NEW TIMES' OVERALL TOP 25
Based on rankings of the top 25 albums of 2010 as picked by 13 New Times staffers and contributors.
1. Kanye West — My Dark Twisted Beautiful Fantasy (10 ballots) 158 points
2. Deerhunter — Halcyon Digest (6 ballots) 122 points
3. Arcade Fire — The Suburbs (7 ballots) 109 points
4. LCD Soundsystem — This Is Happening (5 ballots)
80 points
5. The National — High Violet (5 ballots) 79 points
6. Sufjan Stevens — The Age of Adz (5 ballots) 77 points
7. The Roots — How I Got Over (5 ballots) 72 points
8. The Tallest Man on Earth — The Wild Hunt (3 ballots)
71 points
9. Black Keys — Brothers (4 ballots) 69 points
10. Gorillaz — Plastic Beach (3 ballots) 69 points
11. Grinderman — Grinderman II (4 ballots) 66 points
12. Band of Horses — Infinite Arms (3 ballots) 62 points
13. Girl Talk — All Day (3 ballots) 58 points
14. Sleigh Bells — Treats (4 ballots) 57 points
15. Best Coast — Crazy for You (4 ballots) 54 points
16. Big Boi — Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Ballad of Chico Dusty (3 ballots) 53 points
17. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti — Before Today (3 ballots) 48 points
18. Dead Weather — Sea of Cowards (2 ballots) 48 points
19. Flying Lotus — Cosmogramma (3 ballots) 45 points
20. Spoon — Transference (3 ballots) 40 points
21. Local Natives — Gorilla Manor (3 ballots) 40 points
22. Surfer Blood — Astro Coast (3 ballots) 40 points
23. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings — I Learned the Hard Way (3 ballots) 40 points
