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The 2000s were a pivotal decade in music, defined by rapid change, bold experimentation, and the rise of digital culture. Among the many albums that left their mark, one stands out as the most influential and enduring release of the decade.
What makes this record the best of its era is its ability to connect with a wide audience while maintaining a unique voice. It arrived at just the right time, when listeners were craving something fresh yet meaningful, and delivered a sound that captured the echo of the age.
Critics and fans alike embraced the album, and it quickly became more than just a collection of songs. It became a cultural moment, quoted, and played endlessly. Its tracks found their way into personal playlists, film soundtracks, and public spaces, becoming part of everyday life.
Even years later, this iconic collection of songs continues to be revisited and celebrated. Its influence can be felt in the music that followed, as artists across genres drew inspiration from its tone, style, and impact.
According to a list compiled by RollingStone, the best album of the 2000s is Radiohead's Kid A, released in October 2000.
Here's what RollingStone had to say about the best record of the 2000s:
"The result was the weirdest hit album of that year, by a band poised to be the modern-rock Beatles, following the breakthrough of OK Computer. In fact, only 10 months into the century, Radiohead had made the decade's best album — by rebuilding rock itself, with a new set of basics and a bleak but potent humanity. Yorke's loathing of celebrity inspired the contrary beauty of "How to Disappear Completely," with its watery orchestration and his voice flickering in and out of earshot. His electronically squished pleading in "Kid A" sounded like a baby kicking inside a hard drive. Ironically, Radiohead, by the end of this decade, had fulfilled much of that modern-Beatles promise by following rock's first commandment: Go your own way.
Read RollingStone's full list of the best albums of the 2000s for more.