Top Tens

2004-12-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

all-time favorite
heartbreaking; mindblowing
excellent
great
good

1954

1. Bags' Groove (Miles Davis)
2. Walkin' (Miles Davis All Stars)

1957

1. The Clown (Charles Mingus)
2. Saxophone Colossus (Sonny Rollins)
3. 'Round About Midnight (Miles Davis)
4. Blue Train (John Coltrane)
5. The Cooker (Lee Morgan)

1959

1. Kind of Blue (Miles Davis)
2. The Shape of Jazz to Come (Ornette Coleman)
3. Time Out (Dave Brubeck Quartet)

1961

1. Africa/Brass (John Coltrane)
2. Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Bill Evans Trio)
3. The Blues and the Abstract Truth (Oliver Nelson)
4. Waltz for Debby (Bill Evans Trio)

1962

1. Live at the Village Vanguard (John Coltrane)
2. Money Jungle (Duke Ellington)
3. Inception (McCoy Tyner)
4. Oh Yeah (Charles Mingus)

1963

1. Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (Sam Cooke)
2. The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Charles Mingus)
3. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman)
4. Black Fire (Andrew Hill)
5. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan)
6. Live at the Apollo (James Brown)
7. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (Phil Spector & Friends)

Singles/EPs

1. "She Loves You" (The Beatles)
2. "Please Please Me / From Me to You" (The Beatles)

1964

1. Point of Departure (Andrew Hill)
2. Spiritual Unity (Albert Ayler Trio)
3. The Times They Are A'Changin' (Bob Dylan)

1965

1. A Love Supreme (John Coltrane)
2. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob Dylan)
3. Rubber Soul (The Beatles)
4. Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (Otis Redding)
5. Bringing It All Back Home (Bob Dylan)
6. Hoodoo Man Blues (Junior Wells)
7. Help! (The Beatles)

Singles/EPs

1. "Help! / I'm Down" (The Beatles)
2. "We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper" (The Beatles)
3. "Yesterday / Act Naturally" (The Beatles)

1966

1. Revolver (The Beatles)
2. Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys)
3. Meditations (John Coltrane)
4. Blonde on Blonde (Bob Dylan)
5. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Ennio Morricone)
6. Aftermath (The Rolling Stones)
7. Face to Face (The Kinks)

Singles/EPs

1. "Paperback Writer / Rain" (The Beatles)
2. "Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby" (The Beatles)
3. "Michelle / Girl" (The Beatles)
4. "Nowhere Man / What Goes On" (The Beatles)

1967

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles)
2. The Velvet Underground and Nico (The Velvet Underground and Nico)
3. Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles)
4. In Greenwich Village (Albert Ayler)
5. Axis: Bold As Love (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
6. The Real McCoy (McCoy Tyner)
7. Chelsea Girl (Nico)
8. Smiley Smile (The Beach Boys)
9. Miles Smiles (Miles Davis)
10. After Bathing at Baxter’s (Jefferson Airplane)
11. Surrealistic Pillow (Jefferson Airplane)
12. Safe As Milk (Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band)
13. Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina (The Left Banke)
14. Are You Experienced (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
15. Wild Honey (The Beach Boys)
16. Sorcerer (Miles Davis)
17. Easter Everywhere (13th Floor Elevators)
18. Far East Suite (Duke Ellington)
19. The Doors (The Doors)
20. Disraeli Gears (Cream)
21. Moby Grape (Moby Grape)
22. Something Else by The Kinks (The Kinks)
23. Between the Buttons (Rolling Stones)
24. Scott (Scott Walker)
25. Ludo (Ivor Cutler)
26. Forever Changes (Love)
27. The Piper At the Gates of Dawn (Pink Floyd)
28. John Wesley Harding (Bob Dylan)
29. Tim Hardin 2 (Tim Hardin)
30. The Songs of Leonard Cohen (Leonard Cohen)
31. Cauldron (Fifty Foot Hose)

meh: Strange Days (The Doors); Future (The Seeds); A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues (The Seeds)

