Stylus Magazine’s Top 50 Albums of 2005

Can't wait to see the rest of the list. Judging by what you've put today, and the little blurbs that mention Sunn 0)) twice, can we expect to see it show up later on?

impossibly glad to see slim thugga on the list. i thought once it came time for top album lists everyone would magically forget about the Summer of Houston. Also excellent to see jeezy here.

Well, my top ten is 0/10 so far. Hopefully, it'll be represented a little later... but I doubt it. I will say one thing though - if you guys don't show Tom McRae and Jose Gonzaeles some love, I swear to all things holy that I will fucking RIOT. Or... you know... pout. But agressively.

This is great. Can someone give me more links to little journalistic excercises that are broken up into tiny bits stetching out a whole week, because I am deathly slow reader and this really helps me out. Oh, and the pictures are great! Thanks!

WHAT THE FAH? ck. Hyuk. Number 37 at 4 and you put Baa Baa Black Sheep ahead of Jesus in number 40 something? And I`m on Drugs comes in ahead of 39 instead of 40, while Afro-american gets tokenised into place by I`m a cultural whinger. Oh GOD stylus stylus help me love you? Going the wrong way about it sistaz. If NUMBER ONE isn`t My Favourite Band by Taking the Piss I`ll make a DICK of myself in public. Heheh. I`m playing funny buggers tonight, too much red wine. Roll the commentary... come on american boys, OPINE for me please. Ahem, Bonnie Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney`s Superwolf is the only album to send me spiralling back into a fucking black teenage depression this year.

I hope the good records are coming. But based on the list last year, I doubt it.

I feel like an idiot; I've been spelling it "Sunn O)))" this whole time.

CYHSY at #50? They got robbed, especially looking at some of the stuff that finished ahead of them - WTF?

CYHSY on this list? robbeD!

Clap Your Hands Say Huh had the most overhyped album of the year. Way to go Stylus in bitch slapping them back where they belong. My granddaughter could write better stuff than that. Oh, and since this is a British site, does that mean Arcade Fire will be on this? If so, that's booooring.

Just to clarify to jhitting that Stylus isn't actually a British site - our editor in chief and most of our other editorial and writing staff are American, with a healthy dose of Canadians and also some other assorted nationalities thrown in too (I'd better mention the Aussie or she'll lynch me...). Also Arcade Fire, for better or for worse, was in our list last year.

Tod Dockstader ahead of CYHSY? Stylus, you guys fucking rule.

I personally would've loved to see CYHSY a tad higher, but whatever. Nice to see Architecture in Helsinki, too.

nice to see that stylus' switch to pop radio musik is not just exclusive to tha best songs list. Young Jeezy shoulda been number 1!!

Hmmm. Is that Kate Bush peeking out from the banner at the top? I assume that means she made the cut..which is a good thing. Curious to see where she lands.

Lots of drone & Houstain (intentional typo) hip-hop. Don't know if it's justified, but whatever. Some of these (Bare, Birchville Cat Motel & Docstader) I had not HEARD OF, much less heard. Hopefully some of my fave sounds get their due, ie. Finnish underground (specifically anything off Fonal), Kompakt, Thirsty Ear's Blue Series, massive metal (see Demigod, etc. al). Since someone will inevitably (unfairly) call the Stylus staff douches for putting top 20 shit and adult contempo shit on here (you know you will, and, yes, Lucksmiths and Elbow count), I will put up my list for criticism. Besides, album list gets no comments, and singles do? What is wrong you Stylus readers?

01 - Autechre, Untilted
02 - Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
03 - Venetian Snares, Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett
04 - M83, Before the Dawn Heals Us
05 - The New Pornagraphers, Twin Cinema
06 - Black Dice, Broken Ear Record
07 - Ellen Allien, Thrills
08 - Oneida, The Wedding
09 - Alias & Ehren, Lillian
10 - The Silver Mt. Zion..., Horses in the Sky
11 - Jon Hassell, Maarifa Street
12 - Cloud Cult, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus
13 - Boards of Canada, The Campfire Headphase
14 - Spoon, Gimmie Fiction
15 - Vitalic, OK Cowboy
16 - Readymade, All the Plans Resting
17 - Sigur Rós, Takk...
18 - Susumu Yokota, Symbol
19 - Xiu Xiu, La Foret
20 - Broken Social Scene, s/t
21 - Mars Volta, Frances the Mute
22 - Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary
23 - Meat Beat Manifesto, At the Center
24 - Cage, Hell's Winter
25 - Dj Koze, Kosi Comes Around

My favorite part is the lack of an introduction to the list aside from "here are 50 albums we loved". Not sure if this is planned or in responce to everyone's constant bitching about a website's intent with a list. Regardless, nice little opening to put things in perspective for indivuals who need to lighten up.

As long as they omit Sufjan, I'll be happy.

Why the Sufjan hate? I don't get it. I mean, what is horrid about it? It seems like an album that, at worse, people would be indifferent to. That is, there is no strikingly bad characteristics that I can see. What up Klaus?

Oh, it's a fine album, I just think it would be a refreshing change of pace!

BTW, that is Kelley Polar on the Stylus page? So, we're quite sure to see him come up in the list I guess.

i like this list already. unlike most other top 50 lists, this one seems full of love.

pabanks46 - Autechre is one of my favorite artists of all time but listen as I did I just never was able to get into Untilted as much as I did Confield, LP5, Chiastic slide, Amber, Incunabula... It just has not grabbed me after the initial awe of those incredible sounds wore off. SO I have a question for you.. what has impressed you about Untilted that by the end of the year you still feel that it belongs at the top of your list. Was there something I missed? From a fan to a fan i beg of you help me "get" this record I want to badly! p.s. - i liked the venetian snares a lot too, but not so much the M83. (no prefuse73, the books, or animal collective?)

Animal Collective had a great track (Grass), but the last half is too sprawling and ambient and, well, mush. I liked it, no doubt, but I think the Fonal stuff does what they're going for better. 1 amazing track can't make it crack top 25. The Books? I mean, An Owl With Knees, again, is one of my fave tracks of the year, but the rest is just not that great. The samples are corny and I didn't grasp why they were there. It was too sparse, and lacking in rhythm, melody, intersting vocals, etc. Owl has all that, and it is a highlight, but has little company. I really like Prefuse 73, but this album is too guest-heavy. Just no eveness. Pastel Assasins through the next few tracks is good, but I mean, the Ghostface track was so dissipointing, and I think, like often happens (see: Daedalus), you get "big-name" guests, and you might get swallowed. Plus, I just don't listen to it much anymore. Not a good sign, considering One Word Extinguisher is usually in my CD wallet.

As far as Autechre, I agree with you. Untilted IS NOT as good as Confield, and, maybe not as good as their other stuff. But it is still amazing, and I spent as much time w/ it as anything this year. Like the Black Dice record, I felt sort of welcomed back by long segments of metered time, but those times had better texture, greater geometry, and abrupt changes that, second listen, seemed natural. I think Confield is an amazing album, the closest thing so far I've heard to contructing a physical environment with sound alone. It is fantastic, whereas Untiled is just damn good. I dunno, good Autechre is better than most people's best. Any of those ten could be 1.

Off the top of my head, I'm likely to put the Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney, the Hold Steady, Spoon, Antony and the Johnsons, and the New Pornographers in my top ten albums of the year. That's a mere six of my top ten -- and if I don't see at least five of them in your top twenty, Stylus, I will be very sad.

