Top Ten Best Concept Albums of the 21st Century

The Top Ten
1 American Idiot - Green Day

Blends punk with prog and alt rock. It's Green Day at the peak of their abilities and Billie Joe Armstrong's lyrics and vocals fit so well into the over-all concept.

Best. Album. Ever. Let. Alone. Concept.

2 Songs for the Deaf - Queens of the Stone Age

You can't APPRECIATE music if you can't even HEAR IT. It's like having a blind guy appreciating the Mona Lisa, he can't even see it so he couldn't appreciate it in the first place!

To the mildly sarcastic visitor below: how could the deaf fully appreciate something they can't hear? Your jokes have to make sense to be funny or even relevant.

3 Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
4 Beyond the Red Mirror - Blind Guardian

This concept album (2015) is a sequel to another concept album. Excellent musicianship - songwriting, arrangement, performance, aural environment, production. Great vocals and crystal clear sound.
Song to start with: The Throne.

5 Blackstar - David Bowie

Had a hard time debating this, American Idiot and Black Parade, but my love for Bowie was just too strong and this heartfelt parting gift is art in it's purest form.

6 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Dream Theater
7 Illinois - Sufjan Stevens
8 American Gangster - Jay-Z
9 The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

I don't know why this is so low down the list. How is American Idiot on the top? This album is a masterpiece. Hits you hard on the face.

10 The Scarecrow - Avantasia

All of Avantasia's albums would be on here because they all count as concept albums.

The Contenders
11 Hospice - The Antlers

This was a tough decision. I love Songs for the Deaf and Illinois as collective albums, but Hospice brings a sobering chill to concept albums that I can't shake. It took an innovative approach to writing and producing. When I listen to it, I feel as though I'm walking through the five stages of grief. Also, In terms of personal impact, I'm glad this made the top 10.

12 The Metal Opera Part II - Avantasia
13 Octavarium - Dream Theater
14 The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
15 Epica - Kamelot
16 In Absentia - Porcupine Tree
17 The Hazards of Love - The Decemberists
18 The Astonishing - Dream Theater
19 The Metal Opera - Avantasia
20 Fear of a Blank Planet - Porcupine Tree
21 Southern Rock Opera - Drive-by Truckers
22 Leviathan - Mastodon Leviathan is an ambient black metal solo project of Jef Whitehead (A.K.A. Wrest), formed in 1998. Wrest records and plays all instruments including vocals entirely on his own. Despite having early problems with the release of Massive Conspiracy Against All Life, it was released March 24, 2008 in Europe ...read more.
23 Century Child - Nightwish
24 De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta
25 Frances the Mute - The Mars Volta
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