Made this last night and posted on all the forums I use and stuff. Hope you enjoy. [I also included a list of the tracks you need to hear before you die that each LP has, which for me is what makes a great album]
20. Mariah Carey - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Truth is, this isn't near as good as the Emancipation of MiMi, nor is it as good as E=MC2. However you gotta give Mariah props, 20 years in the business and she still writes and produces all of her records and although there are some seriously dodgy tracks in here there are a few diamonds that make up for it. H.A.T.E.U is probably her best ballad since We Belong Together and her Eminem diss track Obsessed is one of her best songs in years.
Tracks to hear: Obsessed, H.A.T.E.U, Candy Bling, Angels Cry, Up Out Of My Face
19. Muse - The Resistance
Muse returned this year for their fifth studio album which is possibly their most experimental and risky body of work yet. At times it does suffer from being a tad too experimental but when it manages to get it right it does it oh so well. Anyone else think the Uprising intro sounds quite like Christina Aguilera's Keep Gettin' Better though :P Regardless this is perhaps, artistically their strongest album so far.
Tracks to hear: Uprising, Unnatural Selection, United States of Eurasia, Exogenis
18. VV Brown - Travelling Like The Like
VV Brown was one of the many strong female British acts to emerge this year. Unfortunately, despite releasing one of the finest pop songs of the year, Shark In The Water, she failed to be playlisted by Radio 1 and only managed to crack the Top 40. The album is still a gem though packed with quirky sounds and doo-wop vibes. It suffers a tad from being a little too long but that doesn't hinder the quality
Tracks to hear: Travelling Like The Light, Leave!, Shark In The Water, Crying Blood, Game Over, Bottles
17. Allison Iraheta - Just Like You
I downloaded this album having watched very little of this year's American Idol. I liked the look of Allison and thought her debut single Friday I'll Be Over U was pretty catchy. I think this album is a really strong debut for Allison with plenty of catchy hooks and a few great ballads too.
Tracks to hear: Friday I'll Be Over U, Don't Waste The Pretty, Holiday
16. Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Mika burst onto the scene in 2007 with his Freddie Mercury like performances and child like debut album. This year he returned with a more sombre affair focusing on his teen years. In truth, it's not as good as his first album but songs like We Are Golden and Rain prove he's still a damn great popstar. Plus he looks pretty hot in the We Are Golden video.
Tracks To hear: We Are Golden, Rain, Toy Boy
15. Cobra Starship - Hot Mess
I first really got into Cobra Starship when I heard their single Good Girls Go Bad with one of my obsessions, Leighton Meester. I fell in love with it straight away so I downloaded their previous album and their latest one. They're quite hit and miss but the album has some solid, fun electro punk tracks with cheeky lyrics and catchy choruses.
Tracks to hear: Good Girls Go Bad, You're Not In On The Joke, I May Be Rude But I'm The Truth
14. Miike Snow - Miike Snow
Miike Snow, the side project of Toxic-hitmakers Bloodshy and Avant, are one of the most underrated bands all year, their debut album a breezy and intriguing affair with laid back verses and chilled beats. The Swedish duo have very much proven themselves as artists in their own right, even though they may not have matched the success of those they've produced for.
Tracks to hear: Animal, Silvia, Burial, Faker
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
For their third album, Karen O and co took a slightly different direction. In keeping with 2009's surging electropop trend they grabbed themselves a synthesizer and created another fabulous record. Short but sweet the album has some of the strongest disco clash music I've heard in a very long time, Karen's vocals surpassing themselves and they haven't lost their knack for feel good choruses or eerie midtempos either
Tracks to hear: Zero, Heads Will Roll, Dull Life, Skeletons, Soft Shock, Shame and Fortune
12. Passion Pit - Manners
One of the most exciting new acts for me this year has been Passion Pit. Their debut LP is one of the finest electropop records I've heard in a long time. So many feel good tracks like Little Secrets, Sleepyhead, The Reeling, Moth's Wings, their debut is strong and a lot of fun to listen to. I hope to hear from them again soon.
Tracks to hear: Little Secrets, Sleepyhead
11. Shakira - She Wolf
Shakira has never been one to stay in her comfort zone as shown on her latest album which is almost totally departed from the exotic feel her last album had. And she hasn't failed to deliver, providing us with some of the finest pop albums all year. She plays around with a variety of sounds and genres on the album and the end result is a smash hit.
Tracks to hear: Spy, She Wolf, Did It Again, Men In This Town, Gypsy
10. La Roux - La Roux
One of the most highly anticipated albums of 2009, La Roux is made up of ginger quiffed Elly Jackson and bandmate Ben. Their debut offering is short but sweet, full of synths and stonking choruses. We even get a moment of serene vulnerability on Cover My Eyes, to accompany the brash and feel good smash hit Bulletproof and In For The Kill.