Pabanks, I’m with you on Untilted. It’s a great album, though not quite my number one. I think Animal Collective’s new album has a LOT more to it than just “Grass”! “Did You See The Words” is _as_ good if not better – it’s simply beautiful, summery, triumphant and full of that wild joy that seems to permeate so many of their songs – seen also on tracks like “Banshee Beat” and final track “Turn Into Something” – then, with the ‘sprawling mush’ as you put it, well, I happen to think that “Daffy Duck” is the only real qualifier there… the rest, in my opinion, is ethereal and wholly enjoyable, and they serve as the perfect breathers between the more jubilant tracks.

Oh, and r.e.s.p.e.c.t. for including Oneida, by the way. Pretty much all the critics (except Splendid) failed to realize that yes, this is the most fantastic psychedelic experimental pop/rock album to have been released in years.

Jesu and Birchville Cat Motel! Thank you for including these two fine albums.

My vote is for Omit - Tracer... Is this one eligible for rating Stylus?

Hopefully Roisin Murphy's "Ruby Blue" will be on there, and high up. Beautiful album and great production by Matthew Herbert.

Mannie Fresh at #34? biggest WTF moment i've had in a while. though i haven't heard the album yet so i'll reserve judgement. it seems so far that the theme of this year is ambient/drone music. so far we've so jesu, birchville cat motel, and khanate. sunn O))) is certainly on its way, and maybe even an outside shot to see Eluvium? i would love that. at any rate, this list is shaping up to be more interesting than most. a reaction to the "OMG TOO POP" comments on the singles list?

The inclusion of Akron/Family automatically makes this list superior to the ridiculous travesty over at PitchforkMedia. Art Brut at #3? Huh? Were they ranking albums in correspondence to the number of listens they have in them? They might as well have just given #1 to 'Echoes' again.

I agree . Seeing Akron/Family in a year-end list is great. However, I do think that Art Brut were good (ok, obviously not #3-good, but whatever). And who knows, maybe it will be in Stylus' top 10 too, ha-ha.

people still actually listen to cd's in their entirety anymore? how utterly boring... the art brut cd's got a handful of tracks that i bet most people wouldn't skip over when they came on their headphones. same with the hold steady, sufjan, wolf parade, decemberists, cyhsy, lcd, mmj, devendra, the clientele & the futureheads.

Oh man.... The Woods and Twin Cinema should be much, much higher. And I also found Illinois to be wildly overrated: it's too precious. Here's hoping Arular is numero UNO!!

And yeah. The Pitchfork list was a TOTAL joke..... I'm almost positive that Camron's Purple Haze came out in December of last year..........

not to be petty, but although it did come out in december 2004 (making stylus' list), it's release didn't meet pitchfork deadline for the list (as they state in the blurb about it). in fact, it was reviewed on that site until late january of this year, when it was reviewed, giving the "best new music" title, and then, weirdly, removed from that list. but oh well, it's a good enough album to make last year's list and this year's list.

Is BSS going to get snubbed in both year end lists (this and Pitchfork)? Come on, that album was highly underrated. Oh, and yeah, the Pitchfork list is terrible. I guess this is what happens when there isn't any clear classics of 2005 (in my mind).

curious to see if Stylus succombs to the Bloc Party backlash. I hope not.

"curious to see if Stylus succombs to the Bloc Party backlash. I hope not." Agreed. Also, what's up with the Dan Bejar hate on the New Pornographer's blurb? Dan Bejar's songs are essential to New Pornographer's records to break up the occasional monotony of Carl Newman's sugary writing, which though frequently great, tends to all sound sort of the same.

If Bloc Party is not on this list Stylus is DONE!

I agree with PlatypusQuest that Sleater-Kinney and the New Pornographers are highly underrated on this list. Also, the Russian Futurists are really boring, and I bet Mannie Fresh sucks forty dicks.

can't find 1-30! wassup?

I really liked Pitchfork's list. :( This one is cool too, obviously. But I loved Pfork's too..

Bloc Party is trash. It isn't backlash, it is epiphany. Let's get that out of the way. Go back to the record. Every song ends with that whiny clown repeating the same thing 16+ times. WE WILL NOT BE THE LAST, ad nauseum. That's just one. And please, the Go4 template needs you to be witty, b/c halfway through the second verse you've heard everything they're gonna play. Fuck Bloc Party.

I was waiting for the Gang of Four reference and thank god I got it! You know what, 90% of the bands on everyone's top 100 lists this year, wait for it, SOUND LIKE BANDS BEFORE THEM! I know, crazy right? In any case, I'm not going to sit here and nitpick why I do or don't like Bloc Party but I will say that when one of their tracks comes on at the local pub I get an immense feeling of happiness. But alas, with all new overhyped bands they are treated with an astounding level of suspicion that no band could get through intact. So yeah they repeat their lyrics quite a bit and, yeah, that could be bad but, hmmmmm...is it bad in itself? Na, not really. A lot of bands use repetition as an emotional device. All I knows is that it's an extremely fun record and I could give two shits who or what it sounds like or if their lyrics repeat a few times. There's no such thing as a perfect band and there's no such thing as a band devoid of influence. I love Bloc Party and I hope to see them towards the top of this list.

The woman at the desk across from me decided it would be a good idea to put on christmas music, then turn it up really loud so she can hear it from the next room. I guess what I'm trying to say is, for once, I am willing to totally ignore the indie/mainstream distinction just so long as SOMEONE can put SOMETHING in my ear that does not make it explode with pain.

Helicopter- Are you hoping for a miracle?
Are you hoping for a miracle?
Are you hoping for a miracle?
Are you hoping for a miracle?

Positive Tension-
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy
Play it cool boy

Banquet-
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire
Cos I'm on fire

Blue Light-
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light
You are the bluest light

Need I go on?! Don't tell me what repitition is used for, jerk. I know when it is good, and I know when it is a sign of a lack of creativity. Bloc Party sucks, and whatever pub you listen to it at is probably filled with a bunch of people that have thrown up their hands (It's IMPOSSIBLE to be original! Think of all those OLD bands!) and decided to laugh at reruns. Fuck Bloc Party, and seriously, get a grip.

Wow, Pabanks, way to transcribe the choruses of Bloc Party songs. It's cool how you just chose the lyrics which illustrate your flimsy point, and ignored all the rest. Besides, there's more to Bloc Party (and every other band) than just lyrics...there's the tense and well-written music as well. It's cool if you don't like it, but lots of us do. Get a grip indeed. You can write back calling us all assholes if you want (because we like a band you don't), but you're only going to make yourself look more ridiculousl

ridiculous. (dammit.)

I could do the same thing with the other 7 or so songs, max. And that well written music? It's on Entertainment! & Solid Gold; I can play from tabs, but no one is pounding on my door telling me a shred simply because I can do some metal solo I got tabbed off the web. Originality counts for something. And, PS, not only do the end of the songs drone on like that, mid song they're all like that. So let's summarize: lyrics = shite, music = carbon copy of 25 year old band. Lame, check.

wow i think paul just popped a blood vessel. i am sure banks reads enough ezines to give him enough “indie cred” with all the ladies. note to self- hate bloc party because they are repetitive, username should be lead singer from a band critically acclaimed w/ some radio play. all that being said, for all of the average music put out this year stylus should put kicking television on this list. p.s.- fuck it new username jtweed76

Just FYI, but my name is Paul Banks, and I use pabanks46 so I can log into Hotmail & Stylus with the same user info. My middle initial stands for Anthony. Hence, P A BANKS. And I will pop a blood vessel if you don't start making smart quips.

