Metacritic's best albums of 2005

[Codreanu]

For those who aren't familiar with the site or concept, a metascore signifies a (normalized) weighted* average from a range of selected reviews by national critics and publications each of which have been converted to a 0-100 point scale.

*publications and/or individual critics are assigned a specific "weight" based on industry prestige, insightfulness, detail etc.

1 Illinois by Sufjan Stevens 2005 90
2 Z by My Morning Jacket 2005 89
3 Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt 2005 88
4 I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons 2005 88
5 The Woods by Sleater-Kinney 2005 87
6 Arular by M.I.A. 2005 87
7 Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple 2005 87
8 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 2005 86
9 Minimum-Maximum [Live] by Kraftwerk 2005 85
10 The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird 2005 85
11 Mezmerize by System Of A Down 2005 85
12 Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River 2005 85
13 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005 85
14 Lookaftering by Vashti Bunyan 2005 85
15 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005 85
16 Apologies To The Queen Mary by Wolf Parade 2005 85
17 I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes 2005 85
18 Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels 2005 84
19 Beauty And The Beat by Edan 2005 84
20 Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens 2005 84
21 Chavez Ravine by Ry Cooder 2005 84
22 Late Registration by Kanye West 2005 84
23 Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady 2005 84
24 These Were The Earlies by The Earlies 2005 84
25 Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers 2005 84
26 Takk... by Sigur Rós 2005 84
27 This Right Here Is Buck 65 by Buck 65 2005 84
28 Lost And Safe by The Books 2005 83
29 Gimme Fiction by Spoon 2005 83
30 Cole's Corner by Richard Hawley 2005 83

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2005.shtml

And, if anyone is interested, here are the results from 2004:
http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2004.shtml

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

[Codreanu]

[Codreanu]

