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TOM FERGUSON
Billboard deputy global editor
1. John Cale, "Black Acetate" (EMI). Cale being playful, somber and simply awesome.
2. Go-Betweens, "Oceans Apart" (Lomax). As ever, genuinely great Forster/Mclennan songs.
3. Jackie Leven, "Elegy For Johnny Cash" (Cooking Vinyl). Jackie remains an undiscovered gem, 25 years after "Doll by Doll."
4. The Mutts, "Life on Dirt' (Fat Cat). The most fun you can have with your clothes on. Stooges album of the year.
5. Richard Hawley, "Coles Corner" (Mute). Sheffield re-invented as a suburb of Nashville; northern England never sounded so romantic.
6. Antony and the Johnsons, "I Am a Bird Now" (Rough Trade). Still don't know if I like it -- can't stop playing it.
7. Franz Ferdinand, "You Could Have It So Much Better" (Domino). Tricky second album? Nah, just a band on top form.
8. Brian Eno, "Another Day on Earth" (Ryko). Eno's back writing songs -- a reason to be cheerful.
9. Baxter Dury, "Floorshow" (Rough Trade). Syd Barrett awakes in Blair's Britain. Unique.
10. Perry Keyes, "Meter" (Laughing Outlaw). Best song-writing Australian cabbie on the planet? No contest!
CHARLES FERRO
Billboard international contributor
1. The Raveonettes, "Pretty in Black" (Sony BMG). Style, songs, humor, pith: that's a tribute to rock'n'roll hybrids.
2. Kashmir, "No Balance Palace" (Sony BMG). Complex in its simplicity. It's refreshing to hear a great album in the truest sense of the word.
3. Outlandish, "Closer Than Veins" (Sony BMG). Lush and satisfying, while conveying a political message that must be heard.
4. Los Super Seven, "Heard It on the X" (Telarc). Irresistible in the way it switches style without veering from the theme.
5. Bruce Springsteen, "Born To Run -- 30th Anniversary Edition" (Columbia). An everlasting kiss to rock'n'roll.
6. Bruce Springsteen, "Devils & Dust" (Columbia). He plumbed new depths on this one.
7. D-A-D "Scare Yourself" (EMI). No frills and right in your face like they've been doing it for 20 years.
8. Bruce Springsteen, at Copenhagen Forum, June 22. He truly proved his value as a troubadour.
9. John Hiatt & the North Mississippi All Stars, at KB Hall, Copenhagen, Oct. 18. Southern rock'n'roll at its best. Exquisite guitar work complimented by Hiatt's pen and performance.
10. Beth Hart, at Vega, Copenhagen, Aug. 8. Talk about giving it all you've got. Hart's almost scary in her delivery.
OLAF FURNISS
Billboard international contributor
1. Turbonegro, "Party Animals" (Burning Heart). A Norwegian tribute to '80s punk legends like the Circle Jerks and The Adolescents.
2. Franz Ferdinand, "Do You Want To" (Domino). Single of the year. But what happened to the question mark?
3. Mangomad, "Electrotherapy" (Yummi Records). Soundtrack of the summer. Beautiful songs by a Scottish studio genius.
4. Sonar Festival, Barcelona, Spain. Taking a risk by broadening the music policy more than paid off.
5. Amadou & Mariam, "Dimanche a Bamako" (Radio Bemba/Because/Warner). Emmanuel De Burutel brings another amazing act to global attention.
6. Traena Festival, Norway. Some of Norway's best acts, playing on a tiny island in the Arctic Circle. Unmissable.
7. The Very, Gulag Beat Club, Edinburgh. Punk you can dance to.
8. Fence Collective, Home Game Festival, Fife, U.K. A great selection of bands take over a Scottish fishing village and serve up a musical feast.
9. Maximo Park, "Going Missing" (Warp). Worth buying for the rousing brilliance of "Graffiti" and the title song.
10. Gorillaz, "DARE" (Parlophone). A perfect platform for Shaun Ryder's deranged genius.
BRIAN GARRITY
Billboard business editor
1. Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm" (Vice/Atlantic). The best new band of 2005 delivers the year's most exciting album.
2. Kings Of Leon, "Aha Shake Heartbreak" (RCA). Sophomore stunner sheds the Southern Strokes tag.
3. My Morning Jacket, "Z" (ATO/RCA). MMJ tones down the jams, delves into soul and rock.
4. Wolf Parade, "Apologies to the Queen Mary" (Sub Pop). Nervous post punk mashes Clash, Talking Heads influences.
5. The White Stripes, "Get Behind Me Satan" (Third Man/V2). Their most eclectic set yet.
6. M.I.A., "Arular" (XL). Globalism hits the dance floor on this triumphant multicultural mash-up.
7. Spoon, "Gimme Fiction" (Merge). Austin rockers stretch into R&B, experimental rock, more.
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" (Self-released). Blog favorites put a fresh spin on David Byrne-inspired sound.
9. Bright Eyes, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" (Saddle Creek). Conor Oberst hits new highs a singer/songwriter.