I don't think Southall would let Bloc Party get cut from this list, and in fact I think it will place quite highly, as it should. Is this Paul Banks character on here THE Paul Banks of INTERPOL fame? Do tell.

No. The Paul Banks of Omaha origin. THAT Paul Banks came here, to St. Louis, and after the show went to a local, post-show hangout (Pin-Up Bowl) just down the street from the venue (The Pageant). Sad thing was, one of my law school classmates, who didn't own any of the records or know the songs, was like "I'm gonna make out with him," and, sure enough, Carlos D & his stupid vest/gun holster schtick sauntered in w/ Paul and started to play pool. Sure enough, Paul started making out with this chick. b/c this fucking episode, people for a week hearing it thought I had been cheating on my wife with this chick (side note: ewww). So, no, fuck Paul Banks & Carlos D (what kinda name is that?!!).

I don't expect to see the books here because you gave them the B (wtf???) But if you leave out Andrew Bird I'M NEVER COMING BACK HERE! just kidding I love you guys.

Had to register just to say I'd love to see some Fonal love as well. But my instincts doubt it... though Stylus is doin' good at suprising me thus far. Go, BCM, go. Outta curiosity, what Fonal release were you to choose one would you like to see up here?

I find it incredible how fierce these discussions get. Nonetheless, I think the one sentence introduction negates any sort of condescension. These are just people talking about records they like, and there's nuthin' wrong with that. That said, I don't get Young Jeezy. I think he was invented by 'ziners.

I've noticed a lot of albums on here that received less than favorable reviews. Sleater-Kinney, for one. Does that say something about the overall quality of albums released this year (there weren't 50 you actually liked?), or is it more a statement about the overall quality of the reviews being posted? At this rate, I fully expect you to post the Franz Ferdinand album later this week (original review = C-). I'm kind of curious as to how this list is put together...I like how Pitchfork posts the individual list of each writer so you can see that the choices came from a consensus, as opposed to doing the Rolling Stone magazine thing and making a list, then doctoring to make sure nothing was forgotten...

no akron/family for stylus magaZine.

has someone mentioned gommagang 3 in the comments? i have not seen it in any lists. it's a nice relief from all the kompakt stuff everywhere (which i do love, i just need something with a little more ass-shaking quotient once in a while).

Is it just me - or does the thought of Paul Banks making out with some chick at a bar gross people out? He seems kinda a-sexual and passionless, and i just can't envisage him doing that. Great story though. BTW, album list - play something we know.

In response to Dennis - individual writer lists are always posted alongside the top 10 on Friday of the week that a Year's Best list goes up. The reason Sleater-Kinney is in the list despite a mediocre grade is because people other than the reviewer of the album liked it enough to vote for it!

man, I'm bummed that I'm gonna miss the SHOCKING CONCLUSION (I don't think they have the internet in Ballard, WA)... luckily, motelmoka seems willing and able to defend Andrew Bird's honor in my absence, and I'm hoping I can count on Ian to pitch a fit should the Constantines get left out. peace, y'all

Good lord there are some arseholes here. Anyway, jolly good list so far! THANKS for including Art Brut to really annoy those overserious nobodies. And good call on Sway! haha! I think the Pitchfork list is pretty good, although to miss out stuff like BSS, Caribou, M.Ward and AIH (far too low for my liking btw) seems a bit strange, but thats the amalgam of lists for you. SUFJAN FOR NUMBER ONE. There just hasn't been a better album released this year... so what if it is popular? It's glorious!

Lots of stuff still to check out here. I have to say, I got the Broken Social Scene record on your say so and it's great, best thing I've heard in years. Cheers for the tip.

jonathan richman, not richmond.

Corrected.

Don't hate Bloc Party 'cause they're popular/hyped. Like most reviews said, they actually deserved the hype. Compared to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, they proved much more worthy of the hype. If CYHSY! made the commercial breakthrough that Blco Party do I'm sure you'll hate them too. Anyone who doesn't like banquet is daft. Mannie Fresh's album really isn't one of the best albums of the year. Iy really isn't better than Slim Thug's album. Real Big should have been on the singles list though. And Pitchfork's list was good i thought, both singles and albums.

OK, don't laugh, but I find most of the stuff on this list and Pitchforks too precious and exclusive. I'm always open to hearing any "Progressive Sounds", and I can appreciate bands like Animal Collective, Fiery Furnaces, Xiu Xiu and I really liked Deerhoofs new one but...does anyone here like to RAWK! I thought Kings Of Leons record was rifftastic and would be dissapointed if it didn't make one of these year end lists. Bands are more compelling if they ride a riff with the foolish enthusiasm of a Robert Pollard.

Has anyone noticed how the abbrev. for Clap Your Hands "CYHSY" doesn`t look anything like the abbrev. for Crosby Stills Nash & Young. "CSNY". Examining this a little more closely, we can see one of them has an implicated ampersand whereas the other has an H and two Ys while the latter has an N. The former doesn`t even seem remotely influenced by the latter, although one of the intellectuals above me could probably argue a good case. Finally, the latter, CSNY had NO chance of making it into this year`s top 50 in any magazine, even Uncut, which along with Pf and Sty form a pretty good triangulate of interesting Western opinion on popular musics and whom`s 2005 top 50 lists slyly wink at each other in flirting circles of genuine love and disappointing commercial consideration, with no small amount of tweaking despite their best intentions. The lists are always fascinating. Respect.

Quick bone to pick: Soto saying that Bejar should be off of the next New Porno's record? That's sacrelige. Bejar writes sick shit. "Jackie's Dressed in Cobras"? How about the album Streethawk: A Seduction from his Destroyer outfit? In the words of Kim Jong Il, "Herro?"

pabanks46- wow, i concede that they repeat lyrics and you take it upon yourself to post those lyrics for no apperant reason. But thanks though! Lyric searching is so hard in this day and age of internets and keywords. Anyways, I can see you've done an exceptional amount of research into an album you don't even like so I'll just sit back and admire your work ethic... I can't argue against the fact that they repeat lyrics but I can argue for the fact of WHO CARES! With as many reviews as I've read about the album I would have expected "their use of repetition is annoying" to pop into any one of them but apperantly it didn't bother too many people. Just the fact that you hate it so vehemently proves why it should be atleat in the top 10 of the year.

Here's my personal top 10, starting with the best: Sleater-Kinney: The Woods / Maximo Park: A Certain Trigger / Oasis: Don't Believe the Truth / Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard / Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better / Amy Ray: Prom / The White Stripes: Get Behind Me Satan / Ben Folds: Songs for Silverman / Institute: Distort Yourself / The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema. Let the pointing and laughing commence.

