AllMusic Loves 2003
August 13th, 2009 | 6:00 pm est |
Once again, we take a short break from covering current releases by looking back at a year from this nearly-complete decade and compiling lists of our personal favorites. With 2000-2002 in the past, we turn to 2003, a year that provided the decade with some of its funnest (and/or funniest) and most memorable (for better or worse) singles. Kelis’ sexy and silly “Milkshake,” OutKast’s irresistibly peppy “Hey Ya!,” the Darkness’ unapologetically over-the-top “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” and 50 Cent’s unapologetically simple-minded “In da Club” — featuring a total of three three-syllable words, all proper nouns — represent just a handful of them. Hundreds of albums and songs are highlighted, and while it is doubtful that 20 years of perspective will make 2003 seem much different from 2002 or 2004, at least in terms of recordings, there is no doubt that there was plenty to like and even love.
John Bush
Broadcast - Haha Sound
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Jay-Z - The Black Album
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird’s Bark
Josh Rouse - 1972
Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain
The White Stripes - Elephant
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
The Mood Elevator - Married Alive
Kenny Chesney - When the Sun Goes Down
Four Tet - Rounds
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
The Fire Theft - The Fire Theft
Joan of Arc - So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Murs - The End of the Beginning
Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
Bonnie “Prince” Billy - Master and Everyone
The Darkness - “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
Jay-Z - “99 Problems”
Villalobos - “Easy Lee”
R. Kelly - “Ignition [Remix]”
Viktor Vaughn - “Lickupon”
Murs Feat. Humpty Hump & Shock G. - “Risky Business”
Mark Ronson f/ Rhymefest & Anthony Hamilton - “Bout to Get Ugly”
The Mood Elevator - “Anglophile”
Josh Rouse - “1972″
The White Stripes - “Seven Nation Army”
OutKast f/ Sleepy Brown & Jazze Pha - “Bowtie”
Dizzee Rascal - “Fix Up, Look Sharp”
808 State - “Flow Coma [AFX Remix]”
Cat Power - “Free”
Four Tet - “My Angel Rocks Back and Forth”
Kelis - “Milkshake”
Kenny Chesney - “There Goes My Life”
Lewis Taylor - “Stoned, Pt. 1″
OutKast - “Hey Ya!”
The Postal Service - “Such Great Heights”
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The White Stripes - Elephant
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird’s Bark
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
The Kills - Keep on Your Mean Side
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
The Strokes - Room on Fire
P!nk - Try This
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
The New Pornographers - Electric Version
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
Cat Power - You Are Free
Toby Keith - Shock’n Y’All
Beyoncé - “Crazy in Love”
The White Stripes - “Seven Nation Army”
OutKast - “Hey Ya!”
P!nk - “Feel Good Time”
P!nk - “Trouble”
Supergrass - “Grace”
Alan Jackson - “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”
Ween - “It’s Gonna Be a Long Night”
50 Cent - “In da Club”
Kelis - “Milkshake”
The Strokes - “12:51″
Jet - “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
Kelly Clarkson - “Miss Independent”
Tracy Byrd - “Drinkin’ Bone”
Paula Carino
The Postal Service - Give Up
Lilium - Short Stories
Guided by Voices - Earthquake Glue
Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
Café Tacuba - Cuatro Caminos
Cat Power - You Are Free
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
The Kills - Keep on Your Mean Side
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird’s Bark
Frank Black and the Catholics - Show Me Your Tears
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks
Original Soundtrack - Belleville Rendez-Vous
Francine - 28 Plastic Blue Versions of Endings Without You
Robyn Hitchcock - Luxor
Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance
Original Soundtrack - Lost in Translation
Lisa Gerrard - Whale Rider
Matt Collar
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Clientele - The Violet Hour
The Decemberists - Her Majesty
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood
M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Matthew Sweet - Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu
Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter
Movietone - The Sand and the Stars
The New Pornographers - Electric Version
Nick Curran & the Nitelifes - Doctor Velvet
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Richard Hawley - Lowedges
Sloan - Action Pact
Sufjan Stevens - Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
Ted Leo/The Pharmacists - Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead
The Thrills - So Much for the City
The White Stripes - Elephant
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Greg Heaney