10. Queens Of The Stone Age, "Lullabies To Paralyze" (Interscope). 2005's most underrated. Solid stoner rock.
RON HART
Billboard.com contributor
1. The Rolling Stones, "A Bigger Bang" (Virgin).
2. Paul McCartney, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" (Capitol).
3. Sleater-Kinney, "The Woods" (Sub Pop).
4. Common, "Be" (G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen).
5. The Evens, "The Evens" (Dischord).
6. Spoon, "Gimme Fiction" (Merge).
7. Neil Diamond, "12 Songs" (Columbia).
8. Super Furry Animals, "Love Kraft" (XL/Beggars Banquet).
9. Van Morrison, "Magic Time" (Geffen).
10. No-Neck Blues Band, "Qvaris" (5RC).
KATIE HASTY
Billboard.com associate editor
1. The National, "Alligator" (Beggars Banquet). Smart.
2. Jose Gonzales, "Veneer" (Hidden Agenda). Quieting.
3. Mice Parade, "Bem-Vinda Vontade" (Bubble Core). Surprising.
4. Sons & Daughters, "The Repulsion Box" (Domino). Disquieting.
5. Wolf Parade, "Apologies to the Queen Mary" (Sub Pop). Intriguing.
6. Spoon, "Gimme Fiction" (Merge). Grower.
7. Feist, "Let It Die" (Cherry Tree/Interscope). Comfortable.
8. Sleater-Kinney, "The Woods" (Sub Pop). Convincing.
9. The New Pornographers, "Twin Cinema" (Matador). Bright.
10. Edan, "Beauty and the Beat" (Lewis). Intense.
CLOVER HOPE
Billboard.com associate editor
1. John Legend, "Get Lifted" (G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia). Rich vocals, intelligent songs, hip-hop appeal -- the classiest in R&B.
2. Keyshia Cole, "The Way It Is" (A&M). Mary J. Blige's heir apparent.
3. Kanye West, "Late Registration" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam). Another of Kanye's masterpieces that raises the bar in hip-hop.
4. Common, "Be" (G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen). One of rap's best lyricists gains recognition with a lift from Kanye's innovative production.
5. Mariah Carey, "The Emancipation of Mimi" (Island/Def Jam). Incredible comeback album.
6. Gwen Stefani, "Love. Angel. Music. Baby" (Interscope). Nice combo of hip-hop, pop and rock. Plus the '80s vibe is cool.
7. Young Jeezy, "Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101" (Corporate Thugz/Def Jam). Da Snowman makes a strong debut.
8. Little Brother, "The Minstrel Show" (Atlantic) Smart and totally underrated despite the critical acclaim.
9. Slim Thug, "Already Platinum" (Geffen). Slim helps diversify the Houston rap movement by combining the chopped-and-screwed style with the Neptunes' edgy production.
10. Lil' Kim, "The Naked Truth" (Atlantic). A strong exit before heading to the pen.
BARRY A. JECKELL
Billboard.com editor
1. They Might Be Giants, "Here Come the ABCs" (Disney Sound). Nearly a year in and I don't mind hearing it every day.
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" (Self-released). They don't need no stinkin' label.
3. Little Barrie, "We Are Little Barrie" (Artemis). We are groovy, warm and funky.
4. Gorillaz, "Demon Days" (Virgin). 'Animated' means so much more here.
5. Bruce Springsteen, "Devils & Dust" (Columbia). Solo turn perspective.
6. Kings Of Leon, "Aha Shake Heartbreak" (RCA). Southern-fried fabulous.
7. Martha Wainwright, "Martha Wainwright" (Zoe/Rounder). Soul-baring.
8. Sleater-Kinney, "The Woods"(Sub Pop). Enthralling, exciting, exhausting.
9. Mary Gauthier, "Mercy Now" (Lost Highway). Devastating.
10. Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell, "Begonias" (Yep Roc). More country than country.
Because these lists need to be so much longer: My Morning Jacket, "Z" (ATO/RCA), Bettye LaVette, "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise" (Anti-); Queens Of The Stone Age, "Lullabies To Paralyze" (Interscope); Kathleen Edwards, "Back to Me" (Rounder); Tracy Chapman, "Where You Live" (Elektra); Raul Midon, "State of Mind" (Manhattan); Eliza Gilkyson, "Paradise Hotel" (Red House); Juliet, "Random Order" (Virgin); Ron Sexsmith and Don Kerr, "Sexsmith & Kerr" (Ronboy Rhymes); the Knitters, "Modern Sounds of the Knitters" (Rounder); Tori Amos, "The Beekeeper" (Epic); Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Howl" (RCA); Martina McBride, "Timeless" (RCA).
WADE JESSEN
Billboard Nashville chart manager
1. Lee Ann Womack, "There's More Where That Came From" (MCA Nashville). Except for lead single "I May Hate Myself In the Morning," the label has made weird radio single choices. Get to the title track, please. This album's best stuff is too good to hide.
2. Cherryholmes, "Cherryholmes" (Skaggs Family). Bluegrass meets hard country in a delightful big bang. See y'all at the Grammys.
3. George Jones, "Hits I Missed ... And One I Didn't" (Bandit). No matter how old he gets, every album is still like sliding behind the wheel of a brand new Rolls Royce.
4. Billy Currington, "Doin' Somethin' Right" (Mercury). Forget the pinup-boy good looks, this kid is one damn fine country singer.
5. Joe Nichols, "III" (Universal South). Speaking of damn fine country singers...
6. Antonio Neal, "Days of My Life" (EMI Gospel). It's being marketed as a contemporary gospel record, but the crossover appeal of this stuff is immense.
7. Patty Loveless, "Dreamin' My Dreams" (Epic). She always takes country music back to a time when it stood distinctively, and proudly apart, from everything else on the world music stage. Sadly, those days are too long gone. Or, are they?
8. Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, "Soul's Chapel" (Superlatone/Universal South). See No. 7, and ditto.
9. Dwight Yoakam, "Blame the Vain" (New West). Dwight soars, radio sleeps through it.
10. Ray Scott, "My Kind of Music" (Warner Bros.). 100-proof working man's country music. This hillbilly is about to kick some serious ass.
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Beck, Oakenfold, members of Rascal Flatts, QOTSA, Doves & more share their faves of 2005.
The personal picks of the year's best from the Billboard Information Group staff and our freelance writers.
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