2003 – my year in music
What could be more ridiculous than trying to rank the thousands of singles and albums you’ve bought and heard over a lifetime? Here we go …
I ranked my singles of the year at end of 1991 and 1997, and then 2000 and every year since. I only started ranking albums in 2008. So I’ve also included the original 2003 singles list, but the first two charts are a December 2024 re-ranking of my favourite singles and albums of the year.
| | Top albums of 2003 |
| |
| 1 | Sea Power | The Decline of British Sea Power |
| 2 | Cardigans | Long Gone Before Daylight |
| 3 | Paddy McAloon | I Trawl The Megahertz |
| 4 | Melys | Casting Pearls |
| 5 | Liz Phair | Liz Phair |
| 6 | Chris T-T | London Is Sinking |
| 7 | Blur | Think Tank |
| 8 | Client | Client |
| 9 | Libertines | Up The Bracket |
| 10 | Radiohead | Hail To The Thief |
| 11 | Jim Bob | Goodnight Jim Bob |
| 12 | Botnledja | Iceland National Park |
| 13 | I Am Kloot | I Am Kloot |
| 14 | Broadcast | Haha Sound |
| 15 | Belle and Sebastian | Dear Catastrophe Waitress |
| 16 | Marc Almond | Heart On Snow |
| 17 | Goldfrapp | Black Cherry |
| 18 | Muse | Absolution |
| 19 | Easy Star All Stars | Dub Side Of The Moon |
| 20 | Senor Coconut | Fiesta Songs |
| 21 | Jamie Cullum | Twentysomething |
The albums I played to death:| These aren’t necessarily the same as my favourite albums now, but the ones I remember buying on release and playing over and over and over again. |
| |
| 24/03/03 | Cardigans | Long Gone Before Daylight |
| 02/06/03 | Sea Power | The Decline of British Sea Power |
| 24/06/03 | Liz Phair | Liz Phair |
| | Top tracks of 2003 |
| |
| 1 | Sea Power | Lately |
| 2 | Cardigans | For What It's Worth |
| 3 | Hot Hot Heat | No Not Now |
| 4 | Sea Power | Remember Me |
| 5 | Franz Ferdinand | Darts Of Pleasure |
| 6 | Sea Power | Fear Of Drowning |
| 7 | Abdoujaparov | Beer Scooter |
| 8 | Sea Power | Carrion |
| 9 | Courtney Love | Mono |
| 10 | Futureheads | First Day |
| 11 | Robocop Kraus | Fashion |
| 12 | Sea Power | Something Wicked |
| 13 | I Am Kloot | Life In A Day |
| 14 | Sea Power | The Lonely |
| 15 | Blur | Out Of Time |
| 16 | Cardigans | You're The Storm |
| 17 | Futureheads | A to B |
| 18 | Cerys Matthews | Only A Fool |
| 19 | Liz Phair | Extraordinary |
| 20 | Interpol | Obstacle 1 |
| 21 | Dandy Warhols | We Used To Be Friends |
| 22 | Goldfrapp | Strict Machine |
| 23 | Garlic | A Weird Wood Soul |
| 24 | Melys | Baby Burn |
| 25 | Klang | L.O.V.E. |
| 26 | Sinéad Quinn | What You Need Is |
| 27 | Cursive | Some Red Handed Sleight of Hand |
| 28 | Gorky's Zygotic Mynci | Mow The Lawn |
| 29 | Killers | Mr Brightside |
| 30 | Ok Go | Get Over It |
| 31 | Jason Morphew | Sex |
| 32 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Maps |
| 33 | Turin Brakes | Pain Killer |
| 34 | Tsunami Bomb | Take The Reins |
| 35 | Muse | Time Is Running Out |
| 36 | Fountains of Wayne | Stacy's Mom |
| 37 | Inspiral Carpets | Come Back Tomorrow |
| 38 | Tahiti 80 | Soul Deep |
| 39 | Halfcocked | Drive Away |
| 40 | Dub Pistols feat Terry Hall | Problem Is |
| 41 | A | Good Time |
| 42 | Blondie | Good Boys |
| 43 | Botnledja | Brains, Balls And Dolls |
| 44 | Electric Six | Gay Bar |
| 45 | Fall | Theme From Sparta FC |
| 46 | Libertines | Don't Look Back Into The Sun |
| 47 | Radiohead | A Wolf At The Door |
| 48 | Aqualung | Brighter Than Sunshine |
| 49 | Erlend Øye | A Sudden Rush |
| 50 | Happylife | Breathe |
| 51 | Datsuns | Harmonic Generator |
| 52 | Supergrass | Seen The Light |
| 53 | Simple Kid | Average Man |
| 54 | Reuben | Let's Stop Hanging Out |
| 55 | Super Furry Animals | Golden Retriever |
| 56 | MJ Hibbett And The Validators | You Will Be Hearing From My Solicitor |
| 57 | Blankket | Hey Ya! |
| 58 | Rapture | House of Jealous Lovers |
| 59 | Mohair | Superstar |
| 60 | Stills | Changes Are No Good |
| 61 | Joy Zipper | Baby You Should Know |
| 62 | Feeder | Just The Way I'm Feeling |
| 63 | Tim Burgess | Only A Boy |
| 64 | Asian Dub Foundation | Fortress Europe |
| 65 | Flint | Aim 4 |
| 66 | Bis | Today Of All Days |
| 67 | Farse | Hopscotch |
| 68 | Scissor Sisters | Laura |
| 69 | Small Victories | Holding on Hopefully |
| 70 | Mew | Am I Wry No |
| 71 | Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks | Dark Wave |
