Funeral — Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut Funeral emerged from profound personal loss, yet it became a critical juggernaut, topping more decade-end lists than any other album in the 2000s, including those by Pitchfork and NME. Recorded for under $100,000, it sold over 500,000 copies in the US, and its emotional intensity outshines the more polished follow-up The Suburbs, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011.