I fail to understand what's the angle of Stylus (and also Pitchfork and basically every other indie web zine out there) in choosing music they review. I'm mentioning this here because the top 50 lists show it really clearly. I used to follow Stylus every day, but lately I'm losing interest. Here's what I mean: it seems to me that 60% of the music reviewed is indie pop/rock, 30% is mainstream hip-hop, and the rest are the occasional death metal/mainstream pop/anything else records. Now, if it would all be indie stuff, I'd get it. But why the hip-hop? Who the hell listens only to indie music and hip hop? As a result this list seems weird, forced and unnatural. It lacks good albums by bands like Editors, Clutch, Isis, High on fire, Grand Magus, Knut, Aphex Twin, Porn Sword Tobacco (frankly, too much good electronic music to mention). It also arouses very little interest in me to pick up any of the stuff I don't already have. Call me traditional, or maybe even stupid, but Slim Thug? Why would I want to pick that up? If I listened to guys called like that I'd probably be checking some specialized hiphop list.

frantic - are you serious? I think they've explained plenty of times that they just tabulate each of their writers' lists, and their writers have different tastes. I don't know why I read these comment boxes as the inane repetitive whining is too much. Why is it so bad for these folks to like whatever they want? It's almost like you don't even comprehend the words you're reading. ---- By the way, I couldn't get into the Broken Social Scene.

frantic: This year Aphex Twin and Isis both released remix albums, which generally are hit-or-miss affairs and not worth a spot on a year-end list. At least not in my opinion. And I doubt you'll see Beck's remix album make the list, either.

theokcomputer: I know that. I'm not complaining about how the list is assembled. I'm complaining about the choice of music that is reviewed on the site in general. zarklephaser: Isis released live II, which isn't worthy of the top50 list, true, thought that Panopticon was this year. Aphex Twin released Analord, which is...well, a collection of EP's I guess? But it doesn't matter, I was using the top50 list just as an example. Check out Pitchfork, Stylus, and Poppmaters lists. They all have the same indie artists, and the same AMOUNT of hip-hop, but different hip-hop artists, and a few odd inclusions like Rachel Stevens or Opeth. So I gotta ask myself, if they all take their individual writer's lists, and then create one big list, do all this people listen exclusively to indie music and some hip-hop? Boomkat list makes more sense to me. Sad to say, but even the NME list makes more sense to me. *note my usage of the word indie, which is one of those words - noone knows what it means, but everyone knows what it denominates. In my opinion, as magazines which review mainly independant music, Stylus and other zines mentioned should have much more variety in their lists.

i'm suprised everyone is overlooking Dead Meadow's Feathers. am i the only one who finds this album incredible?

frantic - thanks for clearing that up. at least your complaints make sense.

jeez, sometimes i feel like the only person in the world that listens to both rap and indie rock in equal measure...

THIS LIST IS VERY BRITISH!!! Rachel Stevens, Richard Hawley, Roots Manuva, Sway, Art Brut, Kate Bush, i'm not saying it's bad, it's just delightfully UK.

i have to agree with you frantic. to me it is a big cop out just to make it look like they have reviewed everything they possibly could, while still putting an indie rock artist at number 1 every year. but it is silly to try and compare indie rock to hip-hop. and can this list please avoid the deerhoof album?? it blows my mind that their album has actually gotten above average reviews. it is hard to even call it music.

when is anything cosmo reviewed gonna show?? ooooh boy....

AllenCZ: Concerning this year's Deerhoof release. What does "it is hard to even call it music" mean? On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else think this has been a fantastic year for music? Maybe it's becuase 2005 is the first year I've followed this closely, but there has been a plethora of number one contenders. Unlike last year, for example, which was weak enough to be entirely overpowered by Funeral. It's not a bad record by any means, but there's ten or twenty releases (easily) that could have replaced it as a critic favorite. I like how there was no all-conquering classic this year... it left room for many albums that slowly become classics. The subtle masterpieces. Meh. whatever. How about the lack of Edan and Caribou on the Pitchfork list, while including The Silver Jews and Spoon? It seems that their opinion has changed quite a bit in hindsight, which is completely understandable. It was rather pleasant to not read a retread of their best new music. I thought it was a good list.

Since you asked, PurpleB, I thought this was a rubbish year for music, as has been every year since around 1998 or so. Not that there weren't a few individual good songs this year; in fact, there was a handful, as there are every year. But let's face it, popular music has been in a state of perpetual decline across all genres since Van Halen kicked out Sammy Hagar. Cherone, my ass.

The omission of Edan and Andrew Bird from Pitchfork's list was an outright atrocity. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Stylus, although my hopes get lower each minute. Beauty & the Beat is probably the best and most innovative album this year and the best hiphop album since Black star.

Psst. the Girls Aloud album is called "Chemistry"... better get that changed quick before the real horrible people who like to comment start laying in

Blame sleep deprivation. Fixed.

Where's the love for British Sea Power? Dead Meadow? Neither of these albums were on Pitchfork's list, and they're two of my faves. I'm convinced it's a conspiracy...

I can now sleep soundly knowing that Stylus has given Patrick Wolf his due.

I was hoping to see "Apologies" higher on the list but I will survive knowing its up there. I wonder if Sufjan will get his due and be in the top 10 tomorrow. Other artists riding the good press train this year that haven't been listed are Bloc Party, Animal Collective, M.I.A., Antony and the Johnsons, and The Clientle. I am also curious to see if they will go against their reviewer and put Kanye on the list...

I'm not sure I agree with Sufjan as number 1. I liked it, but I just don't know how consistent it is as a number 1. Mine was Spoon, but I'm not sure how many would agree to that. But whatever. I hope he does get in here, ditto to Bloc Party and The Clientele (the others you just mentioned I could take or leave, like Antony. I wasn't too impressed with him.)

Oh, and I found this on Tiny Mix Tapes, who put Dead Meadow as 11: "And even with Dead Meadow's new-found patience, they still had no time for bullshit. Just perfectly-shaped noises, mythological lyrics, deadly fuzz, and beautiful, beautiful space rock. But alas, this year we were too busy with ringing doorbells, clapping hands, and parading wolves to notice. Only a few hearts were full of Feathers. It's too bad the world wasn't. " Perfect description. They said that Dead Meadow may be the worst selling band in Matador history...is that true? Because if so it's a damn crying shame.

Again, to clarify, this list is compiled mathematically, from each Stylus writer's individual Top 20 of the year. There is no "putting someone on the list" as it were, and just because it got a good or bad review (one writer's opinion) before doesn't guarantee or damn it from this list (which is a ditillation of the entire staff's opinion.) There was no picking and choosing done here. What you see is what was voted for by the collective, nothng more, nothing less.

Sorry, that should be "distillation" -- haven't had my coffee yet...

PurpleBottle: I found The Runners Four extremely difficult to listen to. The songs lack hooks, yet there are 20 tracks or so. I was able to fight my way through the album twice, and could find nothing that I wanted to listen to again. Although I can understand why someone can appreciate Deerhoof's purported creativity, I personally think The Runners Four completely misses the mark. I my mind, I think high ratings should be given to records that exhibit creative sounds within some type of enjoyable or interesting pattern. To me, The Runners Four is random noise that is extremely difficult to listen to.

Runners Four took me several listens to care about it, but now when I listen to it, every song is a gem. So go figure. Also, people need not take it personally when a favorite album of theirs is not on the list. It doesn't mean it wasn't a good album. And it doesn't mean you have to stop liking it. It just means that a very small selective sample of people who write for this site happened to listen to other things more. If you want to know how your tastes compare to a larger sample of people, you should go to metacritic or rateyourmusic. That being said, if Serena Maneesh doesn't make the top 10, I'm going to cry, cry, cry all night.

