Indie-rock albums often dominated the charts in the 2000s, while bands routinely scored hit singles and influenced fashion trends. That was then, this is now. Does 2000s indie stand up to the scrutiny of time? Many of the albums of the time certainly do. Some of them are downright excellent and worth praising.
It’s why I have assembled a list of the greatest indie-rock albums of the 2000s. And that’s why I encourage you to listen to them.
The 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Made Between 2000 and 2009
1. “Elephant” (2003) – The White Stripes
“Elephant” was the album that turned The White Stripes into the unlikelest of indie rock superstars of the 2000s. While their contemporaries were enjoying everything stardom had to offer, Meg and Jack White had the plan clear down to the color scheme. While their contemporaries mined garage rock and 80s pop for ideas, The White Stripes looked further back to the blues.
“Elephant” wasn’t merely an album hyped by critics. Audiences fell with “Seven Nation Army” and turned it into one of the biggest sporting anthems in decades. Meanwhile, songs like “The Hardest Button to Button” and “Ball and Biscuit” proved that The White Stripes were more imaginative than the vast majority of their indie-rock peers.
2. “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (2006) – Arctic Monkeys
Indie-rock bands were struggling to find a bit of fresh air by the mid-2000s. Most bands were singing from the same hymn sheet and boring their audiences. Arctic Monkeys had plenty of energy, humor, and enough great songs to fill up the whole debut album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.” The British press loved it.
And, indeed, it’s taken until recently to properly evaluate the record without the weight of the hype. Yeah, turns out that the press was right. “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” with its punk-inspired indie-rock sound made by these Strokes-worshipping kids from Sheffield, still sounds marvelously fresh. It’s one of the best albums of the 2000s.
3. “Is This It” (2001) – The Strokes
There’s no indie album of the 2000s that is more famous than The Strokes. That’s because of the songs and excitement surrounding the album, and regardless of the fact that Julian Casablancas and his band were backed by a major record label and financed by rich parents.
Some scoffed at the band’s connections and their reliance on a great fashion sense, which reintroduced t-shirts and skinny jeans to the world. The truth is, however, that The Strokes came armed with songs like “Last Nite,” “Someday,” and “Hard to Explain,” and few rock fans could resist them. Garage rock suddenly had its figureheads, and New York City was, once again, the epicenter of an important music scene.
4. “Up the Bracket” (2002) – The Libertines
If the U.S.A. had The Strokes, then England deserved to have The Libertines. Yes, Peter Doherty and Carl Barat purposely modeled themselves on their NYC counterparts. But by the time they’d roped in Mick Jones of The Clash to produce “Up the Bracket,” there were no bands on the island who made greater indie-rock albums.
Doherty and Barat were punk-rock poets, often endangering themselves and creating their own myth. But they wrote songs which made them one of the more important bands of the 2000s.
5. “White Blood Cells” (2001) – The White Stripes
Rock critics always find reasons to complain. By the early 2000s, pop music had gone plastic, and the existing indie-rock bands could easily be suspected of being industry plants. But, as far as critics were concerned, The White Stripes did everything right. Pretty soon, audiences were singing the same tune. “
“White Blood Cells” is an effortlessly cool, memorable indie rock album of the 2000s. “Fell in Love with a Girl,” “Hotel Yorba,” or “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” were near-instant classics. Who says you need a bass guitar anyway?
6. “Turn on the Bright Lights” (2002) – Interpol
If The Strokes were stylish and willing to indulge in what New York City’s sleazy nightlife had to offer, Interpol presented themselves as restless outsiders. “Turn on the Bright Lights” ended up being welcomed as the dazed soundtrack to the 9/11 attacks.
Yet, truthfully, Interpol had worked on this tense, stylish sound for a long time before the musicians became successful. The soundscapes created on songs like “PDA” or “Obstacle 1” are still dizzying and few bass players could write lines as memorable as Carlos Dengler.
7. “Favourite Worst Nightmare” (2007) – Arctic Monkeys
Back in the U.K., the debut album by Arctic Monkeys reignited 2000s indie-rock. Everyone waited breathlessly to hear if the Sheffield group could produce a worthy follow-up. The pressure didn’t get to Alex Turner and the band, at least not immediately.
“Favourite Worst Nightmare” is a bit tighter in terms of the band’s sound and a little lighter on tales of the dark Sheffield streets. “Favourite Worst Nightmare” has grown in stature, particularly because of songs like “Fluorescent Adolescent” or “505.”
8. “De Stijl” (2000) – The White Stripes
Even the best indie rock bands of the 2000s spent a long time figuring out their identity. The White Stripes came out completely aware of who they were. Their debut showed it. That had been a minor underground success.
“De Stijl” was the album that raised the group’s profile. Sure, they were still famous, mainly with critics and cool indie kids. But no duo could make that much and beautiful kind of noise. And nearly nobody played the blues like Jack and Meg White did. A classic!
9. “Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia” (2000) – The Dandy Warhols
Whenever you hear The Dandy Warhols’ singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor, he will talk endlessly about “cool things,” “sounding cool,” and “looking cool.” These were exactly the objectives of The Dandy Warhols in the early 2000s. By the time of “Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia,” few indie-rock bands had made a cooler album.
