The Best Alt-Rock Album of Each Year of the 2000s

What were the best alternative rock albums of the 2000s? Here we take a year-by-year look through the decade, paying close attention to the trends and scenes that pushed alternative rock in new directions.

First off, we need to set a few ground rules. For a good portion of the decade, there was little difference between the alternative airplay and active rock charts, with many of the bands lumped into nu-metal making their presence felt in both. You can also say that pop-punk had its own steady presence throughout the decade as well. There will be lists separately dedicated to acts that fall under those umbrellas for the 2000s. But for this list, we’re looking at acts that truly thrived under the alternative umbrella primarily.

This is a place where you’ll find The Strokes, who were leaders of the early 2000s garage rock revival. Their debut album Is This It was one of the best reviewed albums of the decade and their arrival paved the way for a glut of similar bands to follow. There’s even another garage rock revival act that topped a separate year on this list.

Speaking of movements, it’s hard to think of the impact that emo had on the alternative scene of the mid-2000s without mentioning My Chemical Romance‘s The Black Parade. The concept album engaged many beyond the alternative world and arguably could be considered the biggest emo record ever.

But not every great alternative record had to be tied to a scene. Take for instance Kings of Leon‘s Only By the Night that finally broke down their commercial barriers in the U.S. with a trio of chart-topping alternative singles that yielded multiple Grammy wins in the process.

READ MORE: 40 Best Rock Albums of the 2000s

Who else was big in the alt-rock world during the 2000s? We’ll give you a year-by-year rundown along with some of the runners up from each year that should scratch that 2000s alt-rock itch in the gallery below.