25. Janelle Monae — The ArchAndroid (2 ballots) 37 points
Martin Cizmar
1. Band of Horses — Infinite Arms
2. Arcade Fire — The Suburbs
3. Sufjan Stevens — The Age of Adz
4. LCD Soundsystem — This Is Happening
5. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
6. Toubab Krewe — TK2
7. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists — Brutalist Bricks
8. Girl Talk — All Day
9. Weezer — Pinkerton (Deluxe Reissue)
10. Best Coast — Crazy For You
11. Titus Andronicus — The Monitor
12. T.I. — No Mercy
13. Surfer Blood — Surfer Blood
14. Wavves — King of the Beach
15. Foxy Shazam — Foxy Shazam
16. The Black Keys — Brothers
17. Against Me! — White Crosses
18. Matt and Kim — Sidewalks
19. The National — High Violet
20. Lissie — Catching a Tiger
21. Beach House — Teen Dream
22. No Age — Everything In Between
23. Devo — Something For Everybody
24. Crystal Castles — Crystal Castles
25. Hot Chip — One Life Stand
Jay Bennett
1. Deerhunter — Halcyon Digest
2. The Soft Pack — The Soft Pack
3. Dead Weather — Sea of Cowards
4. OFF! — First Four EPs
5. Screaming Females — Castle Talk
6. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan — Hawk
7. Grinderman — II
8. Call Me Lightning — When I Am Gone My Blood Will Be Free
9. Sharon Jones & the Dap—Kings — I Learned the Hard Way
10. Surfer Blood — Astro Coast
11. MGMT — Congratulations
12. Charlotte Gainsbourg — IRM
13. Titus Andronicus — The Monitor
14. No Age — Everything in Between
15. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists — Brutalist Bricks
16. The Hold Steady — Heaven Is Whenever
17. Harlan T. Bobo — Sucker
18. Kelley Stoltz — To Dreamers
19. Tindersticks — Falling Down a Mountain
20. Spoon — Transference
21. Dum Dum Girls — I Will Be
22. Wavves — King of the Beach
23. Unnatural Helpers — Cracked Love & Other Drugs
24. The Brian Jonestown Massacre — Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?
25. Broken Social Scene — Forgiveness Rock Record
Mike Escoto
1. Arcade Fire — The Suburbs
2. The Tallest Man on Earth — Wild Hunt
3. Avi Buffalo — Avi Buffalo
4. Gorillaz — Plastic Beach
5. Miniature Tigers — Fortress
6. Flying Lotus — Cosmogramma
7. Local Natives — Gorilla Manor
8. The Morning Benders — Big Echo
9. Janelle Monae — The ArchAndroid
10. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
11. The Roots — How I Got Over
12. The National — High Violet
13. Band of Horses — Infinite Arms
14. Twin Sister — Color Your Life
15. MGMT — Congratulations
16. Ariel Pink's Haunted Gaffiti — Before Today
17. Deerhunter — Halcyon Digest
18. Gayngs — Relayted
19. Broken Social Scene — Forgiveness Rock Record
20. Let's Wrestle — In the Court of the Wrestling Let's
21. Hot Chip — One Life Stand
22. Sufjan Stevens — The Age of Adz
23. Ra Ra Riot — The Orchard
24. LCD Soundsystem — This Is Happening
25. Twin Shadow — Forget
Dan Gibson
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-a-fella)
The National - High Violet (4AD)
The Black Keys - Brothers (Nonesuch)
Mystery Jets - Serotonin (Rough Trade)
LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (DFA)
Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)
Menomena - Mines (Barsuk)
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)
Robyn - Body Talk (Island)
Gaslight Anthem - American Slang (SideOneDummy)
Radio Dept - Clinging to a Scheme (Labrador)
Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song (Mercury Nashville)
Sleigh Bells - Treats (NEET)
Marvin Sapp - Here I Am (Verity)
Monarchy - Monarchy (Mercury)
Torche - Songs for Singles (Hydra Head)
Budos Band - III (Daptone)
Tracey Thorn - Love and Its Opposite (Merge)
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding (Merge)
Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)
Hot Chip - One Life Stand (Astralwerks)
R. Kelly - Love Letter (Jive)
Vampire Weekend - Contra (XL)
The Books - The Way Out (Temporary Residence)
Christopher Hassiotis
1. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)
2. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt (Dead Oceans)
3. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (Virgin)
4. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
5. Grinderman – Grinderman 2 (Mute/Anti-)
6. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid (Atlantic)
7. Drive-By Truckers – The Big To-Do (ATO)
8. Best Coast – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
9. Phosphorescent – Here's to Taking it Easy (Dead Oceans)
10. Various Artists – The Roots of Chica 2: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru (Barbes)
11. Charanjit Singh – Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat (Bombay Connection)
12. Dara Puspita – Dara Puspita 1966-1968 (Sublime Frequencies)
13. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-a-fella)
14. M.I.A. – Maya (N.E.E.T. / XL / Interscope)
15. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh (Motown)
16. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can (Astralwerks)
17. Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer (Elektra/Asylum)
18. The Living Sisters – Love to Live (Vanguard)
19. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (Merge)
20. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone (Anti-)
21. Various Artists – To Scratch Your Heart: Early Recordings From Istanbul (Honest Jon's)
22. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks (Fat Cat)
23. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM (Elektra/Asylum)
