Metacritic: Best Albums of 2001

> Switch to Advanced Search

New & Current Releases
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

Upcoming Release Calendar
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Music In Our Forums

sort by name

sort by score

71 The Academy Is...
75 The Accidental
68 Adele
70 Adem
67 The Airborne Toxic Event
70 Alkaline Trio
72 Alphabeat
52 Ashanti
84 Bajofondo
56 David Banner
76 The Baseball Project
77 Beck
77 Black Affair
59 Black Ghosts
76 Black Kids
68 Booka Shade
74 Brazilian Girls
90 The Bug
71 Glen Campbell
75 Brendan Canning
69 The Charlatans
72 Coldplay
78 The Cool Kids
65 Alice Cooper
65 CSS
66 Miley Cyrus
45 Dandy Warhols
81 Danny!
73 Death Vessel
58 Dirty Pretty Things
57 Disturbed
72 Dr. Dog
82 DragonForce
75 Jakob Dylan
77 Earlimart
77 Brian Eno + David Byrne
83 Alejandro Escovedo
62 The Faint
56 Feeder
65 The Fiery Furnaces
88 Fleet Foxes
64 iForward, Russia!
61 The Fratellis
73 The Futureheads
59 G Love & Special Sauce
64 The Game
73 Inara George With Van Dyke Parks
81 Girl Talk
61 Golden Animals
64 Mike Gordon
81 Al Green
42 G-Unit
64 Albert Hammond, Jr.
67 Ed Harcourt
78 Emmylou Harris
84 Harvey Milk
76 Juliana Hatfield
61 Hawthorne Heights
82 HEALTH
86 Hercules And Love Affair
77 John Hiatt
82 High Places
76 Zach Hill
85 The Hold Steady
63 Vanessa Hudgens
74 Human Highway
77 James Hunter
68 Ice Cube
66 Ida Maria
69 Jaguar Love
69 Jewel
76 Joan As Police Woman
79 Jamey Johnson
70 Jonas Brothers
59 Judas Priest
57 Kerli
73 Ladytron
69 Cyndi Lauper
72 Leila
76 Lykke Li
82 Lil Wayne
82 Lindstrom
72 Little Jackie
60 Lloyd
55 Los Lonely Boys
74 Love As Laughter
79 Aimee Mann
80 Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
76 John Mellencamp
71 The Melvins
71 Men Without Pants
71 Midnight Juggernauts
74 Mirah
63 Alanis Morissette
56 Motley Crue
74 The M's
83 The Music Tapes
54 The Music
71 My Brightest Diamond
70 My Morning Jacket
63 N.E.R.D. [The Neptunes]
71 Nas
79 Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis
84 Randy Newman
78 Nine Inch Nails
75 The Notwist
75 Conor Oberst
52 The Offspring
80 One Day As A Lion
75 Oneida
82 Opeth
62 The Orb
75 Oxford Collapse
62 James Pants
43 Katy Perry
74 Lee "Scratch" Perry
84 Sam Phillips
56 The Pigeon Detectives
72 Plies
73 Robert Pollard
81 Ponytail
64 Primal Scream
80 Ra Ra Riot
48 The Rascals
71 Ratatat
64 Re-Up Gang
48 Gavin Rossdale
71 The Rumble Strips
65 RZA
74 Scars On Broadway
72 Ron Sexsmith
85 Shearwater
39 Shwayze
81 Sigur Rós
78 Silver Jews
68 Slipknot
74 Sloan
79 Patti Smith and Kevin Shields
75 Solange
69 Son, Ambulance
63 Sam Sparro
76 Spiritualized
65 Rick Springfield
65 Staind
90 Steinski
47 Stereo MC's
72 Stereolab
69 The Stills
75 Subtle
83 Sugarland
67 Supergrass
70 Matthew Sweet
76 Irma Thomas
84 Teddy Thompson
57 Three 6 Mafia
76 Tilly And The Wall
64 The Ting Tings
72 Tittsworth
68 James Jackson Toth
72 Randy Travis
65 Usher
73 The Verve
69 The Virgins
72 Loudon Wainwright III
77 Martha Wainwright
85 The Walkmen
67 The Watson Twins
67 Ben Weaver
81 The Week That Was
64 Weezer
77 Paul Weller
76 White Denim
79 Cassandra Wilson
87 Dennis Wilson
76 Wire
78 Wolf Parade
61 XX Teens
55 Yung Berg
66 The Zutons

