1. Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy": It's hard to imagine West topping this "Fantasy." The album is a lush, richly-produced trip into the head of a "tortured" artist. Rather than featuring his trademark style — sped-up soul samples, 808 drum beats — "Fantasy" dabbles in genres ranging from electronic to rock to classical, all while staying firmly grounded in hip hop. It's Kanye's most thrilling album and his best work yet. It both rejects easy classification and holds universal appeal. Add to that an all-star roster of featured guests and infinite replay value, and it's a must-hear.
2. LCD Soundsystem, "This is Happening": Twenty seconds into "This is Happening," you know you're in for something awesome. The opening track, "Dance Yrself Clean," brings James Murphy's growing instincts for slick production and devilish catchiness to a glorious culmination. Everything on the album sounds right, from the taut, propulsive drums to the inventive synth work to Murphy's impassioned voice shouting over all of it. No one could have guessed Murphy would make such a funky career out of writing songs about mid-life crises, but you can throw "This is Happening" on at any kind of party and get people moving.
3. Joanna Newsom, "Have One on Me": Joanna Newsom's latest release confirms her status as one of America's most promising young songwriters. Every album since her intimate debut, "The Milk-Eyed Mender" (2004), has seen her moving into increasingly ambitious territory. "Have One on Me" sees Newsom fronting a full-on folk band, supplanted by everything from trombones and violins to bass clarinets and arcane Bulgarian instruments. Newsom's incredible skills as a harpist, pianist and vocalist easily justify the album's daunting two-hour run time, which lets her explore everything from upbeat gospel tinged songs like "Good Intentions Paving Company" to introspective ballads like "Autumn."
4. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs": Arcade Fire's eloquent third album is a culmination of their search for an identity. "The Suburbs" is a tour de force, encompassing the storytelling of "Funeral" (2004) and the ostentatious methodology of "Neon Bible" (2007). The album is a keyhole into the evolution of indie music, skillfully aware of recent influences and inclusive of surf and new wave alike. The pretension of the album's post-apocalyptic suburban setting and its musical trendiness might have estranged the band's early-won fans; however, besides some message-board scuffles when the album went number one, it appears that Arcade Fire continues to walk the line between overwrought and iconic.
5. Janelle Monáe, "The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)": It's one thing to hear Janelle Monáe's outstanding and versatile voice, and it's another to see her dance, as funky as James Brown, wearing her trademark tuxedo. But it's quite another thing to hear "The ArchAndroid," her first LP and the second and third "suites" in her concept series based partially on Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927). The album incorporates several genres, from soul to Afrofuturism, but within the context of her daring premise, it's all seamless and it all sounds beautiful. "Tightrope," the album's relentlessly funky first single, may be one of the best songs released this year in any genre.
6. Sleigh Bells, "Treats": Contradictions rule in the land of Sleigh Bells. They're a noise pop band, and that really shouldn't work, but it does. They don't play nicely — the main draw of "Treats," their debut album, is distortion, noise and volume — but that doesn't even matter, because they're way too catchy. The album's songs are confrontational, but they're perfect listening for any occasion (sad? Sleigh Bells. Happy? Sleigh Bells. Tired? Sleigh Bells). "Treats" is a passion project, and you can dance to it. Loud, distorted and rough around the edges, the album is a breath of fresh air from clean, shiny pop.
7. Deerhunter, "Halcyon Digest": Shoegaze icons Deerhunter delivered again this year with the impressive "Halcyon Digest." The album plays like a surreal dream, mixing melancholic soundscapes with jovial vocals and guitar work. Every track has something to offer: the hypnotic opener "Earthquake" greets the listener with beautiful guitar flourishes and bizarre sound effects, while up-tempo tracks like "Desire Lines" mix indie rock with rockabilly throwbacks to give the album a compelling, hybrid feeling that keeps the listener interested. "Halcyon Digest" shows Deerhunter at their most mature. If the band manages to top this accomplishment, they'll earn a prestigious spot in contemporary music.
8. Robyn, "Body Talk": Robyn has skillfully spent the past decade building on her '90s teen pop roots, creating a new, edgy persona as an electropop goddess with hipster cred. "Body Talk" is the culmination of three EPs that were released over the summer, and the finished product represents Robyn's fiercely idiosyncratic fusion of bubblegum pop, dancehall, house and hip-hop. She shines on the album's array of melodically beautiful, electronically intricate and oddly mournful mid-tempo ballads, including "Dancing on My Own," "Hang with Me" and "Call Your Girlfriend." It's baffling that Robyn hasn't yet graced US Top 40 radio.
9. Vampire Weekend, "Contra": The kitschy, baroque pop rock of Columbia University alums, Vampire Weekend, makes "Contra" one of the most upbeat and entertaining LPs of the year. With singles ranging from the crooning vocals and electronica backbeats of "White Sky" to the rapid chord repetitions of the guitar-driven "Cousins," the album is an eclectic mix of eccentric hits. Not to mention, quirky, imaginative lyrics provide "Contra" with a layered depth unmatched by many of its indie contemporaries. For the adventurous listeners who crave musical fun, Vampire Weekend's sophomore effort is euphonic bliss.
10. Rick Ross, "Teflon Don": As a recording artist, Rick Ross has evolved more fully and thoroughly than any other artist over the past year. The album's dramatic production features either strings or horns on nearly every track (often both), and should get tiring fairly quickly, but it somehow manages to stay fresh. Each track paints a picture of Ross as the titular "Teflon Don," a man who's too rich, too dangerous, and has too much fun. As an album, it's exactly like Rick Ross himself: It's hard to take seriously, but that doesn't matter, since its enthusiasm is infectious and, most of all, it's really big.
