WERS 88.9 fm Greatest Albums of the Decade
December 23rd, 2009
The first decade of the new millennium saw an array of turbulent events that affected WERS listeners as well as the artists creating music for the independent mind. The proliferation of web-based technology revolutionized the way people access music, and as a result, the signature sound of the past decade has been that of eclecticism. With more information than ever at our fingertips, artists fused sounds from every genre, pushing previously existing boundaries farther than listeners could have anticipated. As the decade comes to a close, WERS staff from every department came together to decide which albums were the greatest of the past ten years. The albums that made the list showcase the bold, genre defying spirit that we value here at WERS.org. The following are the greatest albums of the decade…
Radiohead- Kid A [2000]
As a society in its digital infancy stepped into the 21st century, the release of Radiohead's Kid A welcomed the world to a new decade of experimentation. By defying expectations of a guitar-based follow-up to 1997s OK Computer, the Oxford-quintet ditched stringed instruments and made a bleak, experimental electronica record that sounded like a soundtrack to a dystopian future; a future envisioned for us through the mind of Radiohead's front man, Thom Yorke. The self-titled track is a narrative told through an eerie, inaudible voice that sounds not of this world. The calculated rhythms of the icy keyboards, over a minimalistic electronic drum beat creates an auditory experience out of a post-apocalyptic trip. This unconventional release was the groups first full-length to debut at #1 on the Billboards in the U.S., and the influential nature of this album went on to set the standard by which experimental music would be judged in the prolific decade that followed. -Andrew Bruss, Web Editor
Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion [2009]
The collaborations of Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist have explored new corners of the sonic universe since the start of the decade. Every project, full length, and EP they'd released in that time span culminated with Animal Collective's magnum opus, Merriweather Post Pavilion, a cohesive collection of individually astounding songs that sound unlike anything listeners have heard before. –Andrew Bruss, Web Editor
My Morning Jacket - Z [2005]
My Morning Jacket's Z is utterly flawless. Front man Jim James took small bits of reggae, soul, and folk, and mixed it with the familiar MMJ elements like synthesizers and reverb. MMJ had traditionally been compared to Neil Young, and it wasn't until after the release of Z that comparisons as far-out as Prince started to make the rounds. Slowly but surely, listeners realized this album was infectious -- an instant and memorable classic that deserves to be celebrated. -Nickie Kolb, Daytime Music Director
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me [2002]
Come Away With Me was the most commercially successful jazz album of the decade, winning six Grammy's in 2003, earning mention as the most successful jazz album of all time – yes, even more successful than Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. This was only the start of a grand career to come.-Lily Jeong, Staff Writer
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP [2000]
The best selling hip hop record of the decade was also the fastest selling. On a circuit that had become more about bling and street rep than rhymes or flow, Eminem dropped a napalm blast of spitfire fueled by the anger of a man with a grudge against the world. American ears were shocked to hear lyrics riddled with images of explicit misogyny, but the fact remains that The Marshal Mathers LP was the biggest hip-hop release of the decade. -Andrew Bruss, Web Editor
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America [2006]
The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America has forever altered the course of independent music. Labeled, perhaps too easily, as a bar band, the Hold Steady wrote this album for the underdogs: the binge-drinking townies, your high school girlfriend, the kids smoking by the 7-Eleven, your parents, maybe even you. Tracks like "Stuck Between Stations," "Party Pit," and the somber "First Night," were instant classics, but never gimmicky. The album tapped back into a genre that hadn't been heard for years: actual rock and roll. - Cady Drell, Staff Writer
Jay-Z - The Black Album [2003]
When Jay-Z announced he was retiring, he spared no expense to go out with a bang. Granted, time proved that H.O.V.A.'s "retirement" was short lived, but with guest producers Just Blaze, Timbaland, Kanye West, and Rick Ruben assembling smash hits like "99 Problems," and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," The Black Album proved to be the most masterfully produced hip hop album of the decade. Bar none. -Andrew Bruss, Web Editor
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/ The Love Below [2003]
Few albums in history have provided us with a popular catchphrase like, "Shake it like a Polaroid picture." "Hey Ya!" was iTunes' first platinum download ever, and this double-disk infuses more sounds and textures than a single listen can fully comprehend. This release was also awarded the Grammy for Album of the Year. -Kristina Carucci, Staff Photographer
The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots [2002]