The Bad Plus - These Are the Vistas
Pelican - Australasia
Saturday Looks Good to Me - All Your Summer Songs
The Thermals - More Parts Per Million
Jaylib - Champion Sound
The Decemberists - Her Majesty
Electric Six - Fire
Murs - The End of the Beginning
NOMO - NOMO
Envy - A Dead Sinking Story
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
Pas/Cal - The Handbag Memoirs
Ween - Quebec
The Strokes - Room on Fire
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
David Jeffries
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin’
Baby Bash - Tha Smokin’ Nephew
Blurt - The Best of Blurt, Vol. 1: The Fish Needs a Bike
Easy Star All-Stars - Dub Side of the Moon
Eminem - Straight from the Lab
The Fall - The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
Beres Hammond - Can’t Stop a Man: The Ultimate Collection
Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Jaylib - Champion Sound
Junior Senior - D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat
R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory
Laibach - WAT
Murk - Murk
Original Soundtrack - Lost in Translation
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Rhythm & Sound - W/The Artists
Spring Heel Jack - Live
Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain
Wax Poetic - Nublu Sessions
Andy Kellman
Andrés - Andrés
Erykah Badu - Worldwide Underground
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Daniel Bell - The Button Down Mind Strikes Back!
Broadcast - Haha Sound
Bugz in the Attic - Fabriclive.12
Coloma - Finery
Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner
Dwele - Subject
Freeway - Philadelphia Freeway
Anders Ilar - Everdom
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Kelis - Tasty
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Luomo - The Present Lover
Michael Mayer - Fabric 13
Mu - Afro Finger and Gel
David Sylvian - Blemish
Tobias Thomas - Smallville
Villalobos - Alcachofa
Audision - “First Contact”
David Banner - “Cadillac on 22’s” (YouTube)
Beyoncé - “Crazy in Love”
Konrad Black - “Busting Down the Door with a Shotgun”
The Bug - “Beats, Bombs, Bass, Weapons”
D Double E - “Birds in the Sky”
Richard Davis - “Bring Me Closer”
Matthew Dear - “Dog Days”
Dominik Eulberg - “Afraid of Seeing Stars” (YouTube audio)
Isolée - “Lost”
Walter Jones - “All God’s Children (Maurice Fulton Remix)”
Mathew Jonson - “Typerope”
Alicia Keys - “You Don’t Know My Name”
Mýa - “Fallen”
Pharrell - “Frontin’”
Thomas Scheiben & Geiger f/ Schad Privat - “Really Real”
702 - “I Still Love You”
Kaidi Tatham & Dego - “Got Me Puzzled”
T.I. - “24’s”
Kanye West - “Through the Wire”
Uncle Dave Lewis
David Holzman, piano - Stefan Wolpe: Compositions for Piano (1920-1952)
Valentin Silvestrov and others - Silvestrov: Leggerio, pesante
Speculum Musicae and others - The Music of Elliott Carter Volume IV
St. Lawrence String Quartet - Osvaldo Golijov: Yiddishbbuk
Reinbert de Leeuw and others - The Ligeti Project Volume 3
Zez Confrey and Artis Wodehouse - Piano Rolls and Solos
Juan Diego Flórez - Una furtiva lagrima
Col. Lowell Graham, USAF Heritage of America Band - Sousa
Jennifer Larmore - L’Étoile
Kymi Sinfoniette - Uuno Klami: Rhapsodie
Cecile Licad - Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Piano Music
James Sinclair, Northern Sinfonietta - Ives: Symphony No. 3
José de Eusebio and others - Albèniz: Henry Clifford
Chitose Okashiro - A Leaf: Beatles Piano Transcriptions
Southwest Chamber Music - Carlos Chávez: Complete Chamber Music Volume 1
David Russell - Aire Latino
Jason Lymangrover
Andrew W.K. - The Wolf
Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash
The Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
Helium - The Magic City
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Manitoba - Up in Flames
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
The Marked Men - The Marked Men
Melt-Banana - Cell-Scape
Murs - The End of the Beginning
The New Pornographers - Electric Version
OutKast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Pepe Deluxe - Beatitude
Polysics - Neu
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Strokes - Room on Fire
The Wrens - The Meadowlands
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
James Christopher Monger
Justin Sullivan - Navigating by the Stars
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon
The Books - The Lemon of Pink
The Essex Green - The Long Goodbye
The New Pornographers - Electric Version
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Crooked Fingers - Red Devil Dawn
Muse - Absolution
Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
The Darkness - Permission to Land
Týr - Eric the Red
The Mattoid - Hello
The Hidden Cameras - The Smell of Our Own
Richard Hawley - Lowedges
Andrew Bird - Weather Systems
Sagor & Swing - Allt Hänger Samman
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Windir - Likferd
OutKast - “Hey Ya!”