Singles/EPs

1. "Hello Goodbye / I Am the Walrus" (The Beatles)
2. "Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever" (The Beatles)
3. "Care of Cell 44 / Maybe After He's Gone" (The Zombies)
4. "All You Need Is Love / Baby, You're a Rich Man" (The Beatles)

1968

1. Astral Weeks (Van Morrison)
2. The Beatles (The Beatles)
3. White Light/White Heat (The Velvet Underground)
4. Electric Ladyland (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
5. Odessey and Oracle (The Zombies)
6. Agemo’s Trip to Mother Earth (Group 1850)
7. Sweetheart of the Rodeo (The Byrds)
8. Music from Big Pink (The Band)
9. The Notorious Byrd Brothers (The Byrds)
10. Machine Gun (Peter Brötzmann)
11. Os Mutantes (Os Mutantes)
12. Scott 2 (Scott Walker)
13. Expansions (McCoy Tyner)
14. Anthem of the Sun (Grateful Dead)
15. Crown of Creation (Jefferson Airplane)
16. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (The Kinks)
17. Quicksilver Messenger Service (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
18. Vincebus Eruptum (Blue Cheer)
19. Beggars Banquet (The Rolling Stones)
20. At Folsom Prison (Johnny Cash)
21. Gris-Gris (Dr. John)
22. S.F. Sorrow (The Pretty Things)
23. The United States of America (The United States of America)
24. Heavy Sounds (Elvin Jones and Richard Davis)
25. Nefertiti (Miles Davis)
26. Life (Sly and The Family Stone)
27. We’re Only In It for the Money (Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention)
28. Wheels of Fire (Cream)
29. The Inflated Tear (Rahsaan Roland Kirk)
30. Aerial Ballet (Harry Nilsson)
31. Song Cycle (Van Dyke Parks)

meh: The Worm (Jimmy McGriff); Cheap Thrills (Big Brother & The Holding Company); Sound of Joy (Sun Ra and The Arkestra); Steppenwolf (Steppenwolf); Sailor (Steve Miller Band); Waiting for the Sun (The Doors); Children of the Future (Steve Miller Band); In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly)

Singles/EPs

1. "Hey Jude / Revolution" (The Beatles)
2. "Time of the Season / I'll Call You Mine" (The Zombies)
3. "Ob-L-Di, Ob-La-Da / While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (The Beatles)
4. "Lady Madonna / The Inner Light" (The Beatles)
5. "Back in the U.S.S.R. / Don't Pass Me By" (The Beatles)

1969

1. Abbey Road (The Beatles)
2. Catherine Ribeiro + 2 Bis (Catherine Ribeiro + 2 Bis)
3. The Velvet Underground (The Velvet Underground)
4. Dusty in Memphis (Dusty Springfield)
5. In a Silent Way (Miles Davis)
6. Moondog (Moondog)
7. Comme á la radio (Brigitte Fontaine & Art Ensemble of Chicago)
8. Trout Mask Replica (Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band)
9. Townes Van Zandt (Townes Van Zandt)
10. Eternal Rhythm (Don Cherry)
11. Five Leaves Left (Nick Drake)
12. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil YUoung)
13. Happy Sad (Tim Buckley)
14. The Band (The Band)
15. Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones)
16. In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
17. Scott 4 (Scott Walker)
18. Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (The Kinks)
19. A Rainbow in Curved Air (Terry Riley)
20. Nashville Skyline (Bob Dylan)
21. Atlantis (Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra)
22. Stand! (Sly & The Family Stone)
23. Monster Movie (Can)
24. Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
25. Mutantes (Os Mutantes)
26. The Gilded Palace of Sin (The Flying Burrito Bros)
27. Volunteers (Jefferson Airplane)
28. Hot Rats (Frank Zappa)
29. Our Mother the Mountain (Townes Van Zandt)
30. Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin)
31. Scott 3 (Scott Walker)
32. Filles de Kilimanjaro (Miles Davis)
33. Fields (Fields)
34. Led Zeppelin II (Led Zeppelin)
35. The Stooges (The Stooges)

meh: Songs From a Room (Leonard Cohen); Kick Out the Jams (MC5); Crosby, Stills & Nash (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

bleh: Orgasm (Cromagnon)

