It's the last year of the first decade of this century. Coming from the brilliant 1990's, I didn't expect much from this decade. I was pleasantly surprised to have new favorites from this decade. Here's my top 5:

1. Silverchair - Diorama
2. Sade - Lovers Rock
3. Up Dharma Down - Bipolar
4. Frou Frou - Details
5. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star

Honourable mentions: Rachael Yamagata - Happenstance, My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

I'm still hoping there will be latecomers to add to my list this 2009.

Overall it was a great decade for music for me. It wasn't as revolutionary as the 90's but still great.

For electronic stuff it was absolutely a phenomenal decade. I'm not sure how the 10s will ever compare, but I'm excited to find out.

For me, the two highlights of this decade were Lateralus from Tool (to be expected <-) and Year Zero from Nine Inch Nails.

Nice. I also liked 1,4,5. Entry 2 & 3 doesn't ring a bell. I have to check them ...

Other albums I really enjoyed (in no particular order other than the year):

Jaga Jazzist - 2001 - A Living Room Hush
Xploding Plastix - 2001 - Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents
Dissociatives, The - 2004 - The Dissociatives (modern Silverchair + electro)
Ugress - 2004 - Cinematronics
Imogen Heap - 2005 - Speak for Yourself (solo album by Frou Frou singer)
Zero 7 - 2006 - The Garden
Radiohead - 2007 - In Rainbows
Silverchair - 2007 - Young Modern
Blue States - 2007 - First Steps Into ...

The more I think about it the more things I like to add...

Cheers!
SG

I was just going to say, we have a whole year left!

My favorites, in no particular order (well, I guess alphabetical order):

- The Black Keys, "Rubber Factory" (2004)
- The Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" (2002)
- The Go! Team, "Thunder, Lightning, Strike" (2004)
- Hubcap, "Between the Rails" (2004)
- Neko Case, "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" (2006)
- The New Pornographers, "Electric Version" (2003)
- Okkervil River, "The Stage Names" (2007)
- Radiohead, "Kid A" (2000)
- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, "Shake the Sheets" (2004)
- Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002)

I loved the ROPES in 2008............

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American (2001)
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts (2003)
Keane - Hopes & Fears (2004)
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That (2006)
Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (2007)
Poets Of The Fall - Revolution Roulette (2008)

There were some true gems and frontrunners this decade, here some of my faves in that regard - perhaps not the "best" albums but certainly among the more forward-looking and influential ones:

Arcade Fire - Funeral
Battles - Mirrored
Autechre - Untilted
Radiohead - Kid A
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
Brian Wilson - SMiLE
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

My TOP 5:
1. Morcheeba - Charango (2002)
2. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step (2003)
3. The Chemical Brothers - Push the Button (2005)
4. Disturbed - The Sickness (2000)
5. Massive Attack - 100th Window (2003)

I was listening to Coldplay - Parachutes and I just realized it was released in 2000. Definitely one of my favorites for the decade.

The Knife - Silent Shout [2006]
Pulshar - Botherhood [2008]
Deadbeat - Roots And Wire [2008]
Pole - 1,2,3 [2008]

For sure I forget some albums.

my favorite album currently is "can you hear me" by keaton simons

Boris - Boris At Last -Feedbacker- (2003)
Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (2009)

I'm not just a doom/drone metal fan, I listen to a lot of stuff, but those records in particular are amazing.

I think Monoliths & Dimensions is the kind of album some people on this board might enjoy- it's got so many amazing sounds in there, it's all about the timbre of the instruments. It's mastered well, I think any audiophiles with a great setup might get something out of it. I'd recommend it just because it's completely awesome as well.

I'm fond of Nelly Furtado album Loose (2008)