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The following table displays the highest-scoring albums for the year in Metacritic's database with a minimum of 7 reviews. Also listed at the bottom of the page are year-end top ten lists provided by various critics and publications.

You may also view an index of all albums in our database alphabetically by artist.
In addition, you may view the top-rated albums by year: All | 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year
1	Love And Theft by Bob Dylan	2001	93
2	Canto by Los Super Seven	2001	91
3	Is This It? by The Strokes	2001	90
4	Since I Left You by The Avalanches	2001	89
5	Miss E... So Addictive by Missy Elliott	2001	89
6	Wicked Grin by John Hammond	2001	88
7	Vespertine by Bjork	2001	88
8	The Blueprint by Jay-Z	2001	88
9	Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound	2001	87
10	The Argument by Fugazi	2001	87
11	Cold House by Hood	2001	87
12	Things We Lost In The Fire by Low	2001	87
13	Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós	2001	87
14	Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch	2001	86
15	Fixed::Context [EP] by Labradford	2001	86
16	Blues Dream by Bill Frisell	2001	86
17	White Blood Cells by The White Stripes	2001	86
18	Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton	2001	86
19	Ocean's Eleven OST by David Holmes	2001	86
20	The Convincer by Nick Lowe	2001	86
21	Party Music by The Coup	2001	85
22	Girls Can Tell by Spoon	2001	85
23	Pause by Four Tet	2001	85
24	Tenacious D by Tenacious D	2001	85
25	Old Ramon by Red House Painters	2001	84
26	Change by Dismemberment Plan	2001	83
27	Isolation Drills by Guided By Voices	2001	83
28	lilac6 by The Lilac Time	2001	83
29	Idiology by Mouse On Mars	2001	83
30	Poses by Rufus Wainwright	2001	82

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists

Village Voice 2001 Pazz & Jop Poll (a survey of 621 critics) Read The Full Results
1	Bob Dylan: Love And Theft
2	The Strokes: Is This It?
3	Björk: Vespertine
4	The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
5	Radiohead: Amnesiac
6	Ryan Adams: Gold
7	Jay-Z: The Blueprint
8	The Coup: Party Music
9	Lucinda Williams: Essence
10	Rufus Wainwright: Poses

Alternative Press

1. Radiohead: Amnesiac

2. Tool: Lateralus

3. Björk: Vespertine

4. Squarepusher: Go Plastic

5. Clinic: Internal Wrangler

6. Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American

7. theStart: Shakedown!

8. Air: 10,000 Hz Legend

9. System Of A Down: Toxicity

10. Lars Frederiksen and The Bastards: S/T

Alternative Press

1. Radiohead: Amnesiac

2. Tool: Lateralus

3. Björk: Vespertine

4. Squarepusher: Go Plastic

5. Clinic: Internal Wrangler

6. Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American

7. theStart: Shakedown!

8. Air: 10,000 Hz Legend

9. System Of A Down: Toxicity

10. Lars Frederiksen and The Bastards: S/T

Entertainment Weekly
(David Browne)

1. The Strokes: Is This It?

2. Mary J. Blige: No More Drama

3. Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs

4. Eve: Scorpion

5. Eliza Carthy: Angels & Cigarettes

6. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

7. New Order: Get Ready

8. Loudon Wainwright III: Last Man On Earth

9. Lucinda Williams: Essence

10. Spiritualized: Let It Come Down

Entertainment Weekly
(Chris Willman)

1. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

2. Kirsty MacColl: Tropical Brainstorm

3. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live In New York City

4. Dave Matthews Band: [The Lillywhite Sessions]

5. Destiny's Child: Survivor

6. Ben Folds: Rockin' The Suburbs

7. Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator)

8. Angie Stone: Mahogany Soul

9. Buddy & Julie Miller: Buddy & Julie Miller

10. Jon Brion: Meaningless

Los Angeles Times
(Robert Hlburn)

1. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

2. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

3. Angie Stone: Mahogany Soul

4. Lucinda Williams: Essence

5. Jill Scott: Experience: Jill Scott

6. The Coup: Party Music

7. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: B.R.M.C.