Singles/EPs

1. "Something / Come Together" (The Beatles)
2. "Get Back / Don't Let Me Down" (The Beatles)

1970

1. Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
2. Bryter Layter (Nick Drake)
3. After the Gold Rush (Neil Young)
4. 12 Songs (Randy Newman)

1971

1. There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly & the Family Stone)
2. Tago Mago (Can)
3. Hunky Dory (David Bowie)
4. The Point! (Harry Nilsson)
5. Nilsson Schmilsson (Harry Nilsson)
6. Maggot Brain (Funkadelic)
7. What a Beautiful Place (Catherine Howe)
8. Requiem for an Almost Lady (Lee Hazlewood)

1972

1. Exile on Main St. (The Rolling Stones)
2. Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
3. Harvest (Neil Young)
4. German Oak (German Oak)
5. NEU! (Neu)
6. The Slider (T. Rex)

1973

1. The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (Bruce Springsteen)
2. Future Days (Can)
3. Berlin (Lou Reed)
4. Raw Power (The Stooges)

1974

1. Phases and Stages (Willie Nelson)
2. Good Old Boys (Randy Newman)
3. On the Beach (Neil Young)
4. Red (King Crimson)
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Richard & Linda Thompson)

1975

1. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
2. Tonight's the Night (Neil Young)
3. Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan)
4. Another Green World (Brian Eno)
5. Horses (Patti Smith)
6. Born to Be With You (Dion)
7. A Night at the Opera (Queen)
8. Zuma (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)

1976

1. Modern Lovers (Modern Lovers)
2. Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)
3. Natty Cultural Dread (Big Youth)

1977

1. Marquee Moon (Television)
2. Low (David Bowie)
3. Suicide (Suicide)
4. The Clash (The Clash)
5. Trans-Europe Express (Kraftwerk)
6. Pink Flag (Wire)
7. My Aim is True (Elvis Costello)
8. Rocket to Russia (The Ramones)
9. "Heroes" (David Bowie)
10. Animals (Pink Floyd)

Singles/EPs

1. Spiral Scratch (Buzzcocks)
2. "Mongoloid / Jocko Homo" (Devo)

1978

1. This Year's Model (Elvis Costello)
2. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Devo)
3. 3rd (Big Star)
4. Chairs Missing (Wire)
5. Real Life (Magazine)
6. Darkness on the Edge of Town (Bruce Springsteen)
7. Ambient I: Music for Airports (Brian Eno)
8. Van Halen (Van Halen)
9. Not Available (The Residents)

Singles/EPs

1. Be Stiff (Devo)
2. "Radio Radio / Tiny Steps" (Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
3. "Bingo-Master's Break-Out" (The Fall)
4. "Shot by Both Sides / My Mind Ain't So Open" (Magazine)
5. "T.V.O.D. / Warm Leatherette" (The Normal)
6. "Cheree" (Suicide)
7. "Kiss Me Again" (Dinosaur)
8. Kleenex (Kleenex)
9. "It's the New Thing" (The Fall)
10. "3E / 11000 Volts" (Mars)

1979

1. London Calling (The Clash)
2. Entertainment! (Gang of Four)
3. Armed Forces (Elvis Costello and the Attractions)
4. Unknown Pleasures (Joy Division)
5. Rust Never Sleeps (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
6. Buy (James Chance & The Contortions)
7. Dragnet (The Fall)
8. Cut (The Slits)
9. 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Throbbing Gristle)
10. A Trip to Marineville (Swell Maps)

11. Metal Box (Public Image Ltd.)
12. Singles Going Steady (Buzzcocks)
13. 154 (Wire)
14. Y (The Pop Group)
15. Van Halen II (Van Halen)

Singles/EPs

1. "Transmission / Novelty" (Joy Division)
2. "Oliver's Army / My Funny Valentine" (Elvis Costello and The Attractions)
3. "A Question of Degree / Former Airline" (Wire)