I really hope that M.I.A. tops the list, though there are plenty of great albums left: Cyne, Bloc Party, Animal Collective, Clientele, My Morning Jacket, Deerhoof(?). More importantly though, I hope that Kanye is NOT in the top ten. I liked the slightly self-conscious Kanye West much more, as he was for much of the College Dropout. Now that Kanye's ego has grown to the size of a small country, it's difficult to listen to much his music without it leaving a foul residue behind. As a result, the pompous, overly ambitious, self-absorbed, sprawling mess of an album that is Late Registration is getting so much attention in year-end lists that it's totally baffling to me. One of my friends labeled it "utter garbage, completely disposable." While I don't dislike it quite that much, I hope Stylus sticks with the negative review (C+, I believe) and keeps it off the list.

"I hope Stylus sticks with the negative review (C+, I believe) and keeps it off the list." See my comment just above...

nice to see Patrick Wolf on there. Surely didn't expect that. Great list so far, can't wait for the top 10!

so who wants to start placing bets on what the #1 album will be? i'm gonna go out on a limb and say Sunn 0)))'s Black One. that album seems to be like spanish fly around here.

So let's see here...what have you left out? Illinois, Hypermagic Mountain, ?Ryan Adams? (probably not), The Woods, Extraordinary Machine, I haven't looked at the list so I'm just guessing...

Edan was the best hip hop album of the year, hands down. I actually enjoyed it more than Madvillainy, but really they're both great in their own ways. It would be only just to see it in the stylus top10, screw pitchfork for forgetting about it.

I agree that Edan was shafted at Pfork; its odd because they gave it a damn good review earlier this year. I would expect to see it in the top 10 tomorrow.

Concerning Deerhoof ambivalance, that serpentine guitar lick on "Wrong Time Castle" is imo one of the best I've heard all year...thrilling.

Madvillainy is horribly overrated.

AllenCZ: I can entirely understand where you're coming from, considering for a period of time I shared your opinion. At some point it all turned around for me, and they've released great records (Apple 'O) as well as mediocre ones (Milk Man) since then. So, from the viewpoint of many Deerhoof fans, The Runners Four is their masterpiece (thus far, obviously). . . Andrew Bird was rather criminally underappreciated on these year end lists. I'm not exactly surprised. It seemed like one of those (very) well-written singer-songwriter type of albums that tend to be forgotten in favor of records carrying a lot of hype.

That Vitalic picture is priceless. The Silver Jews record is meh through and through. Edan sounds like LL Cool J though too, so meh. Patrick Wolf is pretty horrid. But seeing Sleater-Kinney, Sujan, Sunn & probably Lightning Bolt w/ Kelley Polar tomorrow will be something of a meh moment, considering its almost surely gonna work out that way. If not, you all can buy me lunch.

oops, just realized Polar was at 21. Guess you guys can get me lunch. *smacks self, returns to dungeon

I know many people in this forum will disagree with me here, but three albums NOT in my top 50 are: Sleater-Kinney, Spoon, and Silver Jews. People are always fawn over these artists' longevity and the consistency of their discography; I on the other hand have gotten kinda bored with all three of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way opposed to these more "popular" (by indie standards) artists---Built to Spill and Wilco are, like, my alltime favs--but this year I was much more inspired by fresher-sounding material from the likes of Wolf Parade and Animal Collective. Maybe they're just too old. Musicians should all die young.

Is there some kind of different barometer for British music? Like, if a band doesn't disappear after the 1st week, they're essential or something? I thought I was living on another planet, turned out to be a different land mass.

Hold Steady, Animal Collective, Edan, Deerhoof, Sufjan, Lightning Bolt, and Sunn0))) are all albums that havent yet been represented, and I cant see how any of them could have been forgotten from the list. Just please dont put Sufjan at number one, and please do not place Kanye West.

These are the albums that i have liked most in 2005. But i was a little bit reluctant while listing 'cos there are albums that well-produced but lacks some sincerity and novelty. but i expect that 2006 is gonna be a better year for the music since many big bands didn't release albums in 2005. whether you like or not the list, but they are .ucking good!!! 1- Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs 2- My Morning Jacket - Z 3- Richard Hawley - Cole's Corner 4- Xavier Rudd - To Let 5- Bertrand Burgalat - Portrait Robot 6- Baxter Dury - Floorshow 6- Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent 7- The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done 8- Antony And The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now 9- Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent 10- Bloc Party - Silent Alarm 11- Gang Gang Dance- God's Money 12- Fischerspooner - Odyssey 13- Thievery Corporation -The Cosmic Game 14- Fischerspooner - Odyssey 15- The Frames - Burn the Maps 16- Stellastarr - Harmonies For The Haunted

If there's one thing that is being universally overlooked, it's Archer Prewitt's "Wilderness". I was hoping - even yearning - that Stylus would give him some of his due and then more folks would frolic to his green pastures of indie popdom. But considering we only have 10 picks left, I think it's a lost cause.

Does anyone think "Im Wide Awake Its Morning" will make the list? I know there has been a backlash against Bright Eyes, and personally i have never been a fan, but that was one of the most solid records of the year. Plus Stylus did give it an A. I was a little mad pitchfork that snubbed it.

i write for a magazine in salt lake city that just did a list for 2005 and put archer prewitt at #3. others that made our list but seem overlooked elsewhere: andrew bird, fog, boards of canada, shining, dead science, gorillaz, m. ward, goldmund, etc. anyone agree with me???

The hatred for Bright Eyes is not a product of a backlash. He has ALWAYS been fiercely divisive, and I don't think his recent success really changed anyone's opinion. If you weren't embarassed to admit liking Conor's bleating before, there was no reason for his success to change your mind.

Yeah the Gorillaz album is being overlooked by everyone and its one of the year's most solid releases. Also, Gang Gang Dance's album Gods Money is being hated on by everybody except TinyMixTapes, and its one of the year's best. My guess for Stylus's #1 is Animal Collective. That would be great.

god's money is a great album. i wouldn't say it's been completely hated on. if you look at pitchfork's individual lists, it placed pretty highly on several of them.

Dead Meadow sold fewer records for Matador than did Bunnybrains? I don't believe it.

speaking of band's being hated on, i'm glad SOMEBODY finally recognized Out Hud's fucking awesome album. i think if everyone attended out hud's live show and then listened to that album, it'd be top 10 for sure. i'm glad to see it making a list though, as well as being so high on a list.

i liked the out hud album quite a bit but not as much as street dad.

and btw anyone else thinking we may possibly see clipse's "we got it for cheap vol. 2" mixtape on the list? it's in my top 10 for the year but i didn't think it'd be on anyone else's. still a great piece of work that should be considered for the top 10.

i like how pusha t's #1 album of the year (from pitchfork's artist's lists) was we got it 4 cheap vol. 2. it reminds me of vh1's "best artists of rock & metal" when they ran through ozzy osbourne's top 100, and he put himself as #1 of all time. now that takes some balls.

i most definitely agree with the (criminal!) underappreciation of m ward. i've also resigned myself to accepting taht most of my favorite albums of the year aren't going to be represented. along with ward's (brilliant!) transistor radio, i also really loved these: laura veris - year of meteors, laura cantrell - humming along the flowered vine, super furry animals - love kraft, apollo sunshine - s/t, jospehine foster - hazel eyes, i will lead you, a hawk and a hacksaw - darkness at noon, and a lot of finnish music like lau nau, paavoharju (which i'm pumped you listed!) and islaja. however, i enjoy the list for what it is; i really find it baffling that people get so worked up over different tastes. have a good 2006 stylus!

