The tendency of music fans to rank things implies the very simple notion that one album is unequivocally better than another. In finishing up its list of the Top 50 Albums of the New Millennium, the Daily Music Staff wrestled with the hazy distinctions between our favorite records. Separating the mad, mystical rants of Madvillain from the murky laptop pop of Radiohead was ultimately an exercise in futility. The fact is that all of the albums on this page have burrowed their way into our permanent consciousness. We hum Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc.” in class and carry Brian Wilson’s “Cabin Essence” to bed at night. We strove to represent our tastes; we tried to expose friends and co-workers to our passions; we hoped to incite debate about the best modern music has to offer. Mostly, we prayed that it wasn’t just us, that the joy, consolation and life that we derived from these albums was not ours alone.

- By Andrew M. Gaerig

20 Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The best way to experience Yoshimi is live. Only then can you really comprehend what makes The Flaming Lips’ sunny psych so special. Their shows are less concert and more demented circus spectacle, but even with all the animal costumes, fake blood, and giant balloons, the music is the most outrageous aspect. From the surreal space rock of “One More Robot/Unit 300-21” to the sublime beauty of “Do You Realize??” the album does a great job of capturing the unadulterated joy of a Wayne Coyne performance. I’ve never walked away from a concert loving life more than the night I saw The Flaming Lips, and this album is the perfect memento. — Lloyd Cargo

19 Radiohead – Hail to the Thief

Radiohead’s Hail To The Thief manages to be political enough to satisfy the blue states while having enough guitar riffs to nullify the red ones. The beautiful thing about Radiohead was that they didn’t forget the electronic lessons from Kid A and Amnesiac. Songs like “Sit Down. Stand Up.” break into syncopated beats and warbling piano with an ease that could only come from an older, wiser band, while the lead single, “There There,” sounds like a relief for guitarists everywhere — a glorious return to form. It’s just another stop on the road to being, what was that title Bono wants? Oh yeah, “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.” — Forest Casey

18 Liars – They Threw Us in a Trench

With an intriguing album title and minimalist artwork, the Liars give you plenty warning that their music isn’t exactly normal, and they come through. Their dance-punk masterpiece — with its electronic influences — features some of the most interesting and energetic songs in recent memory. With refrains “They cut me up in the medical school” the Liars show us that they are going to do whatever they wish with their music and all we can do is wonder what the hell they were thinking. — Punit Mattoo

17 Godspeed You Black Emperor! – Lift Skinny Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

It’s melancholy, occasionally distressing and filled with pretension. But the intense opuses that Godspeed create are reassuring and familiar in their power. The struggle that takes place within the instrumentation is imbued with commentary on society’s degradation. As they progress through 20-minute string pieces their music pulls the listener through a bevy of emotions and thoughts. Godspeed is at the forefront of a newfound interest in Canadian music. They legitimize the often struggling and muddled genres of post-rock and orchestral rock. Lift Your Skinny Fists is their flagship work. — Jason Smith

16 Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner

There is a bullet train in my imagination that runs from a Japanese proton accelerator straight through the slums of Brixton and London. It was born in an old Commodore 64 and its name is Boy In Da Corner. In one streak of Dizzee’s crashing, gatling gun rap, hip-hop goes international, the English language find its best manipulator since James Joyce and the whole world tries to “Fix Up, Look Sharp.” Dazzling geezer, innit? — Evan McGarvey

15 Sufjan Stevens – Greetings from Michigan