1. Agaetis Byrjun (1999)

Agaetis Byrjun is 72 minutes of sonically rich, emotionally pulverizing perfection, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kid A, The Moon & Antarctica, and every other rock-related critical behemoth of the past two decades. And the reason isn’t tied to the band’s early mystique — it’s tied to the power of the songs themselves: the orchestral splendor of “Starálfur,” the transcendent ache of “Ný batterí.” “Svefn-g-englar” is the definitive post-rock epic, each decayed synth tone and cymbal splash conjuring a world of endless possibilities. The band knew they couldn’t top Agaetis Byrjun — at least not in the same way. So they haven’t tried to replicate its magic. Fourteen years later, it remains the signature Sigur Rós masterpiece.