WAKEUPANDSMELLTHEMUSIC.COM: 25 Essential Albums Of The Decade: Part 1

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WAKEUPANDSMELLTHEMUSIC.COM: 25 Essential Albums Of The Decade: Part 1

25 Essential Albums Of The Decade: Part 1

What if you were stranded on a deserted island with your iPod only capable of holding 25 albums of your choice from the last decade? Assuming, of course, you have unlimited battery power (and enough food and water), what albums would you pick to listen to over and over? Well, probably the ones that you go back to just for pure listening enjoyment. It wouldn't be same as the so-called "experts" best of list, because many of those were chosen for artistic expression or musical experimentation. No, what you want are strong track-for-track albums with no filler, since you're limited to just 25 albums. What you want are interesting, engaging, and accessible works that you don't ever seem to tire of. It's those essential albums you want on your hypothetical deserted island to keep you company and maintain your spirits until someone comes along to find you.

Here's 25 essential albums of the decade we wouldn't want to be without. To diversify our list we choose only one album per artist, which gave us a few tough choices. We broke this into 2 parts with the first 13 today and the rest tomorrow. We've already featured the first 8 albums in full articles with the link below if you want to read it. We also have a link to listen to the album on lala. Check our list and then try making your own. Maybe, your choices, like ours, might just surprise you a little.

25 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE DECADE

PART 1

Jack Johnson

Brushfire Fairytales

Release Date: February 6, 2001

Label: Universal

See our feature article
here.

The Beat Surrender: "I was immediately seduced by Johnson’s soothing, entrancing, warm, honey-like vocals, and this feeling stayed with me throughout this 13-track album of amazing acoustic ballads. I really can’t find one bad song."
Play the album on Lala here.

Pete Yorn

Musicforthemorningafter

Release Date: March 27, 2001

Label: Columbia

See our feature article
here.
Allmusic: "Musicforthemorningafter arrived when modern rock was looking for an outlet to escape alternative metal popularity. Yorn isn't afraid of becoming pop, for it's with a rugged edge and that's quite all right."
Play the album on Lala here.

Stereophonics

Just Enough Education to Perform

Release Date: April 17, 2001

Label: V2

See our feature article
here.
Music Critic: "With Just Enough Education to Perform, the trio has released a truly mature disc - one that will inevitably propel them to the forefront of the minds of those who had previously ignored them."
Play the album on Lala here.

The Shins

Oh, Inverted World

Release Date: June 19, 2001

Label: Sub Pop Records

See our feature article
here.
Pop Matters: "With Oh, Inverted World, the Shins have put together an enjoyable if not astonishing little debut. It may not change your life or be of groundbreaking significance but...you could do a hell of a lot worse."
Play the album on Lala here.

The Strokes

Is This It?

Release Date: October 9, 2001

Label: RCA Records

See our feature article
here.
Pop Matters: "They're a rock band, plain and simple. And if you go into this record expecting nothing more than that, you'll probably be pretty pleased...I'd be lying if I said I thought Is This It was anything other than a great rock record."
Play the album on Lala here.

Incubus

Morning View

Release Date: October 23, 2001

Label: Warner Brothers

See our feature article
here.
Slant Magazine: "Its uncomplicated metaphors balance what could have been a gross display of rock pretension. All hail the new kings of rock."
Play the album on Lala here.

Counting Crows

Hard Candy

Release Date: July 9, 2002

Label: Geffen

See our feature article
here.
Allmusic: "Hard Candy is the sound of a band at a creative and poetic summit...These 13 stories are as wondrously accessible in their sheeny glory, yet as moving and profound as anything pop music has to offer."
Play the album on Lala here.

Spoon

Kill The Moonlight

Release Date: August 20, 2002

Label: Merge

See our feature article
here.
Allmusic: "Meticulously choppy and frequently free of inherent genre boundaries, it's an askew masterpiece of brains, brawn, heart, and soul...Spoon should bring listeners of all worlds to a screeching halt with this one."
Play the album on Lala here.

Coldplay

A Rush of Blood to the Head

Release Date: August 27, 2002

Label: Parlophone/Capitol Records

See our feature article here

Allmusic: "Regardless of the band still being in their mid-twenties, they've made an amazing record, and if it ends up being their last, A Rush of Blood to the Head didn't sugarcoat anything. It's a bittersweet design no matter what."

Play the album on Lala here.

The Postal Service

Give Up

Release Date: February 18, 2003

Label: Sub Pop Records

Dusted Magazine: "...on the simplest level, the one on which all of us are still suckers for a great melody, poetic insight, and near-perfect synthesis of everything else involved, Give Up is unimpeachable."

Play the album on Lala here.

The White Stripes

Elephant

Release Date: April 1, 2003

Label: Warner Bros.

Rolling Stone: "The White Stripes made Elephant, their fourth album, in just two weeks, at a London studio outfitted with an eight-track tape machine and recording gear that predates the Beatles. But the Detroit duo walked out with a work of pulverizing perfection."

Play the album on Lala here.

Third Eye Blind

Out Of The Vein

Release Date: May 13, 2003

Label: Rhino/Elektra

Entertainment Weekly: "...ultimately this is prime 3EB: a tad pretentious, a bit slick, but catchy as hell. It may not open up your third eye, but give it half a chance and it'll do wonders for your pleasure chakra."

Play the album on Lala here.

Guster

Keep It Together

Release Date: June 24, 2003

Label: Palm/Reprise

Drowned In Sound: "Overall, you can still expect the same and more from Guster on this very summery record: tempo changes that will catch you off your guard, melodies that will stay in your head forever, and lyrics that may seem simple, but actually go deeper into life than you originally thought they did."

Play the album on Lala here.

Enjoy, GB