Patrick Herek - “Demonic Piano”
DeVotchKa - “Queen of the Surface Streets”
King Creosote - “Homeboy”
The Thrills - “Big Sur”
Dean & Britta - “Night Nurse”
Jane’s Addiction - “True Nature”
Stars - “Heart”
Rufus Wainwright - “Oh What a World”
Sun Kil Moon - “Glenn Tipton”
Stew - Love Like That”
The Fire Theft - “Chain”
The White Stripes - “Seven Nation Army”
Finishing School - “Destination Girl”
M. Ward - “Vincent O’Brien”
Alison Krauss - “The Scarlet Tide”
The Pernice Brothers - “Water Ban”
David Bowie - “Never Get Old”
Radiohead - “A Wolf at the Door”
M83 - “Run into Flowers”
Heather Phares
Adult. - Anxiety Always
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Broadcast - Haha Sound
Calexico - Feast of Wire
Constantines - Shine a Light
Dead Meadow - Shivering King and Others
Deerhoof - Apple O’
The Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird’s Bark
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Kelis - Tasty
The Kills - Keep on Your Mean Side
Matmos - The Civil War
Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Quintron - Are You Ready for an Organ Solo?
The Strokes - Room on Fire
TV on the Radio - Young Liars
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
The All-American Rejects - “Swing, Swing”
Beyoncé - “Crazy in Love”
Broadcast - “Pendulum”
Kelly Clarkson - “Miss Independent”
Electric Six - “Danger! High Voltage”
The Fiery Furnaces - “Tropical Ice-Land” (YouTube)
50 Cent - “In da Club”
Goldfrapp - “Train”
Kelis - “Milkshake”
Kenna - “Freetime”
Pharrell - “Frontin’”
OutKast - “Hey Ya”
Quintron - “Place Unknown”
Radiohead - “There There”
Snoop Dogg - “Beautiful”
The Strokes - “12:51″
Justin Timberlake - “Rock Your Body”
TV on the Radio - “Staring at the Sun” (YouTube)
The White Stripes - “The Hardest Button to Button”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Maps”
Tim Sendra
Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Camera Obscura - Underachievers Please Try Harder
The Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
Junior Senior - D-D-Don’t Don’t Stop the Beat
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Saturday Looks Good to Me - All Your Summer Songs
Beyoncé - “Crazy in Love”
Club 8 - “Saturday Night Engine”
The Darkness - “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
Joe Firstman - “Can’t Stop Loving You”
The Gay - “Opulent Canine”
Richard Hawley - “Darlin’”
Junior Senior - “Move Your Feet”
Killer Mike - “A.D.I.D.A.S.”
Jens Lekman - “Maple Leaves”
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?”
