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NICK KELLY
Billboard international contributor
1. Arctic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (Domino). Urgent, spiky, garage-rock-from a bunch of teenagers.
2. Morrissey, "Ringleader of the Tormentors" (Attack/Sanctuary). Relocating to Rome helped kickstart a purple patch for Morrissey.
3. Neko Case, "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" (Anti-). Hooking up with Calexico and Giant Sand in Arizona gave Case a perfect musical/geographical setting.
4. Jarvis Cocker, "Jarvis" (Rough Trade). The comeback of the year, no question.
5. James Yorkston, "The Year of the Leopard" (Domino). Another fine album from Edinburgh's nu-folk kingpin.
6. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, "The Letting Go" (Domino). A beautiful record, full of love and longing.
7. Pernice Brothers, "Live a Little" (Ashmont /One Little Indian). Another unheralded guitar-pop classic by Joe Pernice.
8. The Album Leaf, "Into the Blue Again" (City Slang). A slow-burning gem from electro-stylist Jimmy LaValle.
9. The Frank And Walters, "A Renewed Interest in Happiness" (Fifa). A brilliant comeback from arch Irish eccentrics after a six-year absence.
10. Paul Simon, "Surprise" (Warner Bros.). A state-of-the-nation address, mixed in with personal reflections on fatherhood.
JOSHUA KLEIN
Billboard.com contributor
1. The Hold Steady, "Boys and Girls in America" (Vagrant).
2. The Knife, "Silent Shout" (Mute).
3. Joanna Newsom, "Ys" (Drag City).
4. Tom Waits, "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" (Anti-).
5. TV On The Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain" (Interscope).
6. Mission Of Burma, "The Obliterati" (Matador).
7. Califone, "Roots & Crowns" (Thrill Jockey).
8. Ghostface Killah, "Fishscale" (Def Jam).
9. Junior Boys, "So This Is Goodbye" (Domino).
10. Lindsey Buckingham, "Under the Skin" (Reprise).
JOHN LERNER
VNU Business Media VP of digital strategy
1. TV On The Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain" (Interscope).
2. The Decemberists, "The Crane Wife" (Capitol).
3. Sunset Rubdown, "Shut Up I'm Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings" (Global Symphonic).
4. Band Of Horses, "Everything All the Time" (Sub Pop).
5. Mew, "And the Glass Handed Kites" (Columbia).
6. The Minutemen, "Introducing the Minutemen" (SST). Oh, the good old days.
7. G. Love, "G. Love's Lemonade" (Brushfire). Always fun.
8. Chavez, "Better days Will Haunt You" (Matador). Still sounds great.
9. Beck, "The Information" (Interscope)
10. Neil Young & Crazy Horse, "Live at the Filmore East" (Reprise). Finally!
JASON MACNEIL
Billboard.com contributor
1. The Hourly Radio, "History Will Never Hold Me" (Kirtland Records). Texas outfit's debut features fantastic songs, great hooks and no dull moments.
2. Keane, "Under the Iron Sea" (Interscope). Darker than album one but just as stellar with "Try Again" and "A Bad Dream."
3. Tom Petty, "Highway Companion" (American Recordings/Warner Bros.). Yet another taken-for-granted gem in a catalog of songwriting gold.
4. Primal Scream, "Riot City Blues" (Columbia). Music-mixing mad hatters get back to Stones-y basics.
5. Vince Gill, "These Days" (MCA Nashville). Axl Rose will release a similar amount of material ... by 2057.
6. Ron Sexsmith, "Time Being" (Warner Music Canada). Slight departure for the underrated musician, with the same excellent results.
7. James Dean Bradfield, "The Great Western" (Sony BMG). Solid solo album for Manic Street Preachers frontman will hold most over until band's next release.
8. Calexico, "Garden Ruin" (Quarterstick). Branching out into a slightly rockier format does wonders for fine band.
9. The Black Keys, "Magic Potion" (Nonesuch). Seedy, sparse, bluesy, fuzzy and great!
10. Sloan, "Never Hear the End of It" (BMG Music Canada). Adventurous 30-song release touches on both the old and new.
TODD MARTENS
Billboard correspondent
1. Art Brut, "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" (Downtown/Atlantic).
2. Gnarls Barkley, "St. Elsewhere" (Downtown/Atlantic).
3. Rhymefest, "Blue Collar" (Allido/J).
4. Cursive, "Happy Hollow" (Saddle Creek).
5. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins, "Rabbit Fur Coat" (Team Love).
6. Lupe Fiasco, "Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor" (Atlantic).
7. The Decemberists, "The Crane Wife" (Capitol).
8. Isobel Cambell and Mark Lanegan, "Ballad of the Broken Seas" (V2).
9. Ghostface Killah, "Fishscale" (Def Jam).
10. Love Is All, "Nine Times That Same Song" (What's Your Rupture?).
GEOFF MAYFIELD
Billboard director of charts/senior analyst
1. Corrine Bailey Rae, "Corrine Bailey Rae" (Capitol). Rookie charms with songs that say something.
2. The Beatles, "Love" (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol). I feared "Stars on 45," but instead heard the Fab Four with fresh ears.