That would’ve been enough to create some kind of underground notoriety. But The Dandies weren’t destined to be a cult band. “Bohemian Like You” and “Get Off” were great hits, and “Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia” was inescapable on commercial radio for a long time.
10. “Veni Vidi Vicious” (2000) – The Hives
The Hives understood that their key to greatness rested on doing less rather than more and on specializing. They echoed The Stooges’ garage rock, brought manic energy to their performances, and wrote some of the best guitar riffs of the 2000s.
That was enough for The Hives to make one of the most important indie rock albums of the 2000s with “Veni Vidi Vicious.” There’s plenty more on here than just “Hate to Say I Told You So” or “Main Offender.” This early 2000s album hits between the eyes and doesn’t stop punching.
11. “Franz Ferdinand” (2004) – Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was determined to be the Talking Heads of the 2000s indie-rock scene, artsy alternatives to the snotty, confident bands making the rounds. Still, on debut record “Franz Ferdinand,” the group’s art-rock is centered around hard-hitting, danceable guitar riffs. “This Fire” or “Take Me Out” got stuck in everyone’s head, and the Scottish band became the most successful of the early 2000s.
12. “The Moon and Antarctica” (2000) – Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse earned a reputation for being spiky and confrontational. Still, the band’s unique sound is treated through a lens of deep, powerful nostalgia and melancholy on “The Moon and Antarctica.”
This is music to listen to while stuck alone on a dark winter’s night. The band would make plenty more music and, against the odds, increase its profile among indie-rock fans in the 2000s. Although atypical, “The Moon and Antarctica” captures Modest Mouse at its creative best.
13. “Funeral” (2004) – Arcade Fire
Critics know what they want and knew they wanted to like Arcade Fire from the moment they heard them. Arcade Fire made great statements. They married hopefulness to terrible wow. And they took Neutral Milk Hotel’s desperate freak-folk and refined the formula. There were some cynics who thought Arcade Fire was merely improving already existing ideas. But the fact was that in 2004, few indie-rock albums got music fans as excited as “Funeral.”
Even those non-believers will have to admit that there’s something regal and dramatic about tunes like “Rebellion (Lies)” or “Wake Up.” Of course, in recent years, Arcade Fire has added more cynics than fans, but that might be beside the point here.
14. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (2002) – Wilco
Some bands do their best work when they are pushed to their limits. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” is the best Wilco release and one of the best indie-rock albums of the 2000s precisely because it sounds like a great band nearly hitting rock bottom. How much of that is real and how much is a carefully orchestrated self-myth is debatable. But, with “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” fans of country, folk, and blues had a modern indie band that they could embrace.
15. “Yoshimi Battles the Big Pink Robots” (2002) – The Flaming Lips
There’s no shortage of ideas in the camp of The Flaming Lips. On “Yoshimi Battles the Big Pink Robots,” however, they manage to reel some of the wildest ones in, while using others as the basis of their story-led concept album.
It’s a great psychedelic excursion. Songs like “Do You Realize??” and their success meant that The Flaming Lips would be destined for more than 90s one-hit wonder status. And “Yoshimi Battles the Big Pink Robots” continues to reward those willing to listen to it from start to end, one of the best albums on the list to do this.
16. “Vampire Weekend” (2008) – Vampire Weekend
“Vampire Weekend” came out in 2008, a full seven years after “Is This It?” Yet, for many, this was the accompanying art-rock album for The Strokes’ debut. The Strokes were direct, Interpol was mysterious, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were emotional.
“Vampire Weekend” had all of that while still managing to sound like a strange art project. Critics raved about “A-Punk,” “Oxford Comma,” and “Campus.” Advertisements loved to use the music. And fans engaged with the music. Vampire Weekend peaked early when they made this classic 2000s indie-rock album.
17. “Highly Evolved” (2002) – The Hives
Many bands had had the label of “New Nirvana” stuck onto them. But that was just fine for The Hives. That’s because the Australians had a sound that could make you a believer in seconds.
In the 2000s indie-rock scene, nobody could use power chords and screams quite like The Vines on “Get Free.” Overall, “Highly Evolved” sounds effortlessly cool, especially at its least refined. Some blamed the band for failing to follow this up, but how could anyone?
18. “LCD Soundsystem” (2005) – LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was the 2000s indie-rock party brigade who looked and sounded like your friends, not cool rockstars. More of a production project of James Murphy than an electronic-rock band at first, “LCD Soundsystem” became nonetheless the party soundtrack for 2000s indie.
Few indie discos were brave enough not to include “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” in their mix. Meanwhile, “Losing My Edge” is heartbreaking for any scene kid fearing growing up.
19. “It’s Blitz” (2009) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs were lucky to come out of the NYC indie-rock scene at the same time as The Strokes, Interpol or LCD Soundsystem. But the band doesn’t get by on acquaintances and reputation alone. “It’s Blitz” still sounds great.
That’s because it is 2000s indie rock transposed through the imagination of a highly created band led by singer Karen O. “It’s Blitz” sounds, at times, like a modern disco record. And while the guitars aren’t as often available, the same kind of restless energy can be heard on songs like “Heads Will Roll” or “Dull Life,” but there’s anxiety at the heart of the music as on earlier recordings.