| 72 | Belle and Sebastian | Step Into My Office, Baby |
| 73 | Star Spangles | Which Of The Two Of Us Is Gonna Burn This House Down |
| 74 | Stellastarr | Jenny |
| 75 | Sonic Boom Six | People Ack Like They Don't Know |
| 76 | Mark Gardner And Goldrush | Snow in Mexico |
| 77 | Calexico | Alone Again Or |
| 78 | Young Heart Attack | Tommy Shots |
| 79 | Placebo | The Bitter End |
| | Original chart - top tracks of 2003 |
| |
| 1 | Muse | Time Is Running Out |
| 2 | Hot Hot Heat | No Not Now |
| 3 | Franz Ferdinand | Darts Of Pleasure |
| 4 | Tahiti 80 | Soul Deep |
| 5 | Robocop Kraus | Fashion |
| 6 | Tsunami Bomb | Take The Reins |
| 7 | Goldfrapp | Strict Machine |
| 8 | British Sea Power | Carrion/Apologies To Insect Life |
| 9 | Tuuli | Who's The Fool Now |
| 10 | Libertines | Don't Look Back Into The Sun |
| 11 | Outkast | Hey Ya |
| 12 | Turin Brakes | Pain Killer |
| 13 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Maps |
| 14 | Scissor Sisters | Laura |
| 15 | Junior Senior | Move Your Feet |
| 16 | Asian Dub Foundation | Fortress Europe |
| 17 | Dub Pistols Feat Terry Hall | Problem Is |
| 18 | Mew | Am I Wry No |
| 19 | Klang | L.O.V.E. |
| 20 | Blur | Out Of Time |
| 21 | Aqualung | Brighter Than Sunshine |
| 22 | Distillers | Drain The Blood |
| 23 | Cardigans | For What It's Worth |
| 24 | Radiohead | 2+2=5 |
| 25 | Tim Burgess | Only A Boy |
| 26 | Ween | Transdermal Celebration |
| 27 | Thrills | One Horse Town |
| 28 | Nu | Any Other Girl |
| 29 | Transplants | Diamonds And Guns |
| 30 | Electric Six | Dance Commander |
| 31 | Belle And Sebastian | Step Into My Office Baby |
| 32 | Travis | The Beautiful Occupation |
| 33 | Longview | Further |
| 34 | Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks | Dark Wave |
| 35 | Futureheads | First Day |
| 36 | Silver Sun | Can't Get You Out Of My Head |
| 37 | I Am Kloot | Life In A Day |
| 38 | Placebo | This Picture |
| 39 | Foo Fighters | Times Like These |
| 40 | REM | Bad Day |
| 41 | Erlend Oye | A Sudden Rush |
| 42 | Postal Service | Such Great Heights |
| 43 | Stellastarr* | Jenny |
| 44 | Josh Rouse | Love Vibration |
| 45 | Bridge And Tunnel | City Rules |
| 46 | Electric Six | Gay Bar |
| 47 | Hot Hot Heat | Oh, Goddamnit |
| 48 | Coldplay | Clocks |
| 49 | Ok Go | Don't Ask Me |
| 50 | Mull Historical Society | The Final Arrears |
| 51 | Bis | Today Of All Days |
| 52 | Liz Phair | Extraordinary |
| 53 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Fortune Faded |
| 54 | Queens Of The Stone Age | Go With The Flow |
| 55 | Killers | Mr Brightside |
| 56 | Muse | Hysteria |
| 57 | Placebo | The Bitter End |
| 58 | I Am Kloot | Untitled No 1 |
| 59 | Rocket Science | Being Followed |
| 60 | Interpol | Obstacle 1 |
| 61 | Rapture | House Of Jealous Lovers |
| 62 | Goldfrapp | Twist |
| 63 | Hot Hot Heat | Bandages |
| 64 | Athlete | El Salvador |
| 65 | Ima Robot | Dynomite |
| 66 | Ok Go | Get Over It |
| 67 | A | Good Time |
| 68 | Cardigans | You're The Storm |
| 69 | Easyworld | Second Amendment |
| 70 | Farse | Hopscotch |
| 71 | Travis | Re-offender |
| 72 | Ladytron | Evil |
| 73 | Johnny Cash | Hurt |
| 74 | Desert Sessions (P J Harvey And Josh Homme) | Crawl Home |
| 75 | Halfcocked | Drive Away |
| 76 | Inspiral Carpets | Come Back Tomorrow |
| 77 | [spunge] | Ego |
| 78 | Burn | Big Blue Sky |
| 79 | Blondie | Good Boys |
| 80 | Happylife | Breathe For Me |
| 81 | Strokes | 12:51 |
| 82 | White Stripes | 7 Nation Army |
| 83 | Bluetones | Liquid Lips |
| 84 | Simian | La Breeze |
| 85 | Supergrass | Rush Hour Soul |
| 86 | Cerys Matthews | Only A Fool |
| 87 | Skin | Trashed |
| 88 | !!! | Feel Good Hit Of The Fall |
| 89 | Mull Historical Society | Am I Wrong |
| 90 | Futureheads | A To B |
| 91 | Super Furry Animals | Golden Retriever |
| 92 | Elbow | Fallen Angel |
| 93 | M J Hibbett And The Validators | You Will Be Hearing From My Solicitor |
| 94 | Star Spangles | I Live For Speed |
| 95 | Webb Brothers | Ms Moriarty |
| 96 | Inme | Crushed Like Fruit |
| 97 | Zwan | Honestly |
| 98 | Coral | Pass It On |
| 99 | Violent Delight | I Wish I Was A Girl |
| 100 | Razorlight | Rip It Up |
| | My favourite cover versions of 2003 |
| |
| 1 | Blankket | Hey Ya! |
| 2 | Calexico | Alone Again Or |
Wednesday 31 December 2003, 48 views
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