Top 100 Records of the 21st Century (So Far) [2000-2024]: 20-11

20. Quitter by Katelyn Tarver (2024)
Sometimes there are records that I love and can go on and on and on about and still have more to say. Other times there are records that I love just as much as those others but words fail me and all I can really say is “I just love it.” Katelyn Tarver’s Quitter is one such album. It’s just great indie pop that hits me in the feels and gets better with each listen.

19. The Warrior’s Code by Dropkick Murphys (2005)
The Warrior’s Code is the Dropkick Murphys’ magnum opus. This is the album where everything clicked and fell into place and the band was able to perfectly mix all of their various influences. They were never this good again. The follow up, 2007’s The Meanest of Times, is a good album with some excellent songs but it was their last gasp. This album’s standout moment is the Dropkick Murphys’ cover of “The Green Fields of France (No Man’s Land),” a song that is hauntingly gorgeous and proves that Al Barr can really sing when he wants to. Sadly, The Warrior’s Code is best known for the song “I'm Shipping Up to Boston” which is EASILY the weakest song on the album. Still, this is absolutely a five star album.

18. Everything the Hard Way by John Moreland & the Dust Bowl Souls (2011)
John Moreland is at his best when he is either singing heart shattering songs with barely anything more than his acoustic guitar or playing punk fueled, balls to the wall alt country. Everything the Hard Way was the last time he did the latter and it is one of the best things he’s ever done. I would love it if we got another Dust Bowl Souls record someday but even if we don’t, we have this one pristine album and that is more than enough.

17. Kick by Dave Hause (2019)
Dave Hause’s fourth album Kick mixes the best elements from its two predecessors Bury Me In Philly and Devour. The songs are sharp and fun while at the same time filled with the snarl of social commentary. Bury Me In Philly and Kick are a brilliant run of two perfect albums.

16. Kisses From Hanoi by The GC5 (2000)
The GC5 were one hell of a band. Kisses From Hanoi was their first album that was widely available, at least in punk and indie record stores. I picked it up on CD at Music Dimensions, OKC’s best punk/indie record store in the late 90s and early 00s, and instantly fell in love. I saw them live for the first time opening for the Hudson Falcons (also my first Falcons’ show) and was blown away. And on top of being an excellent live band, they were four of the nicest guys. Kisses From Hanoi was filled with catchy punk anthems about the plight of the working class that pulled from the likes of Stiff Little Fingers and The Clash, but those comparisons do not do this record justice. The version of the album that is currently available on streaming services is the 2003 reissue that includes the excellent 2001 EP Horseshoes and Handgrenades.

15. For Those Whose Hearts and Souls Are True by Hudson Falcons (2001)
Goddamn I love the Hudson Falcons. For Those Whose Hearts and Souls Are True was the band’s second full-length album and is still their most pummeling and high energy record to date. That’s not to say that the others aren’t high energy, because they are, it just happens that this lineup took things to a whole other level. One of the many great things about the Falcons is that they were always evolving and expanding their take on rock ‘n’ roll. Their early EPs and full-length debut, 1999’s Desperation & Revolution, were that perfect mix of Stiff Little Fingers and Bruce Springsteen. On For Those Whose Hearts and Souls Are True they added in their love of garage rock like The Devil Dogs, The Lazy Cowgirls, and Electric Frankenstein. The result was simply blistering. This band got me through a lot and helped in forging my identity as a member of the working class. After nearly two and a half decades, this album sounds just as good and rips just as hard as it did the first time I heard it.

14. FTHC (Deluxe) by Frank Turner (2022)
FTHC (Deluxe) is Frank Turner’s most overtly punk album to date and it is quite possibly his best. The album is impeccably sequenced and even though it is filled with songs that all stand on their own merits, the sum is greater than its parts. Make sure that you listen to the deluxe version for the bonus studio songs “The Zeitbeast” and “The House Where I Was Raised” to get the full effect (the other four bonus tracks are acoustic versions of songs from the album and are good but not essential). My guess is that those songs were left off the standard version because they would not fit on the vinyl. So much of this album hits home with me but the songs “Farewell to My City” and “The House Where I Was Raised” make me think of my family and the house where my wife and I raise our kids. Someday we will move and when that day comes, I want those songs to play as we leave our home for the last time.

13. England Keep My Bones by Frank Turner (2011)
England Keep My Bones was my first Frank Turner record and it’s what converted me into a lifelong disciple. It also has the best three song opening to any album, ever, in “Eulogy,” “Peggy Sang The Blues,” and “I Still Believe.” It is easily one of my favorite albums of all time.

12. Rhombithian by Sincere Engineer (2017)
Chicago, IL’s Sincere Engineer’s debut album Rhombithian was such a breath of fresh air. This record slapped me across the face and dug its way into my heart and soul the first time I gave it a spin. What’s wild is that Sincere Engineer started as a solo acoustic project by Deanna Belos, but when it came time to record the album, producer Matt Jordan built the perfect band to bring her songs to life. And they're still the band! This band means so much to me and this is the perfect debut.

11. Three Chords and the Truth by The Ducky Boys (2004)
Three Chords and the Truth was not only The Ducky Boys magnum opus, it was also the album that proved they were far more than an Oi/street punk band. This album is absolutely sensational and a shining example of everything that is great about rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, one more thing. “Alone Tonight” is one of the best songs of the century. Seriously, it is that good.