Tracks to hear: Colourless Colour, In For The Kill, I'm Not Your Toy, Reflections or Protections, Bulletproof
9. Florence + The Machine - Lungs
Having won the Critics Choice Award at this year's BRIT Awards, Florence had a lot of hype to live up to. But she's actually managed to surpass it with this stunning debut, filled to the brim with enchanting melodies and intricate lyrics. Listening to this album takes me to a new state of mind, it is simply beautiful.
Tracks to hear: Cosmic Love, Kiss With A Fist, Howl, Drumming Song, Hurricane Drunk, You've Got The Love
8. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
American Idol runner up Adam Lambert is possibly the most exciting thing to ever come from the show. Besides a controversial AMAs performance this is a fantastic debut for Adam full of fun dance tracks, classic glam rock ballads and eery electronica beats. His vocals shine through out and with help from the likes of Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, Lady GaGa and P!nk, Adam's really broken the AI mould.
Tracks to hear: Fever, Strut, For Your Entertainment, Sleepwalker, Music Again
7. Rihanna - Rated R
I hated Rihanna. Like, really thought she was just another vacuous, RnB singers with no talent. Then she comes and produces this gem. I honestly like every song on this album with the exception of G4L. She shows she is more than a cookie cutting pop starlet with tough and catchy stompers like Hard and Wait Your Turn but shows she can still produce some mighty fine pop ballads with the likes of Fire Bomb
Tracks to hear: Rockstar 101, Russian Roulette, Hard, Stupid In Love, Wait Your Turn, Fire Bomb
6. Little Boots - Hands
Having topped this year's Sound of 2009, YouTube sensation Little Boots had a lot of pressure on her shoulders.She proved she can match the hype though with this electropop masterpiece. Truly nobody else can do electropop quite like Little Boots [yeah GaGa, Lights, La Roux - I'm talking to you]. The album contains many the sing along choruses and funky beats, it's one of the strongest albums of 2009.
Tracks to hear: New In Town, Meddle, Remedy, Earthquake, Click, Mathematic, [bonustrack] Not Now
5. Dan Black - {{Un}}
Dan Black is basically a superior Frankmusik. He does electropop music like no other male popstar at the minute and manages to give it this serene, peaceful feeling. Unfortunately, like VV Brown, he didn't manage to trouble the charts this year, despite being shortlisted for the Sound of 2009 and sampling Rihanna on his debut single. His album remains one of my personal faves all year however.
Tracks to hear: U + Me =, Yours, Alone, Symphonies, Pump My Pumps
4. Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster [deluxe edition]
think of 2009 in music and you couldn't not think GaGa. She literally exploded onto the airwaves this year, releasing hit after hit after hit. This double album is the perfect combination of her raw emotion sewn into sleek electronica tracks with dark undertones and her fun, superficial look on life and fame mixed with synths. She truly is a fantastic popstar and looks to be here to stay.
Tracks to hear: The Fame, Just Dance, Paparazzi, Beautiful Dirty Rich, Monster, Dance In The Dark, Summerboy, Bad Romance, LoveGame
3. Ashley Tisdale - Guilty Pleasure
In all fairness, Ashley is no great singing talent, we all know that. And Headstrong was nothing to write home about. So thats why I think many were taken by surprise when she comes along and delivers this chunk of pop gold. I can listen to almost every song, it's full of sing along choruses and cute lyrics, it's a huge shame the album got such little promotion because really, it has the making of a smash hit.
Tracks to hear: Hair, Hot Mess, Masquerade, Erase and Rewind, I'm Back, Guilty Pleasure, Crank It Up
2. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
Lily Allen first arrived in 2006 with her Mark Ronson produced, ska/indie/pop tunes and her chirpy cockney accent. She made her comeback this year, having ditched Ronson and her retro ska sound and replaced it with cool electropop showing her vulnerable side with this classic pop record. I love absolutely every track and 10 months on, I still play the record all the time. A modern masterpiece.
Tracks to hear: The Fear, **** You, Everyone's At It, Him, Back To The Start, 22, Not Fair, He Wasn't There
1. Taylor Swift - Fearless [Platinum Edition]
I was first introduced to the lovely Taylor with her Romeo and Juliet inspired single, Love Story. She soon became the first artist of 2009 to sell 1 million records, for this album in question. I adore every single song and can honesty say I have listened to it every single day since I bought it, spending weeks being obsessed with one song before moving on to the next. Not since Christina Aguilera's Stripped have I connected and adored an album as much as this. She deserves all the success she's been awarded.
Tracks to hear: Forever and Always, You Belong With Me, Tell Me Why Jump Then Fall, Our Song, Change, White Horse, The Way I Loved You
2010 is set to be an equally as great and diverse year for music. I am personally looking forward to new releases from No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Marina and The Diamonds, Ellie Goulding, Scissor Sisters, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Amy Winehouse, Hurts, Ke$ha, Heidi Montag, Britney Spears and Leighton Meester!