Except for the songs that made my Top 20 songs of 2003 and the representative tracks from my Top 20 Albums of 2003, these are the rest of the best lighter/mellow rock tracks of 2003. To be eligible, a song needed to be included on an album released in the United States between December 1, 2002 and November 30, 2003.

1. The Shins “Gone for Good” Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
2. Alaska! “Resistance” Emotions (B-Girl)
3. The Delgados “Coming In From the Cold” Hate (Mantra/Beggars)
4. Damien Rice “Volcano” O (Vector)
5. Blur “Out of Time” Think Tank (Virgin)
6. M. Ward “Sad, Sad Song” Transfiguration of Vincent (Merge)
7. Turin Brakes “Self Help” Ether Song (Columbia/Sony)
8. Drive By Truckers “Outfit” Decoration Day (New West)
9. The Jayhawks “Tailspin” Rainy Day Music (American)
10. Saves the Day “Wednesday the Third” In Reverie (Dreamworks)
11. Alaska! “Broken” Emotions (B-Girl)
12. Damien Rice “Cannonball” O (Vector)
13. The Shins “Saint Simon” Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
14. Travis “Mid-Life Krysis” 12 Memories (Epic)
15. The Decemberists “Los Angeles, I’m Yours” Her Majesty The Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars)16. Fruit Bats “The Little Acorn” Mouthfuls (Sub Pop)
17. The Jayhawks “Save It for a Rainy Day” Rainy Day Music (American)
18. Turin Brakes “Stone Thrown” Ether Song
(Astralwerks)
19. The New Folk Implosion “Pearl” The New Folk Implosion (iMusic/BMG)