Top 200 Scores: The Best-Reviewed Albums
1 SMiLE by Brian Wilson 2004 97
2 Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn 2004 97
3 How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin 2003 97
4 Stankonia by OutKast 2000 95
5 Madvillainy by Madvillain 2004 93
6 The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [2004 Version] by Talking Heads 2004 93
7 Love And Theft by Bob Dylan 2001 93
8 Boy In Da Corner by Dizzee Rascal 2004 92
9 Elephant by White Stripes 2003 91
10 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast 2003 90
11 A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets 2004 90
12 Illinois by Sufjan Stevens 2005 90
13 Canto by Los Super Seven 2001 90
14 Is This It? by The Strokes 2001 90
15 World Without Tears by Lucinda Williams 2003 90
16 Alice by Tom Waits 2002 90
17 Funeral by The Arcade Fire 2004 89
18 XTRMNTR by Primal Scream 2000 89
19 Z by My Morning Jacket 2005 89
20 Neon Golden by The Notwist 2003 89
21 Since I Left You by The Avalanches 2001 89
22 Where Shall You Take Me by Damien Jurado 2003 89
23 Rounds by Four Tet 2003 89
24 Miss E... So Addictive by Missy Elliott 2001 89
25 HoboSapiens by John Cale 2004 89
26 Original Pirate Material by The Streets 2002 89
27 Bachelor No. 2 (or, the last remains of the dodo) by Aimee Mann 2000 89
28 Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age 2002 88
29 Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt 2005 88
30 I Am A Bird Now by Antony And The Johnsons 2005 88
31 Last Exit by Junior Boys 2004 88
32 Yours, Mine & Ours by Pernice Brothers 2003 88
33 Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins 2003 88
34 69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields 1999 88
35 Ta Det Lugnt by Dungen 2004 88
36 Wicked Grin by John Hammond 2001 87
37 Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by PJ Harvey 2000 87
38 Up In Flames by Manitoba 2003 87
39 College Dropout by Kanye West 2004 87
40 From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith 2004 87
41 Vespertine by Bjork 2001 87
42 Rejoicing In The Hands by Devendra Banhart 2004 87
43 The Blueprint by Jay-Z 2001 87
44 The Woods by Sleater-Kinney 2005 87
45 Kill The Moonlight by Spoon 2002 87
46 Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds 2004 87
47 Arular by M.I.A. 2005 87
48 Remedy by Basement Jaxx 1999 87
49 Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound 2001 87
50 Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple 2005 87
51 Decoration Day by Drive-By Truckers 2003 87
52 The Argument by Fugazi 2001 87
53 The Dirty South by Drive-By Truckers 2004 86
54 Things We Lost In The Fire by Low 2001 86
55 Cold House by Hood 2001 86
56 Now, More Than Ever by Jim Guthrie 2004 86
57 Showtime by Dizzee Rascal 2004 86
58 Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand 2004 86
59 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 2005 86
60 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco 2002 86
61 Phrenology by The Roots 2002 86
62 Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris 2003 86
63 Favourite Colours by The Sadies 2004 86
64 The Creek Drank The Cradle by Iron & Wine 2002 86
65 Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens 2004 86
66 Phantom Power by Super Furry Animals 2003 86
67 One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73 2003 86
68 Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch 2001 86
69 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83 2004 86
70 Fixed::Context [EP] by Labradford 2001 86
71 Quicksand / Cradlesnakes by Califone 2003 85
72 You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene 2003 85
73 Rings Around The World by Super Furry Animals 2002 85
74 The Decline Of British Sea Power by British Sea Power 2003 85
75 Blues Dream by Bill Frisell 2001 85
76 Hearts Of Oak by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists 2003 85
77 Minimum-Maximum [Live] by Kraftwerk 2005 85
78 Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott 2004 85
79 Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains Of Wayne 2003 85
80 The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird 2005 85
81 Mezmerize by System Of A Down 2005 85
82 Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River 2005 85
83 Feast of Wire by Calexico 2003 85
84 LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem 2005 85
85 Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle 2000 85
86 Lookaftering by Vashti Bunyan 2005 85
87 White Blood Cells by White Stripes 2001 85
88 The Lemon Of Pink by The Books 2003 85
89 Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine by Cee-Lo 2004 85
90 The Wind by Warren Zevon 2003 85
91 All Hands On The Bad One by Sleater-Kinney 2000 85
92 Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton 2001 85
93 The Futureheads by The Futureheads 2004 85
94 Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team 2005 85
95 The Intercontinentals by Bill Frisell 2003 85
96 OST by 24 Hour Party People 2002 85
97 Ocean's Eleven OST by David Holmes 2001 85
98 The Convincer by Nick Lowe 2001 85
99 Apologies To The Queen Mary by Wolf Parade 2005 85