3. Frank Sinatra, "Vegas" (Reprise). Classy box helps explain why God invented Rhino.
4. Los Lobos, "The Town and the City" (Hollywood). They continue to satisfy with stew of several flavors.
5. Nancy Wilson, "Turned to Blue" (MCG Jazz/Telarc). As expressive and sophisticated as ever. Honorable mention: Gladys Knight, "Before Me" (Verve).
6. Ray Charles + the Count Basie Orchestra, "Ray Sings Basie Swings" (Hear/Concord). I don't care if it's a studio trick. The music works. Honorable mention: Tom Scott, "Bebop United" (MCG Jazz/Telarc).
7. Ray LaMontagne, "Till the Sun Turns Black" (RCA). Sophomore proves he's a songwriter of substance.
8. Eliane Elias, "Around The City" (Bluebird/RCA Victor). Simply seductive ... and I'm talking about her music.
9. Rockie Lynne, "Rockie Lynne" (Universal South). Country newcomer tells compelling stories.
10. Snow Patrol, "Eyes Open" (Polydor/A&M/Interscope). I might be gray, but I can still rock.
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STEVE MCCLURE
Billboard Asia bureau chief
1. Gnarls Barkley, "St. Elsewhere" (Warner Music Japan). Deeply disturbing but ultimately redemptive because of the music's sheer soulfulness.
2. Boris, "Pink" (Southern Lord Records). Blue Cheer's mutant Japanese musical offspring rock out LOUDLY.
3. Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black" (Island Records Group/Universal). Blue-eyed female soul with guts.
4. Various Artists, "Revenge of Blind Joe Death -- The John Fahey Tribute Album" (Takoma). A suitably eclectic tribute to Fahey's eclectic, eccentric genius.
5. The Beatles, "Love" (Apple Corps Ltd./Toshiba-EMI). Thank God George Martin (and son) did this, and not Jeff Lynne.
6. Dora Schwarzberg & Martha Argerich, "Franck-Debussy-Schumann" (Avanticlassic). Exquisitely played and beautifully recorded in DSD/SACD.
7. Shibusarazu, "Shibuzen" (Avex Io). Brilliantly over-the-top big-band jazz-rock from Japan.
8. Ayaka, "First Message" (Warner Music Japan). Incredibly strong debut from this 18-year-old Japanese chanteuse.
9. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, "40th Anniversary Celebration" (Ragnarock Films). Delightfully shambolic reunion of the second-best band ever to have come out of England.
10. Momoko Furukawa, "La Jolla" (Tangpoffice). Pleasantly bright, breezy and clever J-pop.
JILL MENZE
Billboard contributor
1. Arctic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (Domino).
2. TV On The Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain" (Interscope).
3. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins, "Rabbit Fur Coat" (Team Love).
4. Tapes 'n' Tapes, "The Loon" (XL).
5. Nellie McKay, "Pretty Little Head" (Hungry Mouse/spinART).
6. Belle & Sebastian, "The Life Pursuit" (Matador).
7. The Hold Steady, "Boys and Girls in America" (Vagrant).
8. Junior Boys, "So This Is Goodbye" (Domino).
9. Cat Power, "The Greatest" (Matador).
10. Morrissey, "Ringleader of the Tormentors" (Attack/Sanctuary).
GAIL MITCHELL
Billboard senior correspondent
1. Corinne Bailey Rae, "Corinne Bailey Rae" (Capitol).
2. Akon, "Konvicted" (SRC/Upfront/Konvict/Universal Motown).
3. Mary J. Blige, "The Breakthrough" (Matriarch/Geffen/Interscope).
4. Anthony Hamilton, "Ain't Nobody Worryin'" (So So Def/Zomba).
5. Robin Thicke, "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" (Overbrook/Star Trak/Interscope).
6. Gnarls Barkley, "St. Elsewhere" (Downtown/Atlantic).
7. Lyfe Jennings, "The Phoenix" (Columbia/Sony Music).
8. Ray Charles + the Count Basie Orchestra, "Ray Sings Basie Swings" (Hear/Concord).
9. Beyonce, "B'Day" (Columbia/Sony Urban).
10. Tamia, "Between Friends" (Plus 1/Image Entertainment).
DAN OUELLETTE
Billboard Jazz Notes columnist
1. Gomez, "How We Operate" (ATO).
2. Cassandra Wilson, "Thunderbird" (Blue Note).
3. Paul Motian Band, "The Garden of Eden" (ECM).
4. Dave Burrell Trio, "Momentum" (High Two).
5. Al Anderson, "After Hours" (Legacy).
6. Ornette Coleman, "Sound Grammar" (Sound Grammar).
7. Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet, "Husky" (Hyena).
8. Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, "The River in Reverse" (Verve Forecast).
9. Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet, "Memories of T" (Concord).
10. Shawn Colvin, "These Four Walls" (Nonesuch).
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Jay-Z, Beck, Carrie Underwood, Josh Groban, members of Def Leppard and more share their faves of 2006.
The personal picks of the year's best from the Billboard staff and our worldwide freelance contributors.
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