The Best Alternative & Indie Albums of the 2000s
Our pick of the essential alternative & indie records released in the 2000s, ranked.
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1Kid ARadiohead
Kid A
Radiohead abandon guitars-first rock for electronics, jazz textures and abstraction, alienating some fans and inspiring countless others. Cold on the surface, it reveals deep feeling underneath. A brave swerve that defined their second act.
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2Is This ItThe Strokes
Is This It
The lean, effortless debut that sparked the 2000s garage-rock revival, all taut riffs and detached cool. Short and near-perfect, it influenced a generation of guitar bands. Still sounds fresh.
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3Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotArctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
A whip-smart, fast-selling debut of witty Sheffield character sketches and taut guitars. Sharp and vital. A defining 2000s British record.
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4FuneralArcade Fire
Funeral
A grand, cathartic debut about grief and neighbourhood memory that helped define 2000s indie. The arrangements swell and crest with real emotion. One of the decade's most beloved records.
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5ElephantThe White Stripes
Elephant
Raw, primal blues-rock recorded fast and cheap, exploding on 'Seven Nation Army'. Stripped to guitar, drums and voice, it hits hard. A garage-rock landmark.
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6In RainbowsRadiohead
In Rainbows
A warm, intimate masterpiece released by pay-what-you-want, balancing electronics and emotion. Beautiful and acclaimed. Many fans' favourite.
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7Favourite Worst NightmareArctic Monkeys
Favourite Worst Nightmare
A faster, heavier follow-up of frantic energy and sharp writing. Tight and confident. A strong second record.
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8Up the BracketThe Libertines
Up the Bracket
A ramshackle, romantic debut of scrappy British guitar rock. Raw and influential. A defining 2000s record.
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9Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
A sharp, danceable art-rock debut built for the floor, home to 'Take Me Out'. Angular and fun. A 2000s landmark.
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10Fever to TellYeah Yeah Yeahs
Fever to Tell
A raw, electric debut of garage-punk swagger and unexpected tenderness on 'Maps'. Wild and heartfelt. A 2000s landmark.
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11Turn on the Bright LightsInterpol
Turn on the Bright Lights
A sleek, melancholic debut reviving post-punk for the 2000s, all taut guitars and shadow. Atmospheric and assured. A defining record of its scene.
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12BoxerThe National
Boxer
Slow-burning, literate indie rock built on Berninger's baritone and intricate drumming. Understated and rewarding. The album that won them devotion.
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13Vampire WeekendVampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
A bright, preppy debut blending Afropop guitars with witty literate pop. Fresh and instantly likeable. The start of a great run.
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14Sound of SilverLCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver
Dance-punk with genuine heart, balancing irony and real feeling on 'All My Friends' and 'Someone Great'. Smart, propulsive and emotional. A defining record of its decade.
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15The Moon & AntarcticaModest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica
An expansive, philosophical indie peak of jagged beauty. Ambitious and acclaimed. Their masterpiece.
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16Oh, Inverted WorldThe Shins
Oh, Inverted World
A jangly, lo-fi indie-pop debut of bittersweet melody. Charming and beloved. A 2000s favourite.
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17Yankee Hotel FoxtrotWilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
An adventurous blend of Americana and studio experimentation, famously rejected then revered. Beautiful and restless. Their masterpiece.
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18xxThe xx
xx
A spare, intimate debut of whispered vocals and minimal guitar. Atmospheric and acclaimed. A striking, influential arrival.
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19LungsFlorence + the Machine
Lungs
A dramatic, baroque-pop debut of huge voice and harp. Bold and beloved. A breakthrough.
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20American IdiotGreen Day
American Idiot
An ambitious punk-rock opera of post-9/11 anger. Anthemic and huge. Their commercial and creative peak.
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21AmnesiacRadiohead
Amnesiac
A companion to Kid A of fractured electronics and jazz, more abstract still. Cold and rewarding. A grower among fans.
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22Hail to the ThiefRadiohead
Hail to the Thief
A sprawling, politically tinged blend of rock and electronics. Dense and varied. An underrated entry.
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23Sea ChangeBeck
Sea Change
A stark, gorgeous break-up album of orchestrated melancholy, far from his playful collages. Honest and moving. His most affecting record.
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24White Blood CellsThe White Stripes
White Blood Cells
The breakthrough that distilled their sound to its purest, urgent and tuneful. Lean and exciting throughout. The album that made them stars.
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25Room on FireThe Strokes
Room on Fire
A tight, confident follow-up that refined the debut's formula. Sharp and tuneful. A strong second record.
