albums of the year: 2003

NOTES:
These charts started in 1990, and this is the first year in which an American hip-hop act has come out on top; it's also the first time a double-CD has won. Even more impressively, OutKast did it despite being up against The White Stripes, a genuine Great White Hope at the peak of their form.
Otherwise, there were a decent number of new bands from both Britain and the States up against the old favourites in the shape of Radiohead, Blur, Super Furry Animals and The Strokes (already old favourites). Evan Dando re-emerged from the ruins of Lemonheads, and Robert Wyatt made a perhaps surprising debut appearance here. The year's most talked about band, The Darkness, didn't convince everyone, and the year's most talked about singer, Justin Timberlake, missed the cut.
Two recently deceased icons, Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash, also just failed to make the top thirty, bubbling under with Jane's Addiction, Spiritualized and Nick Cave.
Finally, we must note the passing of Suede, the first act to have been the Hit Parade nomination for album of the year on two occasions, but whose last album A New Morning failed to make these charts and who split up this year.
And finally finally, the ostracization of Luke Haines continues: he releases the unbelievably wonderful Das Kapital and not a single vote comes in from the critics. Quite extraordinary.