First, the reason why I'm posting this:
1. I want to find out what people have listened to this year. I want to round out my listening interests and experiences, and I feel that posting a list like this to tell you what I like and how much I liked it you'll be more likely to take an avid interest in this topic. I want to hear your suggestion, get the music, and be able to say "Yeah, they were right."
2. I want a good discussion, and while it's not a fact I love, giving people something they can disagree with is a great way to stimulate a discussion. I actually look forward to the "Who can you rate X ahead of Y?"
3. I am incredibly pretentious.
OK, my personal rules for this thread:
1. While I will discuss my choices (the whys of the rankings), I'll try not to comment on your personal suggestions. I want you to feel free to suggest anything to me without fear of ridicule.
Frankly, I want a good discussion, good questions, and good suggestions:
1. Hail to the Thief, Radiohead
2. Elephant, The White Stripes
3. The Black Album, Jay-Z
4. Fever to Tell, The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
5. De-Loused in the Comatorium, The Mars Volta
6. Think Tank, Blur
7. Audioslave, Audioslave
8. The Diary of Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys
9. Chutes Too Narrow, The Shins
10. The Owners, Gang Starr
11. 12 Memories, Travis
12. Kish Kash, Basement Jaxx
13. Speakerboxx/The Love Below, OutKast
14. Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Belle and Sebastian
15. Get Rich or Die Trying, 50 Cent
16. Baby I'm Bored, Evan Dando
17. The Soft.Lightes, The Incredible Moses Leroy
18. The Headphone Masterpiece, Cody Chestnutt
19. Heavier Things, John Mayer
20. Phrenology, The Roots
Also heard: Show Me Your Tears (Frank Black), Worldwide Underground (Erykah Badu), Clone (The Neptunes), Ether Song (Turin Brakes), Mary Star of the Sea (Zwan), Life for Rent (Dido), Sumday (Grandaddy), Elephunk (Black Eyed Peas), Want One (Rufus Wainright), Folklore (Nelly Furtado), Room on Fire (The Strokes), Afterglow (Sarah McLaughlin), Stop All the World Now (Howie Day), Too Hot for T.V. (Da Band)