100 I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes 2005 85
101 Blinking Lights And Other Revelations by Eels 2005 84
102 Holopaw by Holopaw 2003 84
103 Don't Give Up On Me by Solomon Burke 2002 84
104 Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia 2002 84
105 Pause by Four Tet 2001 84
106 Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition by Murs 2004 84
107 Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia 2003 84
108 Hail To The Thief by Radiohead 2003 84
109 Beauty And The Beat by Edan 2005 84
110 Streetcore by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 2003 84
111 Source Tags & Codes by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead 2002 84
112 The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky 2003 84
113 Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós 2001 84
114 Happy Songs For Happy People by Mogwai 2003 84
115 The Meadowlands by The Wrens 2003 84
116 Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens 2005 84
117 Bubblegum by Mark Lanegan Band 2004 84
118 The Real New Fall L.P. (Formerly Country On The Click) by The Fall 2004 84
119 Tenacious D by Tenacious D 2001 84
120 Chavez Ravine by Ry Cooder 2005 84
121 Crimes by The Blood Brothers 2004 84
122 Dongs of Sevotion by Smog 2000 84
123 Run To Ruin by Nina Nastasia 2003 84
124 Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie 2003 84
125 Late Registration by Kanye West 2005 84
126 Supermodified by Amon Tobin 2000 84
127 Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers 2000 84
128 Kish Kash by Basement Jaxx 2003 84
129 Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady 2005 84
130 These Were The Earlies by The Earlies 2005 84
131 Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers 2005 84
132 Takk... by Sigur Rós 2005 84
133 One Beat by Sleater-Kinney 2002 84
134 This Right Here Is Buck 65 by Buck 65 2005 84
135 Fever To Tell by Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2003 84
136 The Ugly Organ by Cursive 2003 84
137 Singing Bones by The Handsome Family 2003 84
138 The Last Broadcast by Doves 2002 84
139 Geogaddi by Boards Of Canada 2002 84
140 Bow Down To The Exit Sign by David Holmes 2000 84
141 Medulla by Bjork 2004 83
142 Play by Moby 1999 83
143 Mwng by Super Furry Animals 2000 83
144 Girls Can Tell by Spoon 2001 83
145 Blue Cathedral by Comets On Fire 2004 83
146 Old Ramon by Red House Painters 2001 83
147 S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D. by Out Hud 2002 83
148 Silver Lake by Vic Chesnutt 2003 83
149 Indestructible by Rancid 2003 83
150 5 by Town & Country 2003 83
151 Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine 2004 83
152 The Evening Of My Best Day by Rickie Lee Jones 2003 83
153 And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo 2000 83
154 Ocean's Twelve OST by David Holmes 2004 83
155 Lost And Safe by The Books 2005 83
156 2 by All Girl Summer Fun Band 2003 83
157 ONoffON by Mission Of Burma 2004 83
158 Veni Vidi Vicious by The Hives 2002 83
159 Gimme Fiction by Spoon 2005 83
160 The Black Album by Jay-Z 2003 83
161 Blood Money by Tom Waits 2002 83
162 OST by Lost In Translation 2003 83
163 Cole's Corner by Richard Hawley 2005 83
164 Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips 2002 83
165 The Beginning Stages Of... by The Polyphonic Spree 2002 83
166 The Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface 2004 83
167 Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn by Do Make Say Think 2003 83
168 Yoko by Beulah 2003 83
169 The Smell Of Our Own by The Hidden Cameras 2003 83
170 The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips 1999 83
171 Send by Wire 2003 83
172 We Love Life by Pulp 2002 83
173 Cast Of Thousands by Elbow 2004 83
174 The Fine Art of Self-Destruction by Jesse Malin 2003 83
175 Modern Apprentice by Ikara Colt 2004 83
176 Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by godspeed you black emperor! 2000 83
177 Inches by Les Savy Fav 2004 83
178 Cobblestone Runway by Ron Sexsmith 2002 83
179 Nixon by Lambchop 2000 83
180 The Violet Hour by The Clientele 2003 83
181 The Royal Society by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster 2004 83
182 You Could Have It So Much Better by Franz Ferdinand 2005 83
183 Her Majesty The Decemberists by The Decemberists 2003 82
184 Change by Dismemberment Plan 2001 82
185 Secret Wars by Oneida 2004 82
186 School Of The Flower by Six Organs Of Admittance 2005 82
187 Out of Season by Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man 2003 82
188 Ghosts Of The Great Highway by Sun Kil Moon 2003 82
189 Truly She Is None Other by Holly Golightly 2003 82
190 Isolation Drills by Guided By Voices 2001 82
191 The Remote Part by Idlewild 2003 82
192 Party Music by The Coup 2001 82
193 Faking The Books by Lali Puna 2004 82
194 Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse 2004 82
195 Sung Tongs by Animal Collective 2004 82
196 1988 by Blueprint 2005 82
197 lilac6 by The Lilac Time 2001 82
198 Red Dirt Road by Brooks & Dunn 2003 82
199 Escondida by Jolie Holland 2004 82
200 Me & Giuliani Down By the School Yard (A True Story) [EP] by !!! [Chik Chik Chik] 2003 82