The Flaming Lips' tenth studio album, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, was released in July 2002 and became the group's biggest commercial success to date. This album is an electronic, emotional, psychedelic thing of beauty. "Do You Realize?" has recently been adopted as the official Oklahoma State Rock Song, and a script for a Broadway musical based on the album is currently in the works. Three cheers for the Fearless Freaks! -Melissa Rogers, Staff Photographer
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand [2007]
Although the combination of rock god Robert Plant and bluegrass queen Alison Krauss seemed strange at first, they proved to be a powerful combination. Their T-Bone Burnett produced album brought together Plant's love of the Memphis blues and Krauss' country experience to create one of the most unique albums of the decade. – Jeff Penfield, Program Director
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver [2007]
James Murphy's second proper full-length as LCD Soundsystem found the hipster icon digging even deeper into his obscure, vintage dance-punk roots to create his strongest material yet. "Get Innocuous!" pulses with spastic disco energy, while the two-chord, hypnotic single, "All My Friends" stands out as one of the greatest songs of the decade -Mike Moschetto, Production Director
The Strokes- Is This It [2001]
The garage rock revival may have started before the Strokes, but they became the face of the movement. With marquee lights, cigarettes, and a gritty sound, The Strokes had everything a fully-formed bunch of rookies would need to launch their freshman debut. Who knew this would be one of the decades defining discs? - Benjamin Tan, Staff Writer
Sigur Rós - ( ) [2002]
Post-rockers' Sigur Ros' second album is a thorough reminder that music is a universal language. Vocalist Jónsi Birgisson eschews his native Icelandic for a vocabulary of gibberish and arbitrary syllables, yet injected the same pathos that comes from real words. There are no song titles indicated anywhere on the packaging and even the 12-page insert is blank - devoid of liner notes and naturally, lyrics. - Mike Moschetto, Production Director
The White Stripes - Elephant [2003]
By this point it doesn't really matter that Meg White can barely keep a beat and Jack White is probably too eccentric for his own good- "Seven Nation Army" and "The Hardest Button to Button," are the heaviest rock singles of the decade, and this album single-handedly put guitar-based rock back on the radar. -Alex Spanko, News Anchor
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes [2008]
Fleet Foxes transport you to an otherworldly, but comfortable, landscape on their self titled release. Lead singer Robin Pecknold and company made an earthy adventure that bursts open with pathos. You will sink into these booming harmonies and lonely reverb soaked solos. Perhaps more than any album this decade, Fleet Foxes creates a durability that is immediately accessible. It's a world that will never wear and one that will be visited for decades to come. - Kevin McCaul, Weekend Assistant Program Director
TV on the Radio- Return To Cookie Mountain [2006]
TV on the Radio's 2006 release, Return to Cookie Mountain redefined the borders of experimental alternative music. The chaos of atmospheric electronics, intriguing vocals, resonating drumbeats, and soulful horns could have been a musical disaster, but these entrancing sounds managed to carry you away into a breathtaking world. The heart of this album is its soul-searching lyrics, and space-age eloquence, which embody the very meaning of the word unique. - Teresa Garigen, Staff Writer
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [2002]
Seven years have passed since the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and in that time, this captivating masterpiece has been credited as the album that is responsible for making Wilco the influential act they are today. The sonically stunning "I am Trying to Break Your Heart," opens the album and sets the stage for the immaculate songs that follow. Jeff Tweedy's lyrics perfectly captured post 9/11 anxieties on songs like, "Ashes of American Flags," but while this may have taken a while to grow on you, it's an unforgettable album you will continue to listen to, and love, for years to come. -Nickie Kolb, Daytime Music Director
Arcade Fire- Funeral [2004]
Arcade Fire's freshman release has an epic sound that will be remembered as contributing to the resurfacing of that "big band" rock 'n' roll sound. The Canadian based group delivered tracks with great lyrics, and flowing melodies that made you want to pump your fist and bang your head. - Andrew Kessler, Membership Coordinator.
M.I.A. - Kala [2007]
MIA is so much more than the face of the independent electronics scene. Taking brilliant samples, like The Clash's "Straight to Hell," and molding them into danceable tunes has gained her not only critical acclaim, but a huge fan base to boot. This sophomore release is the representation of the merger between past and future. –Lily Jeong, Staff Writer
Green Day- American Idiot [2004]
After this album was released, a lot of people accused Green Day of "selling out," something that seems to happen to an alternative/punk band most any time they become commercially successful. But what Green Day did with this album was something completely different then anything they'd done before. They told a story of suburban dissent throughout the entire album. It might just be the angsty teen still living inside me, but this is an album I still listen to regularly, six years after its debut. - Jack Lepiarz, News Director
