Kid A
Radiohead

It's hard to describe how this sounded when it first came out. It's lost none of its appeal and aura since then. Everything In Its Right Place sets the tone with the first few notes and stuttering vocal samples. The title track has a subtle groove and music box motif, recalling Boards of Canada. It's never quite straightforward rock, but there's riffs to be had in tracks like National Anthem and Optimistic, then full on ambient in Treefingers, and the sweeping epic sadness of How To Disappear Completely. The climax is surely Idioteque: mesmerizing vocal melodies and synths over broken up, glitchy beats. But there's something here for almost everyone. Play this to the aliens when they contact us.

5