Metacritic: Best Albums of 2003

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70 AFI
65 Air
71 Alice In Chains
77 Amerie
70 Anjulie
85 The Antlers
75 Arctic Monkeys
68 As Tall As Lions
82 Atlas Sound
75 The Avett Brothers
67 Backstreet Boys
56 Bad Lieutenant
68 Devendra Banhart
72 Lou Barlow
88 Baroness
69 Basement Jaxx
81 David Bazan
72 Brendan Benson
72 The Big Pink
96 Big Star
46 Billy Talent
75 The Black Crowes
51 Black Mold
59 Amanda Blank
68 Blitzen Trapper
75 BLK JKS
77 A.A. Bondy
73 The Bottle Rockets
63 Box Elders
65 Boys Like Girls
76 Brand New
73 Tyondai Braxton
87 Brother Ali
70 Ian Brown
75 Michael Buble
78 Built To Spill
61 Colbie Caillat
79 Califone
68 Mariah Carey
84 Brandi Carlile
73 Julian Casablancas
83 Rosanne Cash
69 Castanets
65 The Cave Singers
84 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
79 Vic Chesnutt
75 Choir Of Young Believers
81 Circulatory System
68 The Clean
84 The Clientele
71 Cobra Starship
85 Converge
71 Eric Copeland
80 Cymbals Eat Guitars
71 Datarock
59 Dead By Sunrise
76 Dead Man's Bones
64 Desolation Wilderness
88 Destroyer
63 The Dodos
77 Drive-By Truckers
74 The Duke & The King
66 Bob Dylan
44 The Entrance Band
67 Esser
69 Fanfarlo
63 Felix Da Housecat
68 Fink
78 The Flaming Lips
66 Flight Of The Conchords
79 Florence And The Machine
67 John Fogerty
59 Frankmusik
77 Fruit Bats
83 Fuck Buttons
71 Nelly Furtado
47 Gary Go
68 Ghostface Killah
79 Girls
59 Gloriana
69 Gossip
62 David Gray
66 David Guetta
79 Richard Hawley
74 Mayer Hawthorne
66 Headlights
79 HEALTH
77 Joe Henry
66 Hockey
69 Whitney Houston
68 Imogen Heap
59 Jack Ingram
79 Islands
73 Jessie James
74 Jamie T
83 Japandroids
65 Jay-Z
51 Jet
69 Daniel Johnston
76 Karen O And The Kids
72 Toby Keith
69 Kid Cudi
65 Kings Of Convenience
62 Sean Kingston
64 KISS
76 Kris Kristofferson
68 KRS-One & Buckshot
76 La Roux
84 Miranda Lambert
72 Ledisi
75 Sondre Lerche
56 Juliette Lewis
82 Lightning Bolt
76 Lightning Dust
73 Little Dragon
44 Pixie Lott
73 Lyle Lovett
66 Lovvers
75 Baaba Maal
77 Madness
84 Madonna
85 Manic Street Preachers
62 Maps
55 Massive Attack
57 Matisyahu
67 Reba McEntire
66 Tim McGraw
65 Brian McKnight
79 Mew
77 Malcolm Middleton
77 Mika
68 Amy Millan
76 Mission Of Burma
73 Modest Mouse
76 Molina And Johnson
80 Monsters Of Folk
62 Morrissey
85 Mount Eerie
78 The Mountain Goats
62 Múm
72 Muse
66 Willie Nelson
78 Nirvana
97 Nirvana
72 Nisennenmondai
80 No Age
71 Noah And The Whale
75 Noisettes
79 Nudge
68 Nurses
47 Dolores O'Riordan
74 Os Mutantes
73 Osso
81 Owen
76 Paramore
76 Pastels And Tenniscoats
51 Sean Paul
80 Pearl Jam
66 Jemina Pearl
72 Jack Penate
65 Phish
82 Pissed Jeans
61 Pitbull
79 A Place To Bury Strangers
63 Julian Plenti
66 Robert Pollard
79 Polvo
72 Porcupine Tree
80 Q-Tip
80 R.E.M.
89 Raekwon
69 Rain Machine
70 Ramona Falls
75 Dizzee Rascal
75 The Raveonettes
76 Jay Reatard
82 Reigning Sound
81 Rodrigo Y Gabriela
79 Russian Circles
69 Buffy Sainte-Marie
73 Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61 Sally Shapiro
78 Shudder To Think
75 Sian Alice Group
70 Simian Mobile Disco
58 Simple Minds
72 Six Organs Of Admittance
69 Slaughterhouse
80 Slayer
61 The Slits
62 Mindy Smith
83 Solillaquists Of Sound
78 Soulsavers
77 Speech Debelle
58 Spiral Stairs
58 Squarepusher
55 Steel Panther
73 Sufjan Stevens
52 Rod Stewart
65 Joss Stone
75 George Strait
83 Barbra Streisand
76 A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74 Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78 The Swell Season
76 David Sylvian
83 Taken By Trees
78 Tegan And Sara
68 The Temper Trap
72 Themselves
82 They Might Be Giants
67 Third Eye Blind
68 Throw Me The Statue
66 J Tillman
69 Times New Viking
57 Tokio Hotel
67 Trey Songz
42 The Twang
71 The Twilight Sad
58 Carrie Underwood
56 The Used
68 Various Artists
70 Various Artists
74 Various Artists
77 The Very Best
71 Kurt Vile
67 Vivian Girls
71 Volcano Choir
76 Rufus Wainwright
59 Weezer
80 White Denim
76 Why?
83 Wild Beasts
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59 Andrew W.K.
71 Patrick Wolf
67 Wolfmother
84 The xx
70 YACHT
75 Yim Yames
79 Yo La Tengo
83 Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
51 Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59 Zero 7

