The year 2003--with its harrowing mix of war, blackouts, earthquakes, wildfires, SARS and mad cows--wasn't the year to push the envelope musically; it was a time to curl up with the familiar and bury your head under a blanket.

Al Green must've sensed this; he released a new set that sounded as if it was recorded three decades ago. And that's a good thing.

Meanwhile, standbys like Paul Westerberg, Lucinda Williams, Frank Black and Stephen Malkmus delivered exactly what they were supposed to.

Newcomers Damone successfully channeled Cheap Trick by way of the Blake Babies, while the three dorky white rappers in Ugly Duckling took their inspiration from De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising."

The White Stripes [ tickets ]' formula held for another year--but is there another good album in them? Sacramento's Milwaukee recycled musty Velvet Underground riffs and somehow managed to sound fresh. Most importantly, OutKast [ tickets ] provided some funky--and much needed--comic relief.

See ya, 2003. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Rob Evans' Top 10 Albums of 2003:

1. OutKast "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" (Arista)
2. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, "Pig Lib" (Matador)
3. Al Green, "I Can't Stop" (Blue Note)
4. Paul Westerberg, "Come Feel Me Tremble" (Vagrant)
5. The White Stripes, "Elephant" (V2)
6. Ugly Duckling, "Taste the Secret" (Emperor Norton)
7. Frank Black and the Catholics, "Show Me Your Tears" (spinART)
8. Damone, "From the Attic" (RCA)
9. Lucinda Williams, "World Without Tears" (Lost Highway)
10. Milwaukee, "... in Sounds" (Blackliner)

Post your own Top 10 on liveDaily's Message Boards.

liveDaily writers' picks for the top albums of 2003 follow:

Jon Zahlaway, liveDaily Staff Writer

1. A Perfect Circle, "Thirteenth Step" (Virgin)
2. Seal, "Seal IV" (Warner Bros.)
3. Jane's Addiction, "Strays" (Capitol)
4. Sevendust, "Seasons" (TVT)
5. Powerman 5000, "Transform" (DreamWorks)
6. Korn, "Take a Look in the Mirror" (Epic/Immortal)
7. Metallica [ tickets ], "St. Anger" (Elektra)
8. John Mayer, "Heavier Things" (Aware)
9. Puddle of Mudd, "Life on Display" (Geffen)
10. Everclear, "Slow Motion Daydream" (Capitol)

In late April, Apple unveiled the second-generation version of its iPod digital-music player and introduced its iTunes Music Store. In one fell swoop, the company--heretofore known as a niche computer-maker with a single-digit market share--became the standard-bearer for legal online-music delivery, and the seller of the world's most popular digital-music player. The iPod's various models hold between 2,500-10,000 songs--which makes trunk-mounted, 12-disc CD players seem as laughable as 8-tracks.

John Dugan, liveDaily Contributor

1. The Thrills [ tickets ], "So Much for the City" (Virgin)
2. Goldfrapp, "Black Cherry" (Mute)
3. The Strokes [ tickets ], "Room On Fire" (RCA)
4. The Libertines, "Up the Bracket" (Rough Trade/Sanctuary)
5. OutKast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" (Arista)
6. The Rapture, "Echoes" (Universal/DFA)
7. The Mars Volta, "De-Loused in the Comatorium" (Universal)
8. Jet, "Get Born" (Elektra)
9. The Stills, "Logic Will Break Your Heart" (Vice/Atlantic)
10. The Prisoners, "The Last Fourfathers" (Reissue) (Big Beat/Ace Records UK)

In a bleak year for sales, 2003 saw recyclin' rock make its sneaky return. But garage could hardly dent the R&B- and pop-dominated charts, so many great records were sleepers. The Byrdsy country-pop of Dublin youngsters The Thrills snuck by most. Amid the hype, The Strokes evolved a bit. The U.K.'s Goldfrapp released the best electro record of the year. OutKast sprawled on a double-album. London's Libertines could barely stay together to support their spirited debut. The Rapture became NYC's dance sensation by funking like Gang of Four. The Mars Volta charted a prog-rock frontier, while Jet stole riffs from Grand Funk and Badfinger. Montreal's The Stills revisited elegantly doomed guitar rock. A reissue of The Prisoners' 1985 record "The Last Fourfathers" is more worthwhile then The Beatles "Let It Be Naked."

