And now for my top albums of the decade.
Runner up:
Lily Allen, Alright, Still. (2006) I
loved this album. I wore it out. I know every tongue-in-cheek lyric to every chipper song. The fact of the matter is, she was a play off of Amy Winehouse and to deny Amy entry onto this list means that I also must keep Lily off of the list as well. Lily, you are a train wreck, yet you inspire me to be a snarky and fashionable lush regularly.
10.
Lil Wayne,
Tha Carter III (2008) Overall, I didn't
love this album. In fact the only song I
loved was "A Milli." But the thing was, it was his voice. The gritty sexiness of this nasty New Orleans boy. It was so fresh. So, we mass produced it and squeezed in into every top 40 hit of 2008. Overplayed? Yes. Significant? Yes. I still have a crush on Lil Wayne.
9.
Britney Spears,
In The Zone (2003) You all know how much love I have for Britney and that I'm stead-fast that she is amazing. The thing about Britney is that she completely embodies
our culture, so don't hate her for
you making her that way. Britney is the queen of mass-produced pop and this was her queen-bee album for her to showcase that. "Toxic" grabbed you. You loved it even when you hated it. I wanted to showcase Lady Gaga on my list as well because she is today's Britney but with an edge up on tomorrow, but the problem was that Lady Gaga would have been a nobody if Britney didn't slink across MTV to "Toxic" in the first place.
8.
Jason Mraz,
Waiting for My Rocket To Come (2002) Acoustic, fast paced, fun, and witty lyrics. This was the album for cheerleaders to artsy coffee shop boys alike. Mraz's original skat style evoked the fast paced rap of the 90's but Mraz did it in a likable white boy kind of way. This was a whole album that was fun to listen to, and that comes around so rarely. I hate his current stuff, but for a season there, Jason, you had my heart.
7.
MGMT,
Oracle Spectacular (2007) Oh so hipster... well 2007 hipster. The thing is, these songs aren't getting old. Justice was a fair counter-part to MGMT's album release, but by now, who are we still gyrating to? Why MGMT of course. This sound was so fresh for such a wonderful season... so fresh that you almost thought that they might be British.
6.
Jimmy Eat World,
Bleed American (2001) How we loved Blink 182. And how we loved Jimmy's ability to take Blink style and mature it in such a way that 9 years later we still don't hate these tracks. The iconic album of my high school career and it made us Zonies so proud to see a band from Mesa make it big. Catchy, poppy music that's guaranteed to take you back to the days when buying a giant SUV was not an offensive purchase.
5.
Gorillaz,
Demon Days (2005) The perfect fusion album of pop, punk, rap, and rock. And animated monkeys... wait, what the crap? Anyways, as stupid of a gimmick as the Gorillaz insist on being, it caught people's eyes. And their beats caught our ears. The Gorillaz single-handedly are responsible for me keeping pace in my road racing days. Still love you guys at the gym... whoever you really are.
4.
Frou Frou,
Details (2002) Solid beats, haunting vocals, and airy vibes made this album the perfect soundtrack for your favorite indie flicks over the decade. Although other singles may be more well known, my heart will always resonate with "Breathe In." Has a more perfect chick album come out since? Not that I've heard.
3.
Nickle Creek, (Self Titled) (2000) This was a country album. No one could deny that. But their clear talent as musicians committed to their craft made this a standout album for even the biggest country music hater. To this day, I cannot listen to "When You Come Back Down" without tears coming to my eyes thinking of the amazing ways my mom let me soar over these past ten years.
2.
Kanye West,
Graduation (2007) Every single song... played on repeat... for a year straight. Kayne, you're a cocky SOB, but dang you're good. You've had some hits over this decade, but never before and I doubt never again will you be so good. The "OJ wears isotoners" line in "Stronger" was one of my favorite lines ever. Most of my friends didn't get it. But I did. And that made me feel smart. Thanks Kayne.
1.
John Mayer,
Heavier Things (2003) If you know me, you know I love John. Always. But this was his most perfect album to me in so many ways. You see,
Room For Squares was his pop sell-out album that he had to put out to get the attention of the mass market.
John Mayer Trio,
Continuum, and
Battle Studies are
his albums. He has enough fans now that he can play off the beaten track and call his own shots. And they're ok. I like them well enough, but not the way I loved
Heavier Things. This album was his hybrid. Pop enough for the mainstream, but John Mayer through and through. Played on repeat during the most pivotal years of my life, there has never been an album that has struck my heart the way this one did. Shame on Rolling Stone for putting Mayer on your cover and then snubbing him from both your top 100 album and your top 100 singles lists for this decade. To me, John, you will always be my soundtrack of these last ten years.
