I know, I know. Some people hate these kind of threads (and I'm typically one of those haters, so laugh and point as you see fit ), but I'm a whore for music and I'm hoping that via this thread, I'll be able to pick up a few recommendations as well as gauge my musical expectations against that of others.

And I know this is a bit of a stretch, but can we at least TRY to keep it to a Top 5? I know how y'all are with your "But here's my 900 honorable mentions" habits.  

I've given this considerable thought and I couldn't really come up with a solid Top 5 because I'm still wavering on a few albums. But here are the ones I am listing for sure:

Highway Companion - Tom Petty
This Binary Universe - BT

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

 I am another"hater" of this tread!It is just useless to argue "The Best 5" as everybody has his own best ones depending on a particular taste in music.But there is nothing wrong in giving some information about  music you enjoyed last year. PSB "Fundamental",FAITHLESS"To All New Arrivals",surprisingly for me ENIGMA"A Posterior"wasnt bad at all,then may be KEANE "Under The Iron Sea"still not sure if I can call it one of my "best"...Among "latinos" as usual MANA  with "Amar es combatir"...A handsome Tiga was allright too...That is all...

I've only purchased a few albums this year and needless to say, most of them were produced in the 60s and 70s. I am up to see what everyone else is listening to in order to try and get a feel for something new.

I would say that the new remix album - Love - by the Beatles is fantastic.  G. Love and Special Sauce - Lemonade is real good too. 

The ones I've enjoyed the most this year have been:

Elton John - The Captain and the Kid

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

Paul Weller - As Is Now

Shelly Poole - Hard Time for the Dreamer

and the Doctor Who soundtrack album 

My theory by A. Elk, brackets, Miss, brackets. This theory goes as follows and begins now. All brontosauruses are thin at one end, much much thicker in the middle, and then thin again at the far end. That is my theory, it is mine, and it belongs to me, and I own it, and what it is, too.

Ange's Odyssey

I had no idea there were any albums released in 2006, that's how far removed I am from the world of contemporary moozik.

Susan 

sonic youth - the destroyed room

sonic youth - rather ripped

wolf eyes - human animal

mogwai - mr. beast

there have been no other good albums in 2006. 

While I have not bought a single album this year, I still feel inclined to mention Silent Shout by The Knife.

While I have not bought a single album this year, I still feel inclined to mention Silent Shout by The Knife.

Defintely Rather Ripped by Sonic Youth is one of the best CDs of the year, yeah, I love this band but this CD just proves that they are still one of the best bands in the land that doesn't get enough credit. The new Enigma is great too, I would put that one in there. Fundamental has grown on me and I would put that in there for the same reasons as Sonic Youth. The Pet Shop Boys still rule. Pat Metheny Group's The Way Up is cool because it's 68 minute suite which is uncharted territory for them.

so...Rather Ripped - Sonic Youth, A Posteriori - Enigma, Fundamental - Pet Shop Boys, Stranger on the Sofa - Barry Adamson (one of his best for sure!), Crazy Itch Radio - Basement Jaxx, Kate Bush - Aerial (was that '06 or '05) The Cosmic Game - Thievery Corporation (which also might be considered '05), And you better believe it, Uninvited Like The Clouds by The Church might be the best CD of 2006. One of their best as well. Thanks for reminding me Amanda, I still need to pick up This Binary Universe.    

Much of my music this year came from years past, but the three albums I was listening to that were actually released this year have all become favorites:

• Highway Companion- Tom Petty
• Eye Through The Telescope- KT Tunstall
• Stadium Arcadium- Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Wow. Everyone has such different taste in music. I can name only two:

Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife

I must add Love What You Do by The Hackensaw Boys as an honorable mention but I admit it is not to everyone's taste.

"I was up when I put her down. I was thinking of a border town. And I put it down in a song. In a song, Lord, in a song."

I need more than 5 because 2006 was too good.

1. the most serene republic "phages"
2. sparklehorse "dream for light years tn the belly of a mountain"
3. young and sexy "panic when you find it"
4. Thom Yorke "eraser"
5. ochre "lemodie"
6. last days "sea"
7. Nathan Fake "drowing in a sea of love"
8. Subtle "forheroforfool"
9. Flashbulb "flexing hibitual"
10. Astronautalis "the mighty ocean and nine dark theaters"
    

This is a short list for me, there many more I'd love to share with you, rats.

I need more than 5 because 2006 was too good.