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26Only by the NightKings of Leon
Only by the Night
A widescreen, arena-sized peak, home to 'Sex on Fire' and 'Use Somebody'. Polished and huge. Their commercial breakthrough.
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27Neon BibleArcade Fire
Neon Bible
A darker, grander follow-up to Funeral of organ-swelled anxiety. Bold and acclaimed. A strong second act.
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28Hot FussThe Killers
Hot Fuss
A glossy, new-wave-indebted debut full of huge hooks, from 'Mr. Brightside' on. Instantly catchy. A 2000s staple.
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29Silent AlarmBloc Party
Silent Alarm
A taut, danceable post-punk debut of jittery guitars and urgency. Sharp and exciting. A mid-2000s indie cornerstone.
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30Oracular SpectacularMGMT
Oracular Spectacular
A psychedelic synth-pop debut of inescapable hits like 'Kids' and 'Time to Pretend'. Bright and beloved. A 2000s landmark.
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31Merriweather Post PavilionAnimal Collective
Merriweather Post Pavilion
A blissful, sample-swirled experimental-pop peak, home to 'My Girls'. Adventurous and beloved. Their masterpiece.
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32VeckatimestGrizzly Bear
Veckatimest
A lush, intricate indie-folk peak of harmony and arrangement. Beautiful and acclaimed. Their finest.
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33A Ghost Is BornWilco
A Ghost Is Born
A noisier, more experimental follow-up to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Bold and Grammy-winning. A challenging peak.
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34Ga Ga Ga Ga GaSpoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
A taut, soulful indie-rock peak of rhythmic precision. Sharp and beloved. Their finest.
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35TransatlanticismDeath Cab for Cutie
Transatlanticism
A lush, yearning indie-rock record about distance and longing, anchored by its title epic. Emotional and beloved. Their defining album.
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36I'm Wide Awake, It's MorningBright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
A literate, folk-leaning peak of emotional indie songwriting. Earnest and acclaimed. Conor Oberst's breakthrough.
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37GueroBeck
Guero
A return to genre-mashing collage with the Dust Brothers. Fun and varied. A strong mid-career record.
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38First Impressions of EarthThe Strokes
First Impressions of Earth
A denser, more ambitious third album. Bold and varied. A divisive record.
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39HumbugArctic Monkeys
Humbug
A darker, heavier desert-rock pivot. Bold and acclaimed. A turning point.
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40AlligatorThe National
Alligator
A tense, literate breakthrough of slow-building indie rock. Sharp and beloved. The album that made them.
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41AnticsInterpol
Antics
A sharper, hookier follow-up to the debut. Tuneful and assured. A strong second record.
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42It's Blitz!Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It's Blitz!
A synth-driven dance-rock reinvention, home to 'Heads Will Roll'. Bright and acclaimed. A bold pivot.
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43Sam's TownThe Killers
Sam's Town
A grandiose, Springsteen-indebted second album of heartland anthems. Ambitious and big. A fan favourite.
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44Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to HeavenGodspeed You! Black Emperor
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
A monumental post-rock double album of orchestral crescendo. Immersive and acclaimed. A genre landmark.
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45The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead PlaceExplosions in the Sky
The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
A soaring, emotional post-rock landmark of wordless drama. Cinematic and beloved. A genre favourite.
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46Takk...Sigur Rós
Takk...
Warmer and more melodic than its predecessors, soaring and cinematic. Uplifting and grand. A post-rock high point.
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47Strawberry JamAnimal Collective
Strawberry Jam
A vivid, hook-laden experimental-pop peak. Inventive and acclaimed. A high point.
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48XTRMNTRPrimal Scream
XTRMNTR
A furious, electronic-punk peak of political noise. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.
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49Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
A frantic, confessional psych-pop peak. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.
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50Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsThe Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
A whimsical, emotional psych-pop landmark of robots and mortality. Beloved and acclaimed. A high point.
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51Things We Lost in the FireLow
Things We Lost in the Fire
A hushed, slowcore peak of fragile beauty. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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52Kill the MoonlightSpoon
Kill the Moonlight
A spare, rhythmic indie peak of clever minimalism. Sharp and beloved. A cornerstone.
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53Dear ScienceTV on the Radio
Dear Science
A vibrant, art-rock peak of horns, funk and urgency. Bold and acclaimed. Their masterpiece.
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54Bitte OrcaDirty Projectors
Bitte Orca
An inventive, angular art-pop peak. Bold and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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55FeelsAnimal Collective
Feels
A warm, exuberant experimental-pop peak. Inventive and beloved. A high point.
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56Person PitchPanda Bear
Person Pitch
A blissful, sample-built solo landmark of layered vocal pop. Inventive and influential. A cult favourite.