100 Greatest Albums of 2003

Criteria: These music albums from the year 2003 were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.

1. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
2. Elephant
The White Stripes
3. The Diary Of Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
4. Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
5. The Black Album
Jay-Z
6. Hail To The Thief
Radiohead
7. Dangerously In Love
Beyoncé
8. Meteora
Linkin Park
9. Fallen
Evanescence
10. The Wind
Warren Zevon
11. Chocolate Factory
R. Kelly
12. Boy in da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
13. Give Up
The Postal Service
14. Chicken-N-Beer
Ludacris
15. De-Loused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
16. Absolution
Muse
17. Transatlanticism
Death Cab for Cutie
18. Fever to Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19. Permission to Land
The Darkness
20. Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Belle and Sebastian
21. Welcome Interstate Managers
Fountains of Wayne
22. Elephunk
The Black Eyed Peas
23. Bazooka Tooth
Aesop Rock
24. Thirteenth Step
A Perfect Circle
25. Room on Fire
The Strokes
26. Try This
Pink
27. Echoes
The Rapture
28. Think Tank
Blur
29. Thankful
Kelly Clarkson
30. Sing the Sorrow
AFI
31. This is Not a Test!
Missy Elliott
32. The Beautiful Letdown
Switchfoot
33. Final Straw
Snow Patrol
34. Everything Must Go
Steely Dan
35. Deja Etendu
Brand New
36. Hearts of Oak
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
37. The Meadowlands
The Wrens
38. Fire
Electric Six
39. Deftones
Deftones
40. Kish Kash
Basement Jaxx
41. The Artist in the Ambulance
Thrice
42. Decoration Day
Drive-By Truckers
43. Black Cherry
Goldfrapp
44. Chutes Too Narrow
The Shins
45. Body Language
Kylie Minogue
46. Her Majesty
The Decemberists
47. The Soul Sessions
Joss Stone
48. Burn, Piano Island, Burn
The Blood Brothers
49. 14 Shades of Grey
Staind
50. It Still Moves
My Morning Jacket
51. Reality
David Bowie
52. Streetcore
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
53. Blink-182
Blink-182
54. 100th Window
Massive Attack
55. Long Knives Drawn
Rainer Maria
56. Sleeping with Ghosts
Placebo
57. Guitar Romantic
The Exploding Hearts
58. The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
The Fall
59. Electric Version
The New Pornographers
60. D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat
Junior Senior
61. I Can't Stop
Al Green
62. Sound of the Underground
Girls Aloud
63. Here Comes the Indian
Animal Collective
64. Earthquake Glue
Guided by Voices
65. Phantom Power
Super Furry Animals
66. Seven's Travels
Atmosphere
67. Rock 'n' Roll
Ryan Adams
68. War All the Time
Thursday
69. The Ugly Organ
Cursive
70. Haha Sound
Broadcast
71. Faceless
Godsmack
72. Chariot
Gavin DeGraw
73. Youth & Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
74. Thickfreakness
The Black Keys
75. Keep it Together
Guster
76. Rooney
Rooney
77. Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
78. Tasty
Kelis
79. Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
80. The Decline of British Sea Power
British Sea Power
81. A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar
Dashboard Confessional
82. Reconstruction Site
The Weakerthans
83. Joe Budden
Joe Budden
84. Mary Star of the Sea
Zwan
85. As the Eternal Cowboy
Against Me!
86. Frengers
Mew
87. Three
Sugababes
88. Unclassified
Robert Randolph and the Family Band
89. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Coheed & Cambria
90. Good Mourning
Alkaline Trio
91. Chain Gang of Love
The Ravonettes
92. The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Explosions in the Sky
93. Blackout
Dropkick Murphys
94. Michigan
Sufjan Stevens
95. The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
96. You Are Free
Cat Power
97. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
M83
98. The Vertigo of Bliss
Biffy Clyro
99. The New Romance
Pretty Girls Make Graves
100. The Old Kit Bag
Richard Thompson
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 2003
An unheralded great album from 2003
Ryan's choice:
* From the Attic
Damone

Brett's choice:
* What Happened To The?
The Jessica Fletchers

Lew's choice:
* Day I Forgot
Pete Yorn
2002   |   2004