The best album of the past 10 years? And some other thoughts.

Slate had an article recently suggesting that the Strokes "Is This It" is the best album of the past decade.  So, I said - challenge accepted!!  First, right off the bat, I reject the central thesis of the article.  I'm on a quest to figure out what I think the best album of the past 10 years is, but I'm pretty sure that the answer to the question, "is this it?", is no.  I listened to the album this evening, and what I will say is that it's a really solid rock album. Very catchy, good listening. It's a fun album. But it's not a transcendent album. I have to believe, for myself, that the best album is something that you listen to and you feel changed. For me at least, the Strokes don't do that. But I will keep them in consideration, out of deference to the author, and the fact that it is a really good record.

Also, it is of course worth making the obvious point that art is totally subjective.  I get that, but I also know that everyone loves making lists.  So, using a quick and dirty analysis of the songs in my iTunes collection, here are some of my favorite albums of the past 10 years:

The Top 10 (probably):

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Muse - H.A.A.R.P.
Green Day - American Idiot
Bad Religion - The Process of Belief
Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
Beck - Guero
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Wilco - A Ghost is Born

No surprise if you know me - I'm pretty clear that I think Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the best album of the past 10 years.  Actually an easy question for me. 

Here's a bunch of others I really liked:

Pearl Jam - Riot Act
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Cave In - Antenna
The Strokes - Is This It
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Black Mountain -In the Future
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Jane's Addiction - Strays
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Yo La Tengo - I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass
Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
The Black Keys - Brothers
The White Stripes - Elephant

One other conclusion to draw is that some of the bands I loved in the 90's (Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, R.E.M.) did not have as strong decades in the 2000's.  Anyway, I have more to say about music (and bands that have disappointed me recently), I'll save that for another post.