1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Fever to Tell
Listen: “Rich”

2. Jay-Z- The Black Album
Listen: “December 4th”

3. Belle and Sebastian- Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Listen: “I’m a Cuckoo”

4. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief
Listen: “There There”

5. Death Cab for Cutie- Transatlanticism
Listen: “The New Year”

6. The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow
Listen: “Kissing the Lipless”

7. The White Stripes- Elephant
Listen: “The Hardest Button to Button”

8. OutKast- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Listen: “Hey Ya!”

9. The Mars Volta- De-Loused in the Comatorium
Listen: “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)”

10. Explosions in the Sky- The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Listen: “First Breath After Coma”

Archival Highlight: Led Zeppelin- How the West Was Won
Listen: “Stairway to Heaven”

Honorable Mention: Basement Jaxx’s Kish Kash, The Strokes’ Room on Fire, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros’ Streetcore, Neil Young’s Greendale
Updated: March 5, 2013
See Also: Top 10 Movies of 2003, Top 10 Albums of 2007, Top 10 Albums of 2006, Top 10 Albums of 2005, Top 10 Albums of 2004, Top 10 Albums of 2002, Top 10 Albums of 2001, Top 10 Albums of 2000, Top 10 Albums of 1999, Top 10 Albums of 1998, Top 10 Albums of 1997, Top 10 Albums of 1996, Top 10 Albums of 1995, Top 10 Albums of 1994, Top 10 Albums of 1993, Top 10 Albums of 1992, Top 10 Albums of 1991, Top 10 Albums of 1990, Top 10 Albums of 1989, Top 10 Albums of 1988, Top 10 Albums of 1987, Top 10 Albums of 1986, Top 10 Albums of 1985, Top 10 Albums of 1984, Top 10 Albums of 1983, Top 10 Albums of 1982, Top 10 Albums of 1981, Top 10 Albums of 1980, Top 10 Albums of 1979, Top 10 Albums of 1978, Top 10 Albums of 1977, Top 10 Albums of 1976, Top 10 Albums of 1975, Top 10 Albums of 1974, Top 10 Albums of 1973, Top 10 Albums of 1972, Top 10 Albums of 1971, Top 10 Albums of 1970, Top 10 Albums of 1969, Top 10 Albums of 1968, Top 10 Albums of 1967, Top 10 Albums of 1966, Top 10 Albums of 1965