The 100 Best Albums of 2005.

so i decided to take my time and go through all the albums i own that were released this year. i found that i only had 123, not 150+, ha.
but yes, in my humble (and obviously very knowledged ) opinion, these are the 100 best albums of this year.
(bold means that the album is absolutely essential to any music lover's collection).

1) Marty Stuart ~ Badlands (Americana/ Traditional Country)
2) Vashti Bunyan ~ Lookaftering (British Folk)
3) Mi and L'au ~ Mi and L'au (Lo-Fi)
4) Miles Davis ~ The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (Jazz-Rock)
5) Jens Lekman ~ Oh You're So Silent Jens (Chamber Pop/Swedish Pop)
6) Kate Rusby ~ The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (British Folk/ Irish Folk/ Traditional Folk)
7) Devendra Banhart ~ Cripple Crow (Psychedelic/ Alternative Folk)
8) Edith Frost ~ It's A Game (Lo-Fi/ Singer/Songwriter)
9) Espers ~ The Weed Tree (Alternative Folk/ Neo-Traditional Folk)
10) John Mayer Trio ~ Try! John Mayer Trio Live in Concert (Blues-Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)

11) Laura Cantrell ~ Humming by the Flowered Vine (Neo-Traditionalist Country/ Singer-Songwriter)
12) The New Pornographers ~ Twin Cinema (Pop Underground/ Power Pop)
13) Angels of Light ~ Angels of Light Sing Other People (Singer-Songwriter/ Experimental)
14) Iron & Wine/Calexico ~ In the Reins (Lo-Fi/ Singer-Songwriter)
15) Infected Mushroom ~ I'm the Supervisor (Goa Trance)
16) Of Montreal ~ The Sunlandic Twins (Neo-Psychedelia/ Dream Pop)
17) Paul McCartney ~ Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (Singer-Songwriter)
18) Spy Island ~ A Treasury of Great Science Fiction (Lo-Fi)
19) Merle Haggard ~ Chicago Wind (Traditional Country)
20) The Tears ~ Here Come The Tears (Britpop/ Alternative Pop/Rock)

21) Vetiver ~ Between (Lo-Fi/ Alternative Folk)
22) Sparrow ~ The Early Years (Chamber Pop)
23) The Silver Jews ~ Tanglewood Numbers (Alternative Pop/Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)
24) Anthony Hamilton ~ Ain't Nobody Worryin' (Neo-Soul/ Contemporary R & B)
25) Jacqui McShee's Pentangle ~ Feoffee's Lands (British Folk)
26) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ~ Howl (Americana/ Alternative Country-Rock)
27) Devin Davis ~ Lonely People Of The World, Unite! (Pop Underground/ Chamber Pop)
28) Akron/Family ~ Akron/Family (Alternative Folk/ Lo-Fi)
29) Freakwater ~ Thinking of You (Neo-Traditional Folk/ Alternative Country)
30) The White Stripes ~ Get Behind Me Satan (Alternative Pop/Rock/ Blues Rock)

31) Ryan Adams ~ Jacksonville City Nights (Americana/ Alternative Country/ Alternative Country-Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)
32) Dwele ~ Some Kinda (Neo-Soul/ Contemporary R & B)
33) Flotation Toy Warning ~ Bluffer's Guide to the Flight Deck (Neo-Psychedelia/ Dream Pop/ Noise Pop/ Chamber Pop/ Experimental)
34) The Fiery Furnaces ~ Rehearsing My Choir (Garage Rock Revival/ Expiremental Rock)
35) Richard Thompson ~ Front Parlour Ballads (Singer-Songwriter/ British Folk/ Folk-Rock)
36) Animal Collective ~ Feels (Experimental Rock/ Alternative Folk)
37) Brian Eno ~ Another Day On Earth (Avant-Garde/ Alternative Pop/Rock/ Experimental Rock)
38) The Kills ~ No Wow (Garage Punk/ Lo-Fi)
39) The Sights ~ The Sights (Garage Rock Revival/ Pop Underground)
40) Bill Frisell ~ East/West (Progressive Jazz/ Avant-Garde Jazz)

41) Akron/Family & Angels of Light ~ Akron/Family & Angels of Light (Alternative Folk/ Singer-Songwriter/ Lo-Fi)
42) Seu Jorge ~ Cru (Brazilian Pop/ Singer-Songwriter)
43) Sigur Ros ~ Takk (Post-Rock/ Expiremental)
44) Bruce Cockburn ~ Speechless (Singer-Songwriter/ Adult Alternative Pop/Rock/ Jazz-Folk)
45) (Smog) ~ A River Ain't Too Much to Love (Alternative Folk/ Singer-Songwriter)
46) The Decemberists ~ Picaresque (Chamber Pop)
47) Ani DiFranco ~ Knuckle Down (Alternative Folk/ Singer-Songwriter)
48) Ryan Adams ~ Cold Roses (Americana/ Alternative Pop/Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)
49) Fiona Apple ~ Extraordinary Machine (Singer-Songwriter)
50) Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice ~ Buck Dharma (Expiremental Rock)

51) Joel Harrison ~ Harrison on Harrison (Progressive Jazz)
52) Abigail Washburn ~ Song of the Traveling Daughter (Neo-Traditional Folk)
53) Oasis ~ Don't Believe the Truth (British Traditional Rock/ Britpop)
54) Hal ~ Hal (Pop Underground/ British Traditional Rock)
55) Echo & The Bunnymen ~ Siberia (Alternative Pop/Rock/ Neo-Psychedelia)
56) Neon Blonde ~ Chandeliers in the Savannah (Expiremental Rock/ Experimental Electronica)
57) Loudon Wainwright III ~ Here Come the Choppers (Contemporary Folk/ Singer-Songwriter)
58) Joan Baez ~ Bowery Songs (Traditional Folk/ Contemporary Folk)
59) Apollo Sunshine ~ Apollo Sunshine (Pop Underground/ Neo-Psychedelia)
60) Seu Jorge ~ The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (Brazilian Pop)

61) Ray Scott ~ My Kind of Music (Neo-Traditionalist Country/ Contemporary Country)
62) Xiu Xiu ~ La Forêt (Expiremental Rock)
63) No-Neck Blues Band ~ Qvaris (Experimental/ Post-Rock)
64) The Rolling Stones ~ A Bigger Bang (British Traditional Rock)
65) Mouse on Mars ~ Live04 (Post-Rock/ Expiremental/ Expiremental Ambient)
66) The Wallflowers ~ Rebel, Sweetheart (American Traditional Rock)
67) Great Lake Swimmers ~ Bodies and Minds (Sadcore)
68) My Morning Jacket ~ Z (Alternative Country-Rock)
69) The Redwalls ~ De Nova (British Traditional Rock/ American Traditional Rock)
70) Magpie ~ Raise Your Voice (Traditional Folk/ Political Folk)

71) The Lovethugs ~ Babylon Fading (Neo-Psychedelia)
72) Ringo Starr ~ Choose Love (Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)
73) Mick Harvey ~ One Man's Treasure (Country-Rock/ Folk-Rock)
74) Neil Young ~ Prairie Wind (Country-Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)
75) The Soundtrack of Our Lives ~ Origin, Vol. 1 (Neo-Psychedelia)
76) Broken Social Scene ~ Broken Social Scene (Experimental Rock)
77) Michelle Shocked ~ Don't Ask, Don't Tell (Alternative Folk/ Folk-Rock/ Singer-Songwriter)
78) Dungen ~ Stadsvandringar (Neo-Psychedelia)
79) Anthony Hamilton ~ Soulife (Neo-Soul)
80) George Strait ~ Somewhere Down in Texas (Contemporary Country/ New Traditionalist Country)

81) Wilco ~ Kicking Television: Live in Chicago (Alternative Country-Rock/ Alternative Pop/Rock)
82) Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice ~ Harem of the Sundrem & The Witness Figg (Expiremental Rock)
83) Dierks Bentley ~ Modern Day Drifter (Neo-Traditionalist Country/ Contemporary Country)
84) Songs of Green Pheasant ~ Songs of Green Pheasant (Lo-Fi/ Singer-Songwriter)
85) As One ~ Elegant Systems (Ambient Techno)
86) Darol Anger ~ Heritage (Progressive Bluegrass)
87) CocoRosie ~ Noah's Ark (Trip Hop/ Dream Pop/ Expiremental)
88) Damian Marley ~ Welcome to Jamrock (Contemporary Reggae)
89) Coldplay ~ X & Y (Britpop)
90) Bob Dylan ~ Live at the Gaslight 1962 (Traditional Folk/ Political Folk)

91) Secret Garden ~ Earthsongs (Neo-Classical/ Contemporary Instrumental Pop)
92) Baby Shambles ~ Fuck Forever (Garage Rock Revival/ Britpop)
93) Autechre ~ Untilted (IDM)
94) Enya ~ Amarantine (World Fusion/Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)
95) They Might Be Giants ~ Here Come the ABCs (Adult Alternative Pop/Rock)
96) VVV ~ Resurrection River (Expiremental Ambient)
97) Sufjan Stevens ~ Illinois (Americana/ Singer-Songwriter)
98) Beck ~ Guero (Alternative Pop/Rock)
99) Michael Franti & Spearhead ~ Live in Sydney (Political Rap/ Alternative Rap)
100) Marah ~ If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry (American Traditional Rock)

 

who woulda thought that 2005 was going to be so fucking great, music-wise?

 

I've heard of 13 of them bands. Hey you didn't mention any smooth jazz though.

 

still no andrew bird? hahah...not a big deal





neat list...you have lots of time on your hands chuck

 

i hate smooth jazz.

thats an album i didnt hear.

hahahahaha.... yeah.

 

I need to get Live At the Gaslight.

The No Direction Home Bootleg CD is amazing. Mindblowing.

 

all the songs are available on the bootleg series, thats why i gave it such a low rating... that and supposedly there are songs missing, if the show ever even did take place (no one knows for certain really). the quality isnt all that well either...

 

But it has like good vibes man, good vibes. Great for driving through the uptown at night. Do you actually own all these albums? I think maby the best album on that list was the Coldplay one.

 

whoooa...i did not see that.

you put coldplay above sufjan stevens? thats not right...you can have him as low as you want it, but he at least deserves to be above coldplay

 

obviously.

lmfao..
you obviously havent heard much if any of the rest.

i found illinois to be kind of annoying at most times. please dont hate me

 

You're right, I haven't heard any of the other ones, and I've only heard one song from the Coldplay album. I mostly listen to old stuff, smooth jazz, and independant musicians. Btw, have you heard Mike Oldfield's Light+Shade?

 

then how can you say its the best??

the majourity of what i posted are independent in that they are not signed to majour labels and do most of the work themselves.

yes.

 

illinos can get a bit annoying sometimes...but not as good as coldplay?




i dont hate ya chuck

 

i dont know... illinois just seems so gimmicky. i'm not sure why....

thats good.

i hope joanna newsom releases a new album sometime in 2006... preferably soon.

 

me to! i havent heard anything about when her new album is coming out, but im going to guess next summer/fall

 

In that case, I should have made the list. Have you ever heard of Lemon Demon, Michael Walthius, or David Grund?

 

yes to all three.

 

where the fuck is mesmerize/hypnotize??

this list is worthless and biased ........ seriously though, its a much better album than quite a few of those listed.

 

and guero should be much higher than 99. you have paul mccartney, ringo starr and neil young higher than beck?? do you have a thing for old farts??

 

obviously. everybody has their own biases.
i for one dislike artists who are more worried about how loud their music is than what they write and sing about.

i dont think so, i think Guero is one of his worst albums.

not anymore so than young people... Paul McCartney's album was just really, really good... Neil's was a little slick but still wasn't bad and Ringo's was alright, probably his best since Ringo.