Sarah Schmelling, liveDaily Contributor

1. Fountains of Wayne, "Welcome Interstate Managers" (S-Curve)
2. Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" (Sanctuary)
3. The White Stripes, "Elephant" (V2)
4. The Shins, "Chutes too Narrow" (Sub Pop)
5. Lucinda Williams, "World Without Tears" (Lost Highway)
6. The Thrills, "So Much for The City" (Virgin)
7. Zwan, "Mary Star of the Sea" (Warner Bros.)
8. Super Furry Animals, "Phantom Power" (Beggars XL)
9. Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism" (Barsuk)
10. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, "Master and Everyone" (Drag City)

It was clearly a year for "The" bands (Strokes, Thrills, Shins, Darkness, etc), and within these "The"s there was a huge variety of sounds--anywhere from Irish hipsters crooning about the West Coast (The Thrills) to aching to be AC/DC (The Darkness). And though there was certainly a place for the lyrical and moody, my favorites this year sided with the poppy, and, dare I say it, optimistic. Why? For the Fountains, it's great getting back to The Cars' basic rock fun. Or maybe the best answer is: in a year filled with so much war and anger, how better a way to forget your woes than hearing Billy Corgan finally sing about love?

Gabriel Sheffer, liveDaily Contributor

1. The White Stripes, "Elephant" (V2)
2. The Constantines, "Shine A Light" (Sub Pop)
3. The Strokes, "Room On Fire" (RCA)
4. OutKast, "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" (Arista)
5. Linkin Park, "Meteora" (Warner Brothers)
6. The Rapture, "Echoes" (Universal)
7. 50 Cent, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" (Interscope)
8. Dandy Warhols, "Welcome to the Monkey House" (Capitol)
9. The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow" (Sub Pop)
10. The Postal Service, "Give Up" (Sub Pop)

Steve Jobs grabbed the music industry by its neck and introduced the 99-cent download. (What a concept.) Britney, Madonna and Christina grabbed each other at the MTV Awards. OutKast dropped one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Grammy winners? Hey Ya! Elliott Smith dropped out. Jack White became an uber-rock star. An amazing album, offbeat persona and a Hollywood siren on your arm can do that for a skanky Detroit rocker--unless your name is Kid Rock; he's just so last century.

Don Zulaica, liveDaily Contributor

1. Rush, "Rush In Rio" (Atlantic)
2. Joe Jackson Band, "Vol. 4" (Restless)
3. Alien Ant Farm, "truANT" (DreamWorks)
4. The Strokes, "Room On Fire" (RCA)
5. AFI, "Sing The Sorrow" (Dreamworks)
6. Gov't Mule, "The Deepest End: Live In Concert" (RCA)
7. Blink-182, "Blink-182" (Geffen)
8. Steve Smith & Buddy's Buddies, "Very Live At Ronnie Scott's, Set One" (Tone Center)
9. Metallica, "St. Anger" (Elektra)
10. The Bad Plus, "These are the Vistas" (Sony)

Now that we're a few years into the free-downloading-piracy versus the-recording-industry imbroglio, one thing is clear: affect the bottom line enough, and the industry loses even more interest in taking chances or developing careers. Way to go, kids! Even MTV, a significant music outlet for 20 years, has been reduced to "Punk'd," "Rich Girls" and "Realworld: Mars." They know where their bread is buttered. The good stuff is still there. You just have to look harder. Hats off to Rush, Joe Jackson, Metallica and the other artists that have persevered. I hope we're talking about The Strokes, The Bad Plus and Alien Ant Farm in another 20.