1980

1. Crazy Rhythms (The Feelies)
2. Remain in Light (Talking Heads)
3. Grotesque (After the Gramme) (The Fall)
4. Colossal Youth (Young Marble Giants)
5. The Return of The Durutti Column (The Durutti Column)
6. Lubricate Your Living Room (Fire Engines)
7. Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (Dexys Midnight Runners)
8. Is This Real? (Wipers)

Singles/EPs

1. Health and Efficiency (This Heat)
2. "Academy Fight Song / Max Ernst" (Mission of Burma)

1981

1. Deceit (This Heat)
2. Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires (Scientist)
3. The Ascension (Glenn Branca)
4. LC (The Durutti Column)
5. The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould)
6. ...And Don't the Kids Just Love It (Television Personalities)
7. Slates (The Fall)
8. Fire of Love (The Gun Club)
9. The Only Fun in Town (Josef K)
10. Solid Gold (Gang of Four)

Singles/EPs

1. Signals, Calls, and Marches (Mission of Burma)

1982

1. Nebraska (Bruce Springsteen)
2. Hex Enduction Hour (The Fall)
3. Album: Generic Flipper (Flipper)
4. Camino Del Sol (Antena)
5. You Can't Hide Your Love Forever (Orange Juice)
6. Vs. (Mission of Burma)
7. Milo Goes to College (Descendents)
8. Imperial Bedroom (Elvis Costello and The Attractions)

Singles/EPs

1. "Talk Talk" (Talk Talk)

1983

1. Perverted by Language (The Fall)
2. Murmur (R.E.M.)
3. Before Hollywood (The Go-Betweens)
3. High Land, Hard Rain (Aztec Camera)

Singles/EPs

1. "Cattle and Cane / Heaven Says" (The Go-Betweens)

1984

1. The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall (The Fall)
2. Tabula Rasa (Arvo Pärt)
3. Double Nickels on the Dime (Minutemen)
4. Let It Be (The Replacements)
5. Meat Puppets II (Meat Puppets)
6. 1984 (Van Halen)

1985

1. Rain Dogs (Tom Waits)
2. This Nation's Saving Grace (The Fall)
3. Hounds of Love (Kate Bush)
4. There are eight million stories... (The June Brides_
5. The Head on the Door (The Cure)
6. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (The Pogues)

1986

1. The Good Earth (The Feelies)
2. Bend Sinister (The Fall)
3. The Queen Is Dead (The Smiths)
4. Licensed to Ill (The Beastie Boys)
5. Graceland (Paul Simon)
6. The Colour of Spring (Talk Talk)
7. Reign in Blood (Slayer)

1987

1. You're Living All Over Me (Dinosaur jr.)
2. Come on Pilgrim (Pixies)
3. The Perfect Prescription (Spacemen 3)
4. Appetite for Destruction (Guns N' Roses)

1988

1. Spirit of Eden (Talk Talk)
2. Surfer Rosa (Pixies)
3. The Frenz Experiment (The Fall)
4. Lincoln (They Might Be Giants)

Singles/EPs

1. "Goodbye Horses" (Q Lazzarus)
2. "Gigantic" (Pixies)

1989

1. Doolittle (Pixies)
2. Paul's Boutique (The Beastie Boys)
3. Wrong (NoMeansNo)
4. Disintegration (The Cure)
5. Playing with Fire (Spacemen 3)
6. "Three Cheers for Our Side" (Flipper's Guitar)
7. The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses)
8. Bleach (Nirvana)

1990

1. Advent (Richard Youngs)
2. Torch of the Mystics (Sun City Girls)
3. Bossanova (Pixies)
4. Repeater (Fugazi)
5. Nowhere (Ride)
6. GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (Ween)
7. Immigrants, Emigrants and Me (Power of Dreams)

Singles/EPs

1. "Nothing Feels / I Know" (Bark Psychosis)

1991

1. Laughing Stock (Talk Talk)
2. Nevermind (Nirvana)
3. Seamonsters (The Wedding Present)
4. Loveless (My Bloody Valentine)
5. Trompe le Monde (Pixies)
6. Spiderland (Slint)

