Metacritic: Best Albums of 2004

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64 A Camp
78 Akron/Family
73 Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women
74 Amazing Baby
62 Tori Amos
54 The Answer
74 Anti-Flag
74 Art Brut
71 Au Revoir Simone
65 Zee Avi
70 Bachelorette
77 Bat For Lashes
68 Big Business
76 Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
67 Black Dice
57 Black Eyed Peas
74 Black Moth Super Rainbow
71 Blank Dogs
65 Booker T.
54 The Boxmasters
65 The Boy Least Likely To
74 Brakes [aka brakesbrakesbrakes]
68 British Sea Power
66 Jeff Buckley
75 Busdriver
59 Busta Rhymes
64 Cage The Elephant
82 Bill Callahan
80 Camera Obscura
68 Cam'ron
79 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
58 Chester French
82 The Church
61 Ciara
72 Clues
69 The Coathangers
74 Jarvis Cocker
90 Leonard Cohen
70 Elvis Costello
66 Graham Coxon
76 Crippled Black Phoenix
71 The Crocodiles
69 Cryptacize
71 Crystal Antlers
56 The Crystal Method
69 Dananananaykroyd
76 Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse
71 De La Soul
77 Death Cab For Cutie
68 Deer Tick
81 Deerhunter
70 Depeche Mode
78 Dinosaur Jr.
85 Dirty Projectors
86 DJ Quik & Kurupt
77 Doves
68 Dredg
76 Bob Dylan
82 Steve Earle
70 Eels
62 El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez
58 Eminem
60 Empire Of The Sun
54 The Enemy
67 Jeremy Enigk
68 Nathan Fake
85 The Felice Brothers
79 The Field
65 Fink
60 Fischerspooner
77 Flatlanders
62 Flo Rida
64 Franz Ferdinand
77 Gallows
72 Melody Gardot
59 Ginuwine
71 Golden Silvers
61 Gomez
69 Grand Duchy
73 Great Lake Swimmers
59 Great Northern
72 Green Day
86 Grizzly Bear
75 The Handsome Family
69 Ben Harper And Relentless7
75 PJ Harvey & John Parish
66 Heaven & Hell
85 Levon Helm
74 The Hold Steady
79 Patterson Hood
75 Jon Hopkins
82 The Horrors
69 Hanne Hukkelberg
74 Ida Maria
65 Immaculate Machine
75 The Intelligence
76 Iron & Wine
79 Isis
68 It Hugs Back
88 J Dilla aka Jay Dee
61 Jadakiss
86 Japandroids
61 Joan Of Arc
84 Joe Lovano Us Five
72 John Doe & The Sadies
70 Joker's Daughter
62 Jonas Brothers
53 Mike Jones
71 The Juan Maclean
76 Junior Boys
68 Kasabian
74 Diana Krall
56 Lady Sovereign
43 Ben Lee
68 The Lemonheads
76 Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard
77 Lindstrom & Prins Thomas
65 Little Boots
79 The Low Anthem
67 Jason Lytle
75 The Maccabees
76 Magik Markers
80 Major Lazer
70 Malajube
71 Manchester Orchestra
85 Manic Street Preachers
57 Marilyn Manson
66 The Mars Volta
68 Dave Matthews Band
62 Maximo Park
70 Meat Puppets
80 Method Man & Redman
77 Metric
75 Micachu & The Shapes
69 Chrisette Michele
76 Miike Snow
67 Mika Miko
75 Rhett Miller
49 Mims
72 Mr. Lif
72 Moby
78 Moderat
70 Mandy Moore
80 Mos Def
70 Bob Mould
74 Nadja
72 New York Dolls
72 Nite Jewel
67 NOFX
76 Noisettes
60 Paolo Nutini
67 Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band
74 Papercuts
76 Passion Pit
74 Peaches
71 Pet Shop Boys
68 Peter Bjorn And John
82 Phoenix
76 Pink Mountaintops
63 Placebo
66 Pomegranates
64 Iggy Pop
67 Prefuse 73
61 Prince
62 Prince
81 Ramblin' Jack Elliott
76 Rancid
54 Rascal Flatts
68 Lionel Richie
77 Alasdair Roberts
73 Rick Ross
55 Asher Roth
72 Savath & Savalas
61 Polly Scattergood
65 The Shortwave Set
60 Shout Out Out Out Out
66 Silversun Pickups
85 Todd Snider
78 Sonic Youth
72 The Soundcarriers
61 The Sounds
74 Regina Spektor
63 Spinal Tap
65 Spinnerette
81 St. Vincent
59 Still Flyin'
58 Street Sweeper Social Club
87 Sunn O)))
82 Sunset Rubdown
84 Super Furry Animals
74 Richard Swift
78 Taking Back Sunday
85 Tanya Morgan
81 Otis Taylor
71 Telekinesis
70 Telepathe
80 Thee Oh Sees
79 The Thermals
74 Rob Thomas
64 Thunderheist
74 Tiga
57 Tinted Windows
72 Tortoise
82 Allen Toussaint
71 Trembling Bells
69 Two Fingers
84 UGK
68 Keith Urban
49 Bria Valente
71 John Vanderslice
85 The Vaselines
74 The Veils
73 Viva Voce
63 Patrick Watson
79 White Denim
77 White Rabbits
57 The Whitest Boy Alive
74 Wilco
80 Wildbirds & Peacedrums
78 Wolves In The Throne Room
65 The Wooden Birds
67 Wooden Shjips
81 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
70 Pete Yorn
93 Neil Young
60 Neil Young
72 Yusuf