"Transistor Radio" really has seemed to bypass the radar with a lot of journalists on their lists this year (well, i guess we'll know for certain when the Pazz & Jop poll emerges). Another which I find strange is Of Montreal's "The Sunlantic Twins"... a really good progression for them and one of my top 10 favourite albums.

would love to see Tiger Bear Wolf on here but that probably won't happen.

no too many artists with "wolf" in their name...Stylus would never allow it. just keep bringing us them radio rap prodigies, dawgz! we dig 'em! mos def!!

Here's my shizzle of 2005: 1) LCD Soundsystem: s/t, 2) Arcade Fire: Funeral. 3) Antony & The Johnsons: I Am A Bird Now, 4) Sigur Ros: Takk... 5) Oceansize: Everyone Into Position. 6) Mars Volta: Frances The Mute. 7) Bloc Party: Silent Alarm. 8) Sufjan Stevens: Illnois. 9) M.I.A.: Arular. 10) System of a Down: Mesmerize. 11) Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow. 12) Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake Its Morning. 13) Broken Social Scene: s/t 14) Oasis: Don't Believe The Truth. 15) Kanye West: Late Registration. 16) Pure Reason Revolution: Cautionary Tales For The Brave. 17) Engineers: s/t. 18) M83: Before The Dawn Heals Us. 19) Patrick Wolf: Wind In The Wires. 20) My Morning Jacket: Z. 21) Jaga Jazzist: What We Must. 22) Four Tet: Everything Ecstatic. 23) Beck: Guero. 24) Scout Niblett: Kidnapped By Neptune. 25) Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom: The Days Of Mars.
Of 2005, I feel overall its been very much a year of remarkable debuts or a triumphant year for breakthrough new acts, with underwhelming/dire follow-ups from key/reliable/big bands.

Not least Coldplay (who could have ventured into the world of experimentalism but chose a well-worn path), Mercury Rev (who simply failed to deliver), Doves/Elbow (who produced cold replicas of previous efforts), Franz Ferdinand (went sickeningly OTT).

I also feel 2005 was the second coming of the 'white-boy with guitars', last seen around 95-97, only this time many went under the pretense they boasted an added intellectualism. With Franz leading the charge it resulted in caricatures, offshoots, copyists and extremes under the guise of blazing wearing, skinny tie-adorned, drain-pipe jean-bearing boys with shit haircuts and even shitter music.

There were however many positives, the aforementioned debuts (Bloc Party and Arcade Fire), excellent 'second' albums (Mars Volta and Oceansize) and of course 2005 was a great year for the soloist giving birth to three incredible pop stars - M.I.A, Antony Hegarty and James Murphy, plus amazing works by Devendra Banhart, Scout Niblett and Kanye West.

I just hope Andrew Bird gets the number one spot. I thought TMPoE was definitely the most intriguing album of the year.

assuming arcade fire was last year, my top 10 are (1) The Clientele - Strange Geometry (2) Doves - Some Cities (3) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (4) Sigur Ros - Takk (5) Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift (6) My Morning Jacket - Z (7) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - s/t (8) Broken Social Scene - s/t (9) Glen Phillips - Winter Pays for Summer (10) Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?

Yuh, thanks Peteguy and Allencz for your lists guys, it`s like, you`re both one-man websites with self-given kudos for music taste, critics unto yourselves, with nothing for me to reference other than the inter-relational positioning of your personal top 20. I DON`T KNOW YOU so your lists to me & everyone here are a meaningless rehash of the same old stuff. You`d be better picking out one or two albums and ranting on about why they`re so worthless/important. And as for 05 being a resurgence of white boys with guitars; a comment as utterly redundant as your list, equal in its vacuity to your 14th best album. Did either of you go out of your way to listen to anything other than the same tired old indie genres and discover that your `personal identity` is infinitely more malleable & corruptible than Broken Social Scene`s empty barrage of drivel. Musicianship is one thing, having something to convey is another. This album will be so forgotten like, last month, by next week. Tell me more about the Engineers album, I`m all ears. The Clientele too.

everyone knows stylus is gonna come correct with Mars Volta. yer talking mad wonky?

Omg, no Andrew Bird or Deerhoof in the top 50 albums of the year? Fuck you guys.

The top 10 is insane. Yes, I understand the fact that this list is compiled through the lists made by the writers, but still. One more thing.... Is it me or does Kanye West have the worst delivery in rap?

Hi, M.I.A. got some interesting beats, but i'm not sure that albums is that good, The Mountain Goats are just a regular band. Robyn? - will check out this album, i thoughr she was a swedish popstar ...Kanye also, i think he made a good LP for Common, but he's album is regular . .nothing special. Check out My list: http://www.tvnet.lv/izklaide/music/cdreviews/article.php?id=294617 1. Antony And The Johnsons "I Am A Bird Now" (Secretly Canadian) 2. Goldmund "Corduroy Road" (Type) 3. Hanne Hukkelberg "Little things" (Leaf) 4. Edan "Beauty And The Beat" (Lewis Ent) 5. Sufjan Stevens "Illinois" (Asthmatic Kitty) 6. Eels "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations" (Vagrant Records) 7. Sam Prekop "Who's Your New Professor" (Thrill Jockey) 8. The White Stripes "Get Behind Me Satan" (V2) 9. Kelley Polar "Love Songs Of The Hanging Gardens" (Environ) 10. Bloc Party "Silent Alarm" (Wichita/V2)

Jamie Lidell in the top 10! Yes! The only thing that could make stylus possibly any better is to have shakira in the top 50. If stylus can jump all over Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens, it is inexplicable that it isn't all over Oral Fixation Vol. 2 which really is insanely brilliant. Also Edward O - for your number 7 album of the year, I really don't understand why it got a B- in your review, when you were clearly championing it as an unmitigated triumph.

Balderis! Dude, woah! What a list! Man, thanks for that. Just what we all needed, another list ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER (EXPLETIVE) LIST.

It's killing me: who the fuck is that chick in the banner at the top?

You do Sufjan a disservice. But anyway, good call on placing The Hold Steady and The Mountain Goats high up. Robyn too, pop album of the year for sure. I find "Silent Alarm" quite overrated though. It's just far too long and inconsistant to work as an album for me. My top ten worked out like this: 1) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois, 2) Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die, 3) Dungen - Ta Det Lugnt, 4) Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth, 5) Wilderness - Wilderness, 6) Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary, 7) Ladytron - Witching Hour, 8) Of Montreal - The Sunlantic Twins, 9) M.I.A. - Arular, 10) The Decemberists - Picaresque

bakinakwa: Kate Bush, dude!

Then who's the chick in the Kate Bush picture? The two look nothing alike.

That's Kate Bush about 25 years ago! You do know "Aeriel" was her first album in 12 years don't you? ... she was quite a big pop star in the late 70s and 80s.

PeteGuy, how on EARTH can you put LCD Soundsystem above Four Tet? There is just no sense there... no sense at all. Everything Ecstatic is catchy, joyous, deeply intricate and meticulously crafted, and LCD Soundsystem, whilst not without its merits, just simply doesn’t have the same amount of effort or care put into it - you can TELL this; the beats are basic, it knocks off other artists (Never As Tired - Beatles, Movement - The Fall) and, quite frankly, it doesn't do anything new at all except rehash old terrain. One listen of that album and you’ve heard it all. It takes ten to even begin to understand Everything Ecstatic. Oh, and Jeff, that was a great mini-review of Feels!