1992

1. Slanted & Enchanted (Pavement)
2. Pure Guava (Ween)
3. Lysol (Melvins)
4. Blues for the Red Sun (Kyuss)
5. Imperial f.f.r.r. (Unrest)
6. Leng Tch'e (Naked City)
7. 40 Oz. to Freedom (Sublime)

Singles/EPs

1. "Scum" (Bark Psychosis)
2. "Summer's Last Sound" (Disco Inferno)

1993

1. Tindersticks (Tindersticks)
2. In Utero (Nirvana)
3. Gentlemen (Afghan Whigs)
4. Exile in Guyville (Liz Phair)

Singles/EPs

1. "From the Devil to the Deep Blue Sky / A Rock to Cling To" (Disco Inferno)
2. The Last Dance (Disco Inferno)
3. Uranus (Shellac)

1994

1. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Pavement)
2. Weezer [Blue Album] (Weezer)
3. Illmatic (Nas)
4. Bee Thousand (Guided by Voices)
5. Welcome to Sky Valley (Kyuss)
6. There's Nothing Wrong with Love (Built to Spill)
7. Yank Crime (Drive Like Jehu)
8. Bloomed (Richard Buckner)
9. Dummy (Portishead)
10. Dookie (Green Day)

11. Diary (Sunny Day Real Estate)
12. Vitalogy (Pearl Jam)

~~Grace (Jeff Buckley)~~

Singles/EPs

1. "Buddy Holly / Jamie" (Weezer)
2. Second Language (Disco Inferno)
3. It's a Kid's World (Disco Inferno)

1995

1. Wowee Zowee (Pavement)
2. Liquid Swords (Genius/GZA)
3. Alien Lanes (Guided by Voices)
4. Different Class (Pulp)
5. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (Raekwon)
6. Red Medicine (Fugazi)
7. The Bends (Radiohead)
8. Penthouse (Luna)
9. 94 Diskont (Oval)
10. Fun Trick Noisemaker (The Apples in Stereo)

Singles/EPs

1. "Say It Ain't So" (Weezer)

1996

1. Pinkerton (Weezer)
2. Endtroducing... (DJ Shadow)
3. If You're Feeling Sinister (Belle & Sebastian)
4. Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Tortoise)
5. Odelay (Beck)
6. Reasonable Doubt (Jay-Z)
7. Telephono (Spoon)
8. Tigermilk (Belle & Sebastian)
9. Sublime (Sublime)
10. New Adventures in Hi-Fi (R.E.M.)

1997

1. OK Computer (Radiohead)
2. Perfect from now on. (Built to Spill)
3. The Mollusk (Ween)
4. Elements of Structure/Permanence (Cerberus Shoal)
5. I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (Yo La Tengo)
6. Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space (Spiritualized)
7. Third Eye Blind (Third Eye Blind)
8. Sultans of Sentiment (The Van Pelt)
9. Red Apple Falls (Smog)
10. Either/Or (Elliott Smith)

11. Dig Me Out (Sleater-Kinney)
12. Brighten the Corners (Pavement)
13. Radiator (Super Furry Animals)
14. Fantasma (Cornelius)
15. Whatever and Ever, Amen (Ben Folds Five)

Singles/EPs

1. Whole (Pedro the Lion)
2. Bread (Native Nod)
3. "MMMBop" (Hanson)
4. "Semi-Charmed Life" (Third Eye Blind)

1998

1. It's Hard to Find a Friend (Pedro the Lion)
2. Mark Hollis (Mark Hollis)
3. Super ae (Boredoms)
4. A Series of Sneaks (Spoon)
5. F#A#∞ (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)
6. American Water (Silver Jews)
7. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
8. The Shape of Punk to Come (Refused)
8. Sapphie (Richard Youngs)
10. This is Hardcore (Pulp)

11. Music Has the Right to Children (Boards of Canada)
12. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Lucinda Williams)
13. Moon Safari (Air)
14. Electro-Shock Blues (Eels)
15. Solex Vs. The Hitmeister (Solex)
16. Moon Pix (Cat Power)