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The following table displays the highest-scoring albums for the year in Metacritic's database with a minimum of 7 reviews. Also listed at the bottom of the page are year-end top ten lists provided by various critics and publications.

You may also view an index of all albums in our database alphabetically by artist.
In addition, you may view the top-rated albums by year: All | 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year
1	SMiLE by Brian Wilson	2004	97
2	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn	2004	97
3	Madvillainy by Madvillain	2004	93
4	The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads	2004	93
5	Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal	2004	92
6	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets	2004	91
7	Funeral by The Arcade Fire	2004	90
8	HoboSapiens by John Cale	2004	89
9	Last Exit by Junior Boys	2004	89
10	Ta Det Lugnt by Dungen	2004	88
11	College Dropout by Kanye West	2004	88
12	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart	2004	88
13	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith	2004	88
14	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds	2004	88
15	Showtime by Dizzee Rascal	2004	87
16	The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers	2004	87
17	Now, More Than Ever by Jim Guthrie	2004	87
18	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand	2004	87
19	Favourite Colours by The Sadies	2004	87
20	Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens	2004	87
21	Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83	2004	86
22	Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott	2004	86
23	The Futureheads by The Futureheads	2004	86
24	Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine by Cee-Lo	2004	86
25	Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition by Murs	2004	85
26	Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band	2004	85
27	The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country On The Click) by The Fall	2004	85
28	Crimes by The Blood Brothers	2004	85
29	Medulla by Bjork	2004	84
30	Blue Cathedral by Comets On Fire	2004	84

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists

Village Voice 2004 Pazz & Jop Poll (a survey of 793 critics) Read The Full Results
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	Smile by Brian Wilson
3	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
4	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
5	American Idiot by Green Day
6	Funeral by Arcade Fire
7	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
8	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
9	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
10	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse

Almost Cool
1	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
2	Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu
3	Morals And Dogma by Deathprod
4	The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter
5	Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
6	Virðulegu Forsetar by Jóhann Jóhannsson
7	It's All Around You by Tortoise
8	Lycanthropy by Patrick Wolf
9	Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team
10	Funeral by Arcade Fire

Blender
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
3	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
4	Confessions by Usher
5	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley
6	You Are The Quarry by Morrissey
7	The Diary Of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys
8	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
9	Get Away From Me by Nellie McKay
10	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco

Cokemachineglow
1	Smile by Brian Wilson
2	The Slow Wonder by A.C. Newman
3	Madvillainy by Madvillain
4	Funeral by Arcade Fire
5	The Blue Notebooks by Max Richter
6	The Folded Palm by Frog Eyes
7	The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
8	Hypnotic Underworld by Ghost
9	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
10	Nino Rojo and Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart

Drawer B
1	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
2	Antics by Interpol
3	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4	The Futureheads by The Futureheads
5	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
6	Last Exit by Junior Boys
7	i by Magnetic Fields
8	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
9	Smile by Brian Wilson
10	You're A Woman, I'm A Machine by Death From Above 1979

Drowned In Sound
1	Antics by Interpol
2	Hot Fuss by The Killers
3	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
4	Logic Will Break Your Heart by The Stills
5	The Futureheads by The Futureheads
6	Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
7	Miss Machine by The Dillinger Escape Plan
8	You Are The Quarry by Morrissey
9	Panopticon by Isis
10	Scissor Sisters by Scissor Sisters

Dusted (Otis Hart)
1	The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
2	Too Much Guitar by Reigning Sound
3	The Shining Example is Lying On the Floor by The Hotel Alexis
4	Espers by Espers
5	Bring The Neon War Home by Yellow Swans
6	Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Soft Pink Truth? by The Soft Pink Truth
7	Nouvelle Vague by Nouvelle Vague
8	Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
9	Where I Am Today by Max de Wardener
10	Colorseries by Donnacha Costello

Entertainment Weekly (David Browne)
1	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse
2	Our Shadows Will Remain by Joseph Arthur
3	Rubber Factory by The Black Keys
4	The College Dropout by Kanye West
5	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
6	Afrodisiac by Brandy
7	Uh Huh Her by PJ Harvey
8	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
9	American Idiot by Green Day
10	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen

Entertainment Weekly (Tom Sinclair)
1	Fly Or Die by N.E.R.D.
2	Harder And Harder by The Paybacks
3	Love Songs For Patriots by American Music Club
4	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
5	Rubber Factory by The Black Keys
6	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
7	Who Killed The Zutons by The Zutons
8	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
9	Daddy Wants A Cold Beer And Other Million Sellers by The A-Bones
10	Survival Of The Sickest by Saliva

Filter
1	Funeral by Arcade Fire
2	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
3	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
4	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
5	Hot Fuss by The Killers
6	Now Here Is Nowhere by Secret Machines
7	Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83
8	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
9	Madvillainy by Madvillain
10	Up All Night by Razorlight

Junkmedia
1	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
2	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
3	N'ecoutez Pas by Le Fly Pan Am
4	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse
5	Backstroke by Matthew Dear
6	Rendezvous by Luna
7	Antics by Interpol
8	Invisible Architecture 08 by Taylor Deupree / Christopher Willits
9	Power by Q And Not U
10	Special Gunpowder by dj/rupture

Los Angeles Times (Robert Hilburn)
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
3	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
4	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
5	Want Two by Rufus Wainwright
6	Funeral by Arcade Fire
7	Uh Huh Her by PJ Harvey
8	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
9	Encore by Eminem
10	Confessions by Usher

Los Angeles Times (Consensus)
1	Uh Huh Her by PJ Harvey
2	American Idiot by Green Day
3	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4	The College Dropout by Kanye West
5	Smile by Brian Wilson
6	Funeral by Arcade Fire
7	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley
8	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
9	(tie) From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
9	(tie) Real Gone by Tom Waits

Lost At Sea
1	Funeral by Arcade Fire
2	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
3	Madvillainy by Madvillain
4	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
5	Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth
6	Blueberry Boat by The Fiery Furnaces
7	Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu
8	Misery Is A Butterfly by Blonde Redhead
9	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
10	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand

Magnet
1	Real Gone by Tom Waits
2	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
3	Conductor by Comas
4	The Slow Wonder by AC Newman
5	Blue Cathedral by Comets On Fire
6	Half Smiles Of The Decomposed by Guided By Voices
7	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
8	Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band
9	Rubber Factory by Black Keys
10	Ambulance Ltd by Ambulance Ltd

