Top 10 Greatest Albums of the 2000S

Eminem's second studio album (2000) sold 1.76 million copies in its first week in the US alone, making it the fastest-selling rap album of all time. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album 2001.

The Strokes' debut album (2001) is credited with reviving guitar-based rock and influenced a generation of indie bands. NME ranked it the greatest album of the decade; it sold over 3 million copies.

Kanye West's 2004 debut shifted hip-hop aesthetics with soul samples and introspective lyrics. It sold over 3.4 million copies in the US and won 3 Grammy Awards including Best Rap Album.

OutKast's 2003 double album won the Grammy for Album of the Year 2004 and sold over 5.5 million copies in the US. It spawned the #1 single Hey Ya! which spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut was recorded following the deaths of several band members' relatives. It topped numerous critics' decade-end polls and the band won the Grammy for Album of the Year for its follow-up The Suburbs in 2011.

The White Stripes' 4th album (2003) was recorded in just 10 days at London's Toe Rag Studios on vintage analog equipment. It spent 54 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the iconic guitar riff of Seven Nation Army.

Amy Winehouse's 2006 album became the best-selling album in the UK in the 2000s decade. It won 5 Grammy Awards in 2008 — a record for a British female artist — and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Radiohead's 2007 album was famously released as a pay-what-you-want digital download, with over 1.2 million downloads in the first 3 days. It won 2 Grammy Awards and topped Rolling Stone's list of the decade's best albums.

Sufjan Stevens' 2005 concept album about the US state of Illinois is considered one of the most ambitious indie folk albums ever made. It appeared on over 40 year-end best-of lists and was named album of the year by Pitchfork with a rare perfect score.

Eminem's second studio album (2000) sold 1.76 million copies in its first week in the US alone, making it the fastest-selling rap album of all time. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album 2001.

The Strokes' debut album (2001) is credited with reviving guitar-based rock and influenced a generation of indie bands. NME ranked it the greatest album of the decade; it sold over 3 million copies.

Kanye West's 2004 debut shifted hip-hop aesthetics with soul samples and introspective lyrics. It sold over 3.4 million copies in the US and won 3 Grammy Awards including Best Rap Album.

OutKast's 2003 double album won the Grammy for Album of the Year 2004 and sold over 5.5 million copies in the US. It spawned the #1 single Hey Ya! which spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut was recorded following the deaths of several band members' relatives. It topped numerous critics' decade-end polls and the band won the Grammy for Album of the Year for its follow-up The Suburbs in 2011.

The White Stripes' 4th album (2003) was recorded in just 10 days at London's Toe Rag Studios on vintage analog equipment. It spent 54 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and spawned the iconic guitar riff of Seven Nation Army.

Amy Winehouse's 2006 album became the best-selling album in the UK in the 2000s decade. It won 5 Grammy Awards in 2008 — a record for a British female artist — and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Radiohead's 2007 album was famously released as a pay-what-you-want digital download, with over 1.2 million downloads in the first 3 days. It won 2 Grammy Awards and topped Rolling Stone's list of the decade's best albums.

Sufjan Stevens' 2005 concept album about the US state of Illinois is considered one of the most ambitious indie folk albums ever made. It appeared on over 40 year-end best-of lists and was named album of the year by Pitchfork with a rare perfect score.