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The following table displays the highest-scoring albums for the year in Metacritic's database with a minimum of 7 reviews. Also listed at the bottom of the page are year-end top ten lists provided by various critics and publications.

You may also view an index of all albums in our database alphabetically by artist.
In addition, you may view the top-rated albums by year: All | 2008 | '07 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year
1	How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin	2003	97
2	Elephant by The White Stripes	2003	92
3	Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast	2003	91
4	Rounds by Four Tet	2003	89
5	Neon Golden by The Notwist	2003	89
6	Yours, Mine & Ours by Pernice Brothers	2003	88
7	Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins	2003	88
8	Up In Flames by Manitoba	2003	88
9	Where Shall You Take Me by Damien Jurado	2003	88
10	Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers	2003	87
11	World Without Tears by Lucinda Williams	2003	87
12	Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris	2003	87
13	Phantom Power by Super Furry Animals	2003	87
14	One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73	2003	86
15	You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene	2003	86
16	The Decline Of British Sea Power by British Sea Power	2003	86
17	Quicksand / Cradlesnakes by Califone	2003	86
18	Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains Of Wayne	2003	86
19	Feast of Wire by Calexico	2003	86
20	The Lemon Of Pink by The Books	2003	86
21	The Wind by Warren Zevon	2003	86
22	The Intercontinentals by Bill Frisell	2003	86
23	Holopaw by Holopaw	2003	85
24	Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia	2003	85
25	Hail To The Thief by Radiohead	2003	85
26	Streetcore by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros	2003	85
27	The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky	2003	85
28	Happy Songs For Happy People by Mogwai	2003	85
29	Run To Ruin by Nina Nastasia	2003	85
30	Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie	2003	85

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists

Village Voice 2003 Pazz & Jop Poll (a survey of 732 critics) Read The Full Results
1	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2	The White Stripes: Elephant
3	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
4	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
5	Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever To Tell
6	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
7	The New Pornographers: Electric Version
8	Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
9	Drive-By Truckers: Decoration Day
10	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner

Almost Cool
1	Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People
2	Do Make Say Think: Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn
3	Sufjan Stevens: Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
4	Ellen Allien: Berlinette
5	Matmos: The Civil War
6	Four Tet: Rounds
7	The Books: The Lemon Of Pink
8	1 Mile North: Minor Shadows
9	Manitoba: Up In Flames
10	B. Fleischmann: Welcome Tourist

Blender
1	The White Stripes: Elephant
2	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
3	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
4	Ryan Adams: Rock n Roll
5	Justin Timberlake: Justified
6	The Libertines: Up The Bracket
7	Beyonce Knowles: Dangerously In Love
8	Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever To Tell
9	50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
10	Evanescence: Fallen

Dotmusic
1	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2	Super Furry Animals: Phantom Power
3	Blur: Think Tank
4	Four Tet: Rounds
5	Jay-Z: The Black Album
6	The Rapture: Echoes
7	The White Stripes: Elephant
8	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
9	I Am Kloot: I Am Kloot
10	Manitoba: Up In Flames

Drowned In Sound
1	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
2	The Darkness: Permission To Land
3	Cat Power: You Are Free
4	Blood Brothers: Burn Piano Island, Burn
5	Muse: Absolution
6	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
7	Funeral For A Friend: Casually Dressed and in Deep Conversation
8	Zwan: Mary Star Of The Sea
9	Hell Is For Heroes: The Neon Handshake
10	Elbow: Cast of Thousands