8. Mercury Rev: All Is Dream

9. Radiohead: Amnesiac

10. Alicia Keys: Songs In A Minor

Los Angeles Times
(Consensus)

1. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

2. (tie) Björk: Vespertine

2. (tie) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: B.R.M.C.

4. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

5. Radiohead: Amnesiac

6. Joe Henry: Scar

7. India.Arie: Acoustic Soul

8. (tie) Gorillaz: Gorillaz

8. (tie) System Of A Down: Toxicity

10. Alicia Keys: Songs In A Minor

Magnet

(Magnet only provides a Top 20 list, with no order designated among the 20)

Air: 10,000 Hz Legend

Frank Black & The Catholics: Dog In The Sand

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: B.R.M.C.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: No More Shall We Part

Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

Guided By Voices: Isolation Drills

Idlewild: 100 Broken Windows

Minders: Golden Street

Minus 5: Let The War Against Music Begin

Mogwai: Rock Action

New Pornographers: Mass Romantic

Portastatic: Looking For Leonard

Radiohead: Amnesiac

Sparklehorse: It's A Wonderful Life

The Strokes: Is This It??

Varnaline: Songs In A Northern Key

Rufus Wainwright: Poses

Webb Brothers: Maroon

White Stripes: White Blood Cells

Steve Wynn: Here Come The Miracles

Mixer

1. Gorillaz: Gorillaz

2. Daft Punk: Discovery

3. Zero 7: Simple Things

4. Basement Jaxx: Rooty

5. Groove Armada: Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)

6. Larry Heard: Love's Arrival

7. Aphex Twin: Drukqs

8. Charles Webster: Born on the 24th of July

9. Tricky: Blowback

10. The Crystal Method: Tweekend

Mojo

1. Super Furry Animals: Rings Around The World

2. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

3. The Strokes: Is This It??

4. Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator)

5. Rufus Wainwright: Poses

6. Sparklehorse: It's A Wonderful Life

7. Björk: Vespertine

8. Nick Lowe: The Convincer

9. Ryan Adams: Gold

10. Radiohead: Amnesiac

New Musical Express

1. The Strokes: Is This It??

2. Spiritualized: Let It Come Down

3. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

4. Jay-Z: The Blueprint

5. Starsailor: Love Is Here

6. Slipknot: Iowa

7. Mercury Rev: All Is Dream

8. Rufus Wainwright: Poses

9. Andrew WK: I Get Wet

10. Aphex Twin: Drukqs

The Onion
(Andy Battaglia)

1. Herbert: Bodily Functions

2. Björk: Vespertine

3. Ryan Adams: Gold

4. Jay-Z: The Blueprint

5. Destroyer: Streethawk: A Seduction

6. Basement Jaxx: Rooty

7. Jan Jelinek: Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records

8. Radiohead: Amnesiac

9. Daft Punk: Discovery

10. Circulatory System: Circulatory System

The Onion
(Josh Modell)

1. The Dismemberment Plan: Change

2. Crooked Fingers: Bring On The Snakes

3. Clem Snide: The Ghost Of Fashion

4. Low: Things We Lost In The Fire

5. Fugazi: The Argument

6. Danko Jones: I'm Alive And On Fire

7. Clinic: Internal Wrangler

8. Radiohead: Amnesiac

9. Jeff Mangum: Live At Jittery Joe's

10. Death Cab For Cutie: The Photo Album

The Onion
(Noel Murray)

