Alex DiVincenzo
01/13/10, 10:52 PM
I must preface this by saying that I in no way believe that these are the "best" albums of the decade, but rather they are my favorites. This list will undoubtedly be called embarrassing by some for not placing modern classics such as Kid A or Deja Entendu in the top spot, but the albums below are those that clicked with me in a memorable way for one reason or another. I still listen to them all quite frequently, not just for nostalgia, but because I believe they are great albums. Pop punk and hardcore pretty much got me through high school, which was the biggest part of my decade, and because of that there is a soft spot for the genres. It seems that most of my friends have grown out of this kind of music, but I swear I have nearly identical tastes as I did 5 years ago, for better or worse.
Although the latter half of the decade undoubtedly offered a lot of great music, it seems that the earlier portion had more of an impact on me. Perhaps the newer albums are subconsciously too fresh in my mind to be considered favorites, or maybe it's because I already discovered my favorite bands and fell in love with their early releases, and I'm sure I left some out (to make it easier on my indecisive self, I limited it to only full-length albums). The ordering is fairly arbitrary after the top 25 or so, but after much debating, here are my Top 50 Albums of the Decade.
1. Blink 182 - The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (2000)
I openly dislike live albums. I'll be the first to admit that I'd much rather listen to a studio album than inferior live recordings. It's ironic, then, that my favorite album of the decade -- and one of my favorite albums of all time -- is Blink 182's The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show. After becoming borderline obsessed with the band's breakout album, Enema of the State, the live follow-up served as a way to open of the millions of new fans, myself included, to their past material. In addition to familiarizing me with one of my other all-time favorites, Dude Ranch, the album also opened my virgin ears to some hilariously raunchy stage banter. I attribute much of my inappropriate sense of humor to this album. Listening to it to this day still makes me laugh and, more importantly, gets my adrenaline going.
2. Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
I distinctly remember the first time that I heard Killswitch Engage's Alive or Just Breathing. A friend of mind had burned me a copy, telling me that I had to hear it. I assumed it was just another one of his metal bands (of which, at the time, I wasn't such a big fan), but when I sat there at my kitchen table doing my middle school homework, I was blown away by the explosive beginning of "Numbered Days". By the time the opening song reached its epic chorus, I knew this was something special. To many, it's just another metalcore album. I understand why, but to me, it will always be a masterpiece. The band certainly wasn't reinventing the wheel, but they refined it in a way that I had never heard before. At-the-time vocalist Jesse David Leach had one of the most impressive voices in the scene with a huge range, and his inspirational, spiritual lyrics were a breath of fresh air in a scene typically dedicated to love loss and anger. This album helped open the door for me to many other forms of heavy music (and is therefore vicariously the reason I'm writing for this site in the first place) and continues to be one of my favorite albums of all time.
3. Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy (2004)
"And the record begins with a song of rebellion." Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy got everything right. It's an amazing punk rock album like no other. Mastermind Max Bemis is a brilliant storyteller, with unique lyrics that are relatable without being cliched, and he also has the ability to craft an infectiously catchy tune. With songs about sex, heartbreak, rebellion, and life in general, this album was everything I wanted as a high school kid unsure of his place in the world. It hit me at that perfect time, and I still get chills listening to album closer "Admit It!!!"
4. New Found Glory - Sticks and Stones (2002)
With my pop punk obsession in full effect in the early 2000's, I finally found a band that did it almost as well as Blink 182. That band was New Found Glory, and Sticks and Stones was the first full release of theirs that I heard. The songs connected with me immediately, and the band quickly cemented their position as one of my favorites, where they remain to this day.
5. New Found Glory - New Found Glory (2000)
After enjoying Sticks and Stones so much, I sought out the band's previous album, New Found Glory. Although it didn't quite have the same connection as hearing the band for the first time, I saw why many fans considered it their favorite. I was late on this one, but I quickly grew to love it.
6. The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It (2002)
I don't think there's an album released this decade with which I've sang along more than this The Starting Line's Say It Like You Mean It. I remember borrowing my brother's burned copy for the first time and wondering why it took me so long to find out about them. It's one of those albums that has so many memories attached to it. Every time I listen, I can't help but turn the volume way up, roll the windows down, and be taken away to an earlier, more simple time.
7. Fall Out Boy - Take This to Your Grave (2003)
Fall Out Boy's Take This to Your Grave was the anthem to my freshman year of high school. I'll never forget seeing them at the Warped Tour the following summer. They were the first band to play, and I did my first Wapred crowd surf during "Chicago Is So Two Years Ago." This has to be one of the catchiest albums I've ever heard. The band knows how to write a hook, and the lyrics were relatable to confused freshman. Although I've grown a lot since I first heard this album, I still have a lot of attachment to it.
8. Bayside - Sirens and Condolences (2004)
Back in 2004, I saw a flyer (remember when you'd see those in real life?) for a local show advertising a band on Victory Records called Bayside. I had never heard of them but liked many of Victory's artists, so I downloaded their debut, Sirens and Condolences, track by track on Limewire (what a pain in the ass that was). The band ended up not being able to play the show (they got stuck in traffic), but I couldn't be too upset since I discovered a new favorite album. This album has helped me through a lot of heart breaks with its melancholy lyrics.
9. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends (2002)
Taking Back Sunday hit the nail on the head with Tell All Your Friends. The raw energy, the heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics, the complementary dual vocals; it was all perfect. It's something the band hasn't been able to replicate since the departure of John Nolan, but I'm sure glad they got it right once. I spent plenty of time poured over the lyrics to this album while singing along.
10. Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon (2001)
Brand New's Your Favorite Weapon may not be their musical best nor their most ambitious, but that doesn't stop it from my being my favorite. What heartbroken kid hasn't directed the lyrics to "Seventy Times 7" to an ex? Who hasn't somberly crooned along to "Soco Amaretto Lime" (which is my favorite song the band has ever written)? I'm gonna stay eighteen forever.
Although the latter half of the decade undoubtedly offered a lot of great music, it seems that the earlier portion had more of an impact on me. Perhaps the newer albums are subconsciously too fresh in my mind to be considered favorites, or maybe it's because I already discovered my favorite bands and fell in love with their early releases, and I'm sure I left some out (to make it easier on my indecisive self, I limited it to only full-length albums). The ordering is fairly arbitrary after the top 25 or so, but after much debating, here are my Top 50 Albums of the Decade.
1. Blink 182 - The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (2000)
I openly dislike live albums. I'll be the first to admit that I'd much rather listen to a studio album than inferior live recordings. It's ironic, then, that my favorite album of the decade -- and one of my favorite albums of all time -- is Blink 182's The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show. After becoming borderline obsessed with the band's breakout album, Enema of the State, the live follow-up served as a way to open of the millions of new fans, myself included, to their past material. In addition to familiarizing me with one of my other all-time favorites, Dude Ranch, the album also opened my virgin ears to some hilariously raunchy stage banter. I attribute much of my inappropriate sense of humor to this album. Listening to it to this day still makes me laugh and, more importantly, gets my adrenaline going.
2. Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
I distinctly remember the first time that I heard Killswitch Engage's Alive or Just Breathing. A friend of mind had burned me a copy, telling me that I had to hear it. I assumed it was just another one of his metal bands (of which, at the time, I wasn't such a big fan), but when I sat there at my kitchen table doing my middle school homework, I was blown away by the explosive beginning of "Numbered Days". By the time the opening song reached its epic chorus, I knew this was something special. To many, it's just another metalcore album. I understand why, but to me, it will always be a masterpiece. The band certainly wasn't reinventing the wheel, but they refined it in a way that I had never heard before. At-the-time vocalist Jesse David Leach had one of the most impressive voices in the scene with a huge range, and his inspirational, spiritual lyrics were a breath of fresh air in a scene typically dedicated to love loss and anger. This album helped open the door for me to many other forms of heavy music (and is therefore vicariously the reason I'm writing for this site in the first place) and continues to be one of my favorite albums of all time.
3. Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy (2004)
"And the record begins with a song of rebellion." Say Anything's ...Is a Real Boy got everything right. It's an amazing punk rock album like no other. Mastermind Max Bemis is a brilliant storyteller, with unique lyrics that are relatable without being cliched, and he also has the ability to craft an infectiously catchy tune. With songs about sex, heartbreak, rebellion, and life in general, this album was everything I wanted as a high school kid unsure of his place in the world. It hit me at that perfect time, and I still get chills listening to album closer "Admit It!!!"
4. New Found Glory - Sticks and Stones (2002)
With my pop punk obsession in full effect in the early 2000's, I finally found a band that did it almost as well as Blink 182. That band was New Found Glory, and Sticks and Stones was the first full release of theirs that I heard. The songs connected with me immediately, and the band quickly cemented their position as one of my favorites, where they remain to this day.
5. New Found Glory - New Found Glory (2000)
After enjoying Sticks and Stones so much, I sought out the band's previous album, New Found Glory. Although it didn't quite have the same connection as hearing the band for the first time, I saw why many fans considered it their favorite. I was late on this one, but I quickly grew to love it.
6. The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It (2002)
I don't think there's an album released this decade with which I've sang along more than this The Starting Line's Say It Like You Mean It. I remember borrowing my brother's burned copy for the first time and wondering why it took me so long to find out about them. It's one of those albums that has so many memories attached to it. Every time I listen, I can't help but turn the volume way up, roll the windows down, and be taken away to an earlier, more simple time.
7. Fall Out Boy - Take This to Your Grave (2003)
Fall Out Boy's Take This to Your Grave was the anthem to my freshman year of high school. I'll never forget seeing them at the Warped Tour the following summer. They were the first band to play, and I did my first Wapred crowd surf during "Chicago Is So Two Years Ago." This has to be one of the catchiest albums I've ever heard. The band knows how to write a hook, and the lyrics were relatable to confused freshman. Although I've grown a lot since I first heard this album, I still have a lot of attachment to it.
8. Bayside - Sirens and Condolences (2004)
Back in 2004, I saw a flyer (remember when you'd see those in real life?) for a local show advertising a band on Victory Records called Bayside. I had never heard of them but liked many of Victory's artists, so I downloaded their debut, Sirens and Condolences, track by track on Limewire (what a pain in the ass that was). The band ended up not being able to play the show (they got stuck in traffic), but I couldn't be too upset since I discovered a new favorite album. This album has helped me through a lot of heart breaks with its melancholy lyrics.
9. Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends (2002)
Taking Back Sunday hit the nail on the head with Tell All Your Friends. The raw energy, the heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics, the complementary dual vocals; it was all perfect. It's something the band hasn't been able to replicate since the departure of John Nolan, but I'm sure glad they got it right once. I spent plenty of time poured over the lyrics to this album while singing along.
10. Brand New - Your Favorite Weapon (2001)
Brand New's Your Favorite Weapon may not be their musical best nor their most ambitious, but that doesn't stop it from my being my favorite. What heartbroken kid hasn't directed the lyrics to "Seventy Times 7" to an ex? Who hasn't somberly crooned along to "Soco Amaretto Lime" (which is my favorite song the band has ever written)? I'm gonna stay eighteen forever.