6. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Before it became a weary cautionary tale for aspiring pop songstresses, Back to Black was easily the most influential album of the 00s, promising the return of powerful, passionate female vocalists to the pop scene. The album opener, then a provocative, cheeky number harkening back to the rambunctiousness of early Motown, took on a much darker hue after Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning. Indeed, "Rehab" remains unfavorably tied to the constant car crash she became in the last couple years of her short life, and it can still be an awkward listen. But if you push through that awkwardness, the rest of Back to Black is much easier to swallow, and by the time "Love is a Losing Game" rolls around, Amy's ghosts are gone, replaced by the slinking, confident voice that inspired Adele, Joss Stone, and countless others to come out of the shadows and embrace the sound of neo soul. Her devilish brand of R&B shines brightest on "You Know I'm No Good" and on the title track, with Mark Ronson's production faithfully recalling both Billie Holiday and Mary J. Blige. Winehouse's deep, sultry voice carries each tune to intriguing heights, though, and even otherwise vanilla homages (looking at you "Tears Dry On Their Own") feel bigger than they have any right to.