A selection of favorites from our editors and polls. Readers’ Picks marked in bold.

2012

Winter

• RUTHIE FOSTER, Let It Burn
• JOHN HIATT, Crossing Muddy Waters
• DARRELL SCOTT, Long Ride Home
• MICAH SCHNABEL, I’m Dead, Serious
• CRAIG FINN, Clear Heart Full Eyes
• NADA SURF, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
• CHRIS CASTLE, Last Bird Home
• KATHLEEN EDWARDS, Voyageur
• GUIDED BY VOICES, Let’s Go Eat the Factory

2011

Fall

• Shurman & Family Christmas Vol. 1
• SHE & HIM, A Very She & Him Christmas
• RHETT MILLER, The Interpreter: Live At Largo
• R.E.M., Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982 – 2011
• SEAN COSTELLO, At His Best: Live
• STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, Soul to Soul
• NOEL GALLAGHER, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
• LAURA VEIRS, Tumble Bee
• THE DECEMBERISTS, Long Live the King
• MIRANDA LAMBERT, For The Record
• TOM WAITS, Bad As Me
• DEER TICK, Divine Providence
• PAUL KELLY, Songs From the South
• SHELBY LYNNE, Revelation Road
• CHRIS ISAAK, Beyond the Sun
• RYAN ADAMS, Ashes & Fire
• SCOTT H BIRAM, Bad Ingredients
• JAMES MORRISON, Awakening
• BONNIE PRINCE BILLY, Wolfroy Goes to Town
• MIKE VIOLA, Electro De Perfecto
• INDIGO GIRLS, Beauty Queen Sister

Summer

• WILCO, The Whole Love
• MATTHEW SWEET, Modern Art
• MEKONS, Ancient & Modern
• JAYHAWKS, Mockingbird Time
• RICHMOND FONTAINE, The High Country
• WILL DAILEY, Will Dailey & The Rivals
• LYDIA LOVELESS, Indestructible Machine
• GOURDS, Old Mad Joy
• RECKLESS KELLY, Good Luck & True Love
• SLAID CLEAVES, Sorrow & Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge
• TOM RUSSELL, Mesabi
• JOHN DOE, Keeper
• ERIC LINDELL, West County Drifter
• ROBERT EARL KEEN, Ready for Confetti
• MATTHEW RYAN, I Recall Standing as Though Nothing Could Fall
• STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS, Mirror Traffic
• THE BOTTLE ROCKETS, Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening
• JEFF BRIDGES, Jeff Bridges
• GUY CLARK, Songs & Stories
• JOHN HIATT, Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns
• KEB MO, The Reflection
• FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE, Sky Full of Holes
• BODEANS, Indigo Dreams
• JIMMIE VAUGHAN, Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites
• RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, Ray Wylie Hubbard & the Cowboy Twinkies
• AMY LAVERE, Stranger Me
• GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS, 2120 South Michigan Ave
• OLD 97′S, Grand Theatre Vol. 2
• TIM EASTON, Since 1966, Vol. 1

Spring

• GILLIAN WELCH, The Harrow & The Harvest
• EILEN JEWELL, Queen of the Minor Key
• DAVE ALVIN, Eleven Eleven
• BON IVER, Bon Iver
• JIM LAUDERDALE, Reason & Rhyme
• JAMES MADDOCK, Wake Up & Dream
• NEIL YOUNG INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERS, A Treasure
• MARC BROUSSARD, Marc Broussard
• MADELEINE PEYROUX, Standing on the Rooftop
• JOE ELY, Satisfied at Last
• TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, Revelator
• CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Heritage
• MY MORNING JACKET, Circuital
• DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, Codes And Keys
• FLOGGING MOLLY, Speed Of Darkness
• EDDIE VEDDER, Ukulele Songs
• JOSEPH ARTHUR, Graduation Ceremony
• CHIP TAYLOR, Rock & Roll Joe
• LEVON HELM, Ramble at the Ryman
• SARAH JAROSZ, Follow Me Down
• HANK WILLIAMS III, Hillbilly Joker
• FELICE BROTHERS, Celebration Florida
• BEN SOLLEE, Inclusions
• OKKERVIL RIVER, I Am Very Far
• FLEET FOXES, Helplessness Blues
• BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, Take The High Road
• ELIZA GILKYSON, Roses at the End of Time
• JEFFREY FOUCAULT, Horse Latitudes
• R.E.M., The Lowdown
• STEVE EARLE, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
• EMMYLOU HARRIS, Hard Bargain
• THE WAIFS, Temptation
• ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS, Unida Cantina
• BOB SCHNEIDER, Perfect Day
• GRAVEYARD, Hisingen Blues
• RALPH STANLEY, A Mother’s Prayer
• JASON ISBELL AND 400 UNIT, Here We Rest
• ALISON KRAUSS AND UNION STATION, Paper Airplane
• PAUL SIMON, So Beautiful or So What
• HA HA TONKA, Death of a Decade
• ROBBIE ROBERTSON, How To Become Clairvoyant
• HOT TUNA, Steady As She Goes
• BAND OF HEATHENS, Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son
• LOS LONELY BOYS, Rockpango
• WILLIE NELSON, WYNTON MARSALIS, AND NORAH JONES, Here We Go Again
• SHANNON MCNALLY, Western Ballad
• THE STROKES, Angles
• SOLOMON BURKE AND DIJK, Hold On Tight

