Top 10 greatest albums of 21st century: Not Taylor Swift; Grammy's most-awarded artiste takes the top spot
And yet, through all the technological upheaval – from MP3s to iPods, from torrents to TikTok – the album has endured. Even as playlists and singles took over the mainstream, the best artists doubled down on the long-form format, treating it not just as a collection of songs, but as a statement of vision and purpose. Today, a major album release is treated as a cultural moment, complete with countdown clocks, viral theories, and $40 vinyl reissues for records fans already stream daily.
Artists like Beyonce and Taylor Swift evolved from hitmakers to era-defining auteurs. Others – like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Bad Bunny, and Radiohead – reshaped the sound and soul of entire genres. They built new worlds in the wreckage of the old.
Rolling Stone recently undertook the monumental task of ranking the 250 greatest albums of the 21st century, a list that spans continents, genres, and decades, showcasing the vibrant evolution of modern music.
We've sifted through their ranking and curated a definitive Top 10 – the crème de la crème. These are the records that defined eras, elevated artistry, and changed the game. Whether you're a lifelong fan or a curious explorer, this list is a reminder of how powerful and transcendent music can be.
With the drop of Is This It, The Strokes sparked a cultural reset. With their effortlessly cool, downtown NYC swagger and a sound that felt both vintage and vital, they delivered a debut that lit a fire under the rock scene. Drawing from the sharp edges of bands like Television and the Cars, and the laid-back attitude of Lou Reed and Tom Petty, they weaponised their influences. But it wasn't just nostalgia; The Strokes fused it all into something nervy, slick, and impossibly catchy. The album became the blueprint for a new wave of indie rock in the 2000s.
Un Verano Sin Ti was Bad Bunny's sun-soaked tribute to Puerto Rico, a mix of dreamy nostalgia and political defiance. Packed with summer anthems like Después de la Playa and emotional cuts like Otro Atardecer, the album became 2022's most-streamed release globally and the first Spanish-language LP ever nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. It was a bold cultural statement, capped off in concerts with El Apagón, where Bad Bunny celebrated his island while confronting its colonial struggles.
Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is hip-hop at its most extravagant and visionary. A maximalist masterpiece, it fuses grand orchestration with raw emotion, pairing soaring production with deeply introspective lyrics. Featuring an all-star cast, from Nicki Minaj's career-making verse on Monster to Bon Iver's unexpected transformation on Lost in the World,' the album is a genre-blurring triumph. With its lush soundscapes, bold sampling, and cinematic ambition, MBDTF remains a towering artistic achievement that few albums since have dared to rival.
SZA made fans wait five years after her stunning debut CTRL, but SOS was more than worth it. With fearless honesty and genre-blurring sound, she delivered a raw, emotionally charged exploration of heartbreak, identity, and self-worth. Blending R&B with hip-hop, rock, and even country on the breakout hit Kill Bill, SZA showed there's no lane she can't own.
Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city stands as a defining hip-hop album of the 21st century, a gripping coming-of-age narrative set against the backdrop of Compton. Released in 2012, it's both deeply personal and universally resonant, tracing Lamar's struggles with violence, addiction, and identity. Blending intricate storytelling with rich production and features from the likes of Pharrell and MC Eiht, the album is cinematic in scope and lyrical in depth.
On Folklore, Taylor Swift shed the stadium lights for candlelight, trading pop bombast for hushed introspection. Written in isolation with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, the album marks her boldest creative pivot — a moody, indie-folk departure filled with fictional storytelling and haunting melodies. From the aching grace of The 1 to the wistful high school love triangle spanning Cardigan, August, and Betty, Swift crafted a masterpiece.
OutKast kicked off the 2000s by blowing open the boundaries of hip-hop with Stankonia, a fearless, genre-bending explosion of sound and style. From the frenetic energy of B.O.B. to the timeless soul of Ms. Jackson, the duo fused everything from gospel to funk to psychedelia into a singular vision. It marked the last time André 3000 and Big Boi's creative worlds fully aligned, resulting in a dazzling, chaotic, and deeply influential masterpiece.
Frank Ocean took four years to create Blonde, a deeply personal and experimental follow-up to his acclaimed debut Channel Orange. After fulfilling his Def Jam contract with the visual album Endless, he surprised fans by releasing Blonde just hours later. The album blends futuristic R&B with dreamy, psychedelic textures, drawing inspiration from legends like Marvin Gaye and Brian Wilson. Featuring collaborations with Andre 3000 and Beyonce, Blonde explores themes of nostalgia, vulnerability, and self-discovery, capturing Ocean's raw emotions with a unique, introspective sound.
When Kid A dropped in October 2000, the world was still optimistic and unfamiliar with the upheavals to come. Radiohead's fourth album broke new ground by fusing electronic textures, experimental sounds, and unconventional instrumentation to capture a growing sense of alienation and uncertainty. Songs like Idioteque and Everything in Its Right Place initially puzzled listeners but quickly gained acclaim.
Since her 2013 self-titled album, Beyoncé has pushed boundaries, but Lemonade stands as her most raw and powerful work. It turns personal pain into a bold exploration of identity, blending genres from reggae to rock to country. It is a cinematic statement on Black womanhood and resilience, influencing culture and politics. Lemonade cemented Beyonce's legacy as one of the greatest artists of all time.
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Travis Kelce sparks NFL threat over Taylor Swift-inspired celebration now flagged as weapon gesture
Travis Kelce sparks NFL threat over Taylor Swift-inspired celebration now flagged as weapon gesture (Image Via X) Travis Kelce might get in trouble with the NFL if he keeps doing his famous 'bow and arrow' celebration. The Kansas City Chiefs' star performs the move following touchdowns, and his lover Taylor Swift even imitated it at her London concert. The NFL, however, has strict prohibitions against motions resembling weapons; Kelce could incur a fine or worse if he acts it again on the pitch. Travis Kelce could get fined for doing his Taylor Swift-style touchdown dance Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce might be in trouble if he keeps doing the famous 'bow and arrow' celebration that his girlfriend Taylor Swift also performed during her concerts. The NFL may punish Kelce with a fine or even worse if he uses the move again during games. This 'bow and arrow' gesture, which Travis Kelce uses after scoring touchdowns, has caught the attention of NFL officials. The league has been strict about players using hand gestures that look like weapons. In the past season, several NFL stars were fined for using the same pose. Travis Kelce first talked about his special move in October 2023, on his podcast New Heights. He noted the stance draws motivation from shooting for the stars and dreaming large. "One of my favorite quotes from Deion Sanders is, 'If your dreams aren't bigger than you then there's a problem with your dreams,'" he added. Travis Kelce's celebration could cost him just like other NFL stars The trouble started because the NFL has rules about making 'weapon-related gestures'. Even if it's done as part of a dance, the league sees it as breaking the rules. In January 2024, the NFL fined Andrei Iosivas of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jalyx Hunt of the Philadelphia Eagles for using the bow and arrow move after big plays. Other big names like Ja'Marr Chase, George Pickens, Drake London, Allen Lazard, Malik Nabers, and even Travis Kelce's teammate Patrick Mahomes were also fined for similar moves. Also Read: Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Baby Name Reveal In Missouri Sparks A Viral Fan Frenzy The league didn't say exactly how much Travis Kelce might have to pay, but based on other cases, it could be a few thousand dollars. Back in October 2023, Travis Kelce spoke out against the rule. He said, 'I know we don't want this to look like NFL players are shooting guns, I get that. But this is so small and subtle. Unless you're doing it at someone, it shouldn't be a flag.' When Taylor Swift did the same move during her London Eras Tour concert in June 2024, fans loved it and shared it everywhere. She pulled the imaginary bow while singing her new song 'So High School,' which many believe is about Kelce. But now, if Travis Kelce brings it back on the field in the upcoming 2025 season, he could pay the price, literally. FAQs 1. Why could Travis Kelce get fined by the NFL? Because the NFL bans celebration gestures that look like weapons, and Kelce's 'bow and arrow' move breaks that rule. 2. Did Taylor Swift really copy Travis Kelce's celebration? Yes, Taylor Swift did the 'bow and arrow' move during her London Eras Tour in June 2024. 3. Has the NFL fined other players for similar celebrations? Yes, players like Patrick Mahomes and Ja'Marr Chase were also fined for weapon-style gestures. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