The New Pornographers - “From Blown Speakers”
OutKast - “The Way You Move”
Pas/Cal - “The Handbag Memoirs”
Puffy AmiYumi - “Planet Tokyo”
The Raveonettes - “That Great Love Sound”
Snoop Dogg - “Beautiful”
Stars - “Romantic Comedy”
The Thrills - “One Horse Town”
Wayne Wonder - “No Letting Go”
Young and Sexy - “Herculean Bellboy”
Jason Thurston
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
OutKast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Kelis - Tasty
Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart
Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine & Ours
The Dandy Warhols - Welcome to the Monkey House
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
Blur - Think Tank
Cat Power - You Are Free
Anthony Hamilton - Comin’ from Where I’m From
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
Beulah - Yoko
The Fire Theft - The Fire Theft
Buzzcocks - Buzzcocks
Richard Hawley - Lowedges
The Coral - The Coral
Dean Wareham & Britta Philips - L’Avventura
OutKast - “Hey Ya!”
The White Stripes - “7 Nation Army”
The Stars - “Elevator Love Letter”
Hot Hot Heat - “Bandages”
Mitch & Mickey - “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”
Kelis - “Milkshake”
Blur - “Out of Time”
Kathleen Edwards - “One More Song the Radio Won’t Like”
Sam Roberts - “Brother Down”
Nappy Roots - “Sick & Tired”
Warren Zevon - “Keep Me in Your Heart”
Brookville - “Walking in Moonlight”
Sense Field - “I Refuse”
Dizzee Rascal - “Fix Up, Look Sharp”
British Sea Power - “Carrion”
Liz Phair - “Why Can’t I?”
Christina Aguilera - “Beautiful”
Norah Jones - “Don’t Know Why”
Johnny Cash - “Hurt”
The Decemberists - “Billy Liar”
Previously
AllMusic Loves 1968
AllMusic Loves 1974
AllMusic Loves 1977
AllMusic Loves 1980
AllMusic Loves 1984
AllMusic Loves 1987
AllMusic Loves 1988
AllMusic Loves 1993
AllMusic Loves 1999
AllMusic Loves 2000
AllMusic Loves 2001
AllMusic Loves 2002
can’t you guys reach back a LITTLE further? what a bland list. it just underscores how lackluster the last ten years of music has been. do we really need to be reminded of yeah yeah yeahs and outkast? really? do they actually pay you guys to do this?
What about The Stills’ “Logic Will Break Your Heart”??? What a great debut album, and great album regardless… You missed a few great albums in here, and I think, this being one of my favorites, that at least one of you could have considered it!
Otherwise, good list! I love these.
Ooops, I missed it. It is in there…..
Why the continual rehash of the 00’s, AMG? They’re still happening! Tedious.
Glad to see “Guitar Romantic” made it onto a few lists. Great album, it’s really tragic what happened to The Exploding Hearts.
They’re still happening and they’re almost done. That’s the point.
These lists are not interesting at all without a little personal insight by the author (like you did on the first few entries in this series). If your editors are just going to mail it in, why even bother wasting their time?
Although this posting could be a bit more personal, I do think it makes for a good reference page for some.
I’m glad “Hearts of Oak” is on there. I love that album.
Eric the Red and Likferd! Thanks again James.
Allmusic gave Julius Hemphill’s “One Atmosphere” 4.5 stars AND a checkmark! And why no “Send” by Wire? The allmusic review was glowing! Living Colour’s new album was pretty great too. And although “Rainy Day Music” may not be the Jayhawks greatest album, it showcases some of their greatest songs.
Thom Jurek of allmusic said that “Threads” by David S. Ware was the best jazz album of 2003!
And there is no love for John Zorn’s “Masada Guitars” or Adrian Legg’s “Guitar Bones” or Dave Douglas’ “Freak In”…and UNCUT gave Paul Westerberg’s “Come Feel Me Tremble” 5 stars!
I think you need to stop looking at years that are as current as 2003. Looking at this list I am a bit embarassed for you all. I think the passage of time helps to create objectivity. Maybe cool it on these lists for now and then in two years maybe you’ll be able to see the forest for the trees.
Definitely a bad year for music.
Overrated bands, singers with no feelings, arty groups with nothing to say, hipster nonsense and ptretencious emptiness.
This is the year when the fall of contemporary rock begings and when I started listening to jazz again.
Café Tacuba, Lucinda Williams and Paul Westerberg saved the day.