24. Of Montreal – False Priest (Polyvinyl)
25. Various Artists – Pomegranates: Persian Pop, Funk, Folk and Psych of the '60s and '70s (B-Music)
Steve Jansen
1. Various Artists — Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves (Ghana & Togo 1972-1979)
2. French Quarter — It's Not Just Kissing
3. Little Women — Throat
4. Sleetmute Nightmute — Night of Long Knives
5. Erykah Badu — New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
6. MAP — Fever Dreams
7. The Roots — How I Got Over
8. Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté — Ali & Toumani
9. Colin Stinson/Gog — Heavy Fierce Brightness
10. Burton Greene — Live at the Woodstock Playhouse 1965
11. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
12. Vijay Iyer Trio — Historicity
13. AIDS Wolf — March to the Sea
14. Rafael Toral — Space Elements Vol. II
15. The Prevailing Nothing — Self-Titled
16. Fat Worm of Error— Broods
17. Metal Rogue — Live
18. H.O.A. — Fighting the Lost War of the Anonymous
19. Michelle Blades — Oh, Nostalgia!
20. Bilal — Airtight's Revenge
21. The Eastern Seaboard — The Sound Power
22. Hedzoleh Soundz — Hedzoleh
23. James Fella/Timeload Fowl — Self-Titled
24. Etran Finatawa — Tarkat Tajje/Let's Go
25. Shearing Pinx — Void White
Benjamin Leatherman
1. Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
2. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
3. Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
4. Elvis Costello, National Ransom
5. Grinderman, Grinderman 2
6. The National, High Violet
7. No Age, Everything In Between
8. Devo, Something For Everybody
9. Girl Talk, All Day
10. Bad Religion, The Dissent of Man
11. Gospel Claws, C-L-A-W-S
12. Wavves, King of the Beach
13. Johnny Cash, American VI
14. LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
15. Surfer Blood, Astro Coast
16. Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Buried Behind The Barn
17. OFF!, First Four EP's
18. Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis
19. Massive Attack, Heligoland
20. Gogol Bordello, Trans-Continental Hustle
21. Best Coast, Crazy For You
22. Various Artists, The Chronicles of Sheriff Joe Arpaio
23. Ceremony, Rohnert Park
24. GBH, Perfume and Piss
25. The Vaselines, Sex With An X
Michael Lopez
1. Caribou – Swim
2. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
3. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
5. Beach House – Teen Dream
6. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
7. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
8. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
9. Sleigh Bells – Treats
10. Menomena – Mines
11. Spoon – Transference
12. The Roots – How I Got Over
13. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
14. Miami Horror – Illumination
15. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
16. Lemonade – Pure Moods EP
17. Baths – Cerulean
18. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
19. Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
20. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
21. Twin Sister – Color Your Life EP
22. !!! – Strange Weather, Isn't It?
23. Holy Fuck – Latin
24. Glasser – Ring
25. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Mike R. Meyer
1. The Ocean – Heliocentric/Anthropocentric (Metal Blade Records)
2. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms (Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia)
3. Fen – Trails Out of Gloom (Ripple Music)
4. Zoroaster – Matador (E1 Music)
5. Kylesa – Spiral Shadow (Prosthetic Records)
6. Atmosphere – To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
7. The Sword – Warp Riders (Kemado Records)
8. Torche – Songs for Singles (Hydra Head Records)
9. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella Records)
10. The Flaming Lips – The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon (Warner Bros. Records)
11. Kongh – Shadows of the Shapeless (Seventh Rule Recordings)
12. The National – High Violet (4AD)
13. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (Merge Records)
14. Gifts From Enola – Gifts From Enola (The Mylene Sheath)
15. Portugal. The Man – American Ghetto (Approaching AIRballoons/Equal Vision Records)
16. Sweet Cobra – Mercy (Black Market Activities)
17. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis (Party Smasher Inc.)
18. Envy – Recitation (Temporary Residence Limited)
19. Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues (Bloodshot Records)
20. Mini Mansions – Mini Mansions (Rekords Rekords)
21. Landmine Marathon – Sovereign Descent (Prosthetic Records)
22. Rocky Votolato – True Devotion (Barsuk Records)
23. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music)
