Collegiate Times

6. JAY-Z — “THE BLUEPRINT” (2001)

It’s not secret that 2001 was a tumultuous year for Jay-Z. With criminal trials pending and fellow rappers dissing, Jay-Z wasn’t getting any love from anyone, not even in the heart of New York City.
Jay-Z’s The Blueprint went live on Sept. 11, 2001.

Despite its release in the shadow of the worst terrorist attack on the United States, the album received intense critical acclaim. It samples the likes of Slick Rick, David Bowie, and even The Doors. It publicly disses Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. It is revolutionary.

With its radio-friendly nature, far-reaching samples and revolutionary diss tactics, “The Blueprint” remains one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

— Ben Woody

7. KANYE WEST — “LATE REGISTRATION” (2005)

Kanye did not fall prey to the typical rapper’s sophomore slump, but instead outdid himself with his sleek multi-faceted second album, “Late Registration.” How can you do wrong when you’re a musical genius?

Collaborating with producer Jon Brion, Kanye pushed the boundaries of the rap and hip-hop genre in the yearlong production of this album.

It’s also a wonderful album packed with sharp criticism for his contemporary social climate.

“Gold Digger” and “Touch the Sky” especially stand out, but with each song different from the one before, the entire album is worth an attentive listen

— Staff

8. RADIOHEAD — “IN RAINBOWS” (2007)   

Radiohead again?

If this list displayed the top albums of the 1960s, multiple Beatles’ albums would make the list.

Radiohead is the equivalent of The Beatles for the decade.

This album takes another direction in the band’s history of ever-changing musical landscapes. In this case, electronically fused alternative rock designed for digital consumption for the price of a donation. Aside from being a musical masterpiece, this album shows the trivial role major record labels play in marketing.

There is not a single track on this album below excellence.

Thank you Radiohead, this album is “All I Need.”

— Staff

9. MODEST MOUSE — “THE MOON & ANTARCTICA” (2000)

“Good News for People Who Love Bad News” gave us some polished, radio-ready gateway to the Modest Mouse experience. This overexposure for the band was a nightmare, especially given the band had just received immense critical acclaim for its third studio album, “The Moon & Antarctica.” This album offers more than simply a less sterile production environment from its preceding album.

Explorations into existence, life, death and the great beyond define this album. The music is all but simple as atmospheric sections are contrasted with much more lively marches and spastic vocals from Isaac Brock. The result of such diligence yields a homerun, and Modest Mouse hits its ponderous ball right out of the park for all fans to watch fly out with eyes wide and jaws dropped.

Though generally a hard pill for the common music fan to swallow, this album has a massive appeal to those musicians looking for new approaches to rock music, both structurally and proximately.

This album is Modest Mouse’s magnum opus, and that’s saying a whole lot.

— Staff

10. ARCADE FIRE — “FUNERAL” (2004)

The Arcade Fire’s acclaimed album definitely deserves all the hype it has received — after all, the love is still rolling in the six years after its release.

Supposedly based on the process of coping with the death of family members, the aptly titled album presents a fantastic journey through hand clapping, ominous guitars and gruff vocals. The “Neighborhood” tracks truly grip the listener with its sorrowful lyrics yet operatic style, which surprisingly doesn’t come off as over-the-top, but rather as a wonderfully executed work of art and sound.

Even though “Neighborhood #2 (Laika),” “Rebellion (Lies)” and “Wake Up” have garnered the most attention, “Haiti” and “Une Annee Sans Lumiere” offer an equally beautiful, delicate blend of English and French. “Haiti” especially incorporates an eerie contrast to the rest of the album. The final track on “Funeral,” “In the Backseat,” completes the album with its fading strings that make it seem impossible for the band to produce another album with such intensity. Still, the group strikes gold again and manages to achieve the same brilliance in its sophomore release, “Neon Bible.”

— Staff

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A version of this article appeared in the Mar 3 issue of the Collegiate Times.