1. Spoon: Girls Can Tell

2. Pernice Brothers: The World Won't End

3. American Analog Set: Know By Heart

4. Whiskeytown: Pneumonia / Ryan Adams: Gold

5. The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic

6. Daft Punk: Discovery

7. Rufus Wainwright: Poses

8. The Strokes: Is This It??

9. Electric Light Orchestra: Zoom

10. Stephen Malkmus: Stephen Malkmus

The Onion
(Keith Phipps)

1. Björk: Vespertine

2. The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic

3. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

4. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

5. Radiohead: Amnesiac

6. Stephen Malkmus: Stephen Malkmus

7. Pernice Brothers: The World Won't End

8. R.E.M.: Reveal

9. Rufus Wainwright: Poses

10. Nick Lowe: The Convincer

The Onion
(Nathan Rabin)

1. Aceyalone: Accepted Eclectic

2. The Coup: Party Music

3. Atmosphere: The Lucy Ford LP

4. Timbaland & Magoo: Indecent Proposal

5. Masta Ace: Disposable Arts

6. Tha Liks: X.O. Experience

7. J-Zone Presents: The Old Maid Billionaires: Pimps Don't Pay Taxes

8. DJ Hi-Tek: Hi-Teknology

9. Stephen Malkmus: Stephen Malkmus

10. Various Artists: The Funky 16 Corners

The Onion
(Stephen Thompson)

1. Microphones: The Glow, Pt. 2

2. Fennesz: Endless Summer

3. The Avalanches: Since I Left You

4. Unwound: Leaves Turn Inside You

5. Circulatory System: Circulatory System

6. Radiohead: Amnesiac

7. Mum: Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is OK

8. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

9. The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic

10. Prefuse 73: Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives

Playlouder

1. The Strokes: Is This It??

2. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells

3. Squarepusher: Go Plastic

4. Mercury Rev: All Is Dream

5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: No More Shall We Part

6. Mogwai: Rock Action

7. Spiritualized: Let It Come Down

8. Super Furry Animals: Rings Around The World

9. Beta Band: Hot Shots II

10. Daft Punk: Discovery

Rolling Stone

1. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

2. Alicia Keys: Songs In A Minor

3. Mick Jagger: Goddess In The Doorway

4. Björk: Vespertine

5. Jay-Z: The Blueprint

6. Garbage: Beautiful Garbage

7. Manu Chao: Proxima Estacion:Esperanza

8. The Strokes: Is This It??

9. O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Soundtrack

10. Radiohead: Amnesiac

Spin

1. System Of A Down: Toxicity

2. Radiohead: Amnesiac

3. Basement Jaxx: Rooty

4. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

5. Björk: Vespertine

6. Gorillaz: Gorillaz

7. Jay-Z: The Blueprint

8. Daft Punk: Discovery

9. Weezer: Weezer [Green Album]

10. Tori Amos: Strange Little Girls

Spin Cycle

1. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

2. Ryan Adams: Gold

3. Radiohead: Amnesiac

4. The Strokes: Is This It??

5. Björk: Vespertine

6. Gorillaz: Gorillaz

7. New Order: Get Ready

8. Missy Elliott: Miss E... So Addictive

9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: B.R.M.C.

10. Tool: Lateralus

Uncut

1. Ryan Adams: Gold

2. The Avalanches: Since I Left You

3. Bob Dylan: Love And Theft

4. N*E*R*D: In Search Of...

5. Pernice Brothers: The World Won't End

6. Hamell On Trial: Choochtown

7. Jim White: No Such Place

8. Basement Jaxx: Rooty

9. Mercury Rev: All Is Dream

10. Turin Brakes: The Optimist LP

Urb (No order specified)

Adult: Resuscitation

The Avalanches: Since I Left You

Basement Jaxx: Rooty

Cannibal Ox: The Cold Vein

DJ Krush: Zen

Marumari: Supermogadon

Missy Elliott: Miss E... So Addictive

Prefuse 73: Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives

The Poets of Rhythm: Discern/Define

Slam: Alien Radio

Return to top of page

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists