Unfortunately, 2006 will forever be remembered in the music world for unleashing Paris Hilton and Kevin Federline on the globe as “artists.”
Or the fact that someone assigned Justin Timberlake to bring sexy back.
Instead, let’s focus on all the good things about 2006, the stuff that really would set you off had you lost them in an iPod crash: an Irish band making waves that wasn’t U2, country girls taking a stand, the Aussie version of Led Zeppelin, death (!) and two guys who made a record about insanity the catchiest thing since bird flu.
Here are the best albums of the year:
1. My Chemical Romance, “The Black Parade” (Reprise): Bombastic Queen chords, songs about death and the hope of life and a tendency toward musical theater make for the most classic record since Green Day’s “American Idiot” in 2004.
2. Needtobreathe, “Daylight” (Atlantic): Arguably the most underrated album of the year, these boys will give you the chills with epic tracks like “Don’t Wait for Daylight.”
3. Snow Patrol, “Eyes Open” (Interscope): With songs like the gorgeous “Hands Open” and “Run,” these dudes from Ireland have a signature sound in a soundalike industry, and have the potential to be major influences.
4. DragonForce, “Inhuman Rampage” (Roadrunner): Forget the British Invasion — these Londoners are bringing a revolution of power metal to the States.
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Stadium Arcadium” (Warner Bros.): Not only did these rock-funkers give us one disc, they released two filled with their best songs since the early 1990s.
6. Dixie Chicks, “Taking the Long Way” (Columbia): The best country album that was spurned by its own genre. Even if you’re Toby Keith or George W. Bush, you can’t say these women lack talent.
7. Wolfmother, “Wolfmother” (Interscope): Loud awesomeness from Down Under. ‘Nuff said.
8. Gnarls Barkley, “St. Elsewhere” (Downtown): Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo cranked out an uber-hummable number, “Crazy,” and crafted a wonderful experiment in hip-hop.
9. Black Stone Cherry, “Black Stone Cherry” (Roadrunner): Lynyrd Skynryd, beware: A group of young Kentuckians are aiming to be the next icons of Southern rock.
10. Muse, “Black Holes and Revelations” (Warner Bros.): The over-the-top closing track “Knights of Cydonia” is the topper on an album full of synth-ridden post-apocalyptic fever dreams.
Honorable mentions
» Keane, “Under the Iron Sea” (Interscope)
» The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, “Don’t You Fake It” (Virgin)
» KT Tunstall, “Eye to the Telescope” (Virgin)
» AFI, “Decemberunderground” (Interscope)
» Thom Yorke, “The Eraser” (XL)
» Matisyahu, “Youth” (Epic)
» Corinne Bailey Rae, “Corinne Bailey Rae” (Capitol)
» From First to Last, “Heroine” (Epitaph)
» Shooter Jennings, “Electric Rodeo” (Universal)
» Rhett Miller, “The Believer” (Verve)