E! Online
1	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2	The White Stripes: Elephant
3	Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
4	Cat Power: You Are Free
5	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
6	Damien Rice: O
7	Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
8	Missy Elliott: This Is Not A Test
9	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
10	Death In Vegas: Scorpio Rising

Entertainment Weekly (Chris WIllman)
1	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
2	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
3	Johnny Cash: Unearthed [box set]
4	Dixie Chicks: Top of the World Tour
5	Lucinda Williams: World Without Tears
6	Elvis Costello: North
7	Liz Phair: Liz Phair
8	The White Stripes: Elephant
9	Patty Loveless: On Your Way Home
10	The Distillers: Coral Fang

Entertainment Weekly (David Browne)
1	The White Stripes: Elephant
2	Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
3	Beyonce feat. Jay-Z: "Crazy In Love" [single]
4	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
5	Kelis: "Milkshake" [single] and Kylie Minogue: "Slow" [single]
6	Zwan: Mary Star Of The Sea
7	Ms. Dynamite: A Little Deeper
8	Jeff Buckley: Live at SIn-e: Legacy Edition
9	Caesars: "Sort It Out"
10	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Metacritic.com \| Music Editor
1	British Sea Power: The Decline of British Sea Power
2	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
3	The Postal Service: Give Up
4	Grandaddy: Sumday
5	Beulah: Yoko
6	Broadcast: Haha Sound
7	Manitoba: Up In Flames
8	The Clientele: The Violet Hour
9	Four Tet: Rounds
10	Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
The Best Album of 2002 That We Didn't Hear Until 2003: The Notwist: Neon Golden

Mojo
1	The White Stripes: Elephant
2	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
3	Blur: Think Tank
4	The Strokes: Room On Fire
5	My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves
6	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
7	Emmylou Harris: Stumble Into Grace
8	Robert Wyatt: Cuckooland
9	Evan Dando: Baby I'm Bored
10	Wire: Send

New York Magazine
1	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2	Bubba Sparxxx: Deliverance
3	Matthew Dear: Leave Luck To Heven
4	The Fiery Furnaces: Gallowsbird's Bark
5	The White Stripes: Elephant
6	Ricardo Villalobos: Alcachofa
7	Richard Thompson: The Old Kit Bag
8	Michael Mayer: Speicher
9	Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever To Tell
10	(tie) Four Tet: Rounds and Manitoba: Up In Flames

No Ripcord
1	M83: Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
2	Manitoba: Up In Flames
3	British Sea Power: The Decline of British Sea Power
4	Four Tet: Rounds
5	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
6	The Microphones: Mount Eerie
7	Cat Power: You Are Free
8	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
9	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
10	The Postal Service: Give Up

The Onion (Andy Battaglia)
1	Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
2	Matthew Dear: Leave Luck To Heven
3	Ricardo Villalobos: In The Mix: Taka Taka
4	Various Artists: Schaffelfieber 2
5	Bubba Sparxxx: Deliverance
6	The Fiery Furnaces: Gallowsbird's Bark
7	The Rapture: Echoes
8	Michael Mayer: Fabric 13
9	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
10	El Guapo: Fake French

The Onion (Josh Modell)
1	Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
2	The Decemberists: Her Majesty The Decemberists
3	Cat Power: You Are Free
4	Crooked Fingers: Red Devil Dawn
5	The Postal Service: Give Up
6	Clem Snide: Soft Spot
7	The White Stripes: Elephant
8	Danko Jones: We Sweat Blood
9	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
10	Electric Six: Fire

The Onion (Noel Murray)
1	The Constantines: Shine A Light
2	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
3	June Carter Cash: Wildwood Flower
4	Josh Rouse: 1972
5	The Rosebuds: The Rosebuds Make Out
6	Cursive: The Ugly Organ
7	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
8	Sun Kil Moon: Ghosts Of The Great Highway
9	Pernice Brothers: Yours Mine & Ours
10	The Fiery Furnaces: Gallowsbird's Bark

The Onion (Keith Phipps)
1	The New Pornographers: Electric Version
2	The White Stripes: Elephant
3	Josh Rouse: 1972
4	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
5	Damien Jurado: Where Shall You Take Me?
6	Gillian Welch: Soul Journey
7	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
8	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
9	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
10	Rufus Wainwright: Want One

The Onion (Nathan Rabin)
1	Little Brother: The Listening
2	Madlib: Shades Of Blue
3	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
4	Lifesavas: Spirit In Stone
5	InI: Center Of Attention
6	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
7	Viktor Vaughn: Vaudeville Villain
8	R. Kelly: Chocolate Factory
9	Bubba Sparxxx: Deliverance
10	Diverse: One A.M.