Metacritic.com Music Editor
1	The Futureheads by The Futureheads
2	Funeral by Arcade Fire
3	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4	The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads
5	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
6	The Power Out by Electrelane
7	ONoffON by Mission Of Burma
8	Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth
9	Lesser Matters by The Radio Dept.
10	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
Great 2003 Album Not Heard Until 2004: Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83

Mojo
1	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
2	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
3	Smile by Brian Wilson
4	Rejoicing In The Hands and Nino Rojo by Devendra Banhart
5	Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band
6	Medulla by Bjork
7	Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
8	The Delivery Man by Elvis Costello & The Imposters
9	Now Here Is Nowhere by Secret Machines
10	Trampin' by Patti Smith

The New York Times (Jon Pareles)
1	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
2	Egypt by Youssou N'Dour
3	Smile by Brian Wilson
4	Medulla by Bjork
5	American Idiot by Green Day
6	Tres Cosas by Juana Molina
7	The College Dropout by Kanye West
8	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
9	In Exile Deo by Juliana Hatfield
10	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective

NME
1	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
2	The Libertines by The Libertines
3	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
4	Scissor Sisters by Scissor Sisters
5	The Futureheads by The Futureheads
6	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse
7	The College Dropout by Kanye West
8	Up All Night by Razorlight
9	Lesser Matters by The Radio Dept.
10	No Cities Left by The Dears

No Ripcord
1	Funeral by Arcade Fire
2	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
3	Antics by Interpol
4	Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth
5	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
6	The Futureheads by The Futureheads
7	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
8	Talkie Walkie by Air
9	Madvillainy by Madvillain
10	Last Exit by Junior Boys

The Onion (Andy Battaglia)
1	Thé Au Harem d'Archimède by Ricardo Villalobos
2	Get Away From Me by Nellie McKay
3	Louden Up Now by !!!
4	Showtime by Dizzee Rascal
5	The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
6	Here Comes Love by Superpitcher
7	Margerine Eclipse by Stereolab
8	The Meaning by Melchior Productions
9	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
10	Talkie Walkie by Air

The Onion (Josh Modell)
1	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
2	Antics by Interpol
3	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
4	The College Dropout by Kanye West
5	Funeral by Arcade Fire
6	Weightlifting by Trash Can Sinatras
7	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
8	Goodnight Nobody by Julie Doiron
9	Final Straw by Snow Patrol
10	Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens

The Onion (Noel Murray)
1	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
2	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
3	Elysium by The Velvet Teen
4	Too Much Guitar by Reigning Sound
5	The Tigers Have Spoken by Neko Case
6	Since We Last Spoke by RJD2
7	Cast Of Thousands by Elbow
8	Almost Killed Me by The Hold Steady
9	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
10	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley

The Onion (Keith Phipps)
1	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
2	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
3	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
4	The College Dropout by Kanye West
5	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
6	Smile by Brian Wilson
7	Get Away From Me by Nellie McKay
8	Tyrannosaurus Hives by The Hives
9	Nino Rojo by Devendra Banhart
10	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco

The Onion (Nathan Rabin)
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	Madvillainy by Madvillain
3	The Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface
4	Connected by The Foreign Exchange
5	Mm.. Food by MF Doom
6	Murs 3:16-The 9th Edition by Murs
7	The Grind Date by De La Soul
8	The Tipping Point by The Roots
9	Since We Last Spoke by RJD2
10	A Job Ain't Nuthin' But Work by J-Zone

The Onion (Stephen Thompson)
1	Indiana by David Mead
2	Shake The Sheets by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
3	Get Off The Ground If You're Scared by Some By Sea
4	Violence In The Snowy Fields by Dolorean
5	Nino Rojo by Devendra Banhart
6	Kiss & Tell by Sahara Hotnights
7	The Slow Wonder by A.C. Newman
8	Just Like Blood by Tom McRae
9	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley
10	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse

Pitchfork
1	Funeral by Arcade Fire
2	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
3	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
4	Blueberry Boat by The Fiery Furnaces
5	Smile by Brian Wilson
6	Madvillainy by Madvillain
7	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart
8	Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team
9	The Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface
10	The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom

Playlouder
1	You Are The Quarry by Morrissey
2	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
3	The Royal Society by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
4	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse
5	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
6	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
7	Real Gone by Tom Waits
8	Antics by Interpol
9	Grey Will Fade by Charlotte Hatherley
10	Scissor Sisters by Scissor Sisters

Pop Matters
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	Funeral by Arcade Fire
3	Smile by Brian Wilson
4	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
5	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
6	Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
7	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
8	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
9	Madvillainy by Madvillain
10	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse

Q
1	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
2	Hopes And Fears by Keane
3	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
5	Up All Night by Razorlight
6	The Libertines by The Libertines
7	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8	Hot Fuss by The Killers
9	Destroy Rock & Roll by Mylo
10	Antics by Interpol

ShakingThrough (Kevin Forest Moreau)
1	American Idiot by Green Day
2	Final Straw by Snow Patrol
3	Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band
4	The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers
5	How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
6	Real Gone by Tom Waits
7	She Loves You by The Twilight Singers
8	The Red Light District by Ludacris
9	Killers And Stars by Patterson Hood
10	Fall Back Open by Now It's Overhead

ShakingThrough (Laurence Station)
1	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
2	Smile by Brian Wilson
3	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
4	Madvillainy by Madvillain
5	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
6	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart
7	Inches by Les Savy Fav
8	The Real New Fall LP by The Fall
9	Showtime by Dizzee Rascal
10	Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine

Spin
1	The College Dropout by Kanye West
2	American Idiot by Green Day
3	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
4	Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
5	The Grey Album by Danger Mouse
6	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
7	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
8	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
9	Antics by Interpol
10	Smile by Brian Wilson

Stylus
1	Blueberry Boat by The Fiery Furnaces
2	Madvillainy by Madvillain
3	Get Away From Me by Nellie McKay
4	Last Exit by Junior Boys
5	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
6	The Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface
7	Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8	///Codename:Dustsucker by Bark Psychosis
9	Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu
10	Funeral by Arcade Fire

Tiny Mix Tapes
1	Funeral by Arcade Fire
2	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
3	Smile by Brian Wilson
4	Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu
5	Madvillainy by Madvillain
6	The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
7	Blueberry Boat by The Fiery Furnaces
8	Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth
9	Bows & Arrows by The Walkmen
10	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart

Uncut
1	Smile by Brian Wilson
2	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
3	Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
4	Post To Wire by Richmond Fontaine
5	The Bootleg Series Volume 6 by Bob Dylan
6	Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band
7	A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets
8	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
9	Love Songs For Patriots by American Music Club
10	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand

Under The Radar
1	From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
2	Antics by Interpol
3	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley
4	Medulla by Bjork
5	Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
6	Talkie Walkie by Air
7	Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine
8	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
9	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart
10	Ambulance Ltd by Ambulance Ltd

Village Voice (Robert Christgau)
1	Smile by Brian Wilson
2	1977-1997 by Papa Wemba
3	The College Dropout by Kanye West
4	Egypt by Youssou N'Dour
5	More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley
6	Encore by Eminem
7	All the Fame of Lofty Deeds by Jon Langford
8	East Nashville Skyline by Todd Snider
9	America's Sweetheart by Courtney Love
10	We Shall All Be Healed by Mountain Goats

The Wire
1	Holy Ghost: Rare & Unreleased Recordings (1962-70) by Albert Ayler
2	Sonic Nurse by Sonic Youth
3	Venice by Fennesz
4	Deathprod Box by Deathprod
5	Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
6	Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart
7	Burned Mind by Wolf Eyes
8	A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
9	The Well Of Memory by PG Six
10	Perpetuum Mobile by Einstürzende Neubate

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The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists