It’s the end of a decade, a decade of music that we are pretty happy to have been a part of. Since 2003, Each Note Secure has attempted to cover the local music scene for you, while also tracking the national and international acts that we loved. We are and have always been fans, and I think thats why I wanted to throw this list together. So many great albums were released over the course of the last ten years, and mentioning them all would be impossible.
I tried to give only one spot an an artist, which was tough with bands that released multiple albums I love this decade (The Shins, M. Ward, Radiohead, Spoon etc.) so in those cases I just chose my favorite. Even so, here are the albums that impacted me the most this decade, without explanation. If you know em, you know why.
31. Coldplay – Parachutes – 2001
30. The Streets – Original Pirate Material – 2002
29. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind – 2000
28. The Decemberists – Her Majesty, The Decemberists – 2003
27. The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree – 2005
26. Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts Of The Great Highway – 2003
25. LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver – 2007
24. Grizzly Bear – Veckitamest – 2009
23. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago – 2008
22. Doves – Kingdom Of Rust – 2009
21. Okkervil River – Black Sheep Boy – 2005
20. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas Lost Ghosts – 2003
19. The Strokes – Is This It? – 2001
18. Spoon – Kill The Moonlight – 2002
17. TV On The Radio – Dear Science – 2008
16. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow – 2003
15. Whiskeytown – Pneumonia – 2001
14. The Wrens – Meadowlands – 2003
13. The National – Boxer – 2007
12. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights – 2002
11. My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves – 2003
10. Cat Power – You Are Free – 2003
9. Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel The Illinoise! – 2005
8. Beck – Sea Change – 2002
7. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump – 2000
6. Sigur Ros – Ãgætis byrjun – 2001
5. Radiohead – Kid A – 2000
4. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker – 2000
3. M. Ward – Transfiguration Of Vincent – 2003
2. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – 2002
1. Arcade Fire – Funeral – 2004
Breakdown by year
2000 – 4
2001 – 3
2002 – 5
2003 – 8
2004 – 1
2005 – 3
2006 – 0
2007 – 2
2008 – 2
2009 – 2
Jesse, I totally left it out on accident! I knew I would do that, I am adding it at the end of the list…. 
Dec 22, 2009Great list, Joe.
I completely forgot about that Sun Kil Moon record. Those first two songs are just incredible.
Dec 22, 2009Couldn’t agree more on Funeral. It and “Is this It?” by The Strokes are my #1 and #2.
Dec 29, 2009Excellent list, Joe. I would list many of the same albums. Pretty tough to limit Radiohead to just one album (Kid A and In Rainbows both belong by all means and standards). I’d have to disagree about the includion of Beck’s Sea Change, which I still don’t like and it’s pretty clear that it was a one-time diversion from the rest of his output. I’ll take Guero in a heartbeat over Sea Change.
Biggest omission on the list has to be Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Second biggest omission is Kings of Leon. I might also argue about Muse and Editors, but I realize that this becomes pretty subjective stuff.
20 of the 31 albums are from 2000-2003. Coincidence? I don’t think so. It’s always harder to put the more recent output into the proper perspective. Reason why it’s so hard to put out the “Best of the Decade” out so soon.
Thank you for your excellent blog, keep up the good work! Best wishes for 2010.
Cheers!
Dec 30, 2009Great list, Joe. I totally forgot about that album by The Streets.
8:08 pm
Pretty good list! My ordering would be somewhat different but many of your selections would be on my list as well.
BTW, why is Coldplay’s “Parachutes” in the collage image but not on the list? Last minute replacement?
Oh wait, I know why now – it’s just the alternate cover for U2, right? =)