Rolling Stone magazine has released its highly anticipated ranking of the greatest albums released since 2000, with Beyoncé's groundbreaking 2016 album "Lemonade" claiming the coveted #1 spot.
Coming in at #2 is Radiohead's prophetic masterpiece "Kid A" from 2000, which the magazine praises for its prescient vision of a darker future defined by technological isolation and social division. Two decades after its release, "Kid A" is widely regarded as both a masterwork from one of the era's most innovative bands and an unheeded warning about society's direction.
The top 10 features The Strokes' explosive 2001 debut "Is This It" at #10, credited with injecting fresh energy and style into the rock scene at the turn of the millennium.
Other notable entries in the top 25 showcase the diverse musical landscape of recent decades:
- Fiona Apple's "The Idler Wheel..." (2012) reaches #13
- The White Stripes' raw, powerful "Elephant" (2003) lands at #14
- Lana Del Rey's acclaimed "Norman F****** Rockwell!" (2019) takes #15
- Lorde's sophomore effort "Melodrama" (2017) rounds out the top 25
The list reflects the evolving nature of popular music in the 21st century, spanning genres from alternative rock to R&B and pop while highlighting albums that pushed creative boundaries and captured the zeitgeist of their respective eras.
This ranking serves as a snapshot of contemporary music's most impactful works, celebrating artists who have shaped the musical landscape over the past two decades through innovation, artistic vision, and cultural resonance.