250 greatest albums of the 21st century so far: countdown 50-1

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• 50–41: Quiet revelations and cult favorites from the early 2000s
  • 50. The Mountain Goats: The Sunset Tree (2005)
  • 49. M83: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011)
  • 48. The Avalanches: Since I Left You (2000)
  • 47. Joanna Newsom: Ys (2006)
  • 46. Madvillain: Madvillainy (2004)
  • 45. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising (2019)
  • 44. Animal Collective: Feels (2005)
  • 43. Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020)
  • 42. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (2010)
  • 41. Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator) (2001)
• 40–31: R&B, heartbreak and intimate reinventions
  • 40. Aaliyah: Aaliyah (2001)
  • 39. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree (2016)
  • 38. Smog: Dongs of Sevotion (2000)
  • 37. Lamp: For Lovers (2004)
  • 36. Radiohead: Kid A (2000)
  • 35. Angel Olsen: All Mirrors (2019)
  • 34. Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)
  • 33. Dirty Beaches: Badlands (2011)
  • 32. SZA: Ctrl (2017)
  • 31. Destroyer: Kaputt (2011)
• 30–21: Pop reinventions and bold statements
  • 30. Britney Spears: Blackout (2007)
  • 29. Kanye West: Yeezus (2013)
  • 28. FKA twigs: MAGDALENE (2019)
  • 27. Lift to Experience: The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads (2001)
  • 26. Deltron 3030: Deltron 3030 (2000)
  • 25. Burial: Untrue (2007)
  • 24. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest (2010)
  • 23. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues (2010)
  • 22. David Bowie: ★ (2016)
  • 21. Kylie Minogue: Fever (2001)
• 20–11: Cultural milestones and game-changers
  • 20. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
  • 19. Robyn: Body Talk (2010)
  • 18. The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream (2014)
  • 17. Viktor Vaughn: Vaudeville Villain (2003)
  • 16. System of a Down: Toxicity (2001)
  • 15. ANOHNI and The Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now (2005)
  • 14. OutKast: Stankonia (2000)
  • 13. SOPHIE: OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES (2018)
  • 12. Moodymann: Forevernevermore (2000)
  • 11. Jeff Rosenstock: WORRY. (2016)
• 10–1: The top ten — records that reshaped sound and feeling
  • 10. Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele (2000)
  • 9. Songs: Ohia: The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)
  • 8. Beyoncé: RENAISSANCE (2022)
  • 7. Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz (2010)
  • 6. Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me (2010)
  • 5. Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (2017)
  • 4. Björk: Vespertine (2001)
  • 3. D’Angelo: Voodoo (2000)
  • 2. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do (2012)
  • 1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)

We spent weeks arguing over rankings, digging through two decades of records, and inviting readers to argue with us online. What follows is a reimagined countdown of fifty albums that helped define music since 2000. Expect familiar classics, surprising gems, and sharp takes on why these records still matter.

50–41: Quiet revelations and cult favorites from the early 2000s

50. The Mountain Goats: The Sunset Tree (2005)

John Darnielle turned personal trauma into something cathartic and steady. The Sunset Tree balances hope and ache, telling of childhood violence and survival in songs like “This Year.” It remains a comfort for listeners searching for endurance.

49. M83: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011)

Anthony Gonzalez crafted a widescreen synth-pop double album full of yearning and cinematic sweep. From the glowing “Midnight City” to lush instrumentals, the record mixes nostalgia and enormity into unforgettable hooks.

48. The Avalanches: Since I Left You (2000)

A patchwork of samples stitched into seamless joy. The debut dazzles with playful collages like “Frontier Psychiatrist” and an epic title track that felt revolutionary in its use of found sound.

47. Joanna Newsom: Ys (2006)

Five sprawling tracks that fold harp, orchestra, and mythic lyricism into a single towering statement. Newsom’s voice and storytelling make Ys an eccentric epic that rewards patient listening.

