March Music Madness: Best Albums of 2003
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