20 albums are turning 20 this year

ST. LOUIS — Our years are shaped by the music we listen to, and each year albums are released that become future classics, big sellers, award winners and more, and that was definitely the case 20 years ago.

In 2004 several benchmark albums were released. Gwen Stefani arrived as a solo act, U2 returned and Usher released an R&B blockbuster.

The year also included acclaimed debuts from Kanye West and the Killers, the final album from Destiny’s Child, Kenny Chesney in full stride, and a posthumous album from Ray Charles that took over the Grammys.

Nelly raised eyebrows when he released two star-studded blockbuster albums on the same day, Sept. 13, 2004, “Sweat” and “Suit.”

Both albums were instant hits for the St. Louis superstar, debuting at No. 1 (“Suit”) and No. 2 (“Sweat”) on the Billboard 200, proving Nelly was not slowing down after his huge “Country Grammar” and “Nellyville” albums.

Other artists with albums turning 20 this year include the return of a purple legend, a Super Bowl-scandal embroiled singer and a couple of “American Idol” winners. Here is at look at 20 seminal albums turning 20 this year listed in the order they were released.

“When the Sun Goes Down,” Kenny Chesney (Feb. 3, 2004)

Sales: Over 5 million copies sold

Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: None

Country superstar Kenny Chesney may not have received much love from the Grammys for this album (or throughout his career), but he has never had a problem delivering big hits. “When the Sun Goes Down,” his eighth album, included “There Goes My Life,” “I Go Back,” “The Woman with You” and “Anything But Mine.”

Kanye West, “The College Dropout” (Feb. 10, 2004)

Sales: Over 4 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 2

Grammy recognition: Won for best rap album and best rap song for “Jesus Walks”; nominated for album of the year, best new artist, song of the year for “Jesus Walks,” best rap/sung collaboration for “Slow Jamz” and “All Falls Down,” and best rap solo performance for “Through the Wire.”

Usher, “Confessions” (March 23, 2004)

Sales: Over 10 million copies sold; Billboard 100: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Won for best contemporary album, best rap/sung collaboration for “Yeah!” and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for “My Boo”; nominated for album of the year, record of the year for “Yeah!,” best R&B song for “My Boo” and “Burn,” and best male R&B vocal performance for “Burn” Usher set a new bar for just how big an R&B album can be with his fourth album “Confessions” featuring “Yeah!” “Burn,” “Confessions Pt. II” and “Caught Up.”

Prince, “Musicology”(March 29, 2004)

Sales: Over 2 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 3

Grammy recognition: Won for best traditional R&B vocal performance for “Musicology,” best male R&B vocal performance for “Call My Name”; nominated for best R&B album, best R&B song for “Call My Name” and best male pop vocal performance for “Cinnamon Girl”

Janet Jackson, “Damita Jo” (March 30, 2004)

Sales: Over 1 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 2

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best contemporary R&B album and best female R&B vocal performance for “I Want You.”

Janet Jackson lined up the release of her eighth album “Damita Jo” to follow her Feb. 1, 2004, Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, though things didn’t go as planned thanks to the “costume malfunction” when Justin Timberlake ripped off part of Jackson’s bodice on air. Jackson released the album as scheduled. Singles from the album include “Just a Little While.”

Lenny Kravitz, “Baptism” (May 17, 2004)

Sales: Over 500,000 copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 14

Grammy recognition: None

Music’s most stylish rocker, Lenny Kravitz, at first planned for his seventh album, “Baptism,” to be a funk album, but it morphed into a rock album while he was working on it.

The Killers, “Hot Fuss” (June 15, 2004)

Sales: Over 3 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 7

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best rock album, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals for “Somebody Told Me”

A big fuss was made over “Hot Fuss,” the debut album from Las Vegas rock band the Killers. The album gave us “Mr. Brightside” and more including “Somebody Told Me” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.”

Wilco, “A Ghost is Born” (July 22, 2004)

Sales: Over 500,000 copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 8

Grammy recognition: Won for best alternative music album and best recording package.

Wilco — starring Uncle Tupelo alumnus Jeff Tweedy — released its fifth album “A Ghost is Born” in 2004. The album features “I’m a Wheel,” and came a few years after the group dismissed Jay Bennett and while Tweedy was dealing with substance abuse.

Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dying” (Aug. 24, 2004)

Sales: Over 4 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Won for best male country vocal performance for the title track; nominated for best country album

Country singer Tim McGraw was at the top of his game with his eighth album “Live Like You’re Dying,” featuring the hit title track among other songs such as “Back When,” “Do You Want Fries With That” and “My Old Friend.”

