Metacritic: Best Albums of 2003

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78 2562
52 30 Seconds to Mars
62 50 Cent
72 AC/DC
80 Matias Aguayo
52 Kris Allen
78 Amerie
70 Tori Amos
84 Animal Collective
77 Annie
74 ARMS
63 Asobi Seksu
82 Atlas Sound
59 Bad Lieutenant
68 Devendra Banhart
88 Baroness
72 Beak>
64 Between The Buried And Me
72 Bibio
65 Justin Bieber
79 Biffy Clyro
78 Blakroc
75 Mary J. Blige
51 Bon Jovi
57 Susan Boyle
57 The Bravery
66 Brilliant Colors
79 Broadcast And The Focus Group
38 Chris Brown
72 Julian Casablancas
64 Clipse
70 Cold Cave
61 Cheryl Cole
81 Converge
75 The Cribs
58 Dashboard Confessional
81 Dave Rawlings Machine
59 Dead By Sunrise
73 Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
71 Do Make Say Think
65 DOOM
78 The Doors
64 Bob Dylan
59 Echo & The Bunnymen
74 Edan
78 El Perro del Mar
61 Electric Six
80 Engineers
75 Espers
72 Fanfarlo
70 Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
79 Felt
80 The Flaming Lips
66 Flight Of The Conchords
79 Florence And The Machine
69 Flyleaf
85 Foo Fighters
84 Ben Frost
84 Fuck Buttons
75 Gift Of Gab
68 Githead
69 Joe Goddard
75 Gucci Mane
51 Har Mar Superstar
76 Heavy Trash
75 Holopaw
82 Jesca Hoop
80 Hudson Mohawke
65 Allison Iraheta
74 Etienne Jaumet
59 Jay Sean
85 Freedy Johnston
73 Norah Jones
77 Rickie Lee Jones
63 Ke$ha
62 R. Kelly
66 Alicia Keys
68 Kid Sister
74 The King Khan & BBQ Show
85 King Midas Sound
65 Kings Of Convenience
76 Lady GaGa
71 Adam Lambert
78 Lawrence Arabia
61 Leona Lewis
82 Lightning Bolt
74 Little Dragon
71 Lyle Lovett
61 Maps
73 Mario
61 John Mayer
69 Paul McCartney
66 Tim McGraw
76 Erin McKeown
65 Brian McKnight
88 Memory Tapes
75 Molina And Johnson
67 Morrissey
63 Mr. Hudson
53 Mudvayne
85 Neon Indian
84 Nirvana
93 Nirvana
78 OK Go
72 Ola Podrida
68 On Fillmore
61 OneRepublic
78 OOIOO
67 Alec Ounsworth
84 Owen Pallett
93 Dolly Parton
79 Pelican
73 Elvis Perkins
90 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
74 R.E.M.
73 Radian
54 Rakim
78 Real Estate
76 Rihanna
65 Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
81 The Rolling Stones
79 Russian Circles
76 Say Anything
72 Shakira
57 Carly Simon
78 Slayer
61 The Slits
61 Snoop Dogg
62 Snow Patrol
59 Spiral Stairs
67 Ringo Starr
59 Stereophonics
73 Sufjan Stevens
52 Rod Stewart
45 Sting
67 Joss Stone
79 The Swell Season
74 Switchfoot
62 Swollen Members
80 Tegan And Sara
68 The Temper Trap
78 Thao With The Get Down Stay Down
75 Them Crooked Vultures
72 Themselves
73 Robin Thicke
50 Timbaland
78 tUnE-YaRDs
54 Carrie Underwood
80 Vampire Weekend
61 Various Artists
70 Various Artists
81 Laura Veirs
89 Vijay Iyer Trio
79 Vitalic
83 Tom Waits
78 Wale
57 Weezer
81 White Denim
72 White Rainbow
64 Robbie Williams
65 Wolfmother
69 Neil Young
80 Richard Youngs

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