The Onion (Steven Thompson)
1	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
2	Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
3	Electric Six: Fire
4	Clem Snide: Soft Spot
5	Damien Rice: O
6	Nada Surf: Let Go
7	Damien Jurado: Where Shall You Take Me?
8	The New Pornographers: Electric Version
9	Josh Rouse: 1972
10	Andrew WK: The Wolf

Pitchfork
1	The Rapture: Echoes
2	The Books: The Lemon Of Pink
3	Sufjan Stevens: Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
4	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
5	Manitoba: Up In Flames
6	Prefuse 73: One Word Extinguisher and Extinguished: Outtakes
7	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
8	M83: Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
9	Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People
10	The Unicorns: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?

Playlouder
1	The Darkness: Permission To Land
2	The Hidden Cameras: The Smell Of Our Own
3	Four Tet: Rounds
4	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
5	The White Stripes: Elephant
6	The Mars Volta: De-Loused In The Comatorium
7	Jane's Addiction: Strays
8	Nick Cave: Nocturama
9	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
10	British Sea Power: The Decline of British Sea Power

Pop Matters
1	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2	The White Stripes: Elephant
3	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
4	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
5	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
6	The Strokes: Room On Fire
7	Blur: Think Tank
8	Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
9	The Constantines: Shine A Light
10	My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves

Q
1	The White Stripes: Elephant
2	Blur: Think Tank
3	The Mars Volta: De-Loused In The Comatorium
4	Kings Of Leon: Youth And Young Manhood
5	Justin Timberlake: Justified
6	50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
7	The Strokes: Room On Fire
8	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
9	The Darkness: Permission To Land
10	Jane's Addiction: Strays

ShakingThrough.net (Kevin Moreau)
1	The Weakerthans: Reconstruction Site
2	Matthew Ryan: Regret Over The Wires
3	The Twilight Singers: Blackberry Belle
4	Al Green: I Can't Stop
5	Guster: Keep It Together
6	Jay-Z: The Black Album
7	Drive-By Truckers: Decoration Day
8	Eels: Shootenanny!
9	Sun Kil Moon: Ghosts Of The Great Highway
10	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner

ShakingThrough.net (Laurence Station)
1	Fountains Of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
2	The Wrens: The Meadowlands
3	Manitoba: Up In Flames
4	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
5	John Cale: HoboSapiens
6	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
7	Four Tet: Rounds
8	Nina Nastasia: Run To Ruin
9	Damien Jurado: Where Shall You Take Me?
10	The Decemberists: Her Majesty The Decemberists

Spin
1	The White Stripes: Elephant
2	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
3	The Strokes: Room On Fire
4	50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
5	Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever To Tell
6	Jay-Z: The Black Album
7	Thursday: War All The Time
8	The New Pornographers: Electric Version
9	Missy Elliott: This Is Not A Test
10	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief

Stylus
1	Songs: Ohia: Magnolia Electric Co.
2	Manitoba: Up In Flames
3	The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
4	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
5	Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People
6	OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
7	Cat Power: You Are Free
8	Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
9	David Banner: Mississippi: The Album and Mississippi: The Screwed and Chopped Album
10	Exploding Hearts: Guitar Romantic

Uncut
1	Warren Zevon: The Wind
2	Emmylou Harris: Stumble Into Grace
3	John Cale: HoboSapiens
4	Willard Grant Conspiracy: Regard The End
5	Robert Wyatt: Cuckooland
6	Josh Rouse: 1972
7	Hamell On Trial: Tough Love
8	Four Tet: Rounds
9	Paul Westerberg: Come Feel Me Tremble
10	Tahiti 80: Wallpaper For The Soul

Urb [no ranking given; listed alphabetically]
Atmosphere: Seven's Travels
Adult.: Anxiety Always
Bent: The Everlasting Blink
Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash
Brother Ali: Shadows On The Sun
Danger Mouse & Jemini: Ghetto Pop Life
Little Brother: The Listening
OutKast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Prefuse 73: One Word Extinguisher
Plastikman: Closer

The Wire
1	Robert Wyatt: Cuckooland
2	David Sylvian: Blemish
3	John Fahey: +
4	Nurse With Wound: Salt Marie Celeste
5	Chris Watson: Weather Report
6	Rhythm & Sound: With The Artists
7	Dizzee Rascal: Boy In Da Corner
8	Four Tet: Rounds
9	Keith Rowe & John Tilbury: Duos For Doris
10	The Bug: Pressure

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Music

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists