Everybody's got an opinion, right? Music critics are a particularly insufferable lot, especially when it comes to compiling lists. Give us five minutes at the keg or the water cooler and we'll give you the ten best movie soundtracks, or cover songs, or duets. And since end of the year lists are unavoidable and let's face it, highly enjoyable, we now present what, in our humble view, was the best music of 2007.

Top 50 Albums:

50. David Kilgour – The Far Now (Merge). A lovely, understated album that mixes Kilgour’s typically sparkling guitar work with darker ruminations on the state of the world. - Tyler Wilcox

49. Tim Fite - "Over the Counter Culture" (Anti-). Tim has come a long way since Shaniqua. "OTCC" is arguably the most important album of the year that nobody heard. – Oliver Lopena.

48. Marissa Nadler – Songs III: Bird on a Wire (Peacefrog). This album was a great way to start the summer. Wistful, burnt summer days that take over your hearts and heads – it's all painfully and beautifully here. – Jessica Pinney.

47. Shout Out Louds – Our Ill Wills (Merge). By now we all know that Swedish bands can be rather special. Perhaps it's in the water (fjords!), or perhaps the bands that make it big are just really good. The Shout Out Louds have made another majestic album, full of sadness, yet full of joy. – Megan Petty.

46. Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar). Will Sheff writes the soundtrack to a movie in his head, telling stories you would want to hear even if they weren’t set to music that sticks in your head for days. The rhymes in “Unless It’s Kicks” are worth the price of admission on their own. A band that’s easy to fall in love with, and an album that makes you want to hug every last one of them, or at least buy them a beer. Probably both. – Brittany Abbott.

45. Dungen - Tio Bitar (Kemado). From the head and hands of a lanky, long-haired Swede came this overflowing compendium of psychedelic rock, one that combines the finest bands of the late '60s – early '70s into a blazing whole. – Robert Ham.

44. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (Island). It would be a sad thing indeed if Ms. Winehouse became known more for her gossip blog exploits than her toweringly powerful voice. Back to Black is the 1960s girl group sound with 21st century misbehavior, and it’s fantastic. – Megan Petty.

43. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II (Reprise). With probably the most erratic output for a legend of such statue, much of Young's 21st century output has focused on specific styles, but Chrome Dreams II sees him finally make an album that spans his full range of styles with a classic set of songs. Even the 17-minute long "Ordinary People" doesn't seem to drag even if it has some Pink Floydian sax soloing. – Karl Butler.

42. Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position (Polydor). While not as good as his previous efforts, there's still enough on this album to get completely lost in. He's a dangerous man – far too charming and enticing. – Jessica Pinney.

41. Los Campesinos!: Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP + The International Tweexcore Underground (single) (Arts & Crafts). Yes, it's affected, and doesn't wander too far from the Architecture in Helsinki school of pop. But it's insanely danceable and joyous, and even if it is at times a little bit too clever, it's never less than raucous fun. "You! Me! Dancing!" is one of the best singles of the year, and gets points for a name as immediate and fundamental as the track is explosive. – Juliet O'Keefe.

40. Art Brut - It's Not Complicated (Downtown). Eddie Argos — snotty delivery and all — renews my faith in British guitar-pop. – Mark Cappelletty.

39. Grinderman – Grinderman (Anti-). A wholly vacuous album about sex and the lack of sex. Four old men complaining about their wives not putting out. Anyway you put it, it's slightly repulsive, but the outrageously good sounds these four horn dogs produce is unnervingly convincing. – Jessica Pinney.

38. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino). A tutorial on how to follow up on the fastest selling debut in UK history. Alex Turner and his boyhood mates impressively and improbably improve on the groundbreaking album that made them an overnight sensation. – Brandon Ginsburg.

37. Vashti Bunyan - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind (FatCat/Spinney). Bunyan emerges from these vinyl and restored acetate archives as a would-be swinging sixties London pop star, quite far from the pastoral folk-pop jewels she conjured during her legendary late-sixties road trip to a remote Scottish island to be a part of Donovan's hippy commune. – Keith Wallace.

36. Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis (Rough Trade). Effortless and mature Brit-pop from a Young Turk somehow turned Elder Statesman. – Mark Cappelletty.

35. Rufus Wainwright - Release the Stars (Geffen). While not quite as satisfying as Want One, there's no denying Wainwright's genius for composing and arranging. This album has beauty, heartbreak, humor, dynamic buildups, and lederhosen. What more could you ask? – Laura Sylvester.

34. Once - Music from the Motion Picture (Soundtrack) (Canvasback Music) Lovely singer-songwriter music from the year's best "musical." "Falling Slowly" makes me cry like a little girl. – Oliver Lopena.

33. Magik Markers – Boss (Ecstatic Peace). Oh god… as if they hadn't mastered the brutal noise thing, now they've got to go and show us that they're masters of song writing too. Amazing vocals and guitar sounds – of course! – Jessica Pinney.

32. Les Savy Fav - Let's Be Friends (French Kiss). The band finally lives up to its potential with a record that is as catchy as it is bruising. – Mark Cappelletty.

31. Luke Temple. Snowbeast (Millpond). Seemed like forever waiting for Luke’s new album, and this one took me by surprise. But, given a chance, it found a way into my heart and wouldn’t let go. It’s complex and difficult and worthwhile, like any decent relationship. The easy ones are never as fun as the challenges, am I right? – Brittany Abbott.

30. Angels of Light – We Are Him (Young God). Absolutely stunning. There's not a rough note on this album; it's held together with desert sand and whiskey. So hot. – Jessica Pinney.

29. Thurston Moore – The Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace) . At last Moore delivers the solo album I was hoping he had in him. Gorgeous acoustic strumming, raging solos from J Mascis, otherworldly singing from Christina Carter and beautiful strings from Samara Lubelski. Sonic middle age has never sounded so sweet. – Keith Wallace.

28. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover (Jagjaguwar). The third LP from Sunset Rubdown is gratifyingly weird and floridly baroque; at its best it is music for a demented carnival taking place in an alternate world. Should perhaps come with a flow chart demonstrating the multiple roles (Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, Fifths of Seven) of the exuberantly talented Spencer Krug. – Juliet O'Keefe.

27. Soulsavers - It's Not How Hard You Fall, It's The Way You Land (V2). Whoever thought Mark Lanegan could be funky? – Mark Cappelletty.

26. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday (XL Recordings). If there was a revelation for me this year, it was Elvis Perkins. Lyrics that are poetic without being saccharine, a singer who is perfect in his imperfection, tragedy and heartbreak served up in a way that never leaves you sad or heartbroken. A songwriter who makes you hopeful for the future of music, and a completely honest performer who brings the house down without trying. Someone to watch, for a long long time to come. – Brittany Abbott.

25. Tunng - Good Arrows (Thrill Jockey). Frothy plinky pop that plays with childlike memes but has an audible burn and sting that will definitely leave a lasting mark. – Robert Ham.

24. Burial – Untrue (Hyperdub). Dubstep may not be getting much mainstream notice, but shadowy London producer Burial might be the breakthrough artist of the genre. – Todd Hutlock.

23. Robert Wyatt. Comicopera (Domino). If you are new to Robert Wyatt, this is not a bad place to start. A mix of opera, rock, and jazz, with Wyatt's heart wrenching falsetto gluing it all together. – Brandon Ginsburg.

22. Björk – Volta (Atlantic). As with her most recent albums, Volta saw Björk once again delve heavily into new timbres, this time relying strongly on an a dozen female brass players all from her Icelandic homeland. Whilst the end result probably couldn’t claim to be her strongest effort, it was certainly her most wide-ranging and direct since Post and found Björk’s subject matter far more external than anything previous. -Karl Butler

21. Clientele – God Save the Clientele (Merge). A pretty much flawless collection that's instantly familiar and endlessly enjoyable. – Tyler Wilcox.

20. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (Merge). Montreal's favorite sons (and daughters) battle love and religion with fervor and purpose in one of the most anticipated sophomore albums in recent memory. – Brandon Ginsburg.

19. Electrelane - No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure). This quartet recently announced their upcoming "indefinite hiatus," meaning that they have left us fans gasping for more, thanks to this sharp shard of post-punk. – Robert Ham.

18. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum). What can be said about Andrew Bird that hasn't been said before? The fluidity and wit of his compositions, the sophistication, the multi-instrumental live performances, the whistling!, etcetera. In this album, a follow up to 2005's brilliant The Mysterious Production of Eggs, he continues to expand and explore his unique musical vocabulary. – Juliet O'Keefe.

17. Kevin Drew – Spirit If (Arts & Crafts). Kevin Drew, the mastermind behind the Canadian super collective Broken Social Scene, enlists many members of said band on this dazzling quasi-solo album. – Brandon Ginsburg.

16. Battles – Mirrored (Warp). Odd time signatures and distorted vocals fuse together like a schizophrenic's synapses and result in a mind-bending joyride. – Brandon Ginsburg.

15. St. Vincent – Marry Me (Beggars Banquet). The most striking aspect of Annie Clark's (aka St. Vincent) debut album was its ability to produce completely different textures than the raw aggression her live shows. It showcased a series of complex and intricate textures, and while perhaps lacking somewhat in substance, showed the value provided by smart arrangements. – Karl Butler.

14. Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop). Further brilliance from Sam Beam. The sublime opener "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car" has a type of infinite, effortless swing to it, and the rest of the album doesn't fall far behind. Africa, America and Latin America meet and mingle here in a kind of aural utopia. – Juliet O'Keefe.

13. Blonde Redhead – 23 (4AD). I was never much of a Blonde Redhead fan, but 23 got my attention something serious. It's an ethereal, heavenly ride that blew me away with its sheer magnitude of beauty. – Megan Petty.

12. Liars – Liars (Mute). It's like Beck! It's like Jesus and Mary Chain! It's like Liars!! So awesome. So incoherent. So pointless. Ten thousand points worth of fun. – Jessica Pinney.

11. Feist – The Reminder. (Cherry Tree/Interscope). Leslie Feist knocks it out of the park with her follow-up to the acclaimed Let It Die. She may be on the road to overexposure, but if she keeps making albums as strong as this one, that won't matter at all. – Tyler Wilcox.

10. MIA - Kala (Interscope). Genius collagist, global citizen, standard bearer of an aggressive musical democracy, plunderer of the treasures held most dear by Western "alternative" culture: Mathangi (Maya) Arulpragasam is all that and more. Kala arrives like a letter to the world bearing the postmarks and stamps of a dozen countries; put together, they form a musical map which acknowledges no borders. In "Paper Planes" a visa becomes more than piece of paper: it's a vehicle, a burden, a method of escape, a prison and a prison break all in one. A true artist for the 21st century, MIA's second album more than fulfills the promise of her first. – Juliet O'Keefe.

9. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup. (Ba Da Bing). Beirut's Zach Condon was the revelation of 2006 for many people. Was it just me, or were you holding your breath, waiting to see if Gulag Orkestar was just a fluke? Well, he followed it up with The Flying Club Cup, and I'll be goddamned if it's not better that the first. That voice, the orchestration, the maturity. It's so close to perfection that it's got me worried again… when is this kid going to self-destruct? I'm gonna keep him in my prayers, because he's just too good to lose. Keep it coming, Zach. – Brittany Abbott.

8. Panda Bear – Person Pitch (Paw Tracks). If Brian Wilson had done X instead of LSD during the Smile sessions all those years ago, perhaps it would have sounded like this. Deep, loopy, druggy, and brilliant, Panda Bear trumps the overproduced 2007 efforts of his Animal Collective mates with his fractured California pop through the looking glass. – Todd Hutlock.

7. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer (Polyvinyl). Magnificently quirky, those oddballs from Of Montreal cooked up something special for 2007. Hissing Fauna is like a trip down the rabbit hole, over the rainbow, and to the outer reaches of the universe all rolled into one. – Megan Petty.

6. The National – The Boxer (Beggars Banquet). Brooklyn's favorite brotherly mopers did it again, showing their unparalleled mastery with melancholy. The National have scaled new heights with their emotional fragility. – Megan Petty.

5. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge). The winning-streak continues, as Spoon craft what is probably their most focused and assured LP yet. Ridiculously catchy, too. – Tyler Wilcox.

4. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver (DFA). This bittersweet, introspective, subversive, and wildly outgoing masterpiece runs the gamut of human emotion and it pulls it off with the most danceable beats this side of Daft Punk. – Brandon Ginsburg.

3. Pj Harvey. White Chalk. (Island) Bleak and brilliant. The short songs don't make the journey any less compelling. While radically different from the PJ you're used to, one thing remains constant – her genius. – Christine Wright.

2. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam. (Domino) Strawberry Jam strikes the perfect balance between wacky experimentation and focused pop. Animal Collective never cease to find innovative ways to express their uncanny feel for melody. They can piece together just about any random snippets of noise and make them sound musical. – Brandon Ginsburg.

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows. (Self-Released.) Worth every second of the agonizing four year wait since 2003's Hail to the Thief, Radiohead deliver the album of the year, not just sonically, but by turning the music industry itself inside out with their "pay what you want" download-only release. We can only bow to their greatness. – Laura Sylvester.

Top 50 Songs:

50. Panda Bear - "Bro's" (Paw Tracks). A wonderful world of ethereal reverb and blissful melody is revealed in this ten-plus minute milestone of studio prowess. – Brandon Ginsburg.

49. Bowerbirds - "In Our Talons" (Self-Released). When you have John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats singing the praises of your melancholic folk, you are obviously doing something very very right. – Robert Ham

48. Deerhoof - "+81" (Kill Rock Stars). Choo-choo-choo-choo beep beep. – Robert Ham

47. Kevin Drew - "Gang Bang Suicide" (Arts & Crafts). Kevin Drew sounds like he is exhausting every last breath in his being for this sentimental stunner that seems inappropriately titled. – Brandon Ginsburg

46. Marissa Nadler – "Dying Breed" (Peace Frog). Marissa gets it frighteningly right here. The reverb gives you a full body ache for someone who's just going to kill you in the end anyway. – Jessica Pinney.

45. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss - "Killing the Blues" (Rounder). Close harmony ecstasy. – Tyler Wilcox.

44. New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbour" (Last Gang). Dan Bejar takes on that infamous bitch goddess known as New York City — and loses! Great song, nonetheless. – Tyler Wilcox.

43. Justin Timberlake – "My Love" (Jive). There weren't many perfect pop moments this year, but this is one of them! – Jessica Pinney.

42. Spoon - "The Underdog" (Merge). The perfect record they always threatened to make, with an assist from producer Jon Brion. In a perfect world, this would be top of the charts. Instead, Spoon continue to languish in Next Big Thing territory, a decade in and at the top of their game. – Todd Hutlock

41. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "It's Not What You Wanted" (RCA). Loud, straining, powerful. The former post-shoegazers have moved on to a near twang, and it fits them like a glove. – Megan Petty

40. Andrew Bird - "Dark Matter" (Fat Possum). The multi-talented singer/instrumentalist harkens back on a morbid childhood obsession with the board game Operation. – Brandon Ginsburg

39. PJ Harvey "The Mountain" (Island). The banshee wails that close out this song (and White Chalk as a whole) are truly haunting, reverberating with the listener for hours after the CD stops spinning. – Tyler Wilcox.

38. Los Campesinos! – "You! Me! Dancing!" (Arts & Crafts). Simply the most fun internet craze of 2007! Make a song! Make it danceable! Add exclamation marks all over the place! Get fans to post homemade videos of their contagious dancing! Few tracks make me want to be sixteen again, but Los Campesinos!' youth and innocence is a naivety to behold in all its energetic glory. 2008 promises big things for the Welsh septet. – Karl Butler

37. Luke Temple - "Where is Away" (Millpond). Dreamy and hypnotic, with goosebump-raising falsetto harmonies "Where is Away" is one of many standout songs on the tragically overlooked Snow Beast. Expect great things from Mr. Temple for many years to come. – Laura Sylvester

36. Wilco - "What Light" Nonesuch). Wilco may have finally headed to the downside of the Dad Rock pasture, but Jeff Tweedy can still pull those heartstrings just enough to keep you watching to see if he's got one more classic in him. – Todd Hutlock

35. Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder" (A&M). My absolute biggest guilty pleasure of the year. Don't tell anyone. – Robert Ham

34. Radiohead – "Nude" (Self-Released). Perhaps the fact that they nailed recording "Nude" so early in their recording sessions was the huge weight off their shoulders that freed Radiohead's creativity. For so long a bugbear, their frustrations at being unable to get this right in the studio were evident in their own comments as well as their constant re-arranging of the song. Finally they settled upon a version that worked and proved that there are indeed some things in life that are waiting for. – Karl Butler

33. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump" (Third Man/Warner). With political overtones and synthesizer hooks, "Icky Thump's" raw power rivals any song in the White Stripes catalogue. – Brandon Ginsburg

32. Elvis Perkins. "While You Were Sleeping" (XL). The crowning lyrical achievement of Elvis Perkins' debut album just might be the crowning lyrical achievement of 2007. Stream of consciousness never sounded so coherent, spinning you through a dream-state of hope and grief. The song itself grows slowly, almost imperceptibly, over six and a half minutes. Perkins' rock steady, emotive vocal delivery is swept along in swirls of horns and backing vocals, simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, then lands you safely back where you started with the strum of an acoustic guitar. It's one sweet ride. - Brittany Abbott

31. Joni Mitchell – "Shine" (Hear Music). This is the highlight of her recent album of the same name, and is a meditative, almost elegiac summation of the world as it is. Full of the wisdom of her years, the song inventories human folly large and small, embracing the "asshole passing on the right" with the same equal radiance and dispassionate observation that Mitchell, at this afternoon of her career, brings to the examination of herself. - Juliet O'Keefe

30. Vic Chesnutt - "You Are Never Alone" (New West). A lullaby for the wayward adult who needs someone to stroke their hair and softly tell them that everything will be okay. – Brandon Ginsburg

29. Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Def Jam). Just when you thought he had run the gauntlet of songs that are both boastful and self-flagellating, Kanye does it again. – Robert Ham

28. The Broken West - "So It Goes" (Merge). The best Teenage Fanclub song, like, ever. – Tyler Wilcox.

27. Blonde Redhead, "23" (4AD). The title track of their latest effort, "23" is a swirling, otherworldly sonic odyssey. Utterly transcendent. – Megan Petty.

26. Animal Collective - "For Reverend Green" (Domino). Avey Tare screams his guts out for one Reverend Green while the band whirls up a dizzying cacophony of sonic pleasure. – Brandon Ginsburg.

25. Band of Horses - "Is There a Ghost" (Sub Pop). Reverb drenched vocals and chugging feedback-soaked guitar riffs make this make this an Indie-Americana classic – Laura Sylvester

24. Beirut - "Nantes" (Ba Da Bing). Just another night in Nantes with Zach Condon, singing beyond his years. – Brandon Ginsburg

23. Feist – "My Moon, My Man" (Cherry Tree/Interscope). Honestly, I think this is superior to "1234," which is currently cutting a swath through radio playlists of various formats. But nobody begrudges Feist her success; she's the anti-Celine Dion, cool, sophisticated, and serious without being too serious. Juliet O'Keefe

22. Battles - "Atlas" (Warp). Pound for pound, the heavyweight song of the year. A muscular track undercut just so by its squirrelly and infectious vocal hook. – Robert Ham

21. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends" (DFA). James Murphy's poignant piano looped introspective on the balancing act that comes with adulthood. "You spend the first five years trying to get with the plan and the next five years trying to be with your friends again." – Brandon Ginsburg

20. Neko Case – "Behind the House" (Anti-). One of the highlights from her Austin City Limits CD, this represents every best aspect of Case's songwriting. Every moment is held together with so much conviction and heart. Perhaps the best so-far unofficially released song ever. – Jessica Pinney.

19. Akron/Family - "Ed Is A Portal" (Young God). This freak folk rave up sounds like the party that we were warned about in "Mama Told Me Not To Come." – Robert Ham

18. Björk – "Innocence" (Atlantic). Take Björk circa-Post era, add a pinch of rave, a pinch of compressed hip-hop beats, and most importantly, producer Timbaland and you get "Innocence." A frighteningly raucous combination of all of the above, it proved that Björk is still one of the world's most essential musicians and performers. – Karl Butler

17. Angels of Light - "Black River Song" (Young God). A cacophonous rolling harshness is achieved as the band hits on all cylinders in one of the best opening tracks of the year. – Brandon Ginsburg

16. The 1900s - "Two Ways" (Rough Trade). A triumphant, 21st Century Fleetwood Mac-ian ditty. The words "ridiculously infectious" comes to mind. – Megan Petty

15. Dean and Britta - "Singer Sing" (Zoe). Suicide (the band) meets Mazzy Star in the back of a limousine. Dreaminess ensues. – Tyler Wilcox.

14. Modest Mouse - "Dashboard" (Epic). Johnny Marr's contributions shine in one of the catchiest songs of the year. – Brandon Ginsburg

13. Radiohead – 15 Step (Self-Released). OH MY GOD DID YOU JUST HEAR THOSE KIDS SAYING 'YAY'!? Yeah I did! Thank you Radiohead for slapping a grin all over my stupid face! – Jessica Pinney.

12. !!! – "Heart of Hearts" (Warp). A pumping beat, scritchy rhythmic guitar, irresistible girl vocals singing the hook. Who says white boys can't make great dance music? - Laura Sylvester

11. Bat for Lashes – "Tahiti" (She Bear). The one name missing from all the expected list of Natasha Khan's influences is that of Kate Bush; you can hear it here. Juliet O'Keefe

10. Of Montreal – "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" (Polyvinyl). Has there ever been a greater music-emotional paradox than Hissing Fauna? Kevin Barnes created a monster of an indie-pop record with infectious grooves but set this alongside depressing lyrics about a relationship break-up. "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" wins song title of the year by default. It sounds like exactly what I'd want to hear at an Indie disco, but it also shows Hissing Fauna's great juxtaposition in its full glory. – Karl Butler

9. MF Doom – "Deep Fried Frenz" (Metal Face). The horn sample alone is worth a listen, but it's the heart-warming sentiments behind this song that win you over. MF Doom is like the dashing prince of hip hop. How many of us have them?! The ones we can depend on!? FRIENDS! – Jessica Pinney.

8. Grinderman - "No Pussy Blues" (Anti-). Nick Cave relays all the inventive ways he employed to get into some lucky lady's pants, but as the title of the song suggests, none of them quite worked. – Brandon Ginsburg

7. Arctic Monkeys - "D is for Dangerous" (Domino). Even wittier than their debut, Arctic Monkeys hit the nail on the head with this two minute dose of nouveau Britpop supremacy. – Megan Petty

6. Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" (Merge). A Motown tribute that bobs and weaves mischievously. Tambourines! Horns! Falsettos! Random noise! Sweet. – Tyler Wilcox.

5. Animal Collective - "Derek" (Domino). What pop music would sound like if an advanced alien race all high on Pixie Stix took over the earth. - Brandon Ginsburg

4. The National, "Start a War" (Beggars Banquet). As difficult was it is to pick favorites from Boxer, "Start a War" demonstrates Matt Berninger's astute lyrical abilities, as well as the band's aptitude for turning sad scenarios into beautiful songs. – Megan Petty

3. PJ Harvey – "White Chalk" (Island). Polly Jean reinvents herself on this guitar-less collection of haunting songs which showcase her rarely used upper vocal register. In an album full of chilling images, "White Chalk" contains perhaps the most unforgettable, as the narrator walks the seaside cliffs addressing a lover whose unborn child she's carrying. (Scratch my palms/There's blood on my hands.) Raw and utterly devastating, this is the bravest release of the year by a mile. – Laura Sylvester

2. LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum" (DFA). A punchier James Murphy and scathing, tongue-in-cheek lyrics had this song stuck in my head for weeks. Resistance, as they say, is futile. – Megan Petty

1. Radiohead – "Reckoner" (Self-Released). If "Reckoner" had been the only song on In Rainbows, it still would have been the album of the year. Swooningly beautiful, with woozy falsetto vocals, a swelling string arrangement, and aching with unfulfilled longing – it could be the most spiritual and uplifting thing Thom Yorke has ever written. - Laura Sylvester

-- Illustration by Laura Siragher.

Junkmedia Staff
December 28, 2007