10 Discs We Love

It was the year of Coldplay, Kanye and Mariah

•Coldplay
X&Y
There is a moment on every great record at which you realize that you are in for something special. On X&Y, that moment comes at the bridge of Track 4, "Fix You," a glorious ballad that seems to have come straight from the heavens. Song for song, Coldplay achieves an anthemic grandeur that separates them from mere mortals.

•Common
Be
The old-school conscious rapper fully realizes his gifts on this hip-hop instaclassic with beats and rhymes for the head, heart and soul.

•Beck
Guero
Nineties alt-rock hipster Beck rediscovers his cool with a groovy sonic kaleidoscope swirling with hip-hop, funk, psychedelia, folk and blues.

•Martina McBride
Timeless
This artfully sung collection of country standards connects the thoroughly modern McBride to Nashville's great traditions. Timeless indeed.

•Neil Diamond
12 Songs
Remember when Neil Diamond was a soulful singer-songwriter who played acoustic guitar? Neither did we. But he reminds us brilliantly with this sparkling disc.

•Anthony Hamilton
Ain't Nobody Worryin'
Evoking but never imitating such '70s greats as Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, the southern-fried soul man serves up the R&B album of the year.

•Bright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
The superior of two CDs this year from Bright Eyes brainchild Conor Oberst shines with an acoustic beauty and note-perfect songwriting.

•Nine Inch Nails
With Teeth
After six years away, Trent Reznor's virtual one-man band comes back with a vengeance, sinking its incisors into these industrial-strength rockers.

•Mariah Carey
The Emancipation of Mimi
Carey gets her glitter back with what may go down as the best album of her career, a first-rate R&B-pop collection that succeeds—despite the alias introduced in the title—by letting Mariah be Mariah. Her No. 1 smash "We Belong Together" showed Beyoncé et al that this diva was far from done.

•Kanye West
Late Registration
After last year's hit debut, The College Dropout, West graduates to another level with an ambitious disc that lives up to all his braggadocio. The rapper-producer, who also worked his studio magic on everyone from John Legend to Common, displays the midas touch on tracks like "Gold Digger."

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Guilty Pleasures
Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl" Three cheers for Gwen for making us holla!

The Pussycat Dolls, "Don't Cha" Admit it, nobody else was hot like them.

The Black Eyed Peas, "My Humps" This made us all shake the junk in our trunks.

The Click Five, "Just the Girl" Just the song to bring back the boy band.

50 Cent featuring Olivia, "Candy Shop" We ate up this decadent hip-hop confection.

Rihanna, "Pon de Replay" This reggae-lite jam was on replay all summer.

Ying Yang Twins, "Wait (The Whisper Song)" Raunchy rappers doubled our pleasure.

Madonna, "Hung Up" Mindless dance music like she used to make it.

The Oc
O.C. CREATOR JOSH SCHWARTZ'S FAVES We asked the man behind the music-savvy show for his 2005 picks.

Bloc Party, Silent Alarm This is an important band that recalls early U2.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Howl Embracing gospel and country, this is their best yet.

Shout Out Louds, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff A wonderful, completely original album ranging from joyful pop to aching ballads.

Matt Pond PA, Several Arrows Later Emotional, intimate music that also feels anthemic.

Rogue Wave, Descended Like Vultures This is Beatles-esque indie pop at its most well crafted.

Imogen Heap, Speak for Yourself A hybrid of pop and electronica; completely modern and also timeless.