40. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say…

Perhaps the first true masterpiece of British indie rock, Arctic Monkeys’ debut album showed that a relentless hype can be based on a good sense of what’s clearly, obviously an effort worthy of praise. Indie rock with this much artistic integrity had seldomly been put in the limelight in this extraordinary way. -Jesper Persson

39. Passion Pit – Manners

Manners? Passion Pit had only one, and that is this album, one which is not embarrassed of taking falsetto vocals and applying them to indie rock euphoria nor taking childishly sugary melodies and applying them to electropop sweetness. A more charming pop album was yet to be found. -Jesper Persson

38. Daft Punk- Discovery

It’s only appropriate that the first great electronic album of the 21^st century would come from the minds of two chrome-faced robot-men. Discovery is epic.  What else can you call an electro-disco concept album about a kidnapped extraterrestrial band? The opening track, “One More Time”, is the great celebratory dance anthem of our generation, maybe of all time. From start to finish, Discovery delivers sexy digital funk that makes you feel good to be living in the future, even if there aren’t any flying cars. -Cap Blackard

37. R.E.M. – Accelerate

The band’s finest since 1996′s New Adventures in Hi-Fi. The album saw the return of jangly-guitars courtesy of Peter Buck, harmonies by Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, and of course, rock n’ roll. It also saved the band from breaking up and kept them relevant for the foreseeable future. Short but sweet, Accelerate is a fine example of a band looking back in order to look ahead. -Justin Gerber

36. The Thermals – The Body, The Blood, The Machine

There’s punk dissonance and then there’s The Thermals’ 2006 epic album. The band manages to dig from years of Catholic grief and unearth a huge, steaming slice of rapid fire storytelling in which a couple escapes America and its domination by ” fascist faux-Christians.” Despite the heavy title, the band creates sonic outrage and lyrical depth and intensity that is pure pop joy. Stand-out tracks “Pillar of Salt” and “Power Doesn’t Run on Nothing” will keep you moshing through every joyously miserable moment of angst and repression. -Chris Coplan

35. Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights

To think for a band that gets called a Joy Division rip-off, it’s always an uphill fight. Whereas other bands portrayed New York in its dirtiness with punk music, Interpol focused on the solitary and the isolated. Turn on the Bright Lights was a gripping tale of life, love, and New York in a polished way. At times vibrant, with the catchy “Obstacle 1″ or “PDA”, to the downbeat of “NYC”, the songs invoke a melancholy and the air of being unresolved, of a reclamation project still under construction. TOTBL was a moody slice of life, a gripping listening experience where songs like “Untitled”, “Hands Away”, or “Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always down” unfolded achingly, leaving a lasting impression. -Charles Poladian

34. Björk – Medúlla

Medúlla, Björk’s sixth album, is a wild, emotional celebration of the human voice. Featuring guest appearances from Mike Patton, Rahzel, Robert Wyatt, and Dokaka, it covers a wide spectrum: angry political diatribes, settings of E.E. Cummings’ poetry, and personal reflections are all represented. It should have been a disaster, but Medúlla‘s success is a testament to Björk’s unique genius: who else could have combined all these disparate elements (beatboxing, Tuvan throat singing, operatic arrangements, etc.) and pull it off?  -Aaron Kelley

33. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head

An emotional rollercoaster of an album, shot through with glorious melodies and brimful of creative ideas, featuring 11 songs, carefully crafted and ordered to give the listener variety and form. It is difficult to pick out individual songs as they are all so good, but if pushed “The Scientist” ticks all the available boxes for real poignancy, intensity and sheer musicality as it’s simplest and best. A genuine classic recording from a band with very few peers. -Tony Hardy

32. The Hold Steady – Boys & Girls in America

October 3, 2006. That day should be immortalized for one reason: The Hold Steady’s third LP, Boys and Girls In America was released, and it was officially cool to like fist-punching rock and roll again. I mean, admit it, there’s a bit of Springsteen in all of us; we’re all down at points, clamoring for vindication of our sins. Boys and Girls In America gave all of us a reason to believe again. -Joshua Kloke

31. Bob Dylan – Modern Times

It’s a bit weird that Modern Times, Bob Dylan’s 32nd (!) studio album and first number one since 1976′s Desire, was so well received by the younger components of his audience. Sure, the first track name-checks Alicia Keys and the video for “When the Deal Goes Down” features Scarlett Johansson, but the music is clearly rooted in a time around when Bob Dylan was born. From the thunder blues of “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” to the Bing Crosby-indebted “Beyond the Horizon,” there’s little evidence that Dylan’s head is in the present. Then again, it’s a brilliant record, which is an element that shines across all time and age. -Aaron Kelley

30. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning

Want to feel feelings like you’ve never felt said feelings before? Give this Bright Eyes 2005 release a spin.  Released on the same day as the just-as-groundbreaking Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning is an acoustic masterpiece that blends the hopeful heartbreak and wallowing depression of Oberst’s musical choices and the wit and emotional depth of his lyrics. From “Lua” to “First Day of My Life”, the album gives you a VIP listen to Oberst’s emotional growing pains as he’s stretched between adolescent feelings of promise and adult realities of further disappointment. Mix in a healthy dose of socio-political commentary and you’ve got an album that can break your heart in a thousand ways. It’s never been quite so much fun to listen to an artist squirm. -Chris Coplan