1. the most serene republic "phages"
2. sparklehorse "dream for light years tn the belly of a mountain"
3. young and sexy "panic when you find it"
4. Thom Yorke "eraser"
5. ochre "lemodie"
6. last days "sea"
7. Nathan Fake "drowing in a sea of love"
8. Subtle "forheroforfool"
9. Flashbulb "flexing hibitual"
10. Astronautalis "the mighty ocean and nine dark theaters"
    

This is a short list for me, there many more I'd love to share with you, rats.

Well, the best album this year is, without a doubt:

MUSE -Black holes and revelations 

and of course,

Morrissey -Ringleaders of the tormentors 

Haven´t heard the new album by Jarvis Cocker yet, but I love the single and everything he touches gives me an orgasm. Besides that, I´ve fallen for two new Danish bands called

Oh no ono, who released the album Yes. And

The Alpine -On feel trips

Was that 5? Yes, yes it was....

Ditte 

All day I have been dwelling on my favorite albums of 2006, and it hurts my brain too much. I need to add to the list.

1. Destroyer "rubies"
2. M. Ward "post-war"
3. joanna newsome "ys"
4. boy least likely to... "best party ever"
5. swan lake "beast moans"
6. french kicks "two thosand"
7. subtractiveLad "suture"
8. Tstewart "living exponentially"
9. exillion  "kneeling dithers"
10. stunt rock "this is stunt rock volume 3"                                    now I feel better, there are just so many
    

Enigma - A Posteriori (fan forever )

Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics

Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Singles Collection

Gregorian - Christmas Chants

Enya - Amarantine

CD

Wolfmother - Wolfmother

Single

Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernails, Red Wine.

Honourable Mention

The Chilli Peppers.

Mouse on Mars - Varcharz
Twilight Singers - Powder Burns
Mars Volta - Amputechture
Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio
Razor X Productions - Killing Sound

Also good:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
DJ Spooky - In Fine Style
Beck - The Information
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

Oh, I'm a sucker for list-y things like this.

TOP FIVE:

1. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (if you haven't heard it yet, just make an effort... the best description I read of it was "doo-wapocalyptic".... or something like that.... - "Wolf Like Me" was also my favourite track of the year)

2. Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental (not a "return to form" as the cliched critical sheep would have you believe cos they never been away)

3. Hot Chip - The Warning (another band bubbling under on the cusp of making it big, and proof that nerds can be winners)

4. Popjustice 100% Pure Pop Music (various artists) - the cheesiest, oddest, most brilliantly executed compilation created this side of 2ManyDJs (this year's secret guilty pleasure)

5. The Knife - Silent Shout ("We Share Our Mother's Health" is probably #2 in my fav tracks of 2006)

Bubbling under - this year's albums by:

Army of Knives (shock horror - a good Scottish band that isn't obsessed with acoustic/rawk guitars!), Arctic Monkeys (not as great as time goes on - still some awesome tracks here though), Johnny Cash, The Killers, Scissor Sisters (but the last two suffered by just failing to match their fantastic debuts) and - wait for it - Robbie Williams (the most surprising album of the year - just heard it, and thought it very good indeed)

DMG

Wolfmother- Self titled

Pearl Jam - Self titled AKA The Avacado CD

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II

Rob Zombie - Educated Horses

I'm a list whore, so I thought I'd poke my head in and give my top three, at least. There should really be more, I know, I just don't get out that much

3. Saturday Night Wrist-Deftones. I've had to listen to this album at least once a day since it came out and it's really sort of seeped (sept?) in and is now my absolute favorite Deftones album. The band at it's most mature, most melodic. Every single song is a keeper.

2. The Fox Confessor Brings the Flood-Neko Case. I don't physically own this album because I'm POOR but I've downloaded all the songs and adore each one. Case's voice brings me back to this very innocent place, reminds me of my childhood out in the country and my misspent college years

1. The Eraser-Thom Yorke. This is kinda cheating too because I got the album for christmas and I have been listening to it non stop ever since. The title track is one of the most inspired songs I've ever heard from Yorke, maybe one of the most inspired songs I've ever heard period. The whole album was pretty much produced on a computer and the way it is done adds this lovely raw quality to the music, which is all at once poppy and pure. 

Rob Zombie - Educated horses

OOMPH! - Glaube, Liebe, Tot

Diana Krall - From this moment on 

1) Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2) Sonic Youth 3) Amy Winehouse 4) Sigur Ros 5) Lily Allen

"The Fox Confessor Brings the Flood-Neko Case. I don't physically own this album because I'm POOR but I've downloaded all the songs and adore each one. Case's voice brings me back to this very innocent place, reminds me of my childhood out in the country and my misspent college years"

Purrr...