What arbitrary comments from some otherwise smart AllMusic users. You all sound like haters.
Who’s to say you can’t properly, critically and objectively view a year in music that was fairly recent? Who said? Someone, please tell me.
That logic is like saying writing about music is like dancing about architecture. So limiting and arbitrary and stodgy. Surely, no one here finds that sentiment true.
This decade was tremendous for music and it deserves a thorough going-over, even it seems premature to you. It’s likely changed the music industry and it’s listeners forever. Being first isn’t necessarily best, no, but it is being first. And that’s pioneering, ill-advised as it may seem.
I applaud All Music Guide (and Pitchfork, whose music writing for this decade will be posted soon) for talking about the pop music of this decade. I, too, am writing essays about this decade in music and find it thrillingly educational.
That said:
My Morning Jacket’s “It Still Moves” gets NO mentions at all? Such a shame.
Kind of surprised to see Explosions in the Sky’s “The Earth Is Not a Cold, Dead Place” only once on here. That record is so emotionally exhausting and magnetic for me. So beautiful. Easily one of my favorite’s of ‘03.
Also “Give Up” only once as well, which is mostly just amazing song after amazing song. The streets and campuses were feelin’ “Give Up” in ‘03/’04, believe me. The surge of it’s songs in clubs, house parties, mixtapes, playlists, file sharing, word of mouth, indie buzz, in movies and commercials and so on was SO all-consuming around that time. Anyone who chooses it for a list should know how populist a pick it is.
Mae’s “Destination: Beautiful” was overlooked on these lists. It’s an underrated Sunny Day Real Estate/Promise Ring/Jimmy Eat World-esque emo-pop record on Tooth and Nail Records. Promising band. Pitch-perfect emo pop songs on that record, their debut.
I listened to nothing but “De-Loused in the Comatorium” in ‘03, pretty much, and I’m glad to see it twice on here.
“Transatlanticism,” like “Give Up,” is a populist pick and I’m surprised to see it only twice on these lists. It’s probably DCfC’s best record to date. Absolutely beautiful, almost flawless record.
“The Meadowlands” is also one of my favorite ‘03 records, as is “Happy Songs for Happy People.” Glad both of those got some love on here.
I agree K. 2003 was a pretty lackluster year for music. I mean, it had some good songs and albums here and there, but overall, not so great. I think if we look back on ‘In Da Club’ with fondness, our generation and the AMG writers need to reminisce on our musical past.
A classical best-of list? That’s certainly different…
How could everybody overlook “United States of Whatever” by Liam Lynch? That has to be the best novelty song of the past decade!
I wish music writers would forego the loving look backward and do a better job covering contemporary music, especially techno, hip-hop, and world beat.
Only one mention of TMV?
@Francisco: Who was being pretentious and elitist here again??
OH THE IRONY
2003 holds such special meaning for me. It was during this specific year that my burgeoning music fandom/obsession blossomed, the year I emerged from my nu-metal/Tool chrysalis (give me a break I was 15) and discovered everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) under the rock sun, starting with an incredibly fortuoitous impulse buy of Radiohead’s Kid A (probably the most important album in my life…it may sound hyperbolic now, but this album opened so many doors for me) and hearing the likes of (in a single semester)britpop, Bob Dylan, classic rock titans such as Led Zep, Pink Floyd and Neil Young, IDM, Minor Threat, the Misfits, the Velvet Underground, trip-hop, Bjork, indie rock, the JAMC, Spiritualized, My Bloody Valentine…you get the idea. As such, I spent most of this year looking backwards rather than around me, so most of my fond remembrances of 2003 are rather…skewed, shall we say. If there’s one thing I can vouch for, though, it’s the quality (if by quality we mean a song’s capacity to forcefully drill inside one’s brain where it’ll gain a weird sort of symbiotic status) of 2003’s singles…Junior Senior’s Don’t Stop the Beat, Outkast’s Hey Ya and the Darkness I Believe In a Thing Called Love are sure to be fondly remarked upon by future generations in the same way as we do with 70’s super-hits by the likes of Chic, Kool & the Gang, Slade, etc. nowadays.
