ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2004
compiled from the critics' choices in the following publications: Uncut, Q, Mojo, the NME, Time Out, Word, Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph
1
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
2
Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
4
The College Dropout
Kanye West
5
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
6
The Libertines
The Libertines
7
Showtime
Dizzee Rascal
8
Hot Fuss
The Killers
9
Bubblegum
Mark Lanegan Band
10
Van Lear Rose
Loretta Lynn
11
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
12
Smile
Brian Wilson
13
Seven Swans
Sufjan Stevens
14
Rejoicing in the Hands
Devendra Banhart
15
A Ghost is Born
Wilco
16
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
U2
17
From a Basement on the Hill
Elliott Smith
18
The Futureheads
The Futureheads
19
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
20
The Grey Album
Danger Mouse
21
Now Here Is Nowhere
Secret Machines
22
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
23
Kasabian
Kasabian
24
Antics
Interpol
25
Real Gone
Tom Waits
26
Up All Night
Razorlight
27
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
28
Hopes and Fears
Keane
29
Who Killed The Zutons
The Zutons
30
Chutes Too Narrow
The Shins
NOTES:
There was never much doubt who was going to come out top this year, and there can't really be much argument either - Franz Ferdinand look like the genuine article. Other newcomers included Scissor Sisters, The Killers and Kanye West, while The Streets, Dizzee Rascal and Kings of Leon all successfully negotiated their second albums.
Elsewhere, Morrissey and U2 are back after a decade, Brian Wilson finally got round to finishing Smile and Loretta Lynn showed what Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris have already demonstrated: that if you hang on long enough as a country singer, you might get some respect from rock critics.
Honorable mentions to The Blue Nile, Graham Coxon and The Bees, who all got three nominations each but just missed the top 30. Old favourite whose latest work failed to impress included REM, Beastie Boys, Eminem and Bjork. Mind you, at least they weren't too far off the pace - PJ Harvey didn't even get mentioned, which is a genuine surprise.
