OUCH... my head hurts. I've been trying to turn 10 years' worth of music into a concise list - replaying albums, thinking about their impact, how the fans and critics raved. At the heart of it, I've tried to lay personal feelings aside and think objectively about the albums that shaped the Double-Os - the ones that shaped music, culture and really affected people. There's a couple of albums here I don't even like but can't ignore. But we all know deep down that musical taste is pretty subjective... oh well. Also I've limited each band to one entry only on the list so it doesn't fill up with Radiohead, Muse and Gomez albums.
61. Lost In Space - Aimee Mann (2002)
THE best songwriters make it seem so effortless, as do the best singers. Aimee Mann is both. From nursery rhymes to psychological conditioning, she can turn any subject into an honest tale of heartbreak and loss, while guiding her voice through surprisingly soothing twists and turns. The title track, the rockin' Pavlov's Bell, This Is How It Goes, and every other song on here captures that ease of delivery and songcraft, capped off with picture-perfect production and arrangements.
62. One Nil - Neil Finn (2001)
NEIL Finn is the Southern Hemisphere's best melody writer. With Crowded House and Split Enz he had a knack for taking the simplest of chord progressions and gliding his voice over the top to create a stack of imminent hits. He does the same thing here with some impressive production to back up the remarkable songwriting. The deceptively simple Turn And Run, the bittersweet Hole In The Ice and the summery Rest Of The Day Off are just a couple of examples on this under-rated gem that is as good as anything he did with the Crowdies.
63. End Of Fashion - End Of Fashion (2005)
FROM the pub-rock Pixies of O Yeah to the bar-room Beatles of Rough Diamonds, this Perth band's debut feels too easy - a guilty pleasure perhaps. It's familiarity is the key to its success, as the band crafts tightly constructed pop songs, not easily dismissable rip-offs. Every song seems to be an immediate classic or private favourite - somehow they've tapped into the universal great pop-rock songwriting vein and delivered an album where every song is an instant winner.
64. Buck Fever - Estradasphere (2001)
WHO the hell makes a concept album about deer shooting, let alone own that crams a dozen genres into one? Estradasphere - that's who. Heirs to Mr Bungle's experimental-prog-rock crown, these five multi-instrumentalists pulled out all the stops on their second record, slamming death-metal, Beach Boys-esque pop, Middle Eastern melodies, Shadows-style guitars, faux-Super Nintendo theme songs, demented funk, smooth jazz, circus music, surf, salsa and more into one wondrously insane package. And all the while, they're singing about the joys of buck-hunting. Truly one of a kind.
65. There Is Nothing Left To Lose - Foo Fighters (2000)
SADLY not a patch on their first two albums, but before they became meat-and-potatoes stadium-rockers, the Foos delivered one last solid effort that opened with a final burst of post-grunge angst (Stacked Actors). From there though its FM-friendly rock, as the rest of the album is their poppiest to date and features some of Dave Grohl's best melodies - from the sweetly Beatlesy Next Year to the speaking-guitar-led Generator, from the boppy Gimme Stitches to the break-through single Learn To Fly. It's hard not to like.
66. Antics - Interpol (2004)
STILL big Joy Division fans, Interpol got some more colours in their palette on this their second album. Opener Next Exit and Take You On A Cruise have touches of '50s pop, but the emphasis remained on the chiming guitars and Paul Banks' consistently matter-of-fact vocals, which is what made them so great on Turn On The Bright Lights. This time around though, everything is bigger, including some U2-sized choruses, particularly on the awesome singles Evil and Slow Hands.
67. Panic Prevention - Jamie T (2007)
HIS accent and lyrics got him pegged as a cross between The Streets, The Libertines and Arctic Monkeys, which wasn't unfair but not the whole story. This Wimbledon lad burst out of his bedroom like a British Beck, genre-hopping and kitchen-sinking his way through a hip-hopish take on UK pub life. There's the slurring charm of Calm Down Dearest and Sheila, and the scrappy fun of Brand New Bass Guitar and Back In The Game, but the true genius is in the white-boy reggae faux-swagger of If You Got The Money.
68. Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By - Lovage (2001)
SAUCY and hilarious, this record manages to French kiss you while keeping it's tongue firmly in its cheek. Mike Patton and Jennifer Charles croon and swoon their way through steamy truckstop encounters and romantic robberies over Dan The Automater's inspired cut-and-paste production. Probably the only album of the decade that's both sexy and funny.
69. Version - Mark Ronson (2007)
A COVERS album made the list? Yes, but the most swingingest, funkingest covers album ever. Featuring prominent use of The Daptone Horns, previously ungroovey songs surprisingly get their groove on. From Radiohead to The Smiths, from Britney to Ryan Adams, Version pulls intriguing re-arrangements out of some great songs, turning most into floorfillers.
70. De-Loused In The Comatorium - The Mars Volta (2003)
WHO knew so many people were ready to embrace a crazed prog-rock album, filled with erratic guitars, strange noises and the hour-long tale of a man who ODs and falls into a coma? Ex-At The Drive-In pair Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez created a warped yet enthralling trip on this near-cacophonic whirlwind of a debut - their first of five records this decade - that takes you to sonic and lyrical places most bands would never dream of.
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