Singles/EPs

1. 30 Gallon Tank (Spoon)
2. "This Is Hardcore" (Pulp)

1999

1. Vision Creation Newsun (Boredoms)
2. I See a Darkness (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy)
3. Super Roots, Vol. 7 (Boredoms)
4. Enema of the State (Blink-182)
5. We Are the Romans (Botch)
6. Keep It Like a Secret (Built to Spill)
7. The Soft Bulletin (The Flaming Lips)
8. Summer Teeth (Wilco)
9. Terror Twilight (Pavement)
10. Emergency & I (The Dismemberment Plan)

11. Blue (Third Eye Blind)

Singles/EPs

1. Slow Riot for New Zerø Kanada (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)
2. The Decline (NOFX)

2000

1. The Moon and Antarctica (Modest Mouse)
2. Kid A (Radiohead)
3. The Sophtware Slump (Grandaddy)
4. The Hill (Richard Buckner)
5. Heartbreaker (Ryan Adams)
6. Cursive's Domestica (Cursive)
7. Since I Left You (The Avalanches)
8. The View From This Tower (Faraquet)
9. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (Yo La Tengo)
10. Mass Romantic (The New Pornographers)

10. Winners Never Quit (Pedro the Lion)
11. White Pepper (Ween)
12. How Strange, Innocence (Explosions in the Sky)

Singles/EPs

1. Hold on Hope (Guided by Voices)

2001

1. Leaves Turn Inside You (Unwound)
2. Jane Doe (Converge)
3. Girls Can Tell (Spoon)
4. Fetch the Compass Kids (The Danielson Famile)
5. Amnesiac (Radiohead)
6. Is This It? (The Strokes)
7. Bath (maudlin of the Well)
8. Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again (Tim Hecker)
9. Oh, Inverted World (The Shins)

Singles/EPs

1. The Only Reason I Feel Secure (Pedro the Lion)

2002

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco)
2. The Disintegration Loops (William Basinski)
3. Kill the Moonlight (Spoon)
4. Control (Pedro the Lion)
5. You Forgot It In People (Broken Social Scene)
6. Lifted, or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (Bright Eyes)
7. Hold Your Horse Is (Hella)
8. Turn on the Bright Lights (Interpol)
9. Playthroughs (Keith Fullerton Whitman)
10. Castaways and Cutouts (The Decemberists)

11. Read Music/Speak Spanish (Desaparecidos)
12. Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem (Bad Astronaut)

Singles/EPs

1. Problematic Courtship (Off Minor)

2003

1. Meadowlands (Wrens)
2. The Heat Death of the Universe (Off Minor)
3. Chutes Too Narrow (The Shins)
4. Choirs of the Eye (Kayo Dot)
5. The Ugly Organ (Cursive)
6. Unison (Homesick for Space)
7. Down the River of Golden Dreams (Okkervil River)
8. Give Up (The Postal Service)
9. Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Belle & Sebastian)
10. O (Damien Rice)

11. Kill Them with Kindness (The Jealous Sound)
12. The Transient (David Dondero)
13. 1972 (Josh Rouse)

2004

1. Funeral (Arcade Fire)
2. A Grand Don't Come for Free (The Streets)
3. Leviathan (Mastodon)
4. Sung Tongs (Animal Collective)
5. I (Meshuggah)
6. Innominate (Off Minor)
7. Good News for People Who Love Bad News (Modest Mouse)
8. A Ghost Is Born (Wilco)
9. Seven Swans (Sufjan Stevens)
10. The Futureheads (The Futureheads)

11. College Dropout (Kanye West)
12. Achilles' Heel (Pedro the Lion)
13. Our Endless Numbered Days (Iron & Wine)
14. C'Mon Miracle (Mirah)

2005

1. Separation Sunday (The Hold Steady)
2. The Runners Four (Deerhoof)
3. Feels (Animal Collective)
4. In the L..L..Library Loft (Toby Driver)
5. Illinois (Sufjan Stevens)
6. Gimme Fiction (Spoon)
7. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Bright Eyes)
8. Strange Geometry (The Clientele)
9. Bang Bang Rock and Roll (Art Brut)
10. Apologies to the Queen Mary (Wolf Parade)