24. Anal Cunt – Fuckin' A (Patac Records)
25. Coheed & Cambria – Year of the Black Rainbow (Columbia Records)
Chris Piel
1. Yelawolf - Trunk Muzik (Interscope)
2. Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa (Decon Records/Gibbs Family)
3. Earl Sweatshirt - Earl (Independent, Odd Future)
4. Major Lazer & La Roux - Lazer Proof (Mad Decent)
5. DaVinci - The Day The Turf Stood Still (Sweetbreads Creative Collective)
6. Mike G - Ali (Independent, Odd Future)
7. Chancha Via Circuito - Río Arriba (ZZK)
8. Bassnectar - Timestretch (Amorphous Music)
9. Z-Ro - Heroin (Rap-A-Lot)
10. The Roots - How I Got Over (Def Jam)
11. Nas And Damian Marley - Distant Relatives (Def Jam)
12. Sade - Soldier of Love (RCA, Epic)
13. Curren$y - Pilot Talk II (DD172)
14. Tyler The Creator - Bastard (Independent, Odd Future)
15. Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer (Elektra)
16. Deadmau5 - 4x4=12 (Mau5trap)
17. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)
18. Yeasayer - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)
19. Pretty Lights - Glowing In The Darkest Night (Pretty Lights Music)
20. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (Warp)
21. Devin The Dude - Suite #420 (E1 Music)
22. Domo Genesis - Rolling Papers (Independent, Odd Future)
23. Bassnectar - Wildstyle (Amorphous Music)
24. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam)
25. Girl Talk - All Day (Illegal Art)
Lenni Rosenblum
1. Local Natives, Gorilla Manor, French Kiss
2. Broken Bells, Broken Bells, Sony
3. Girl Talk, All Day, Illegal Art
4. Brandon Boyd, The Wild Trapeze, Epic
5. Sleigh Bells, Treats, Mom & Pop Music
6. Vampire Weekend, Contra, XL Recordings
7. The Black Keys, Brothers, Nonesuch
8. Drake, Thank Me Later, Cash Money/Universal Motown
9. The Flaming Lips/Stardeath & White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins and Peaches, Dark Side of the Moon, WEA/Reprise
10. Keeping Riley, Welcome Fire, Rock X Records
11. Jack Johnson, To the Sea, Brushfire
12. Weezer, Hurley, Epitaph
13. Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager, Universal Motown
14. Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz, Asthmatic Kitty
15. The Morning Benders, Big Echo, Rough Trade Us
16. Garotas Suecas, Escaldante Banda, American Dust
17. The Roots, How I Got Over, Def Jam
18. Jay-Z, The Hits Collection, Vol. 1, Def Jam
19. B.o.B., May 25th, Grand Hustle
20. Ratatat, LP4, XL Recordings
21. Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, Pardon Me, Atlantic
22. Belle & Sebastian, Write About Love, Matador Records
23. Deadmau5, 4x4=12, Ultra Records
24. Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More, Glass Note
25. The Budos Band, The Budos Band III, Daptone Records
Sarah Ventre
1. Dead Weather, Sea of Cowards
2. Blitzen Trapper, Destroyer of the Void
3. Tallest Man on Earth, The Wild Hunt
4. Neil Young, Le Noise
5. Buke and Gass, Riposte
6. Spoon, Transference
7. Sharon Van Etten, Epic
8. Ryan Bingham, Junky Star
9. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
10. Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
11. Burnt Ones, Black Teeth & Golden Tongues
12. Jack Rose, Luck in the Valley
13.The Heligoats, Goodness Gracious
14. Moondoggies, Tidelands
15. Sun City Girls, Funeral Mariachi
16. Dominant Legs, Young at Love and Life (EP)
17. Dan Sartain, Lives
18. of Montreal, False Priest
19. White Stripes, Under Great White Northern Lights
20. Sleigh Bells, Treats
21. Various Artists, Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna
22. Jónsi, Go
23. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
24. Vampire Weekend, Contra
25. Various Artists, This Is Flying Blanket, Vol. II
Jason P. Woodbury
1. Deerhunter — Halcyon Digest
2. Kelley Stotlz — For Dreamers
3. Strange Boys — Be Brave
4. Destruction Unit — Eclipse
5. Gil Scott-Heron— I'm New Here
6. Fresh & Onlys — Play It Strange
7. Moon Duo — Escape
8. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti — Before Today
9. Black Keys — Brothers
10. Vigils — Full of Wild Energy & Endless Potential
11. Best Coast — Crazy for You
12. Neil Young — Le Noise
13. Gospel Claws — C-L-A-W-S
14. Jack Rose — Luck in the Valley
15. Kanye West — My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy
16. French Quarter — It's Not Just Kissing
17. Grass Widow — Pass Time
18. Superchunk — Majesty Shredding
19. Man About a Dog — VIVA!
20. Emeralds — Does it Look Like I'm Here?
21. Grinderman — Grinderman 2
22. Justin Townes Earle — Harlem River Blues
23. Damien Jurado & Richard Swift — Other Peoples Songs, Vol. 1
24. Thee Oh Sees — Warm Slime
25. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings — I Learned the Hard Way
