2004 was an insane year for music. Whether you’re a casual listener of music or someone who doesn’t leave their basement for a month following a big album release, you hear 2004 all around you. 

Artists like Usher, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Green Day are still played today in 2024, and while they all released in that year, 3 separate artists and albums will be highlighted here as the true classics of 2004, beginning with:

Kanye West- “The College Dropout”

Kanye West’s debut LP, “The College Dropout,” was released on February 10th, 2004, to immediate acclaim from all places. The album reached #1 on Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” and reached #2 on the “US Billboard 200.” 

The album follows the path of 26-year-old Kanye West and some events that happened in his life in the lead-up to this project. Specifically, Kanye was injured in a car accident in late 2002, resulting in his mouth getting wired shut. With the newly wired mouth, Kanye recorded his first single “Through the Wire,” which led to instant success. 

Other songs like “Jesus Walks,” “All Falls Down,” and “Slow Jamz” were charting hits with the latter being his first #1 hit. 

Freshman Robby Lutz: “I love The College Dropout, there’s been many nights where I lay down and listen to it. Spaceship is my favorite song on it.”

Though hundreds of millions love his music, no album in Kanye’s discography quite stands out like The College Dropout. 

Madvillain, MF DOOM, and Madlib- “Madvillainy”

Madvillany is often considered to be MF DOOM’s best album and is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever. It does an amazing job of displaying the artist’s stunning lyrical ability. Although this album became popular years after it first became available, it only achieved moderate success, peaking at  #179 on the Billboard Hot 200. 

The project was started in 2002 and wasn’t finished and released until 2004. This album is very well known for its production which was done almost entirely by the producer Madlib, who is now known as one of the greatest producers of all time. 

While College Dropout was known for the storytelling of Kanye’s life leading up to it, “Madvillainy” was a concept album about DOOM and Madlib being the self-proclaimed “villains of rap,” and if you heard the music, you would be obliged to agree. 

Not a single trendy beat can be found on this record, as several samples that can be found on it are from old movies and TV shows, such as The Twilight Zone and Casablanca. 

Cole Lesseuer, a freshman at Highlands, said that “Madvillainy is one of my favorite albums; the lyrics and beats are unlike anything I’ve ever heard, and it always has me coming back to it. 

20 years later, no album holds up quite like Madvillainy does. Rest in peace MF DOOM.

Arcade Fire- “Funeral”

“Funeral” by Arcade Fire was the band’s first studio album and peaked at number 19 on the UK chart as well as being up on the Rolling Stones top 100 albums of the 2000s at number 6. 

Being found with immediate critical acclaim, as well as lots of praise from general music listeners, Arcade Fire was put on the map. Most of the praise was for the beautiful creativity and lyricism used all throughout the album. 

The word “art” has been the most used word when describing “Funeral,” as everything from the album cover to the final track is nothing but pure creativity and bliss. Songs like “Wake Up” and “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” are commonly pointed at as the best songs on this project. 

Paxton Street, a freshman at Highlands, stated that “Funeral is a beauty to listen to, and it’s always been one of my favorite albums. The themes on it are something I can relate to all the time, and the instrumentals are very pretty. 

Now, 20 years later, Arcade Fire is a legendary indie group, with award winning albums left and right. However, it all started in 2004, with “Funeral.”

With all that being said, 2004 was a great year for music as a whole, with incredible albums in every genre. Outside of the three listed here, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Common, Usher, and even MF DOOM all dropped great projects in 2004. 

Looking back upon these albums’ legacy, it’s hard to imagine a world without them, thank you.