Bottom 100 Scores: The Worst-Reviewed Albums
1 Results May Vary by Limp Bizkit 2003 30
2 Testify by Phil Collins 2002 31
3 One by Dirty Vegas 2004 31
4 Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure by Juliana Hatfield 2000 32
5 Jagged Little Pill Acoustic by Alanis Morissette 2005 34
6 Life On Display by Puddle Of Mudd 2003 34
7 Never Gone by Backstreet Boys 2005 34
8 Liz Phair by Liz Phair 2003 36
9 Gameface by Master P 2001 37
10 A Day Without Rain by Enya 2000 38
11 14 Shades Of Grey by Staind 2003 38
12 It Had to Be You... The Great American Songbook by Rod Stewart 2002 39
13 Baptism by Lenny Kravitz 2004 39
14 Crown Royal by Run-D.M.C. 2001 40
15 Charmbracelet by Mariah Carey 2002 40
16 All That I Am by Santana 2005 41
17 Mission Accomplished [EP] by Tricky 2001 41
18 Hannicap Circus by Bizarre 2005 41
19 Democrazy by Damon Albarn 2003 41
20 All The Right Reasons by Nickelback 2005 42
21 Blood In My Eye by Ja Rule 2003 42
22 Forever by Spice Girls 2000 42
23 Chapter V by Staind 2005 42
24 I Am Me by Ashlee Simpson 2005 42
25 Weird Revolution by Butthole Surfers 2001 42
26 Tourist by Athlete 2005 43
27 Lost And Found by Mudvayne 2005 43
28 Hotel by Moby 2005 43
29 Other People's Songs by Erasure 2003 43
30 Concrete Rose by Ashanti 2004 44
31 BareNaked by Jennifer Love Hewitt 2002 44
32 Happy Ending by Dogstar 2000 44
33 Outta Sight / Outta Mind by The Datsuns 2004 44
34 The Battle For Everything by Five For Fighting 2004 44
35 When It All Goes South by Alabama 2001 45
36 Studio 150 by Paul Weller 2004 45
37 Renaissance by Lionel Richie 2001 45
38 The End of All Things to Come by Mudvayne 2002 45
39 Mr. A-Z by Jason Mraz 2005 45
40 Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas 2005 45
41 Take A Look In The Mirror by Korn 2003 46
42 Stealing Of A Nation by Radio 4 2004 46
43 Rehearsing My Choir by The Fiery Furnaces 2005 46
44 Marshall's House by John Squire 2004 46
45 Gemstones by Adam Green 2005 46
46 Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water by Limp Bizkit 2000 46
47 Behind The Sun by Chicane 2000 47
48 Birds Of Pray by Live 2003 47
49 Blood Sport by Sneaker Pimps 2002 47
50 Press The Spacebar by Chicks On Speed 2005 47
51 Faceless by Godsmack 2003 47
52 Brassbound by The Ordinary Boys 2005 47
53 Duke Lion Fights The Terror!! by Bigdumbface 2001 47
54 Everybody Hertz [EP] by Air 2002 47
55 More Than You Think You Are by matchbox twenty 2002 47
56 Lost And Found by Will Smith 2005 47
57 Winning Days by The Vines 2004 47
58 Lions by The Black Crowes 2001 47
59 Time Changes Everything by John Squire 2002 47
60 Amateur Night In The Big Top by Shaun William Ryder 2003 48
61 Tical 0: The Prequel by Method Man 2004 48
62 Plays Music by 33.3 2000 48
63 Don't Tread On Me by 311 2005 48
64 Twisted Angel by LeAnn Rimes 2002 48
65 Until The End Of Time by 2Pac 2001 48
66 The Snare by Looper 2002 48
67 Grown & Sexy by Babyface 2005 48
68 Alive & Amplified by The Mooney Suzuki 2004 48
69 Early Days by Beth Hirsch 2000 48
70 Invincible by Michael Jackson 2001 48
71 Chapter II by Ashanti 2003 48
72 Street Dreams by Fabolous 2003 48
73 The Others by The Others 2005 49
74 Rebirth by Jennifer Lopez 2005 49
75 Welcoming Home The Astronauts by Flickerstick 2001 49
76 Fake Songs by Liam Lynch 2003 49
77 Destiny Fulfilled by Destiny's Child 2004 49
78 Transmission by Gay Dad 2002 49
79 Driving A Million by Gwenmars 2001 49
80 Dark Light by H.I.M. 2005 49
81 Size Matters by Helmet 2004 49
82 Disconnection Notice by Goldfinger 2005 49
83 Client by Client 2003 49
84 Pop Trash by Duran Duran 2000 49
85 Astronaut by Duran Duran 2004 49
86 Pushing The Senses by Feeder 2005 49
87 Pressure Chief by Cake 2004 49
88 This Is Me... Then by Jennifer Lopez 2002 49
89 Back Home by Eric Clapton 2005 49
90 Seventy Two & Sunny by Uncle Kracker 2004 49
91 J. Lo by Jennifer Lopez 2001 49
92 Make Believe by Weezer 2005 49
93 Just Whitney by Whitney Houston 2002 50
94 Boomslang by Johnny Marr & The Healers 2003 50
95 Horrorscope by Eve 6 2000 50
96 Present/Future by Eagle Eye Cherry 2001 50
97 Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned by The Prodigy 2004 50
98 Distortion by Rev Run 2005 50
99 Ten Thousand Fists by Disturbed 2005 50
100 Palookaville by Fatboy Slim 2004 50

