The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
March Music Madness

March Music Madness: Best Albums of 2003

March Music Madness 2023: Best Albums of 2003
March Music Madness 2023: Best Albums of 2003MPR

March 09, 2023

Update: March Music Madness 2023 is wrapped! Thanks to everyone who participated.

The Current’s March Music Madness is here. This year, we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the amazing albums released in 2003. Scroll down to vote on the latest matchup.

We’ve identified 64 of the best albums of 2003 to go head-to-head to determine the top record of the year. Between Monday, March 20, and Thursday, March 23, we’re playing songs on-air as part of each daily matchup. Every day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., we’ll open a new matchup for voting every half hour. At the end of the day on Thursday, we’ll announce the top album of 2003, as voted by The Current’s listeners.

Read more: 9 albums from 2003 that predicted the future of music

Share a photo of your paper bracket predictions using #MarchMusicMadness, or login to fill out the bracket below. Either way, you’re entered to win a gift card for socks from Go Bros.

March Music Madness Bracket Results

Winners will be updated here at the end of each round.

Matchup Results Day 4 - Thursday, March 23

Winners in bold

Matchup 49: The Postal Service vs. Damien Rice

Matchup 50: The Shins vs. Amy Winehouse

Matchup 51: Death Cab for Cutie vs. Cat Power

Matchup 52: Jay-Z vs. Radiohead

Matchup 53: The White Stripes vs. The Jayhawks

Matchup 54: Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. The Black Keys

Matchup 55: The Strokes vs. Belle & Sebastian

Matchup 56: Atmosphere vs. OutKast

Matchup 57: The Postal Service vs. The Shins

voting: 1 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Matchup 58: Death Cab for Cutie vs. Radiohead

Matchup 59: The White Stripes vs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Matchup 60: The Strokes vs. Atmosphere

Matchup 61: The Postal Service vs. Death Cab for Cutie

Matchup 62: The White Stripes vs. Atmosphere

Matchup 63 (3rd Place): Death Cab for Cutie vs. Atmosphere

Matchup 64 (Championship): The Postal Service vs. The White Stripes

voting: 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.

Matchup Results Day 3 - Wednesday, March 22

Winners in bold

Matchup 33: The Postal Service vs. Metric

Matchup 34: Erykah Badu vs. Damien Rice

Matchup 35: The Shins vs. DeVotchKa

Matchup 36: The Rapture vs. Amy Winehouse

Matchup 37: Death Cab for Cutie vs. Fountains of Wayne

Matchup 38: Blur vs. Cat Power

Matchup 39: Jay-Z vs. Goldfrapp

Matchup 40: The New Pornographers vs. Radiohead

Matchup 41: The White Stripes vs. Motion City Soundtrack

Matchup 42: My Morning Jacket vs. The Jayhawks

Matchup 43: Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. Muse

Matchup 44: Jet vs. The Black Keys

Matchup 45: The Strokes vs. Nada Surf

Matchup 46: Mates of State vs. Belle & Sebastian

Matchup 47: Beyoncé vs. Atmosphere

Matchup 48: The Decemberists vs. OutKast

Matchup Results Day 2 - Tuesday, March 21

Winners in bold

Matchup 17: The White Stripes vs. The Stills

Matchup 18: Guided by Voices vs. Motion City Soundtrack

Matchup 19: My Morning Jacket vs. The Libertines

Matchup 20: The Jayhawks vs. Junior Senior

Matchup 21: Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. Electric Six

Matchup 22: The Darkness vs. Muse

Matchup 23: Jet vs. Kings of Leon

Matchup 24: The Black Keys vs. The Raveonettes

Matchup 25: The Strokes vs. The Kills

Matchup 26: Nada Surf vs. Kelis

Matchup 27: Mates of State vs. Dizzee Rascal

Matchup 28: Belle & Sebastian vs. AFI

Matchup 29: Beyoncé vs. Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

Matchup 30: Atmosphere vs. Missy Elliott

Matchup 31: The Decemberists vs. Sufjan Stevens

Matchup 32: OutKast vs. Ted Leo + The Pharmacists

Matchup Results: Day 1 - Monday, March 20

Winners in bold

Matchup 1: The Postal Service vs. Zwan

Matchup 2: The Dears vs. Metric

Matchup 3: Lucinda Williams vs. Erykah Badu

Matchup 4: M83 vs. Damien Rice

Matchup 5: The Shins vs. The Fiery Furnaces

Matchup 6: The Mars Volta vs. DeVotchKa

Matchup 7: Fischerspooner vs. The Rapture

Matchup 8: Amy Winehouse vs. Britney Spears

Matchup 9: Death Cab for Cutie vs. Ween

Matchup 10: Stars vs. Fountains of Wayne

Matchup 11: Grandaddy vs. Blur

Matchup 12: Cat Power vs. Yo La Tengo

Matchup 13: Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park

Matchup 14: Halloween, Alaska vs. Goldfrapp

Matchup 15: Cursive vs. The New Pornographers

Matchup 16: Radiohead vs. The Wrens