*I realize this must have been a massive bore to slog through but if AMG want to get nostalgic why can’t I goddammit?!
Lots of omissions:
The most glaring:
Johnny Cash “Unearthed”
Richard Thompson “Old Kit Bag”
Ray Davies “Other People’s Lives”
Others:
Michelle Shocked “Short Sharp Shocked”
Neko Case ’Live From Austin TX’
A Perfect Circle “Thirteenth Step”
Richard Thompson “1000 Years of Popular Music”
Damien Rice “O”
Ryan Adams “Rock N Roll”
Stephen Malkmus
& The Jicks “Pig Lib”
Uncle Tupelo “Anodyne”
Chris Whitley “Weed”
Josh Ritter “Hello Starling”
“O.” How could I forget “O.” A very good record from Damien Rice. Definitely one of the best of ‘03 for me.
As much as i love this website, i think that allmusic should change the ratings of a few records, i saw so many albums in these lists that are rated 3 stars. Why they are being loved with such a medium score ??
My bigger problem isn’t that, it’s with some 4.5 stars records. There are a bunch of them. I hoped that this “Allmusic loves [Year]” would actually pick some “new classics” and change their ratings for 5 stars, while some 4 stars would became 4.5 records.
I can’t stand an album like Christina aguilera’s “Back to basics” (a good album by the way), receive the same rating as Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love” (both 4.5), Tori Amos’ “Little Erthquakes” or PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love, these records are not only far better albums, they are some of the most influential of all time. Harvey’s Stories from the city, appeared a lot on “Allmusic loves 2000″, why not upgrade the grade ?? India.Arie’s voyage to India received, why not Polly ? And the worse of all is see you guys downgrade some records:
-Cyndi Lauper’s She’s so Unusual: 4.5 to 3.5
-Joan Osborne’s Relish: 4.5 to 4
-Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside: 4.5 to 4
Like i said there are a bunch of abums, especially by female artists, that are 4.5, and should be already a solid 5. A 4.5 is a Terrific rating, but i think it fits better with albums released this decade, like Joanna Newsom’s Ys, M.I.A.’s Kala, Florence and the Machine’s Lungs, Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine. But with 60’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s, i think we can start giving some 5 stars, or should we wait some 40 years to give Bjork’s “Post” the same rating as Janis’ “Pearl”. 2 worlds: NEW CLASSICS
This is the first year of music in this decade that is *of* this decade. By 2003 the shackles of the 1990s had been removed and we were becoming aware of the new cast of players that were to stick around for awhile. I think it’s also the best year of music AMG has covered thus far.
It’s funny how it takes awhile to notice the trends and changes because 2003 is also the first year I got out of my highschooler who loves classic rock mode and listened to new “indie”/underground music and, at least at the time, so much modern pop seemed to be just a meaningless eating of the past (maybe I was right and it is) but looking back now I am fond towards a lot of these bands and songs.
The good news is that the better music usually wins and gets either remembered or unearthed, but it’s hard to judge years right after they happen. Three cheers to AMG for remembering and championing music from this decade that flew under the radar at the time but will hopefully be lauded in the years to come.
I have realized the rating drops too, Joan @ 8:57.
Weezer’s “Make Believe” and U2’s “Bomb” dropped one star. Oasis’ “Don’t Believe the Truth” dropped half a star.
Quite sorry that Sun Kil Moon’s ‘Ghosts of the Great Highway’ is nowhere to be seen. It’s been my favourite record since I bought it.
Again I have to say that you shouldn’t be evaluating years this recent. In 10 years, your 2003 lists will be quite different. Let’s get a little historical perspective.
Oh, and no “Down With Wilco” by the Minus 5? Shame.
