian’s list], and I get that you can’t include everything but Thundercat’s Drunk, Syd Arthur’s Apricity, Troubleman’s Time Out of Mind, Cate Le Bon’s Reward … in fact, any of Cate Le Bon’s albums deserve to be on this list! And although Kate Bush’s Aerial was welcomed, I thought her album 50 Words for Snow was unusual and brilliant to listen to throughout winter and definitely worth the place of one or two others on this list.
Dillinja – Cybotron (2001)
‘An incredible piece of work’: junglist92
I would have liked to have seen the inclusion of Dillinja’s Cybotron. Truly, music that changed the face of the drum and bass scene. It elevated him to the title of the King – and you can hear it and more importantly feel it in this album. I’ve never heard anyone else use the lower ranges of sub-bass to such devastating effect. It is an incredible piece of work. I remember seeing people on dancefloors literally stop dancing and shaking their heads in disbelief, in awe of what they were hearing, when any number of tracks from this album came on.
Bob Dylan – Shadows in the Night (2015)
‘The arrangements are fantastic’: LyntonCrosby
I’m disappointed there was no room for Bob Dylan’s Shadows in the Night. His best album in a long time, and vocally he is at the top of his game. It’s a cover album of songs previously recorded by Frank Sinatra and the band treat the songs with respect – the arrangements are fantastic. I suffer from terrible earworms and this album is one big earworm for me. I still wake up with different songs from it whirling around my head.
BT – This Binary Universe (2006)
‘Pushes the boundaries’: RadioHedgeFund
An astounding album by a true visionary, TBU pushes the boundaries of what is possible in music. Brian Transeau experimented with rewiring old instruments, writing his own audio software from scratch and even creating his own instruments to create a soundscape unlike anything else around.
Psykovsky – Tanetsveta (2010)
‘Music made by far-future aliens’: dholliday
My favourite musician behind only Pink Floyd. Tanetsveta is an epic trip into what our reality sounds like if we had no frequency filters. Alternatively, think of it as music made by far-future aliens who are attempting to communicate with us. At over two hours long, with an at-first impenetrable, punishing, heavy-speed sound, it’s not an easy listen! But the layers and melody it reveals are cosmic, after breaking in you’ll start to hear more ambience than heavy. Truly transcendental. I know each tiny lick by heart, it’s become a familiar comfort.
The Weeknd – Trilogy (2012)
‘He revolutionised the genre’: mattjedge
One glaringly obvious omission (to me, at least) is the Weeknd’s Trilogy. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, sure, the lyrics are dark and misogynistic and downright uncomfortable to listen to at times – but it’s difficult to listen to modern R&B without hearing its influence everywhere. The darker sound, slower pace, sparse sampling. He revolutionised the genre.
Goldfrapp – Black Cherry (2003)
‘Cool electro with a hint of glam’: lotusblue
The Strokes’ debut album more or less saved indie-rock from the generic dumper. Agree with its placing so high [in the Guardian’s list], but disappointed to not see Goldfrapp. Cool electro with a hint of glam that surely must have influenced a whole generation of synth-botherers. Black Cherry is the one for me from their impressive canon.
Hallucinogen – In Dub (2002)
‘Its only failing is it was never released on vinyl’: 1789wasAgoodYear
My favourite album of all time is from 2002 – Hallucinogen’s In Dub. I grew up on classical music, but got into electronica through Tangerine Dream and the new wave of the 80s into the 90s. This is Simon Posford remixed by OTT. This album ticks all the boxes for me. Its only failing is it was never released on vinyl.
Johnny Cash – American III: Solitary Man (2000)
‘He had a new vulnerability to this voice’: Huw Edwards
On his first album since being diagnosed with a neurological disorder in 1997, the 68-year-old Johnny Cash had a new vulnerability to his voice. When he sings, “There’s no sickness, no toil nor danger in that bright land to which I go,” he sounds like a man ready to go home.
The Darkness – Permission to Land (2003)
‘Hawkins has the talent to execute what he’s learned’: stripsidebob
This album is definitely in the Top 10. Justin Hawkins is a student of rock and has the talent to execute what he’s learned. He’s also, by turns, Partridge-esque, witty and an arch ironist. There are some people you meet who can elevate a social gathering by force of their generosity of spirit and natural good humour.