http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/

[dallow_bg]

Aw, there goes Johnny Marr.

In any case, you know as well as I know that these review scores are meaningless, top or bottom.

[Knuckle Duster]

I have maybe 8 of the Top 20 on the list based on Metacritic's recommendations and most of them suck shit.

Sure a lot of it is unique - Antony And The Johnsons sound like gay Elvis, Sufjan Stevens paints a pretty but heartbreaking picture, and Wolf Parade is "cool", but that doesn't always mean that it's good.

Also you'll notice the obscure "critic's darling" artists will always get higher scores, just because there aren't a lot of publications that will review them, and therefore their scores are skewed higher. If a mid-west newspaper had to review Anthony and the Johnsons, I would guarantee you it would not score a 90.

[Ageless Beauty]

'Takk' by Sigur Ros is the only album on that list I'd listen to. The rest of that stuff is garbage.

[Codreanu]

> In any case, you know as well as I know that these review scores are
> meaningless, top or bottom.

Of course they're vapid and unimportant; what I find especially frustrating is that most of my current (and past) enthusiasms will not have even met the critical threshold for consideration. Last year, Flashpapr's brilliant album skirt so far beneath the radar as to remain unreviewed; the Havergal and Lazarus releases were examined fairly by some of the smaller indie press, yet garnered only blurbs and fribbles in those with journalistic standing. As an aside, I find it remarkable that, while not a personal favourite, Thee More Shallows recent album "More Deep Cuts" hasn't nearly the cachet among the hipster set as The Arcade Fire did this time last year.

It was nice, all the same, to note Tom Waits' "Alice" at no. 16 among the all-time highs: a beautiful work that would easily make my short list of desert isle cds, even though I care nothing for Waits or the rest of his discography.

And, for what it is worth, Codreanu's albums of the year: 1. Parker and Lily "The Low Lows"; 2. The Remote Viewer "Let Your Heart Draw a Line"; 3. Picastro "Metal Cares"; 4. L'altra "Different Days; 5. Xiu Xiu "La Foret"; honourable mentions: July Skies "The English Cold", Idaho "The Lone Gunman", and Hood "Outside Closer"; currently listening: The Montgolfier Brothers "All my Bad Thoughts" and Liz Durrett "Husk".

[Codreanu]

> 'Takk' by Sigur Ros is the only album on that list I'd listen to. The rest
> of that stuff is garbage.

Ah, pity 'tis 'tis true! I wouldn't know about "Takk..." though; the samples I have heard seem too cresting and sweet, especially in comparison to "( )".