2003 was a great year for music. Despite issues within the industry over file-sharing, album sales and the future of the business, the albums released last year put all that aside and really dove into the work. Ready or not, here are the Street editors' picks for top albums of the year.
Tami Fertig, Music Editor
1. Arab Strap -- Monday at the Hug & Pint
2. Sun Kil Moon -- Ghosts of the Great Highway
3. Cheese on Bread -- Maybe Maybe Maybe Baby...
4. Camera Obscura -- Underachievers Please Try Harder
5. Lucksmiths-- Naturaliste
Kevin Lo, Music Editor
1. The Wrens -- The Meadowlands
2. Radiohead -- Hail to the Thief
3. The Shins -- Chutes Too Narrow
4. Paloalto -- Heroes and Villains
5. Rufus Wainwright -- Want One
Eugenia Salvo, Music Editor
1. Ryan Adams -- Love is Hell Part 1/Part2
2. Ryan Adams -- Rock 'N Roll
3. The Strokes -- Room On Fire
4. Leona Naess -- Leona Naess
5. Damien Rice -- O
Alex Koppelman, Editor In Chief
1. Spearhead -- Everyone Deserves Music
2. Outkast -- Speakerboxx/The Love Below
3. Jay-Z -- The Black Album
4. Nelly Furtado -- Folklore
5. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros -- Streetcore
Yona Silverman, Managing Editor
1. Belle and Sebastian -- Dear Catastrophe Waitress
2. The Sea and Cake -- One Bedroom
3. The Decemberists -- Castaways & Cutouts
4. The New Pornographers -- Electric Version
5. Black Eyed Peas -- Elephunk
Yvonne Delbanco, Copy Editor
1. The Postal Service -- Give Up
2. Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
3. Radiohead -- Hail to the Thief
4. The White Stripes -- Elephant
5. Belle and Sebastian -- Dear Catastrophe Waitress
John Brooks, Guides Editor
1. The Wrens -- The Meadowlands
2. Broken Social Scene -- You Forgot it in People
3. The Shins -- Chutes Too Narrow
4. Sufjan Stevens -- Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lakes State
5. The Decemberists -- Her Majesty the Decemberists
Mawuse Ziegbe, Guides Editor
1. Dwele -- Subject
2. Kelis -- Tasty
3. Me'Shell N'Degeocello -- Comfort Woman
4. Junior Senior -- D-d-don't Stop the Beat
5. Little Brother -- The Listening
Clare O'Connor, Food and Drink Editor
1. Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2. The Books -- The Lemon of Pink
3. Coldplay -- Coldplay Live 2003
4. 50 Cent -- Get Rich or Die Tryin'
5. The White Stripes -- Elephant
Rachel Josue, Food and Drink Editor
1. Coldplay -- Coldplay Live 2003
2. Benjamin Wagner -- Almost Home
3. Simon and Garfunkel -- Essential Simon and Garfunkel
4. Rolling Stones -- Forty Licks
5. Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Eugene Novikov, Film Editor
1. The New Pornographers -- Electric Version
2. Fountains of Wayne -- Welcome Interstate Managers
3. The Decemberists -- Her Majesty the Decemberists
4. Various -- Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack
5. Barenaked Ladies -- Everything to Everyone
John Carroll, TV Editor
1. Radiohead -- Hail to the Thief
2. Broken Social Scene -- You Forgot It in People
3. Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
4. The White Stripes -- Elephant
5. Four Tet -- Rounds
John Coyne, Guides Editor
1. Soul Position -- 8 Million Stories
2. Prefuse 73 -- One Word Extinguisher
3. Diverse -- One A.M.
4. Jay-Z -- The Black Album
5. Outkast -- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Tim Gunatilaka, Voice Edior
1. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
2. The Postal Service - Give Up
3. Explosions in the Sky - Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
4. Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
5. Cat Power - You Are Free
Scott Haller, Voice Editor
1. Against Me - As The Eternal Cowboy
2. Outkast - Speakerboxx
3. Hatebreed - The Rise of Brutality
4. Carla Bruni - Quelqu'Un M'a Dit
5. NOFX - The War on Errorism
Chris McFall, Ex-Design Guru
1. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
2. Manitoba - Up In Flames
3. Cat Power - You Are Free
4. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
5. Postal Service - Give Up