11. Alligator (The National)
12. Picaresque (The Decemberists)

2006

1. The Drift (Scott Walker)
2. Dead Mountain Mouth (Genghis Tron)
3. California (Residual Echoes)
4. Drum's Not Dead (Liars)
5. Brother, Sister (mewithoutYou)
6. Blood Visions (Jay Reatard)
7. Orphans (Tom Waits)
8. Blood Mountain (Mastodon)
9. Hell Hath No Fury (Clipse)
10. Diadem of 12 Stars (Wolves in the Throne Room)

11. Boys and Girls in America (The Hold Steady)
12. Return to Cookie Mountain (TV On the Radio)
13. Fishscale (Ghostface Killah)
14. Sensuous (Cornelius)
15. Harmony in Ultraviolet (Tim Hecker)
16. 45:33 (LCD Soundsystem)
17 The Body the Blood the Machine (The Thermals)
18. Futuresex/Lovesounds (Justin Timberlake)
19. If You Come to Greet Me (Laura Gibson)
20. Sam's Town (The Killers)

Singles/EPs

1. "Brother" (Annuals)
2. "Gabrielle" (Ween)
3. Hammer I Miss You (Jay Reatard)

2007

1. Sound of Silver (LCD Soundsystem)
2. Colors (Between the Buried and Me)
3. Person Pitch (Panda Bear)
4. Strawberry Jam (Animal Collective)
5. Ire Works (Dillinger Escape Plan)
6. Untrue (Burial)
7. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Spoon)
8. Mirrored (Battles)
9. You Follow Me (Nina Nastasia & Jim White)
10. Pilgrimage (Om)

11. Boxer (The National)
12. Given to the Rising (Neurosis)
13. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Of Montreal)
14. Liars (Liars)
15. Bambi's Dilemma (Melt-Banana)
16. Planet of Ice (Minus the Bear)
17. Eater of Birds (Cobalt)
18. Phantom Limb (Pig Destroyer)
19. Beyond (Dinosaur jr.)
20. Death Is This Communion (High on Fire)

21. Kala (M.I.A.)
22. In Rainbows (Radiohead)
23. Curses (Future of the Left)
24. Weighing Souls With Sand (The Angelic Process)
25. Dirty Acres (CunninLynguists)
26. Amanecer en Puerta Oscura (Orthodox)
27. Catharsis in Crisis (Old Time Relijun)
28. Two Hunters (Wolves in the Throne Room)
29. The Coast Explodes (Mammatus)
30. Grinderman (Grinderman)

Singles/EPs

1. "All My Friends" (LCD Soundsystem)
2. "Señor" (Bonnie 'Prince' Billy; technically, a b-side, but too great to exclude)
3. "Titus Andronicus" (Titus Andronicus)
4. "Year of the Pig" (Fucked Up)
5. "Paper Planes" (M.I.A.)
6. "Umbrella" (Rihanna)
7. "Fireworks" (Animal Collective)
8. "Bros" (Panda Bear)
9. "No Pussy Blues" (Grinderman)
10. "Peacebone" (Animal Collective)

10. "The Underdog" (Spoon)
12. "Apartment Story" (The National)
13. "Plaster Casts of Everything" (Liars)
14. "Someone Great" (LCD Soundsystem)
15. "Lazy Eye" (Silversun Pickups)
16. "What's a Girl to Do?" (Bat for Lashes)
17. Diana (The Herald) (Blank Dogs)
18. "Run to Your Grave" (The Mae Shi)
19. Joanna Newsome & The Ys Street Band (Joanna Newsom)
20. "North American Scum" (LCD Soundsystem)

2008

1. Deathconsciousness (Have a Nice Life)
2. Board Up the House (Genghis Tron)
3. Street Horrrsing (Fuck Buttons)
4. Fortress (Protest the Hero)
5. HLLLYH (The Mae Shi)
6. obZen (Meshuggah)
7. Smile (Boris)
8. Real Emotional Trash (Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks)