ahhhhhhh

Where's the graphs!?

Stereogum readers don't like hip hop.

so much better than the fork, since it omits all the "avant dreck" that no one listened to this year and no one will listen to in the future; but I'm with carson, where's the hip hop?

it's good to see Final Fantasy, Sunset Rubdown, Midlake, Beirut, Band Of Horses...

Wait...The Killers are on this list. I don't hate them or anything (don't really like them either), but how do the Killers get more votes than Ghostface Killah, Boris or Mastodon. I thought the people on this board claimed to have good taste in music.

you're not posting every vote for indie rock king and queen like you did last year? not even a graph of the top ten? slackers.

Carson, there's no hip-hop on the list because unlike hip-hop, Stereogum readers don't hate melody.

Does nobody read the site TinyMixTapes.com? Or maybe it's not considered a blog? I dunno, I like it better than all the blogs listed in the best blog category..

And that is a freaking cute picture of chan, she's still a headcase tho.

this is probably the best list so far. the hold steady are still lame but you acknowledged thom & yyys who everyone else forgot about. and final fantasy, yeah!

How come nobody ever shows any love for 120 Days? I thought their album was great.

in b4 "LOL the killerz are teh suck. y wood u put dem on teh top 25 ROFL?"

shut up, it was a good album.

the format - dog problems?

i can't be the only person in the world who loved that record.

Nice, you guys have one of the few lists without Ghostface Killah. I like hip-hop but I don't find his album good to keep listening to several times. I prefered Lupe Fiasco & The Roots this year. Great list.

No Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin? I've listened to Broom so many times, anyway it's a pretty good list.

Attn: Dean Wermer
re: "avant dreck"

Just because you don't like it or understand it doesn't make it "dreck."

Signed,
Yours truly

Why no love (here or on ANY "best of" list, it seems) for We Are Scientists? Not saying they deserve Album of the Year or anything, but the record didn't even make some of the top 50 lists making the rounds. Top *50*! I dug it a lot in the first half of the year and still play it pretty regularly. Anyway...someone out there loves you, WAS.

Where's Patience Hodgson of the Grates? Hehehehe

fuck the hold steady. i'm so sick of them.

And not true about absence of avant-dreck; the Liars album is on there!

haha....for a second there i thought you did a best of 2006 list without mentioning Josh Ritter's The Animal Years!

...wait a minute....
...this list is poor.

Hmm. I actually liked Pitchfork's list better, and not just because The Hold Steady is number 1 here. The Killers? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Tapes 'N Tapes? M. Ward? I would put Neko Case on here, but at 6? And I really wish people would shut up about Girl Talk.

I agree that the list might be missing some hip-hop. What we have here is basically 28 albums of white music with Gnarls Barkley and Clipse thrown in.

Missing: Ships. Seriously. I don't think it was the best album of the year, in my opinion it's definitely up there. And besides, this was THE YEAR of the bad singer: show one of its leading icons some respect!

haha....for a second there i thought you did a best of 2006 list without mentioning Josh Ritter's The Animal Years!

...wait a minute....
...this list is poor.

Well again we are subjected to the Joanna Newsom/TV on The Radio/Hold Steady bulls#$t that no one in their right minds will be listening to in '07. Well.. maybe that TV band because they seem to have some lasting power but otherwise. The Killers make this list but Yo La Tengo doesn't - hahaha! (hang your heads in shame Stereogum readers..) My personal fav. this year was the Jenny Lewis album and it almost cracks the top ten here, at least.

One glaring omission on everyone's list is the Sparklehorse album - I mean.. is Mark Linkous too old or something for people to remember him? I just don't get that.

Still.. the top 10 reflects the bandwagon mentality of many indie music fans this year. Again people - the Joanna Newsom album is not any good! The sooner everyone realizes it.. the sooner the healing can begin.

I also voted for Josh Ritter's The Animal Years...sad to say it didn't even make the top 30...wow.

Austin, you complain about the "bandwagon mentality" but then you clearly want everyone to realize that Joanna isn't good? Pick your poison, man, it's yours to pick after all.

That being said, I completely agree with TV and Joanna being rivals for the top spot because they did have two of the best albums of the year. If both of those albums weren't as good as they clearly are (lyrically and musically), they wouldn't be getting all the attention they are.

It's not about people conforming to some bandwagon mentality, it's about the best music of the year. Sparklehorse had some good songs, and maybe you think that it's worthy of praise. But that's your opinion and clearly the consensus disagrees.

These lists are just people's opinions, and even this particular list reflects Stereogum readers' opinions and not much else... just as Rolling Stone's list ranks Red Hot Chili Peppers above all of the albums ranked in the Gummys.

No Elected Love, eh? Such a pity. I thought that album was at least top ten.

Hey gang,
Jesus Christ here. It's great hearing what you guys think is the best of '06, but really shouldn't the opinion of the guy who created indierawk be the only voice that matters? no offense, I'm just saying without Me you'd have no cookie mountians, but with Me, you can say to that cookie mountian to move into the sea, and it will be so.

Here's the only best of list that will last for eternity...

http://whatwouldjb.blogspot.com/2006/12/jesus-christs-albums-of-2006.html

I love you,
Jesus Christ

I think in Joanna Newsom's case, it's probably a caravan or a boat made out of wicker beetle shell or some other pretentious transportation vehicle, not a bandwagon--but really, I'm pretty sure I'd like Newsom even if all the bloggers hated her, ok? Not to get all bloggy on you, but just because you personally would not listen to a musical artist doesn't make that artist a valid and welcome contribution to music. Newsom doesn’t make guitar rock or post-punk or more guitar rock like seemingly every other blogged-about band; shouldn’t detractors at least respect that her originality adds a lot more to the current independent music scene than Tapes ‘N Tapes or The Hold Steady or Band of Horses or Cold War Kids? Even many of the truly great artists on this list are largely just filling their slot in their genre, however spectacularly (I’m thinking TV On The Radio, Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power, Destroyer, hell, even Bob Dylan to a certain extent). I think this year shows that anything truly great is going to be misunderstood (which really means I need to give Boys and Girls in America another listen, I guess… and maybe rethink my opinion on the excellence of Illinois? Maybe not?).

When do we get an awesome miss indie 2006 pie chart?

am i the only person alive who totally loves "putting the days to bed" by the long winters?

In twenty years time, when Ms. Newsom is playing the renaissance fair and medieval times dinner theatre circuit, her records will be as fondly remembered and held in just as high esteem as how we today consider the musical output of seals & croft, ELP, etc.

"Carson, there's no hip-hop on the list because unlike hip-hop, Stereogum readers don't hate melody."

"If both of those albums weren't as good as they clearly are (lyrically and musically), they wouldn't be getting all the attention they are."

Wow you guys make some really good points. Not.

More people needed to vote for jefitoblog.com. What is the matter with you peepz?

the records by the long winters and the format are getting ignored everywhere. they're both way better than half of this subpar list.

jenny lewis and the watson twins?! come on.

"Again people - the Joanna Newsom album is not any good! The sooner everyone realizes it.. the sooner the healing can begin."

Someone else shit all over this statement. I'm too tired.

Austin is right about Sparklehorse, that record really flew under the radar, but it's great -- definitely should've made that list. Cat Power was good, but there were like 4 or 5 great songs and the rest were mediocre.

It's so nice to know there is a place in the world (or at least, the world wide web) where people have the same taste in music as me (with the exception of the Decemberists, who i find lame).
Well done to everyone who voted.

I'm especially glad to see Regina Spektor getting in on the list, as she's been heavily overlooked in other lists.

Did anyone else not think YYYs' album was really poor in comparison to their first record? Maybe thats just me.

Anyway, (a mostly) great list!

While I do agree with most of the selections you've put on your list, I would have added one more... I'd of added 'OYE' by the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados.

I only found out about them a few weeks ago when I heard about them on NPR [or something of the sort.] GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC no matter what genre it comes from you know, sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper, expand your mind to new avenues of music so yeah, give them a listen and tell me if I'm wrong. You can listen to some of their songs off new album OYE on their myspace site at: www.myspace.com/aterciopelados

musically yours,

Zoe.

It's so nice to know there is a place in the world (or at least, the world wide web) where people have the same taste in music as me (with the exception of the Decemberists, who i find lame).
Well done to everyone who voted.

I'm especially glad to see Regina Spektor getting in on the list, as she's been heavily overlooked in other lists.

Did anyone else not think YYYs' album was really poor in comparison to their first record? Maybe thats just me.

Anyway, (a mostly) great list!

While I do agree with most of the selections you've put on your list, I would have added one more... I'd of added 'OYE' by the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados.

I only found out about them a few weeks ago when I heard about them on NPR [or something of the sort.] GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC no matter what genre it comes from you know, sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper, expand your mind to new avenues of music so yeah, give them a listen and tell me if I'm wrong. You can listen to some of their songs off new album OYE on their myspace site at: www.myspace.com/aterciopelados

musically yours,

Zoe.

While I do agree with most of the selections you've put on your list, I would have added one more... I'd of added 'OYE' by the Colombian rock band Aterciopelados.

I only found out about them a few weeks ago when I heard about them on NPR [or something of the sort.] GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC no matter what genre it comes from you know, sometimes you gotta dig a little deeper, expand your mind to new avenues of music so yeah, give them a listen and tell me if I'm wrong. You can listen to some of their songs off new album OYE on their myspace site at: www.myspace.com/aterciopelados

musically yours,

Zoe.

zoe, every year there tends to be a token "world music" selection on the lists. 2004 it was konono no1, last year it was amadou and mariam, this year it's ali farke toure. aterciopelados is a good disc.

i really like the list, particularly the top 20, except I can't say I can get down with the Hold Steady, I find their brand of bar room blah-ness to be particularly tedious.

The rest are pretty great, could really give a shit about regina spektor, but whatever, I'm not opposed to her

mc, re: We Are Scientists... I am also a big fan of theirs, but since "With Love and Squalor" came out in the U.K. in 2005, I think a lot of people don't really think about them for this year's lists.

seriously... I dont mean to be a dick but can someone tell me what all the fuss is about with the hold steady? I honestly think it's some of the worst stuff ive ever heard. Otherwise, great list.

I'm a bit surprised to see Beirut came in behind Jenny Lewis and the Whatevers. Not sure if the votes were for Ms. IR-05's hotness or talent factor. Either way, decent list for the most part.

Oh, and I'm with Mikey on The Format. Dog Problems is def one of the top releases this year!

To all those whining about there being no hip-hop (or, more accurately "not enough" hip-hop) on the list:

This was the top ALBUMS list, not singles (or even just tracks). When hip-hop decides to make some strong albums, then we'll talk.

*Obligatory post-script* Half the records up there are pretty weak anyways, so don't go all OMG HE ONLY LIKES WHITE MUSIC!! (whatever the fuck that is, anyways)

no BYOP?
no way!

Great list! I definitely agree with a lot of the albums on here. I've post Mirr World's "Best of 2006" lists that you can check out/debate/destroy here: http://mirrworld.blogspot.com

The lists include best albums, best songs, best concerts, best YouTubes, best blogs and best movies from 2006.

Coincidentally, Stereogum was ranked the #1 blog.

You're all a bunch of whiny, hipster fags. No wonder you don't get laid.

No Ryan Love? Here's for more Ryan Releases in 2007!

"Wow you guys make some really good points. Not."

And that's up there with the best of them!

"This was the top ALBUMS list, not singles (or even just tracks). When hip-hop decides to make some strong albums, then we'll talk."

Well, what about Fishscale? Best hip-hop album of the year, in my opinion. And the fact that Hell Hath No Fury was able to get on the best-of list of a basic guitar-rock blog I think speaks volumes: it's just a good album no matter who you are. And if you're discounting the hip-hop album in general, what about all the fine, coherent albums that, say, Outkast has released? I thought hipsters were supposed to love Outkast.

(And I wasn't like "OMG HE ONLY LIKES WHITE MUSIC!!". I was like, "OMG THE READERS ONLY LIKE WHITE MUSIC!!". Blame my bleeding musical heart. But it was just an observation. Stereogum readers do like a lot of the same, I feel like. No offense. I'm one of you. And in a bizarre whim I voted for "The Life Pursuit" as the album of the year, so really, I'm not to be trusted.)

"You're all a bunch of whiny, hipster fags. No wonder you don't get laid."

Thank you for saying what needed to be said. Now if everyone would turn their IPods back on and shut the fuck up.

The Hold Steady over Joanna Newsome and Yellow House? Really?
There are some bad picks up there if you ask me (Tapes 'n' Tapes, Show Your Bones, Sufjan at number one for godssake?!)

But what do I know, I'm a whiney hipster fag who can't get laid.

Whaaaat? Neko Case was only at No. 6?!
Her entire back catalog should be on that list!!

No Camera Obscura is a but unfortunate, but a better list than most other sites/critics are assembling. Power to the people.

Why isn't MY favorite band/artist/iconoclast on here? She/he/they are clearly doing the most important work in rock/pop/indie rock/hip hop.

In all seriousness, though, the reason not much hip hop is on this list is because most of Stereogum's readers listen to indie rock. I mean, really, people.

tapes n tapes > liars

hahaha

We interrupt this discussion to bring you breaking news from camp Arcade Fire...

The band will play 5 shows in New York City in February at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village.

Feb 13th-17th, 2007 @ 8:30
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York
NY 10012

Tickets will go on sale January 5th at 9am (ONLINE ONLY, do not call the church)
They are $29, will-call only, and limited to 2 per person and the show is open to ALL ages.

Check www.bowerypresents.com for more ticket info soon.

OK you can continue arguing now.

i like this list, not everything on it but most of it was what i listened to this year. hmm yay... 2007 here i come!

Thanks. Cooool blog. But what I really need is top tracks for my iPod.

AHhhhhh!!!!!

No more fucking lists!!!!

Why does every single freakin music blog start to feel like an issue of Blender about his time of year??????

p.s. stereogum, how many votes were in? and yea, i agree let's see some pie charts!

#1 Ryan Adams should put out as many albums, e.p.'s, burping contests and public moonings as he likes!
#2 BIG LOVE for StereoGum nods to:
Tapes n tapes
Hot Chip
Cat Power
Thom Yorke

and on the flipside:
i would love to personally give a strictly non-sexual spanking to Belle and Sebastian and every twat that thinks that they're either "clever" or "romantic"! Fuck you! I'll beat the annoyingly put-on fey irony right the fuck out of you. Yep.

p.s.
"I love you." Jesus Christ

#1 Ryan Adams should put out as many albums, e.p.'s, burping contests and public moonings as he likes!
#2 BIG LOVE for StereoGum nods to:
Tapes n tapes
Hot Chip
Cat Power
Thom Yorke

and on the flipside:
i would love to personally give a strictly non-sexual spanking to Belle and Sebastian and every twat that thinks that they're either "clever" or "romantic"! Fuck you! I'll beat the annoyingly put-on fey irony right the fuck out of you. Yep.

p.s.
"I love you." Jesus Christ

Top 4 is solid

Ryan Adams should put out as many albums as he wants.

I'll buy every one.

man, we've failed ourselves. no camera obscura, no man man, no viva voce. nice to see m. ward in the top 10 though.

"No Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin? I've listened to Broom so many times, anyway it's a pretty good list."

2005 release. Ineligible.

So basically, this year sucked.

i want to corrupt Sufjan Stevens aaaaaall night long. thanks for including the pic with the ripped shirt.

p.s. Holy Steady haters: SEE THEM LIVE. then make your final decision.

I can't believe no one responded snarkily to my snarky comment. What a let-down.

i really liked this year for music, gnarls barkley islands lily allen phoenix tvotr yyys liars joanna newsom pipettes the knife sparklehorse justin timberlake deftones cat power and more that i can't be arsed to type released albums that have amazed me, and there are still plenty more for me to get into. 2007 will kick this year's ass though, so many releases i'm excited about already.

hold steady are well shit though.

The fucking KILLERS ahead of the CLIPSE album??? Blasphemy.

"hold steady are well shit though."

Every country has its peculiarities. The UK Best Of 2006 lists have Scritti Politti on 'em. Ouch.

Can somebody explain to me the appeal of Joanna Newsom? I'm not trying to be flippant, as I really don't get it. I think she has one of the most grating and annoying voices I've ever heard. That's just my opinion, as musical taste is SUBJECTIVE, something a lot of people who post here seem to forget. Maybe somebody can tell me what it is about her they like. Also, somebody tell Sufjan that there's a huge rip in his shirt.