Yeah, I know who Kate Bush is and I know about Aerial. It's just the difference, even over that many years, is startling. Anyway, thanks for scratching my itch.

The eyes are a dead giveaway

Bwahahaha, I forget who it was that said Gang Gang Dance's "God's Money" is what "Arular" would be if it actually deserved the press kit mythology, I agree with that. Otherwise, this is a fine, interesting list. Though out of all the major e-zines, I have to endorse TinyMixTapes' as the best.

My list: 1. Edan - Beauty & The Beat 2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois 3. Eels - Blinking Lights &OR 4. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs 5. New Pornographers - Twin Cinema 6. Daniel Agust - Swallowed a Star (new album by Icelandic former Gus Gus member. it'll be released outside of Iceland in 2006. cop it, it's awesome, awesome to the max.) 7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 8. Akron/family 9. Antony & The Johnsons - I am a Bird Now 10. Jamie Lidell - Multiply 11. Sigur Rós - Takk... 12. Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts 13. Whitey - The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train 14. DangerDoom - The Mouse & the Mask 15. My Morning Jacket - Z whatcha think?

the inclusion of Akron/Family as well as the high placement of Separation Sunday and The Sunset Tree pretty much make having M.I.A. at number one forgiveable.

Oh, and Apologies to Queen Mary is probably the most overrated album of the year. There's NOTHING on there that hasn't been done MUCH better before by someone else. The only great track is I am a Runner.

oh, and my own top ten, because other seem to be doing it, is as follows: 1. Akron/Family (both releases) /2. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Naturally /3. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree /4. The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners /5. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois /6. Dirty Projectors - The Getty Address /7. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy /8. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday /9. Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain /10. Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs

Damnit, Stylus writers, do ANY of you like Dead Meadow? That shit done got shafted by everybody!

I saw Dead Meadow live with Wolf Parade and Black Mountain supporting. Needless to say their severe lack of creativity and originality made them the worst band on the bill.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you for not putting Sufjan at the top of yet another list (sometimes I feel that I'm the only one who was disappointed with Illinois...). And also three more thank yous for putting Arular as your numero uno. No other album sounded so revolutionary, both in its sound and is lyrics............. Still, what happened to Takk? Or Evolution Fight? I was sure those albums would have ended up in the top 20 or so........... Hrm...

Okay, upon further analysis though, I'm a little saddened... I was sure Edan would have been placed high up on the list... bummer dudes. That was such a killer album. And so was The Runners Four. The B- review was kind of a joke.

I'm shocked - SHOCKED - to see 'Separation Sunday' this high. I love it; especially when driving long stretches. It's a road trip classic, not unlike 'American Water.' And Mr. Gaerig's line is laugh out loud funny: "There’s potential that by the time Sufjan Stevens tackles the mythic American West, we’ll be looking at an entire orchestra backing a 200-strong orphan choir and a stage show featuring Prospector Sufjan baptizing Charles Manson."

so people here talk shit about pfork (that sometimes deserves it) and about stylus - m.i.a. number one? with an album that is inferior to piracy funds terrorism? what about robyn number 4!!! and bloc party number 2!!!!!! i know the lists are just about who made it, the music doesn't get any better with the rank, it just helps the publication to have some cred, but some things are just plain stupid like that bobby bare album, or not realizing that the kate bush album is such a failure (even having great songs), and not to talk about the rrots manuva (is it about any britain percentage? that would explain bloc party as well)... blá blá blá...

Excellent list with an inspired #1. Phenomenal record. Having said that, my personal favorite The Days of Mars by Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, didn't get to make this. Which kind of sucks, but is understandable, especially after the "On Second Thought" article a while back.

two things...
1) since peeps talking bout PF, i'll say that i enjoyed their art brut review mentioning alan partridge (steve coogan). i would like to kick my ass for missing art brut live.
2) gorillaz. holy crap. how the hell can pop music be so enjoyable and have such an understated competence and be ignored? i'm repeating my comment from the gorillaz s/t playing god comment section, but when pop music finally gets good, please recognize it. i've stopped complaining about the lack of kasbian (released in march 2005 in the US, people!) but you gots to give it up for the one band that has combined stylus' love of indie and hip hop and had another runaway success. demon days is deemed to being hugely under-rated. consider yourselves dissed.

Sunn 0))) - Black One? the fact that this isn't in the top 50 at all (and how many hiphop and girlpop records were there?) amazes me. All year round your reviews rule, and you cap it off with this list. I don't understand

marcusmartins: Why is the Bobby Bare album "stupid"? Not hep enough for you?

Serious question: If the totals come from points given to each voters' list entries, why is Stevie Wonder not on this list but Bobby Bare is (NO respect to marcusmartins--see my entry above)? Stevie was #1 on Henry Asado's list, and Thomas Inskeep put the Bare album at #5 and was the only person to vote for it. If I understand your tallying method correctly, Stevie Wonder should be on this list. I couldn't care less if he was, mind you; I'm trying to understand your system.

Stylus, I'm gonna be honest: You guys are IDIOTS. First, when Illinois came out, you put freaking Missy Elliot as album of the week over it, I think it was. That was dumb. Then you put the most inventive album at #10, blowing it off as a childish, ridiculous album and not deserving as say, anything in the top 3? I tell you what, this is my favorite album since Kid A, which is saying a lot considering that Funeral is one of my favorite albums of the decade with Turn on the Bright Lights and Chutes too Narrow. Ah heck, 2003 was weak anyway. This year was too, and Sufjan clearly was #1, with inventive songs, fresh ideas (way fresher than say, Wolf Parade or anybody else that several lists have put in their top 3 or so) and a huge amount of unpretentiousness. Yet, you mock its song titles, call him pretentious and such. In the end, it's you guys who take your music too seriously and if a certain artist's album doesn't fit into some mold (with too long of song titles and reviews completely unrelated to the album, but about his plans? Give me a break!) then it's rejected, and it's only recognized because of its sheer brilliance. How many of your writers have met Sufjan? Any? I talked to him after a show for a few minutes, and he's one of the most humble men I've ever met, let alone how amazing of a musician he is. He played drums for the girl that opened for him, whose name I can't remember (she was rather unspectacular) and just has amazing talent. #10? You guys are wrong so often. I like how Frances the Mute got an A- (WAY OFF) and isn't in the top 50. That album sucked. They needed to cut off 30 minutes of crap and then it'd be good.

It's also probably worth pointing out that John Wayne Gacy didn't dress up as a clown to kill children. He was a sexual predator and murderer who preyed on young men and boys at night. The clown image came from his entertaining children at various parties and such, ie. he was a loved part of the community with a dark secret. I suggest Andrew Gaerig does his research or, at least, checks Wikipedia in the future.

