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2009 was a fantastic year in music and we’ve celebrated that fact by compiling our Top 10 Best Albums! If you want to have a listen to any of our choices then click the Spotify link! Also why not check out our Gig Guide to see if any of the artists are playing near you soon?
Guitarist Serge Pizzorno wrote this album all by himself and it’s arguably Kasabian’s best yet! A supposed soundtrack for an imaginary movie, this album is truly epic with tracks such as ‘Underdog’ and ‘Fire’ already indie classics.
The Aussie rockers’ debut album maybe came to public consciousness due to single Sweet Disposition, but these guys are far from one hit wonders. The cool, haunting sounds of tracks such as ‘Rest’ and ‘Fools’ are in contrast to the rock-synth pleasure of Science of Fear. If you haven’t already heard these guys, check them out now!
Released back in January, this dark, 80s-inspired debut album from White Lies became the first British album to hit number one in 2009. The London trio’s big choruses and synth delights have drawn comparisons to Editors and Joy Division. Expect more from these in 2010.
This album helped Muse win their Q Award for Best Band In The World – and rightly so. Tracks ‘Uprising’ and ‘MK Ultra’ could have easily appeared on their third, and most highly acclaimed album, ‘Absolution’, whilst singles ‘Uprising’ and ‘Undisclosed Desires’ helped ‘The Resistance’ top the album charts in 19 countries and reach number 3 in the American album chart.
The third album from New Yorkers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs is an instant classic. It’s fantastic indie disco. Opening track, ‘Zero’ was named song of the year by NME, while ‘Heads Will Roll’ and ‘Skeletons’ are musts for all MP3 players.
Florence Welch, with the help of her ‘Machine’, has been one of the hottest new artists of 2009! Her magical debut album, ‘Lungs’ has received critical acclaim and includes such massive 2009 hits as “You’ve Got The Love” and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”.
After a four-year break, Cheshire trio, Doves returned with a bang. Their fourth album, recorded on a Cheshire farm, sees them at their dreamy best. With their rhythmic guitars and dance beats, tracks like ‘Winter Hill’ and ‘Jetstream’ will live long in the memory.
The debut album from this folk-rock four-piece is full of banjos, strings and hoedowns. ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘Caves’ have received a lot of airplay in the last few months. Keep an eye out for these in 2010.
Eighties synths and Elly ‘Her mum is in The Bill’ Jackson’s gravity-defying quiff have helped to make La Roux a household name in 2009. ‘In For The Kill’, ‘Bulletproof’ and ‘Quicksand’ are just three of the massive tracks that earned the self-titled album a 2009 Mercury Music Prize nomination.
Following on from her successful debut album ‘Alright, Still’, Lily Allen returned with a cheeky mix of pop, country, jazz and electro. With hits such as ‘Not Fair’ and ‘22’, her album has gone double platinum this year, while ‘The Fear’ won the Best Track at the Q Awards.
What do you think of our choices for the top albums of 2009? Do you think we’ve missed a trick and left off one of your favourite releases of the year? Let us know what albums you would put in your top ten. (You must be logged in to leave a comment).
agree with #1 gets better every time i listen to it
Shouldn’t it be ‘Best Pop Albums of 2009′?!
No Alice in Chains, Kiss, Chickenfoot, Them Crooked Vultures, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro
I could go on but
Not a year for outstanding albums in my opinion, but Secret Machines self-titled, British Sea Power’s Man of Aran soundtrack and Wojtek Godzisz’s debut are very good and probably the best I heard in 2009.
Good wide ranging choices there, the xx and grizzly bear must have been close though surely!
Great list, can’t argue with many of those at all.
Very surprised Merriweather Post Pavilion, by Animal Collective, missed out.
Another shout is The Maccabees – Wall of Arms.
What About AC/DCs Black Ice and Heaven & Hells Better the Devil you Know, bands with musicians with ability and longevity, unlike any of the 10 bands listed.
Long live rock !
Apart from:
1.Fever Ray – Fever Ray
2.Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
3.The Phantom Band – Checkmate Savage
4.DOOM – Born Like This
5.Tim Exile – Listening tree
6.Actress – Hazyville
7.Zomby – Where were U in ‘92?
8.Susanna and the Magical Orchestra – 3
9.Shafiq Husayn – En’ A-Free-Ka
10.Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen – Inspiration/ information 4
You’ve pretty much got it spot on…
I don’t think 2009 was a vintage year for albums. 2010 should be better….however my favourites was The Horrors album, with an hnourable to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Arctics.
Florence is amazing, love her voice! Temper Trap defo should also be in there… but, where’s Cheryl Cole??!
Some ace albums there, would have had Doves and Mumford & Sons higher and added The Dead Weather: Horehound and Black Crowes: Before the Frost/Until the Freeze!
How about the Manics’ Journal for Plague Lovers. How can you not love an album with a song called Jackie Collins’ Existential Question Time?!
Other than that I’d agree with Doves and Muse, although The Resistance isn’t up there with Showbiz and Black Holes and Revelations…
Where is:
Mastodon – Crack The Skye spotify:album:2W2nqEKXWBorbq5yvm3jZg
Isis – Wavering Radiant
spotify:album:18pqdyfTpus9HWOXcdPL0D
Converge – Axe To Fall
spotify:album:3obGZECDkulPI3lkqe5g1K
Pelican – What We All Come To Need
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
spotify:album:4xXNbd7MX40ITAp04aQZrh
The Temper Trap and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are brilliant! Where are Animal Collective? That’s another top album!
Completely agree on number 1. It HAS to be Kasabian.
Paulo Nutini’s album is creeping up my personal favourites list for 2009.
i dont agree with #1