Outkast not outdone in best albums of 2003

From grave digging to Polaroid shaking, 2003 offered up a significant amount of the 21st century's best music so far. The following are my Top Ten picks for the year's best albums:\n1.) Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below\nNothing short of rap and hip-hop's own White Album, this huge double-disc set proves that Big Boi and Andre 3000 can do anything they set their minds to, and sets the bar impossibly high for innovation in their respective genres. Big Boi's side, Speakerboxx, is the best rap album of the year on its own, while Andre's The Love Below mixes a minimalist rap presence with his own personal style that is so original it's impossible to give it a name. As with the Beatles' 1968 self-titled masterpiece, this release could very well be an early signal that Outkast are parting ways, but even on their own, Big Boi and Andre 3000 are intimidating and influential presences in the world of music.\n2.) The White Stripes -- Elephant\nThe coolest band around make the best rock record of the year. Meg White may be a subpar drummer, but her ex-husband Jack White's extreme talent as a guitar player, songwriter and just plain virtuoso are on naked display here, and the end result is stunning. The Stripes have specialized in infusing bluesy garage rock with an indelible, offbeat energy since their debut back in 1999, and with Elephant they have proven themselves worthy of all the critical praise they can get their hands on.\n3.) Radiohead -- Hail to the Thief\nThom Yorke and company can do no wrong. They possess a rabid fan base, and are virtually critic-proof. Their latest album only solidifies those things by offering an intelligent collection of art-rock ready for dissection. \nMonths before its release, Hail to the Thief was reported to be a return to the guitar-laden sound of The Bends and OK Computer. What it turned out to be was the perfect marriage of that guitar sensibility with the electronic ambiance of Kid A and Amnesiac. It's heady stuff, and all the more rewarding to a listener willing to look past the melodies and see the message.\n4.) 50 Cent -- Get Rich or Die Tryin'\nWhen Eminem and Dr. Dre heard the now famous mix tapes by Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), they signed him to their Shady/Aftermath label and produced an exquisite album around his brilliant rhymes. Since its release in February, Get Rich or Die Tryin' has sold over 7 million copies, making it far and away the year's top selling album. Get Rich manages to be both the catchiest rap record in recent memory as well as the most violently raw rap record since Tupac's heyday.\n5.) Damien Rice -- O\nGeniune emotion has rarely been laid to record as well as it has been here. Rice evokes the intimacy of Nick Drake and blends it with the grandeur of Sigur Rós and Wall-era Pink Floyd. Forget the emo-scream-o and false-feeling whines of certain bands that will remain unnamed. This is a one-stop shop for sincerity and beauty in song form. The mood walks a constant fine line between relinquished and resilient. A record that goes just as well with weeping as with Irish whiskey.\n6.) John Mayer -- Heavier Things\nA shockingly great album from the 26-year-old wunderkind. Issues of young manhood are explored with a broad range of feeling. Making good on his Best New Artist Grammy win earlier this year, Mayer has moved on from the candy lips and bubblegum tongues of his debut to a world filled with more uncertainty than malaise. In its purest form, this record showcases the metamorphosis of a young adult into a worldly-wise man.\n7.) Jay-Z -- The Black Album\nJ. Hova claims this will be his final album, but those in the know can be sure that he'll be producing, overseeing and making guest appearances on others' projects for some time to come. Featuring an array of producers from Eminem, Just Blaze and The Neptunes to Timbaland and Rick Rubin, The Black Album gives off a monstrous vibe. It's the most confident record of the year, and if it ends up being Jay-Z's swan song, there's no better way to go out than on top.\n8.) Dave Matthews -- Some Devil\nWhether his Abercrombie-laden fan base has noticed or not, Dave Matthews has become obsessed with death and dying lately. His first album sans the band that bears his name and his name only was recorded with a little help from friends Trey Anastasio of Phish and guitar speedster, Tim Reynolds, and features a somber set of songs that mourn the finality of life. It's truly a haunting thing. Tour god Matthews' voice and musical interpretation skills have not ceased improving since his debut in the early '90s.\n9.) Missy Elliott -- This is Not a Test!\nFor seven years now, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley has been producing the best beats in hip-hop music. While Missy Elliott herself is an impressive rapper and an intriguing personality, Timbaland steals the show here, crafting the most funked up sounds emanating from headphones and house-party speakers this year. Pitch-perfect guest appearances from the likes of Jay-Z, Elephant Man and Nelly only add to the positive aspects of this release.\n10.) The Darkness -- Permission to Land\nAC/DC and Tenacious D gave birth to a love child and called it The Darkness. Frontman Justin Hawkins deals out exuberant, over-the-top vocals with an uncanny assuredness, enabling this album to rise above the mire of campy parody bands and achieve an almost transcendent faithfulness to late '70s and early '80s glam rock and power chord metal.