From a rank and file standpoint, this list was fine, but why do descriptions of albums always try to be so fucking tricky? Case in point: the Bloc Party blurb. I have no clue what all those words are supposed to mean.

bloc party is my number one this year, i'm glad to see it high on the list! of the top 10 i also love m.i.a., antony and sufjan. it's always fun to check out these lists. keep up the good work.

everyone check out this list i made combining the individual lists from everyone at stylus and everyone at pitchfork (i was bored at work today): http://rateyourmusic.com/list/brente78/pitchfork_and_stylus_integrated_top_100_albums_of_2005

Derek Miller!!! Where is Tiger Bear Wolf in your freakin' top 20!!

brente: thanks for doing that. i like the combined top 50 a lot better than either pitchfork's or stylus's. it results in a more indie rock-centric list like the one pitchfork circa-2001 would have produced. i have no problem with all these genres being represented on these lists, but the indie rock stuff is still what gets to me the most.

Although I'm dissapointed to see Bloc Party so high (I honestly don't think they'll have much resonance outside this year) I am glad that Feels made it up there, in my opinion, the best album of the year. I'm still baffled by M.I.A.'s popularity; I'd contest that Missy is better and has been better (despite her most recent stuff, which is just lazy) than M.I.A. Oh well.

Sunn0))), Deerhoof, Edan, and Gang Gang Dance all missed the top 50? What the hell? Behind Feels, those albums were my personal #2, 3, 4, and 5. I try not to care, but its a sad day for music journalism when the two biggest online publications rank Kanye West above Animal Collective.

I hope not putting Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" on the reissue list was an oversite.....It's worlds better than anything on your list

To Hone_Heke, I'm thrilled that you're not interested in everyone else's lists, opinions and thoughts on 2005 (apart from the writer's you hold in such high esteem, of course) - and yet perplexed at why you then deliver such passionate diatribes to shoot those down that have troubled you. Why read the comments section, must surely be the next question?

Furthermore - to quote your goodself (taken from the Boards of Canada comments section...

'Here`s why stylus rules: Cos we can post our comments & say anything we like about their reviews and they don`t mind. & we can comment on our comments & we can even comment on our own comments by having two login names and creating our own self-convoluted debates. Look at the Broken Social Scene comments box. I wrote the whole lot of em.'

Not only does this show you clearly have far too much time on your hands, but you are somewhat confused by your own standpoint...

Regarding citycalmdown's 'PeteGuy, how on EARTH can you put LCD Soundsystem above Four Tet?' - because I prefer it, simple as. Plus judging by the overwhelming critical support across the board I'm not alone in my liking for James Murphy. I'd hasten to add I love Four Tet, however Pause and Rounds were far better efforts.

I guess you have to *think* hard before you write something & meticulously research your own past to make sure you don`t contradict yourself. Like for example, that I said it`s all these calculated personal LISTS that guys sit there feverishly keying in that irk me, when your OWN valuable good time could be spent writing ABOUT the albums you love or hate. & further "any contradiction is a hint of honesty" (Lou Barlow). So come on, think really really hard, & write us all something that we go ohmygod that`s guy`s a genious/asshole.

Go Stewart Voegtlin! I'd have placed the Ondskapt record a bit higher myself, but damn that's a pretty great list.

address this: rankings faked? nothing adds up?

PS.

Mr. Gill,
Thank you for the GWTMM podcasts this year. You've been the shit.
Sincerely,
Paul

I will be the first to admit that my disappointment with this list stems from its lack of personal favorites which is pretty silly. Yet, it seems that at some point in time Stylus and I were on the same page or at least in the same book. Lately I find myself confounded more often than pleased or even surprised by the choices and directions the site has made. Are you seriously asking me to believe that as a whole your staff thinks that "Robyn" (#4) is a better album than say "The Mysterious Production of Eggs" (Not Listed)? Or that "Girls Aloud" (#13) deserves to be on a best album list more than "All the Plans Resting"? Not to mention such baffling omissions as "Lost and Safe", "13 and God", "Z", "Takk", and "Twin Cinema" among many others. Why not just name the new Ashlee Simpson as album of the year and alienate what remaining music loving readers you still have? By the way what the fuck was with that singles of the year list? Jesus, I had to double-check that I didn't accidentally end up at Teenbeat.Com whilst reading that saccharine-coated trash. Somehow something went horribly awry for Stylus this year, and its a sad thing to see the ones you care about resort to such media cannabalism.

Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens, but no Sigur Ros? Well, I'm just glad Madonna and her Confessions are not included. It surprised me how critics around the world gave it rave reviews. Except for the first five songs and 'Jump' the album is just plain boring. But to appreciate Rachel Stevens more than Madonna is just ridiculous. Miss Stevens stands out in being bland. Sure, she's nice and cute, but there's no depth, is there now? My vote goes to Gorillaz. Demon Days is superb. Kids With Guns is the track of the year.

Ok, I dwnled Robyn ... Don't know what to say??? How is this in top 5 best albums? Stylus and Pitchfork peolpe maybe think it's smth exotic or what. Ok, Annie (Norway) from last year was great, cos, there eas Royksopp people behind it, but Robyn !!!! Her place maybe is on Eurovision! Regular pop cd, nothing more ... Well I live across the Baltic sea to Sweden, and swedish music is only famous for good imitators, one good exeption is Cardigans, their last album is much better .. .fuck .. Robyn is maybe top 256 this year!

new & improved! i've added the individual lists from tinymixtapes, cokemachineglow, and almostcool, in addition to pitchfork & stylus, for the (as) definitive (as possible) top 100 albums of the year for people who like music that doesn't suck (except for the stuff that does): http://rateyourmusic.com/list/brente78/integrated_top_100_albums_of_2005__pitchfork__stylus__tiny_mix_tapes__coke_machine_glow__and_almost_cool

Hey, include Playlouder, Junkmedia and Popmatters into your integrated list. Then, only then, will I think you did me a favor. hahaha j/k, but throw in those sites maybe.

PPS. Also put in Dusted's best of.

Oh yeah, and prefix. Go all out dude.

El Brente:　　Great job on the ultimate list compiling...the more aggregated this becomes the closer we get to the truth of the matter, although...we all gravitate towards albums with a touch of hype, albums whose image gets sexed up by a buzz which builds on itself and then becomes somehow essential and those albums are the ones that float to the top without really the best at all. But really, the list becomes a fairly good buyers guide for those without the funds to willy-nilly buy new releases based on one or two reviews during the year. However El Brente you`re a total prick for putting in a long extended line of text that means to read the comments box one must constantly be dragging the bar. What a wanker.

Best pop album was Roisin Murphy "Ruby Blue", not Robyn ...

How come no love for a River that ain't too much to love?!?!?!!?!?

Was this list made in September?

oh man, I'm sad that I missed pabanks's stupid anti-Bloc Party comments back when they were still timely. once again, I show up late to the party....... but I guess that's the same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was... same as it ever was...

I'm still very curious to have my question from above answered, re: why the rankings of the individual lists don't seem to add up.

because STYLUS IS A DEMOCRACY, MAAAAAAN! and democracies answer to NO ONE! not even MATH!

vsvsvs: I think yuou just might be insane. No offense to you or anything, but anyone who doesn't like Dead Meadow (much less thinks tha they "lack creativity") obviously has some sort of mental disturbance.

I rekindle the flame/She remember he name/It's Weezy Baby/January December the same/Mama gimme that brain/Mama gimme that good/Cause I'm the fireman/You hear the firetruck -Lil Wayne, "Fireman". Best rapper alive huh? 2nd best rap album of the year as ranked by Stylus?

I'm sort of upset that all of the usual negative Stylus-sucks-because-they-don't-think-like-me idiots left so many comments and yet there is nothing from boilingboy. His Pancake_Repairman antics have been missed.