You are right music is subjective, so every one hears something different, but i love joanna's voice, so that is no barrier for me, so i can also love her lyrics, the music, all of it and the fact that her songs don't follow the conventional path, so each song contains surprises, that mightn't explain it very well, but sometimes it is hard to explain what music does to you.

Was it just me or (and believe me, I'm just as afraid to say this as you are to acknowledge it) was this not the best year for music ever???
I've been reading a lot of these TOPX lists and find myself doing a lot of "nope" and not a whole lot of "yup". I've been trying to think of my own top 5 list (because I can't think of thirty good artists in a good year) and all I know for sure is that hot chip is number 1... I could name 4 more but it would be mostly filler.

Okay, so I didn't see last year's list (newcomer here) but that does not stop me from humbly asking for Charts, Graphs and other Pictorial Representations of Why The Music Everyone Chose Here Was Awesome/Shitty.

YO LA TENGO is not afraid of you and is going to kick your ass!

My gift to all of you:

Post your year-end list here . . .

http://burkeslandedgentry.blogspot.com/2006/12/free-music-pick-06-for-chance-at-5k.html

. . . win free music.

Happy holidays from The Landed Gentry & lurking Stereogum fans everywhere.

Jn.

wha-at! tad kubler not placing for mr. indie rock!? those boys are a team, you know.

?uestlove is going to be pissed....

or sad....

or both.

I'm from the UK, so no nothing about The Hold Steady, but I gave it a listen as it kept popping up in the best of lists.

You gotta be kidding me, best album of the year? Definitly a case of Arctic Monkey syndrome, 90% hype, 10% content...

I'm from the UK, so no nothing about The Hold Steady, but I gave it a listen as it kept popping up in the best of lists.

You gotta be kidding me, best album of the year? Definitly a case of Arctic Monkey syndrome, 90% hype, 10% content...

Yessss. Sufjan won again for Mr. Indie Rock.

oooooooooold.

Ive already made my best of list for 2007.

Not a bad list, but the absence of Camera Obscura, Maritime, Art Brut, Sondre Lerche, The Raconteurs, and The Flaming Lips is quite unfortunate.

joanna newsom made a great album; this backlash is later'd.

Predictable Brooklyn hipster duchebag rock. pretentious music for pretentious people.

hey francis, takes one to know one. If you hate it so much, stop reading stereogum.

I don't know if it's intentional or not, but the Hype Machine link to the M. Ward song is actually linked to Jenny Lewis's "Rise Up With Fists" video. Makes sense, I guess, since M. Ward is present on that track as well.

Yes for Regina Spektor and for Cat Power. But where the fuck are the Long Winters and the Pernice Brothers? You sad anemic children.

I know there was never a true consensus on "the best of the year," but I've never seen a list compiled by people in my community that was topped by an album I hated. I gather many of you feel the same way about Joanna, my pick for best of the year. Maybe there's no such thing as an "indie community" any more; there's no definable sound, the bands aren't connected or even aware of each other, and we fans are just pursuing our individual tastes, rather than looking for "the sound." That's exciting and liberating, but also kinda sad.

I'm not too good with the female artists this year, but Band of Horses and the Hold Steady seem a little formulaic to me.

The only really creative new music to come out of 2006 was Man Man, and I have to give an honorable mention to Danielson of course. Beirut was good, but sounds a little formulaic after a while.

Newsom- I can see how she's talented, but I just don't ever feel like listening to it for some reason (and that can't be good).

In a year followed by the Sufjan of 2005, how can anything sound good?

("Yesss. Suf won again for Mr. Indie"... agreed)
Corruptable.

Gah! The Killers album was really mediocre compared to their first and thus probably shouldn't be on the list. And was the hold steady's album really THAT great, I mean #1 of the year great?!

What!?
it is a disgrace that you donr metion the best indie band that ive ever heard of- Modest Mouse

nice work, but i must say i miss the pie chart visuals from last year :)

"Why isn't MY favorite band/artist/iconoclast on here? She/he/they are clearly doing the most important work in rock/pop/indie rock/hip hop."

Nailed it.

then i say something... pink nasty... music... what is 'lost'?

then i say something... pink nasty... music... what is 'lost'?

how could you miss by far the best album of the year by portugal the man. waiter, you vultures! is such an incredibly balanced and exciting album, to be overlooked is a such a pity.