Wilco? Beck? Interpol? Ugh.

You guys are, what, less than a year old? And here you are, already firmly in lockstep with the broader critical cabal, dutifully exalting snob-rock like the above.

At this point, I'll gladly take the Grammys' celebration of Eminem, the Dixie Chicks and Avril Lavigne ...

Rodel, Two things: people lke whatever they like. I don't think there is much danger of a "prestige vote" in anonymous polling of writers and readers

Secondly, all three you mentioned are prominently featured in other categories. Why don't you check them out via the upper left sidebar.

Yes, people like whatever they like. And by that standard, one need only turn to the year-end SoundScan chart for the "albums of the year."

I just find it interesting -- not upsetting or even surprising, really -- that "Blogcritics" ended up polling more or less the same way the critical establishment did. Maybe I was wrong in thinking you guys had fashioned yourself as an alternative voice with an alternative set of standards. Maybe you're just the same-old, simply presented in a new medium and without the familiar names.

Or: Maybe these really ARE the best albums of the year. It's just that my own taste tells me they're not.

Please don't take this to mean I'm a blog critic of Blogcritics. I'm just musing out loud...

I wish I would have seen poll sooner: Drunken Lullabies - Flogging Molly. Best by far.

lists are just lists and shouldn't be taken all that seriousy. The "best albums of the year" are whatever you think they are. If there is a critical consensus, then that just means critics tend to think alike, or value some of the same things.

Please do look at the other categories, though.

Thanks Hans, everyone please fell free to list your favorites here.

Well, good job mirroring the mainstream critical darlings. Coldplay, Springsteen and Costello? This is a joke, right? A sly parody of how the critics play it safe by falling back on the favorite standbys. No Missy Elliot, Eminem or the Vines? Jesus Christ, guys! Oh yeah, Elliot & Eminem have been relegated to one of the sidebar categories. Good job. The Donnas, the Streets and Morcheeba would have been even more daring (as well as more appropriate) choices. But obviously you like adult alternative ... and also want to show that you're just as "serious" as the "real" critics. Especially considering that the two perhaps most vibrant genres going -- rap and electronica -- aren't even represented above. And that you didn't even nominate Elliot...Unbelievable!

Flail away all you want, but there were no nominations: people just voted for whoever they wanted and we compiled them.

No Queens of the Stone Age?

WTF?

bit conservative, doncha think?

Norah Jones? why?

From a statistical standpoint, the larger your sampling group, the more "conservative" or "mainstream" will be your final result. That's why there is such a thing as "critical consensus." Check the other categories for a bit more edge.

Hey! Everybody! There are a lot of categories, and *many* all of the above-mentioned albums *were* recognized in the appropriate category, so look at them all.

Also, I don't remember seeing things like the Buffy Musical soundtrack or Sigur Ros on the Grammy list, so there is a little bit of uniqueness here.

And finally, if you think your faves are under-represented, did you vote? Are you a BlogCritic? It's easy to be added - just email Eric. It's easy to write your own reviews - just type and click 'Post'. Then you can make sure that your favorite derivative teenage rocker or hip-hop superstar are recognized.

Gee, that reminds me - criticized on one side for not including the best-selling youngsters Avril and Eminem, on the other side for missing out on Missy and Morcheeba, and from yet a third side for not recognizing a punk artist widely believed to be on the decline. How could we have made everybody happy? Really, we couldn't, but I guess we would have come closest by creating a list in which nobody liked more than two of the picks, but most people found one favorite.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen Eminem on the list, and don't give a wet smack about Costello or Coldplay, but it's all about the votes, and membership is open, so I've just got to get a few people who think like I do to sign up and vote for next year!

Well-put Phillip, thanks!

As an Indie rock fan and a blogcritic I found myself torn in this excercise. "Best of's" rarely contain Artist's on my personal "lists". I don't agree with a lot of the results, but.. it's just a poll, and the results are at least more democraticly derived. The best part about this site is that I can write about bands that will never get the attention given Eminem, Avril, or the White Stripes. My fav. bands/artists may never win a popularity contest, but they remain best in my mind. This site represents music in general and I think those results reflected that range.

I think that's quite a draw actually, to be able to read a review about an independent or local band on the same site discussing a more major act. Maybe more people will be turned on to music they would otherwise never been exposed to. Or hell, maybe someone may even convince me to listen to Eminem.

i don't mind the list.
i enjoyed the wilco album
the beck cd was great
and the sonic youth cd was outstanding and underappriciated.

peace.

Hey rodel, sorry our awards had no stupid bullshit politics like your grammys