This isn't likely to change over the next four days, so I'll post it now. I started this list in September and have tweaked it heavily over the past three months. There are caveats galore, none of which I'll bother stating explicitly other than to say that anything you think looks short-sighted, not as good as another choice by the same artist, or like a mere genre token probably is. Bitch all you like about omissions, too. I didn't do a ton of re-listening; this is what I liked from this decade, during the decade; a snapshot, not a tombstone.

100 Favorite Albums of the '00s
1. Triple R, Friends (Kompakt, 2002)
2. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge, 2007)
3. Lifter Puller, Fiestas + Fiascos (Frenchkiss, 2000)
4. The Go-Betweens, Oceans Apart (Yep Roc, 2005)
5. Ne-Yo, Year of the Gentleman (Def Jam, 2008)
6. The Avalanches, Since I Left You (XL, 2001)
7. Basement Jaxx, Rooty (Astralwerks/XL, 2001)
8. DJ /rupture, Gold Teeth Thief (Negrophonic, 2001)
9. The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree (4AD, 2005)
10. M.I.A., Kala (XL/Interscope, 2007)

11. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (Frenchkiss, 2005)
12. Clinic, Internal Wrangler (Domino, 2000)
13. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (Universal Motown, 2008)
14. Daft Punk, Discovery (Virgin, 2001)
15. M.I.A., Arular (XL/Interscope, 2005)
16. Luomo, Vocalcity (Force Tracks, 2000)
17. Kanye West, Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella, 2005)
18. Sonic Youth, Sonic Nurse (DGC, 2004)
19. U.S.E. (Mannheim, 2004)
20. Superlongevity 2 (Perlon, 2001)

21. 2 Many DJ’s, As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 (Pias, 2002)
22. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver (Capitol, 2007)
23. The Streets, Original Pirate Material (Locked On/Vice, 2002)
24. Ted Leo + the Pharmacists, Shake the Sheets (Lookout!, 2004)
25. Bob Dylan, Love and Theft (Columbia, 2001)
26. Clipse, Lord Willin’ (Star Trak, 2002)
27. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian, 2007)
28. The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me (Frenchkiss, 2004)
29. Ghostface Killah, Fishscale (Def Jam, 2006)
30. The Best Bootlegs in the World Ever (No Label, 2002)

31. DJ Koze, Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2001-2009 (Get Physical, 2009)
32. The Futureheads (Sire, 2004)
33. The New Pornographers, Electric Version (Matador, 2003)
34. Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash (Astralwerks, 2003)
35. Kylie Minogue, Fever (Capitol, 2001)
36. The Thermals, Fuckin A (Sub Pop, 2004)
37. Gretchen Wilson, Here for the Party (Epic, 2004)
38. Devin the Dude, To Tha X-Treme (Rap-a-Lot, 2004)
39. The Strokes, Is This It (RCA, 2001)
40. The Mountain Goats, Tallahassee (4AD, 2002)

41. Scarface, The Fix (Def Jam South, 2002)
42. Quasimoto, The Unseen (Stone’s Throw, 2000)
43. OutKast, Stankonia (LaFace, 2000)
44. Missy Elliott, Respect M.E. (Atlantic, U.K., 2006)
45. Dungen, Ta Det Lugnt (Subliminal Sounds, 2004)
46. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (Universal Republic, 2006)
47. Matthew Herbert, Globus Mix Vol. 5: Let’s All Make Mistakes (Tresor, 2000)
48. Portishead, Third (Mercury, 2008)
49. Queens of the Stone Age, R (Interscope, 2000)
50. Kiki & Herb Will Die for You (Evolver, 2005)

51. Lawrence (Dial, 2002)
52. Jay-Z, The Blueprint (Roc-a-Fella, 2001)
53. DJ /rupture, Minesweeper Suite (Tigerbeat6, 2002)
54. James Murphy & Pat Mahoney, FabricLive 36 (Fabric, 2007)
55. Poplife Presents Poplife Sucks (News/541, 2008)
56. Coachwhips, Double Death (Narnack, 2006)
57. Pure Garage II (Warner Bros. U.K., 2001)
58. D’Angelo, Voodoo (Virgin, 2000)
59. Justin Timberlake, Justified (Jive, 2003)
60. Michael Mayer, Fabric 13 (Fabric, 2003)

61. Kanye West, The College Dropout (Roc-a-Fella, 2004)
62. Sonic Youth, Murray Street (Geffen, 2002)
63. Madvillain, Madvillainy (Stones Throw, 2004)
64. Atmosphere, Lucy Ford (Rhymesayers, 2001)
65. John Peel, FabricLive 07 (Fabric, 2002)
66. Art Brut vs. Satan (Downtown, 2009)
67. Introducing Etran Finatawa (Riverboat, 2006)
68. DJ Koze, Kosi Comes Around (Kompakt, 2005)
69. Flying Lotus, Los Angeles (Warp, 2008)
70. Todd Edwards, Full On Volume 2 (i!, 2003)

71. R. Kelly, Chocolate Factory (Jive, 2003)
72. Raphael Saadiq, The Way I See It (Columbia, 2008)
73. Missy Elliott, Under Construction (Elektra, 2002)
74. Junior Senior: D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat (Chunky Frog/Atlantic, 2003)
75. DFA Compilation #2 (DFA, 2004)
76. Big & Rich, Horse of a Different Color (Warner Bros., 2004)
77. Pantha Du Prince, This Bliss (Dial, 2007)
78. Pantytec, Pony Slaystation (Perlon, 2003)
79. Franz Ferdinand (Domino, 2004)
80. Ellen Allien, Weiss.Mix (Bpitch Control, 2002)

81. William Parker, Sound Unity (Aum Fidelity, 2005)
82. Ne-Yo, In My Own Words (Def Jam, 2006)
83. Junior Boys, Last Exit (Kin/Domino, 2004)
84. A Frames, Black Forest (Sub Pop, 2005)
85. DJ Quik & Kurupt, BlaQKout (Mad Science, 2009)
86. The David S. Ware Quartet, Live in the World (Thirsty Ear, 2005)
87. v/a, Hyphy Hitz (TVT, 2007)
88. Luna, Romantica (Jetset, 2002)
89. Tanya Morgan, Brooklynati (Interdependent, 2009)
90. 5 Years of Hyperdub Records (Hyperdub, 2009)

91. Annie, Anniemal (Vice, 2004)
92. Sleater-Kinney, One Beat (Kill Rock Stars, 2002)
93. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (Cash Money, 2008)
94. Girl Talk, Night Ripper (Illegal Art, 2006)
95. Playgroup, DJ-Kicks (K7, 2002)
96. Hercules and Love Affair (DFA/Mute, 2008)
97. The Field, From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt, 2007)
98. The Coup, Party Music (Ark 75, 2001)
99. The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat (Rough Trade, 2004)
100. The Postal Service, Give Up (Sub Pop, 2003)