The Best Albums of the Last 15 Years

June 9th, 2005 by khurram-is-a-nizami

It’s taken me about 2 hours of research, but I’ve finally created a list of the best albums of the last 15 years. There are a few snags, though. For example, for some of the years, I found it very difficult to narrow it down to one. So, I’ve also included in [brackets] some notable contenders for many of the years. Also, I just couldn’t find anything for 1990, probably since my taste in music got a LOT better after that. 2Pac is noticably absent from this list, as I just started listening to him and am not at all familiar with any one of his albums. Also, Lauren Hill and the Fugees are not the best in the years they released albums, mostly as a punishment for not releasing anything since. Natalie Merchant is not the best of 1996 because she hasn’t done anything good since.

I’d love some feedback, if anyone EVER reads this.

2005 Three contenders for the year, thusfar
American Idiot (Green Day)
Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple)
Songs for Silverman (Ben Folds)

2004
Franz Ferdinand (Franz Ferdinand)

2003
Elephant (The White Stripes)
[The Love Below/Speakerboxx (Outkast)]
[Hail to the Thief (Radiohead)]
[Be Not Nobody (Vanessa Carlton)]

2002
Come Away with Me (Norah Jones)

2001
Rockin’ the Suburbs (Ben Folds)

2000
Tie b/t The Hour of Bewilderbeast (Badly Drawn Boy) and Figure 8 (Elliott Smith)
[You Think It's Like This But It's Really Like. . . (Mirah)]
[The Moon and Antarctica (Modest Mouse)]
[Kid A (Radiohead)]

1999
2001 (Dr. Dre)
[The Unauthorized Autobiography of Reinhold Messner (Ben Folds Five)]
[Q-Tip (Amplified)]

1998
Moon Safari (Moon)
[The Miseducation of Lauren Hill (Lauren Hill)]

1997
OK Computer (Radiohead)
[Surfacing (Sarah McLachlan)]
[Spice World (Spice Girls)] That’s right; I wrote it, didn’t I?

1996
Tidal (Fiona Apple)
[The Score (Fugees)]

1995
Tie among Tragic Kingdom (No Doubt) and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Smashing Pumpkins) and The Bends (Radiohead)
[Tigerlily (Natalie Merchant)]

1994
Dummy (Portishead)

1993 How do I choose among the following three?!?
Siamese Dream (Smashing Pumpkins)
Zooropa (U2)
Vs. (Pearl Jam)

1992
Automatic for the People (R.E.M.)

1991 Again, how do I choose the BEST in this year? I’d say Achtung b/c it’s my favorite of all time; but, can I just toss out Ten and Blood Sugar like they’re trash!
Achtung Baby (U2)
Ten (Pearl Jam)
Blood Sugar Sex Magic (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

1990
???

What do you guys think? What am I missing? What shouldn’t belong (Spice Girls stays!)? As I have a generous heart, I have left open the option for you to comment.

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