29. Joanna Newsom – The Milk-Eyed Mender

The Milk-Eyed Mender, harpist Joanna Newsom’s debut record, has a tremendous amount of things going for it. There is one thing that it certainly doesn’t, however: it can’t really be enjoyed among large groups. It’s a collection of songs that touch upon a person’s innermost emotions, the ones that are so powerful they guide our perspective on life but are too personal to ever be shared. Memories of childhood, of love, of morality and faith flood the mind, and leave you, as she put it on the first track of her second record (the totally different but equally brilliant Ys), “dumbstruck with the sweetness of being.” -Aaron Kelley

28. TV on the Radio – Dear Science

Quirky? Danceable? Fun? Serious? Eclectic? Emotional? Groovy? Unique? Catchy? Brilliant? Check them all off the list, because TV On The Radio make them all come together in the brilliant, rich and comprehensive arrangement that is Dear Science. It’s an indie rock album that redefines the borders of said genre more than any other album has in the decade. -Jesper Persson

27. Ryan Adams – Love is Hell

Prolific singer-songwriter Ryan Adams initially released Love Is Hell as two separate EPs in 2003 due to pressure from his label, although the following year it was released as a single LP. This collection of songs eschewed the alt-country of his earlier work and focused on softer songs that highlight his strong lyrics and even stronger voice. His excellent cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” probably got the most attention from listeners, but the album’s title track and “Political Scientist”, both tales of heartbreak, are the real treats of this collection. Love is Hell predated Adams’ infamous online rants and temper tantrums, which unfortunately have begun to distract audiences from his enviable talent. Fortunately, the songs speak for themselves. -Anthony Balderrama

26. Kanye West – Late Registration

What album in the history of music could synthesize the pop orchestra sounds of Jon Brion and the trip hop of Portishead then Kanye West’s Late Registration. Not only did he disprove the sophomore slump theory, Mr. West destroyed records and made an album that is light and breezy with tracks like “Gold Digger” and yet made genocide and blood diamonds danceable in “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”. And while he broke more records with the 2007 follow up Graduation, this album stands as dynamic proof of West’s skill without (as much) ego. This will always be our Kanye West, no matter how much Auto-Tune he uses from now on. -Chris Coplan

25. The White Stripes – Elephant

This is the moment where all the promise, all the hype, the glamor of Jack White and The White Stripes came together beautifully. Combining that rag-tag approach to music, as if he was fighting to create that sound, which was kind of ugly, kind of rough, but beautiful and stunning at the same time. The blues roots, the country leanings, the Detroit muscle, it’s all there in Elephant. As soon as “Seven Nation Army” hits with that hypnotic riff, or that reverb laden backbeat, your face melts. But the album is more than just awesome riffs, with the child-like sentiment of “I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart” or  the bluesy “Ball and Biscuit”, Elephant is everything you want from The White Stripes. -Charles Poladian

24. Modest Mouse – Moon & Antarctica

Of the five studio records that Modest Mouse has released to date, it was The Moon & Antarctica that propelled the Washington outfit into the indie-rock spotlight. The move to a major label (Epic) gave the band ample resources to explore the deepest darkest places while offering up 15 expansive tracks filled with desolation. Lead singer Isaac Brock sets the tone with the first line he utters, “Everything that keeps me together is falling apart.” But despite the lyrical solitude, Brock’s guitars paired with Eric Judy’s bass lines keeps the album afloat and surprisingly upbeat. The dichotomy between Brock’s dismal lyrics and the (happy?) guitars is what keeps fans coming back; you can find a song for any mood on The Moon & Antarctica. -Andy Keil

23. Spoon – Gimme Fiction

Spoon perfected the cool indie pop rock song in 2005′s Gimme Fiction. Having honed the craft in some of their less polished work, that used the rawness as a key component to the music, Gimme Fiction was a pristine record, brilliantly produced and combining some unique sonic flourishes. The songs were bold, with diverse influences and slices of quirk, that would spiral outward while maintaining a tightly spun core. Songs like  “The Beast and the Dragon Adored” and “The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine”, “I Summon You”, and “Merchant of Soul” aided by  additional strings and keyboard components, proved that Spoon are some of the best innovators and craftsmen working in the indie world today. -Charles Poladian

22. Bruce Springsteen – The Rising

The September 11th attacks were responsible for some of the most trite, misguided and just plain awful songs ever to be recorded in the history of rock and roll, but they also gave us The Rising. After an eighteen year studio hiatus with the E Street Band, The Boss finally reunited with them in 2002 to record an album that remains bombastic, eloquent, and resonant even to this very day. Twangy, triumphant meditations like “Into The Fire” and the cathartic title track have aged so well because of their lyrical malleability. But that doesn’t mean Springsteen sacrificed any details. Words such as “Left the house this morning/bells ringing filled the air/Wearin’ the cross of my calling/On wheels of fire I come rollin’ down here” could just as easily be about spirituality as they could be about the deaths of hundreds of firemen. In The Boss’ mind, they’re probably the same thing, and that’s more than enough to make up for “Courtesy Of The Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American).” -Dan Caffrey

21. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow

The indie band of all indie bands, with their delicate and unpretentious mix of pop and rock, The Shins proved with their second album that their music deserved and could well withstand the pressure of being heard in a thousand Garden States. -Jesper Persson

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