100 Greatest Albums of 2004

Criteria: These music albums from the year 2004 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. American Idiot
Green Day
2. The College Dropout
Kanye West
3. Funeral
Arcade Fire
4. SMiLE
Brian Wilson
5. Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
6. Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Modest Mouse
7. Madvilliany
Madvillian
8. Hot Fuss
The Killers
9. Confessions
Usher
10. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
U2
11. Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Gwen Stefani
12. A Ghost Is Born
Wilco
13. Genius Loves Company
Ray Charles
14. Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2
Jill Scott
15. You Are the Quarry
Morrissey
16. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
My Chemical Romance
17. The Red Light District
Ludacris
18. Get Away from Me
Nellie McKay
19. Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
20. Breakaway
Kelly Clarkson
21. Back to Bedlam
James Blunt
22. Feels Like Home
Norah Jones
23. Medulla
Bjork
24. The Tipping Point
The Roots
25. Musicology
Prince
26. Uh Huh Her
PJ Harvey
27. Where You Want to Be
Taking Back Sunday
28. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV on the Radio
29. Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys
30. Sonic Nurse
Sonic Youth
31. Destiny Fulfilled
Destiny's Child
32. Miss Machine
The Dillinger Escape Plan
33. Rubber Factory
The Black Keys
34. Let it Die
Feist
35. Suit
Nelly
36. Thunder, Lightning, Strike
The Go! Team
37. The Libertines
The Libertines
38. A Grand Don't Come for Free
The Streets
39. Almost Killed Me
The Hold Steady
40. Sung Tongs
Animal Collective
41. Get Lifted
John Legend
42. Eye to the Telescope
KT Tunstall
43. The Dirty South
Drive-By Truckers
44. The Beautiful Struggle
Talib Kweli
45. Dear Heather
Leonard Cohen
46. Set Yourself on Fire
Stars
47. More Adventurous
Rilo Kiley
48. Real Gone
Tom Waits
49. Tical 0: The Prequel
Method Man
50. The Futureheads
The Futureheads

51. You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Death from Above 1979
52. Antics
Interpol
53. Tha Carter
Lil Wayne
54. Encore
Eminem
55. Bows & Arrows
The Walkmen
56. Leviathan
Mastodon
57. Ten
cLOUDDEAD
58. Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
59. The Milk-Eyed Mender
Joanna Newsom
60. To the 5 Boroughs
Beastie Boys
61. So Jealous
Tegan and Sara
62. Talkie Walkie
Air
63. The Grind Date
De La Soul
64. Anniemal
Annie
65. Contraband
Velvet Revolver
66. Goodies
Ciara
67. Unwritten
Natasha Bedingfield
68. The DEFinition
LL Cool J
69. Now Here is Nowhere
The Secret Machines
70. From a Basement on the Hill
Elliott Smith
71. The Pretty Toney Album
Ghostface Killah
72. Straylight Run
Straylight Run
73. R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece
Snoop Dogg
74. The Difference Between Me and You is That I'm Not On Fire
mclusky
75. Catalyst
New Found Glory
76. Gold Medal
The Donnas
77. Sweat
Nelly
78. The Cure
The Cure
79. Who Killed...The Zutons?
The Zutons
80. Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
81. Humboldt Beginnings
The Pharcyde
82. Crimes
The Blood Brothers
83. We Shall All Be Healed
The Mountain Goats
84. Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Slipknot
85. Kasabian
Kasabian
86. Futures
Jimmy Eat World
87. Soviet Kitsch
Regina Spektor
88. Meltdown
Ash
89. Our Endless Numbered Days
Iron & Wine
90. Reise, Reise
Rammstein
91. Satanic Panic in the Attic
of Montreal
92. Kamikaze
Twista
93. Shake the Sheets
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
94. In Love and Death
The Used
95. Is a Real Boy
Say Anything
96. Grey Will Fade
Charlotte Hatherley
97. Joyful Rebellion
k-os
98. Half Smiles of the Decomposed
Guided by Voices
99. Chuck
Sum 41
100. The Lost Riots
Hope of the States
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 2004
Ryan's choice - An unheralded great album from 2004
* Bluffer's Guide to the Flight Deck
Flotation Toy Warning

Lew's choice:
* Living Things
Matthew Sweet
2003   |   2005