The Big Post of Life Lists (2005): 12 after 12

"Independent (Ah ah ah ah)" - Ashford & Simpson, Stay Free

Without explanation, my favorite 12 albums of 2005:

1. Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi
2. M.I.A. - Arular
3. Common - Be
4. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
5. Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
6. Dangerdoom - The Mouse & The Mask
7. Kanye West - Late Registration
8. The Decemberists - Picaresque
9. Eisley - Room Noises
10. Amos Lee - Amos Lee
    
11. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
    
12. John Legend - Get Lifted

Albums that might make the cut after more thoughtful consideration: Slim Thug's Already Platinum, D'Nell's First Magic, Gilles Peterson's Brownsville Digs America, Death Cab for Cutie's Plans, The Game's The Documentary

2005 release that will probably make my 2006 list: Mary J Blige's The Breakthrough

Comments

[Lynne d Johnson]

Mariah got top billing from you. I'm so thankful. I agree with Mariah, MIA, Common, and John Legend. And since I trust your musical tastes, I'll need to go check out the others as I either haven't heard them at all or listened to them much. It's funny, I sent in my list to the Village Voice yesterday and right after I received my confirmation I realized that my Mary J. Blige pick should have been saved for last year and replaced with John Legend. Oh Well.

[mags]

Yes! I absolutely agree with the John Legend pick. His voice is just ... perfect.

So those are your top 10 albums...what about top 10 singles of the year? Should we assume Mariah is your #1 too?

[Quel]

Some of these, I've never heard of, but will definitely check out. John Legends album got mucho play in my car this year. I drive 2 hours a day total on my commute and his album was on non-stop for months.

Common and Mimi get a lot of playtime as well. And I love Amos Lee! I saw him on Austin City Limits. He's awesome.

I'm rambling...should be asleep now, but have serious insomnia.

[mai]

i agree with almost everything on your list - with the exception of the first name.

i still can't stand her. i know she can sing, and she has actual talent, but until she puts her clothes back on, and turns off the wind machine that is constantly blowing her hair into the faces of her back-up dancers, i can't really get wit' Mariah.

i think she was better when she first came out (with the exception of that brain-piercing shriek she would put forth, ad nauseum).

but that's just me.

and, um, John Legend. yeah. nuff said.

[Jason T.]

It is entirely possible to listen to the emancipation of mimi without ever once seeing an MC video. ;-)

The names y'all probably haven't heard of on my list most likely fall into my heavy indie/alt-rock/electroclash leanings that have grown exponentially in the last few years.

Unlike years past, this list is woefully lacking in downtempo, nu-jazz and dance/club music.

I'm not quite sure why that is.

[EJ]

i'm thorougly loving this list. i can't quite understand why i could never get into M.I.A. though. perhaps i need to listen to it some more but it just never moved me. i'm willing to accept the fact that it's some kind of glitch in my tastes.

[employeemegan]

That Sleater-Kinney album (rather predictably, I suppose) rocked my world.