The Harvard-educated linguist breaking down ‘skibidi' and ‘rizz'
Adam Aleksic has been thinking about seggs. Not sex, but seggs — a substitute term that took off a few years ago among those trying to dodge content-moderation restrictions on TikTok. Influencers shared stories from their 'seggs lives' and spoke about the importance of 'seggs education.' Lots of similarly inventive workarounds have emerged to discuss sensitive or suggestive topics online. This phenomenon is called algospeak, and it has yielded terms like 'cornucopia' for homophobia and 'unalive,' a euphemism for suicide that has made its way into middle schoolers' offline vocabulary. These words roll off the tongue for Aleksic, a 24-year-old linguist and content creator who posts as Etymology Nerd on social media. Others may find them slightly bewildering. But, as he argues in a new book, 'Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language,' these distinctly 21st-century coinages are worthy of consideration by anyone interested in the forces that mold our shifting lexicon. 'The more I looked into it, the more I realized that algorithms are really affecting every aspect of modern language change,' Aleksic said in a recent interview, padding around the Manhattan apartment he shares with a roommate and wearing socks stitched with tiny dolphins. Even those who steer clear of social media are not exempt. If you have encountered Oxford University Press's 2024 word of the year, 'brain rot' (the 'supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state,' thanks to a firehose of digital content), you, too, have had a brush with social media's ability to incubate slang and catapult it into the offline world. Aleksic has been dissecting slang associated with Gen Z on social media since 2023. 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Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
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A San Francisco restaurant was temporarily shut down after a TikTok influencer posted a video describing an interaction at the eatery that left her distressed. The co-founding chef of the restaurant was also fired. Why was Kis Cafe closed? San Francisco eatery's top chef fired after leaving TikToker in tears (Unsplash - representational image) A video taken at Kis Cafe went viral. The restaurant's other owner told NBC Bay Area that they plan to reopen the cafe with a new chef later. The eatery first opened earlier this summer, and is located in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood. "When we're ready, we will restart differently, separate from chef," the co-owner said. "This way my staff can also continue their livelihoods." The individual, who did not want to be named, stressed that he responded as promptly as possible after seeing the video featuring an interaction between his executive chef and the local TikTok influencer, itskarlabb. What does the video show? The five-minute long video shows an exchange between Executive Chef Luke Sung and the influencer, with the latter being left in tears. Initially, the TikToker described overhearing a conversation between the chef and a host, who had set up her visit. "This guy pulls up my TikTok and says that I have 15,000 followers, and some videos have millions of views, whatever, and this guy is not happy about it," she said in the post. She said that the chef approached her and had a direct conversation about her social media profile. "After scrolling like two times, he says to me that he doesn't think my videos are at the level at which he wants his restaurant to be represented," she said in the post. The restaurants issued an apology within two days and confirmed that Sung was not working with them anymore. Meanwhile, some neighbors said that they had planned to check the place out. "The menu looked decent, it seemed like a more approachable restaurant than the previous one that was in there. So, I was eager to try it," Brian Rohde said. Jacinth, another neighbor, said, "It's unfortunate that social media has turned to a state where you can type something, it can go viral from people who have no context of the situation, and ruin somebody's career." Meanwhile, the co-owner said he might now have to rename the restaurant and relaunch it. While he understands this will be challenging, he is ready to try and make it work, as are the rest of his staff. "I don't want to quit yet," he said. "This is my American dream. It's also my staff's."