Runner up: Lily Allen, Alright, Still. (2006) I loved this album. I wore it out. I know every tongue-in-cheek lyric to every chipper song. The fact of the matter is, she was a play off of Amy Winehouse and to deny Amy entry onto this list means that I also must keep Lily off of the list as well. Lily, you are a train wreck, yet you inspire me to be a snarky and fashionable lush regularly.
10. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008) Overall, I didn't love this album. In fact the only song I loved was "A Milli." But the thing was, it was his voice. The gritty sexiness of this nasty New Orleans boy. It was so fresh. So, we mass produced it and squeezed in into every top 40 hit of 2008. Overplayed? Yes. Significant? Yes. I still have a crush on Lil Wayne.
9. Britney Spears, In The Zone (2003) You all know how much love I have for Britney and that I'm stead-fast that she is amazing. The thing about Britney is that she completely embodies our culture, so don't hate her for you making her that way. Britney is the queen of mass-produced pop and this was her queen-bee album for her to showcase that. "Toxic" grabbed you. You loved it even when you hated it. I wanted to showcase Lady Gaga on my list as well because she is today's Britney but with an edge up on tomorrow, but the problem was that Lady Gaga would have been a nobody if Britney didn't slink across MTV to "Toxic" in the first place. 
8. Jason Mraz, Waiting for My Rocket To Come (2002) Acoustic, fast paced, fun, and witty lyrics. This was the album for cheerleaders to artsy coffee shop boys alike. Mraz's original skat style evoked the fast paced rap of the 90's but Mraz did it in a likable white boy kind of way. This was a whole album that was fun to listen to, and that comes around so rarely. I hate his current stuff, but for a season there, Jason, you had my heart.
7. MGMT, Oracle Spectacular (2007) Oh so hipster... well 2007 hipster. The thing is, these songs aren't getting old. Justice was a fair counter-part to MGMT's album release, but by now, who are we still gyrating to? Why MGMT of course. This sound was so fresh for such a wonderful season... so fresh that you almost thought that they might be British. 
6. Jimmy Eat World, Bleed American (2001) How we loved Blink 182. And how we loved Jimmy's ability to take Blink style and mature it in such a way that 9 years later we still don't hate these tracks. The iconic album of my high school career and it made us Zonies so proud to see a band from Mesa make it big. Catchy, poppy music that's guaranteed to take you back to the days when buying a giant SUV was not an offensive purchase.
5. Gorillaz, Demon Days (2005) The perfect fusion album of pop, punk, rap, and rock. And animated monkeys... wait, what the crap? Anyways, as stupid of a gimmick as the Gorillaz insist on being, it caught people's eyes. And their beats caught our ears. The Gorillaz single-handedly are responsible for me keeping pace in my road racing days. Still love you guys at the gym... whoever you really are.
4. Frou Frou, Details (2002) Solid beats, haunting vocals, and airy vibes made this album the perfect soundtrack for your favorite indie flicks over the decade. Although other singles may be more well known, my heart will always resonate with "Breathe In." Has a more perfect chick album come out since? Not that I've heard.
3. Nickle Creek, (Self Titled) (2000) This was a country album. No one could deny that. But their clear talent as musicians committed to their craft made this a standout album for even the biggest country music hater. To this day, I cannot listen to "When You Come Back Down" without tears coming to my eyes thinking of the amazing ways my mom let me soar over these past ten years.
2. Kanye West, Graduation (2007) Every single song... played on repeat... for a year straight. Kayne, you're a cocky SOB, but dang you're good. You've had some hits over this decade, but never before and I doubt never again will you be so good. The "OJ wears isotoners" line in "Stronger" was one of my favorite lines ever. Most of my friends didn't get it. But I did. And that made me feel smart. Thanks Kayne.
1. John Mayer, Heavier Things (2003) If you know me, you know I love John. Always. But this was his most perfect album to me in so many ways. You see, Room For Squares was his pop sell-out album that he had to put out to get the attention of the mass market. John Mayer Trio, Continuum, and Battle Studies are his albums. He has enough fans now that he can play off the beaten track and call his own shots. And they're ok. I like them well enough, but not the way I loved Heavier Things. This album was his hybrid. Pop enough for the mainstream, but John Mayer through and through. Played on repeat during the most pivotal years of my life, there has never been an album that has struck my heart the way this one did. Shame on Rolling Stone for putting Mayer on your cover and then snubbing him from both your top 100 album and your top 100 singles lists for this decade. To me, John, you will always be my soundtrack of these last ten years.
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