Pretty big year for me, graduating high school and all. Here are a few that i remember making a big impression on me:
AFI - sing the sorrow
Thursday - war all the time
Over the Rhine - Ohio
KMFDM - WWIII
Postal Service - Give Up
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s - Fever To Tell
Twilight Singers - Blackberry Bell
Ledisi released her new album today, so i checked out some reviews, and guess what i see, her album “Lost and Found” was upgraded. It was first rated 4 stars now it’s 4.5! It was shocking, but not as shocking as this:
In 2003 Erykah Badu (terrific singer), released her EP “Worldwide Underground” that received mixed reactions from music critics. Allmusic rated 3 stars, suddenly the rating was changed 3.5 stars, now it’s a 4.
This happening a lot with this decade’s albums. Both “Elephant” & “Is This It” (love both) received a 4.5, now they’re both rating 5, i agree, this are like the greatest music pieces of this decade. But why “Funeral” by Arcade Fire, wich is also one of this decade top 10 recordings, is still a 4.5 ?
I think that “Allmusic loves [Year]” should be like a time capsule. 2003 just ended yesterday, i still can hear milkshake playing on the radio. You guys should be listing album from other decades like the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and the 90’s.
2009 is like this decade last year for music, by the end of this year, many websites and magazines, will be releasing their “best of this decade” list. It would be a good time for you guys re-review all this decade’s music. But not right now, we are still leaving the 00’s. You checked out the other ones, so many “Lost 90’s albums” that i would love to meet, and i know that allmusic could help me with that. Upgrade a rating of last decades album is much more safer, than one released 2 years ago.
It is better upgrade a already classic album rate to a 5, than upgrade Ledisi’s Lost and Found a 4.5. People are still citing Eli & the Thirteenth Confession as an influence, while ledisi was largely forgot after her grammy nomination, she has an album out today, and i just realized that because it’s on allmusic home page.
My opinion is: Re-rate some classics, and use the “Allmusic loves” for years before 2000.
Now, my favorite 2003 recordings:
-Elephant
-Boy In The Corner
-Speakerboxx/The Love below
-Think tank
-Permission to land
-Hail to the thief
-You are free (female album of the year)
-room on fire
-De-Loused in the Comatorium
-chutes too narrow
and much more, i have 24.342 songs on my ipod, i just love music, that’s why i don’t like seeing some critcs forgetting some of them, downgrading some of them, especially the last, is like taking part of your merits. Sorry if you think i’m too whiny, i’s a 16 year old girl, so that’s waht we do, at least is not because i like jonas Brothers or something…
I love 2003, many of the bands that appeared that year are still doing some really good music today.
i forgot some of them so i’m going to post other album that i love (from 2003, of course). And i don’t like the Jonas Brothers, i’m just saying it cause reading my last post might make some people think that i like them, so…
- Echoes
- fever to feel
- the black album
- it still moves
-Electric Version
-Dear Catastrophe Waitress
-World Without Tears
-Absolution
-This Is Not a Test
No love for metal? Just can’t win here!
And no, one reference to Dimmu Borgir doesn’t cover it.
I’ll admit to not being real adventurous in 2003–too many things to deal with: new relationships, deaths. But I know what I like:
* Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros–Streetcore: Wow! And he didn’t
even get to finish it. A huge dose of joy when I needed it.
* The Strokes–Room on Fire
* Lucinda Williams–World Without Tears
* Richard Thompson (2)–The Old Kit Big; 1000 Years of Popular
Music
* Nick Curran & the Nitelifes–Doctor Velvet
* Gillian Welch–Soul Journey
* Poncho Sanchez–Out of Sight! (AMG lists it as “Outa Sight”)
* James Blood Ulmer–No Escape from the Blues: The Electric
Lady Sessions
* Chris Smither–Train Home
* Joe Ely–Streets of Sin
Album track: Ray Wylie Hubbard–”Screw You, We’re From Texas”:
NOW it’s funny, once you take some worthless politicians out of
the picture.
Actually, the critic that mentioned Dimmu Borgir (and “Death Cult Armageddon” was fantastic) also mentioned Iron Maiden, too. I may be in the minority amoung other fans, but I think “Dance of Death” is the best post-reunion Iron Maiden album, although I love the other two, as well.