46. Madvillain: Madvillainy (2004)

MF DOOM and Madlib created a compact, surreal hip-hop classic. The beats are cunning; the lyrics are dense. Tracks like “Accordion” and “All Caps” defined a new, off-kilter standard for underground rap.

45. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising (2019)

Natalie Mering refines her cinematic folk into glossy pop arrangements. Lush strings and contemplative songwriting make this a slow-burning, emotionally resonant record.

44. Animal Collective: Feels (2005)

Experimental psychedelia meets communal chaos. Warm harmonies and elastic songcraft create an album that feels both intimate and wildly inventive.

43. Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020)

Recorded in isolation, this record is fierce, free, and percussive. Apple’s voice and idiosyncratic arrangements push her into new territory of raw, creative independence.

42. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (2010)

James Murphy wrapped dancefloor intelligence in bittersweet songwriting. The album pulses with wit and longing, pairing kinetic grooves with unexpectedly tender lyrics.

41. Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator) (2001)

Minimal, timeless Americana that honors craft over craze. Welch and David Rawlings present songs of travel, loss, and stubborn persistence that feel evergreen.

40–31: R&B, heartbreak and intimate reinventions

40. Aaliyah: Aaliyah (2001)

Released days before her death, this record blends R&B innovation with electronic textures. Producers like Timbaland pushed the sound forward, leaving a lasting influence on modern pop and soul.

39. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree (2016)

A sparse, haunted reaction to shock and grief. Cave pares back songcraft into raw, ambient pieces that confront loss with uncomfortable honesty.

38. Smog: Dongs of Sevotion (2000)

Bill Callahan mingles wry humor with quiet spirituality. The record’s low-key arrangements let strange, profound lines land like private revelations.

37. Lamp: For Lovers (2004)

Japanese trio Lamp craft sunlit lounge-pop with jazzy touches. Soft vocals, shimmering guitars, and warm arrangements make this an intimate treasure.

36. Radiohead: Kid A (2000)

Radiohead reinvented themselves with electronic abstraction and fractured songwriting. It sounded of the future then, and it still feels eerily ahead of its time.

35. Angel Olsen: All Mirrors (2019)

Olsen surrounds herself with orchestral drama and finds catharsis. Big strings and sweeping arrangements amplify personal narratives of escape and self-renewal.

34. Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)

Country roots meet soul, strings, and genre-bending covers. Simpson crafts a fatherly, widescreen record that resists easy classification.

33. Dirty Beaches: Badlands (2011)

Alex Zhang Hungtai built noirish, distorted rockabilly that feels cinematic and desolate. The record is atmospheric and unforgettable in its gritty mood.

32. SZA: Ctrl (2017)

A late-night diary of uncertainty and desire. SZA’s candid lyrics and warm production created an intimate R&B touchstone for a generation.

31. Destroyer: Kaputt (2011)

Dan Bejar drips with lounge-inflected, melancholic pop. Smooth horns and weary wit make this a hypnotic, late-night favorite.

30–21: Pop reinventions and bold statements

30. Britney Spears: Blackout (2007)

Dark, futuristic pop that was overlooked amid tabloid frenzy. Its fractured beats and glossy production have since been hailed as hugely influential.

29. Kanye West: Yeezus (2013)

Angular, abrasive, and confrontational. Kanye stripped pop polish away to reveal a raw, industrial sound that reshaped hip-hop’s edges.

28. FKA twigs: MAGDALENE (2019)

An intimate, dramatic record of pain and reclamation. Twigs blends avant-R&B with chamber textures in hauntingly direct songs.

27. Lift to Experience: The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads (2001)

A sprawling, biblical rock epic drenched in Texan twang and atmospheric guitar. Its ambitious scope made it a cult classic.

26. Deltron 3030: Deltron 3030 (2000)

A futuristic rap opera with dense storytelling and cinematic production. Deltron fused sci-fi themes with sharp lyricism and bold beats.

25. Burial: Untrue (2007)

Submerged, nocturnal electronic music that rewired UK club sounds. Chopped vocals and creaking textures create a lonely, urban beauty.

24. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest (2010)

Bradford Cox reconciles memory and melancholy in shimmering indie rock. The album blends pastoral longing with sharp songwriting.

23. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues (2010)

Seasoned country storytelling with aching melodies and vintage grooves. Earle’s strongest songs feel lived-in and deeply felt.

22. David Bowie: ★ (2016)

Released as Bowie confronted mortality, this album is daring and jazz-tinged. Its cryptic, experimental spirit became a final, enigmatic masterpiece.

21. Kylie Minogue: Fever (2001)

A sleek pop album that transformed Kylie into a global dance icon. Its refined production and buoyant singles made it endlessly replayable.

20–11: Cultural milestones and game-changers

20. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

A sprawling, politically urgent record blending jazz, funk, and rap. Kendrick’s lyricism and the album’s ambition raised hip-hop’s conceptual bar.

19. Robyn: Body Talk (2010)

A modern dance-pop landmark led by “Dancing On My Own.” Robyn turned vulnerability into euphoric club anthems.

18. The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream (2014)

An expansive, reverb-drenched meditation on longing. Adam Granduciel’s guitar atmospheres create warm, reflective soundscapes.

17. Viktor Vaughn: Vaudeville Villain (2003)

MF DOOM’s alternate persona delivers gritty, inventive rhymes over dusty, cinematic beats. The record brims with comic-book flair and lyrical dexterity.

16. System of a Down: Toxicity (2001)

Brash, theatrical metal that married political outrage to razor-sharp hooks. Its volatile energy remains startling and immediate.

15. ANOHNI and The Johnsons: I Am a Bird Now (2005)

A fragile, powerful exploration of identity and longing. ANOHNI’s voice and candor create a haunting, empathic statement.

14. OutKast: Stankonia (2000)

Bold, expansive, and wildly inventive. André 3000 and Big Boi blended politics, funk, and pop into an era-defining Southern rap record.

13. SOPHIE: OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES (2018)

Futuristic pop that warped club sounds into new emotional languages. SOPHIE’s production upended expectations about texture, identity, and catharsis.

12. Moodymann: Forevernevermore (2000)

A Detroit-born manifesto of house and soul. Moodymann layers soul samples, spoken snippets, and groove into a deeply rooted, vibrant album.

11. Jeff Rosenstock: WORRY. (2016)

Punk fury meeting anxious modern life. Rosenstock channels civic dread and personal heartbreak into urgent, cathartic songs.

10–1: The top ten — records that reshaped sound and feeling

10. Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele (2000)

Razor-tongued storytelling and soulful production. Ghostface’s eccentric energy and vivid detail make this a Wu-Tang-era standout.

9. Songs: Ohia: The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)

Jason Molina’s move into full-band Americana yielded ragged, moving torch songs. The album wears its bruises proudly and honestly.

8. Beyoncé: RENAISSANCE (2022)

A festival of queer and Black dance traditions repurposed into modern pop triumph. Beyoncé’s command over the form makes this joyous and historic.

7. Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz (2010)

Sufjan pivoted from pastoral folk into synth-laden, confessional experimentation. The album is at once intimate and wildly orchestral.

6. Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me (2010)

A sprawling three-disc suite of harp-based songs. Newsom expanded her sonic palette into a baroque, whimsical, and emotionally risky odyssey.

5. Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (2017)

Concise, potent, and layered. Kendrick delivered razor-sharp narratives and complex sonic textures that earned both acclaim and cultural weight.

4. Björk: Vespertine (2001)

Microbeats, whispering textures, and intimate orchestration define this tender Björk album. It’s reclusive, detailed, and ravishingly delicate.

3. D’Angelo: Voodoo (2000)

A swampy, sensual R&B masterclass. D’Angelo’s grooves and musicianship created a deep, soulful record that still sounds intoxicating.

2. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do (2012)

Spare, fierce, and uncompromising. Apple stripped arrangements down until every breath and click mattered, yielding raw emotional power.

1. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)

An album that weathered label rejection to become a modern classic. Wilco blended lo-fi experiments, string textures, and brutally honest songwriting into a record many fans call genius.