Best Records of 2006!

Yes, I know that "best of" lists are ubiquitous--yet ambiguous and ridiculous at best.

Who cares what records I wasted money buying or time downloading and actually loving this year?

But I read movie and music lists incessantly, so why not share my own? So, here are my faves from a calendar year when my collecting was particularly prolific.

1. Tool—10,000 Days

2. The Killers—Sam's Town

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers—Stadium Arcadium

4. Black Angels—Jerusalem

5. My Morning Jacket—Okonokos

6. The Flaming Lips—At War with the Mystics

7. TV On the Radio—Return to Cookie Mountain

8. Michael Franti & Spearhead—Yell Fire!

9. Ben Harper—Both Sides of the Gun

10. Gnarls Barkley—St. Elsewhere

11. The Black Keys—Magic Potion

12. Scissor Sisters—Ta Dah

13. The Strokes—First Impressions of Earth

14. Snow Patrol—Eyes Open

15. Thom Yorke—The Eraser

16. Espers—Espers II

17. Damien Rice—9

18. Sean Lennon—Friendly Fire

19. Goldfrapp—Supernature

20. Matisyahu—Youth

21. Cold War Kids—Robbers & Cowards

22. Bruce Springsteen—We Shall Overcome: the Seeger Sessions

23. Keane—Under the Iron Sea

24. Wolfmother—Wolfmother

25. Pearl Jam—Pearl Jam

26. Cat Power—The Greatest

27. Dresden Dolls—Yes, Virginia

28. Peaches—Impeach My Bush

29. The Rapture—Pieces of the People We Love

30. Raconteurs—Broken Boy Soldiers

31. Sonic Youth—Rather Ripped

32. Richard Ashcroft—Keys to the World

33. Chumbawamba—A Singsong and a Scrap

34. Belle and Sebastian—The Life Pursuit

35. Silversun Pickups—Carnavas

36. Muse—Black Holes & Revelations

37. The Mars Volta—Amputechture

38. Beck—Information

39. Live—Songs from Black Mountain

40. The Alarm—Under Attack