20. “Modern Guilt” (2008) – Beck
By 2008, it seemed that Beck had been everywhere and back again as far as indie-rock sounds and textures were concerned. With “Modern Guilt,” Beck teamed up with Danger Mouse and marched full speed into a modern, beat-heavy sound, which predicted where indie-rock albums would be heading past the 2010s.
There’s little to remind fans of the past. That’s partly because the tone of songs like “Gamma Ray” or “Orphans” is far sunnier than on the immediate previous releases.
- “Tyrannosaurus Hives” (2004) – The Hives
- “Kasabian” (2004) – Kasabian
- “The Libertines” (2004) – The Libertines
- “Figure 8” (2000) – Elliott Smith
- “Hot Fuss” (2004) – The Killers
- “The Bravery” (2005) – The Bravery
- “Fever to Tell” (2003) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- “Costello Music” (2006) – The Fratellis
- “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” (2004) – Modest Mouse
- “Tonight” (2009) – Franz Ferdinand
- “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning” (2005) – Bright Eyes
- “Dear Science” (2008) – TV on the Radio
- “Neon Bible” (2007) – Arcade Fire
- “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” (2009) – Phoenix
- “Gimme Fiction” (2005) – Spoon
- “The Hour of Bewilderbeast” (2000) – Badly Drawn Boy
- “Beyond” (2007) – Dinosaur Jr.
- “Walking on a Dream” (2008) – Empire of the Sun
- “What the Toll Tells” (2006) – Two Gallants
- “You Forgot It In People” (2002) – Broken Social Scene
- “Was Dead” (2008) – King Tuff
- “Illinois” (2005) – Sufjan Stevens
- “Oracular Spectacular” (2007) – MGMT
- “Capture/Release” (2005) – The Rakes
- “Inside In/Inside Out” (2006) – The Kooks
- “Pawn Shoppe Heart” (2004) – The Von Bondies
- “Silent Alarm” (2005) – Bloc Party
- “Guero” (2005) – Beck
- “Fakebook” (2001) – Yo La Tengo
- “Employment” (2005) – Kaiser Chiefs
- “You Could Have It So Much Better” (2005) – Franz Ferdinand
- “The Body, The Blood, The Machine” (2006) – The Thermals
- “Chutes Too Narrow” (2003) – The Shins
- “The Coral” (2005) – The Coral
- “Plans” (2005) – Death Cab For Cutie
- “So Much For the City” (2003) – The Thrills
- “More Adventurous” (2004) – Rilo Kiley
- “Boys and Girls in America” (2006) – The Hold Steady
- “Welcome to the Monkey House” (2003) – The Dandy Warhols
- “Give Up” (2003) – The Postal Service
- “The Back Room” (2005) – Editors
- “You Are Free” (2003) – Cat Power
- “Picaresque” (2005) – The Decemberists
- “Mass Romantic” (2000) – The New Pornographers
- “Only Revolutions” (2009) – Biffy Clyro
- “Antics” (2004) – Interpol
- “Humbug” (2009) – Arctic Monkeys
- “Down In Albion” (2005) – Babyshambles
- “Razorlight” (2006) – Razorlight
- “Oh, Inverted World” (2001) – The Shins
- “Almost Killed Me” (2004) – The Hold Steady
- “Return to Cookie Mountain” (2006) – TV On The Radio
- “Robbers & Cowards” (2007) – Cold War Kids
- “Oh No” (2005) – OK GO
- “Transatlanticism” (2003) – Death Cab For Cutie
- “Boxer” (2007) – The National
- “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (2009) – Animal Collective
- “Girls Can Tell” (2001) – Spoon
- “The Reminder” (2007) – Feist
- “Konk” (2008) – The Kooks
- “Music for the People” (2009) – The Enemy
- “Empire” (2006) – Kasabian
- “Wait for Me” (2007) – The Pigeon Detectives
- “Myths of the Near Future” (2007) – Klaxons
- “Echoes” (2003) – The Rapture
- “An End Has a Start” (2005) – Editors
- “Panic Prevention” (2007) – Jamie T
- “Lungs” (2009_) – Florence + The Machine
- “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” (2007) – Modest Mouse
- “Santigold” (2008) – Santigold
- “The Sunlandic Twins” (2005) – of Montreal
- “Hold on Now, Youngster…” (2008) – Los Campesinos!
- “West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum” (2009) – Kasabian
- “Tired of Hanging Around” (2006) – The Zutons
- “Scissor Sisters” (2004) – Scissor Sisters
- “Soviet Kitsch” (2004) – Regina Spector
- “The Warning” (2006) – Hot Chip
- “xx”(2009) – The xx
- “The Midnight Organ Fight” (2008) – Frightened Rabbit
- “Two Suns” (2009) – Bat for Lashes
Need more? I have just the thing that will go over smoothly once you’ve had a listen to the top 2000s albums. Here’s a list of the greatest indie-rock albums ever made. And, make sure to listen to its accompanying Spotify playlist.