Ray Charles, “Genius Loves Company” (Aug. 31, 2004)

Sales: Over 3 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Won for album of the year, best pop vocal album, record of the year and best pop collaboration with vocals for “Here We Go Again,” and best gospel performance for “Heaven Help Us All”; nominated for best pop collaboration with vocals for “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and best traditional R&B vocal performance for “Sinner’s Prayer”

Legendary singer Ray Charles died in June 2004, and his final album “Genius Loves Company” was released posthumously a couple of months later.

Green Day, “American Idiot” (Sept. 21, 2004)

Sales: Over 6 million copies; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Won for best rock album; nominated for album of the year, record of the year, best short form music video, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for “American Idiot”

Green Day returned from its 2000 album “Warning” with the endearing punk rock opera “American Idiot,” the seventh album from the band. “American Idiot” was home to “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me up When September Ends.”

Jay Z and R. Kelly, “Unfinished Business” (Oct. 26, 2004)

Sales: Over 1 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: None

With “Unfinished Business,” it was definitely finished business for Jay Z and R. Kelly. This was the second joint album for the two music titans but also their last. The accompanying tour dissolved into a musical mess after they clashed, while allegations of abusing minors swirled around R. Kelly.

Gwen Stefani, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” (Nov. 12, 2004)

Sales: 5 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 5

Grammy recognition: Nominated for album of the year, best pop vocal album, record of the year and best female pop vocal performance for “Hollaback Girl,” best female pop vocal for “What You Waiting For,” best rap/sung collaboration for “Rich Girl.” After a hugely successful run with No Doubt that included the albums “Tragic Kingdom” (1995) and “Return of Saturn” (2000), lead singer Gwen Stefani broke out on her own with “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.”

Destiny’s Child, “Destiny Fulfilled” (Nov. 16, 2004)

Sales: Over 3 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 2

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best contemporary R&B album, best rap/sung collaboration for “Soldier,” best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for “Cater 2 U”

It was the closing of one chapter and the opening of another when Destiny’s Child released its fifth and farewell album “Destiny Fulfilled.”

U2, “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” (Nov. 23, 2004)

Sales: Over 3 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Won for album of the year, best rock album, best rock song for “City of Blinding Lights,” song of the year and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals for “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own”; there were additional wins for best rock song, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals

U2’s 11th album was its well received “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” a Grammy powerhouse of an album. Fans came to the album for songs like “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” “City of Blinding Lights” and “Vertigo,” and stayed for the tour.

Fantasia, “Free Yourself” (Nov. 23, 2004)

Sales: Over 1 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 8

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best R&B album, best female R&B vocal for “Free Yourself,” best traditional R&B vocal performance for “Summertime”

Twenty years before she was the star of the critically acclaimed “The Color Purple” with a Golden Globe nod, Fantasia had just won the third season of “American Idol” and released her debut album “Free Yourself,” which, along with the title track, also featured “Truth Is,” “Baby Mama” and “I Believe.”

Kelly Clarkson, “Breakaway” (Nov. 30, 2004)

Sales: 6 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 3

Grammy recognition: Won for best pop vocal album and best female pop vocal performance for “Since U Been Gone”

“American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson proved she was no fluke with her sophomore album “Breakaway,” which spawned the inescapable hits “Since U Been Gone,” “Because of You,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Walk Away.”

T.I., “Urban Legend” (Nov. 30, 2004)

Sales: Over 1 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 7

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best rap solo performance for “U Don’t Know Me”

King of the South rapper T.I. was still building his throne when he released his this third album which featured “Bring Em Out,” “U Don’t Know Me” and “Motivation.”

Ludacris, “The Red Light District” (Dec. 7, 2004)

Sales: Over 2 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 1

Grammy recognition: Nominated for best rap solo performance for “Number One Spot”

Ludacris was fully in his bag with his fifth album with hits such as “Number One Spot” and “Pimpin’ All Over the World.”

John Legend, “Get Lifted” (Dec. 28, 2004)

Sales: Over 2 million copies sold; Billboard 200: No. 4

Grammy recognition: Won for best new artist, best R&B album and best male R&B vocal performance for “Ordinary People”; nominated for song of the year and best R&B song for “Ordinary People,” best rap/sung collaboration for “They Say,” best traditional R&B vocal performance for “Stay With You,” best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for “So High”