I loved White Stripes’ “Elephant” and The Darkness. Outkast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” simply left me speechless, . . .and dancing! I never cared for Jay Z, until he told me about his 99 Problems, and they were wrapped inside Rick Rubin’s raw, raw, RAW beats. That is STILL one of the best choruses in a rap song this century: “IF you’re havin’ girl problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a b&*@# ain’t one!”
Jesus, haven’t any of you ever heard the Songs: Ohia track “Farewell Transmission”???
The best song of the decade (IMHO) doesn’t get a single mention (!), nor does the amazing album that it’s on (”Magnolia Electric Co.”)!?!?!
EPIC FAIL.
Top 10 albums from 2003:
British Sea Power- The Decline of British Sea Power
The White Stripes- Elephant
The Stills- Logic Will Break Your Heart
The Strokes- Room On Fire
Super Furry Animals- Phantom Power
Radiohead- Hail to the Thief
The Fall- The Real New Fall LP
David Bowie- Reality
The Undertones- Get What You Need
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever To Tell
Songs:
British Sea Power- “Carrion”
British Sea Power- “Remember Me”
Ambulance LTD- “Stay Where You Are”
Franz Ferdinand- “Shopping For Blood”
The Stills- “Still In Love Song”
REM- “Bad Day”
REM- “Animal”
The Fall- “Theme From Sparta FC”
The Fall- “Mountain Energei”
Radiohead- “There There”
The White Stripes- “The Hardest Button to Button”
Blur- “Ambulance”
Blur- “Out of Time”
The Strokes- “Reptilia”
Pulp- “Last Day of the Miners’ Strike”
Another one that I THOUGHT was an allmusic favorite was Bill Frisell’s “The Intercontinentals.”
Also, didn’t Marc Ribot have a really good 2003?
I agree with Melgar Wong. ‘Twas not a good pop/rock year. It was a good time to investigate the fringes.
Steely Dans Everything Must Go was my soundtrack to that summer.
I’d have to say that the Warlocks’ Phoenix album was up there, and that Calexico Feast of Wire became my favorite of the year.
Question: Helium’s Magic City is on someone’s list? I guess it must have been remastered or something, because that came out in the late ’90’s.
Oh my god. So much snobby indie music. I feel like I’m covered in some sort of pretentious slime.
funny how many people bash on indie music for supposed pretensions without realizing the irony. too bad there’s no ska fans here, makes me sad to see streetlight manifesto’s debut unmentioned
In 2003, I was a freshman in high school and mostly listened to rap, and fairly commercial rap at that. My ears hadn’t quite opened up yet. I found out about much of these artists later on. The best part of 2003 for me was the San Antonio Spurs winning their 2nd championship, but that’s another story. Anyway, here’s my list:
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Jaylib - Champion Sound
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
The White Stripes - Elephant
Sex Mob - Dime Grind Palace
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner
The Strokes - Room on Fire
Lucinda Williams – World Without Tears
Andrew Bird - Weather Systems
Easy Star All-Stars - Dub Side of the Moon
Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Four Tet - Rounds
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Since I saw a few EPs in the mix, I’ll include a couple:
TV on the Radio - Young Liars
Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire
please, dont let me be misunderstood
indie rock used to be great in the late 80s and early 90s
but just around 2003 indie bands became increasingly boring
a lot of them sound like the Herman Hermits trying to be the Velvet Underground… which is ridiculous
by the way, Doug Sahm passed away 10 years ago..
and you tell me I’m supposed to buy the new Death Cab For Cutie or Grizzly Bear album?
Has anybody listened to Doug Sahm ?
Damn !
Favourites of 2003 in no particular order;
Buttless Chaps-Love This Time
Books-The Lemon Of Pink
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone-Twinkle Echo
Chris Mastheim-I Come On All Ye
Belle and Sebastian-Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Blur-Think Tank (minus the embarrassing song Crazy Beat)
Jerk With A Bomb-Pyrokinesis
Radio Berlin-Glass
Wax Mannequin-The Price
Weakerthans-Reconstruction Site
Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Fever To Tell