Winter

• CAITLIN ROSE, Own Side Now
• THE DAMNWELLS, No One Listens to the Band Anymore
• NICK LOWE, Labour of Lust
• J MASCIS, Several Shades of Why
• R.E.M., Collapse Into Now
• DR JOHN, Zu Zu Soiree
• BRUCE COCKBURN, Small Source of Comfort
• EXENE CERVENKA, Excitement of Maybe
• LUCINDA WILLIAMS, Blessed
• BUDDY MILLER, MARC RIBOT, BILL FRISELL & GREG LEISZ, The Majestic Silver Strings
• RON SEXSMITH, Long Player Late Bloomer
• LOW ANTHEM, Smart Flesh
• ADELE, 21
• THE CAVE SINGERS, No Witch
• DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, Go-Go Boots
• HAYES CARLL, KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)
• BRIGHT EYES, The People’s Key
• PJ HARVEY, Let England Shake
• THE WAILIN’ JENNYS, Bright Morning Stars
• OVER THE RHINE, Long Surrender
• TEDDY THOMPSON, Bella
• TODD SNIDER, Todd Snider Live: The Storyteller
• CARRIE RODRIGUEZ AND BEN KYLE, We Still Love Our Country
• NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, Keys to the Kingdom
• AMOS LEE, Mission Bell
• WANDA JACKSON (WITH JACK WHITE), The Party Ain’t Over
• LORI MCKENNA, Lorraine
• CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii
• IRON AND WINE, We Kiss Each Other Clean
• THE DECEMBERISTS, The King Is Dead
• GREGG ALLMAN, Low Country Blues
• SOCIAL DISTORTION, Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes
• ABIGAIL WASHBURN, City of Refuge
• EDIE BRICKELL, Edie Brickell
• CAKE, Showroom of Compassion

2010

Fall

• SCOTT MILLER, Christmas Gift
• SHELBY LYNNE, Merry Christmas
• INDIGO GIRLS, Holly Happy Days
• DAN HICKS, Crazy For Christmas
• MASON JENNINGS, The Flood
• SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS, Kudzu Ranch
• BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, The Promise
• VARIOUS ARTISTS, Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn
• NORAH JONES, …Featuring Norah Jones
• THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird
• ALBERT KING/STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN, In Session
• ELVIS COSTELLO, National Ransom
• KEITH RICHARDS, Vintage Vinos
• WEEZER, Death To False Metal
• BOB DYLAN, The Bootleg Series: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964
• ELTON JOHN & LEON RUSSELL, The Union
• KINGS OF LEON, Come Around Sundown
• OLD 97S, The Grand Theatre Volume One
• BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, Write About Love
• DAR WILLIAMS, Many Great Companions
• RAILROAD EARTH, Railroad Earth
• RAUL MALO, Sinners & Saints
• THE AVETT BROTHERS, Live, Volume 3
• GUSTER, Easy Wonderful

Summer

• NEIL YOUNG, Le Noise
• JOHN MELLENCAMP, No Better Than This
• PETE YORN, Pete Yorn
• THE POSIES, Blood/Candy
• JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, Harlem River Blues
• ROBERT PLANT, Band of Joy
• MAVIS STAPLES, You Are Not Alone
• VARIOUS ARTISTS, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band: Legacy
• STEELDRIVERS, Reckless
• JERRY LEE LEWIS, Mean Old Man
• RICHARD THOMPSON, Dream Attic
• BOBBY BARE, JR., A Storm A Tree My Mother’s Head
• THE WEEPIES, Be My Thrill
• JJ GREY, Georgia Warhorse
• MARTY STUART, Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions)
• NILS LOFGREN, I Came to Dance
• EELS, Tomorrow Morning
• RAY LAMONTAGNE, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
• JOHN MELLENCAMP, No Better Than This
• ELI “PAPERBOY” REED, Come And Get It
• NEIL JUKEBOX YOUNG, Neil Young’s Jukebox
• LOS LOBOS, Tin Can Trust
• ARCADE FIRE, The Suburbs
• BLACK CROWES, Croweology
• GOV’T MULE, Mulennium
• MARK OLSON, Many Colored Kite
• BUTCHER HOLLER AND EILEN JEWELL, Butcher Holler
• BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS, Rocksteady
• SHERYL CROW, 100 Miles From Memphis
• FRONTIER RUCKUS, Deadmalls and Nightfalls
• CHRIS SHIFLETT & THE DEAD PEASANTS, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants
• CHATAM COUNTY LINE, Wildwood
• TOMMY KEENE, Tommy Keene You Hear Me: A Retrospective 83-2009
• CROWDED HOUSE, Intriguer
• JIMMIE VAUGHAN, Jimmie Vaughan-Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites
• STONEHONEY, The Cedar Creek Sessions
• ROBERT POLLARD, Moses on a Snail

Spring

• ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, Street Songs of Love
• JACKIE GREENE, Till The Light Comes
• VARIOUS ARTISTS, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine
• PAUL THORN, Pimps and Preachers
• GRIFFIN HOUSE, The Learner
• CONSTELLATIONS, Southern Gothic
• GASLIGHT ANTHEM, American Slang
• TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, Mojo
• PERNICE BROTHERS, Goodbye Killer
• GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
• DEER TICK, Black Dirt Sessions
• DELTA SPIRIT, History From Below
• TIFT MERRITT, See You On The Moon
• JACK JOHNSON, The Bride Screamed Murder
• WATERMELON SLIM, Ringers
• SADIES, Darker Circles
• BAND OF HORSES, Infinite Arms
• BLACK KEYS, Brothers
• MARY GAUTHIER, The Foundling
• CROOKED STILL, Some Strange Country
• JIM LAUDERDALE, Patchwork River
• THE NATIONAL, High Violet
• JACKSON BROWNE AND DAVID LINDLEY, Love Is Strange
• JOSH RITTER, So Runs The World Away
• HOLD STEADY, Heaven Is Whenever
• JUSTIN CURRIE, The Great War
• NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, Together
• JESSE MALIN & ST. MARKS SOCIAL, Love It to Life
• ANDERS OSBORNE, American Patchwork
• MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, The Age of Miracles
• WILLIE NELSON, Country Music
• SHELBY LYNNE, Tears, Lies, And Alibis
• APPLES IN STEREO, Travellers In Space And Time
• MERLE HAGGARD, I Am What I Am
• RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu
• INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, Things That Fly
• LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS, Agridustrial
• CARRIE RODRIGUEZ, Love And Circumstance
• MGMT, Congratulations
• NATALIE MERCHANT, Leave Your Sleep
• PETER WOLF, Midnight Souvenirs
• JAKOB DYLAN, Women and Country
• DR. DOG, Shame Shame
• SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS, I Learned the Hard Way
• MARTIN SEXTON, Sugarcoating
• GRAHAM PARKER, Imaginary Television
• JOAN ARMATRADING, This Charming Life
• BLACK FRANCIS, Nonstoperotik

Winter

• ROADSIDE GRAVES, You Won’t Be Happy With Me (EP)
• THE RIGHT ONS, Look Inside, Now!
• SHE AND HIM, Volume Two
• DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, The Big To-Do
• THE WHITE STRIPES, Under Great White Northern Lights
• POPA CHUBBY, The Fight Is On
• THE CHIEFTAINS FEATURING RY COODER, San Patricio
• FRIGHTENED RABBIT, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
• BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo
• JOHN HIATT, The Open Road
• THE TEXAS TORNADOES, Esta Bueno
• HOLMES BROTHERS, Feed My Soul
• SHOOTER JENNINGS & HIEROPHANT, Black Ribbons
• JOHNNY CASH, American VI: Ain’t No Grave
• WILL KIMBROUGH, Wings
• DEADSTRING BROTHERS, Sao Paulo
• JOE PUG, Messenger
• KASEY ANDERSON, Nowhere Nights
• MATTHEW RYAN, Dear Lover
• CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS, Genuine Negro Jig
• IKE REILLY, Hard Luck Stories
• BACKYARD TIRE FIRE, Good to Be
• RECKLESS KELLY, Somewhere in Time
• TIM BARRY, 28th & Stonewall
• ALLISON MOORER, Crows
• GLOSSARY, Feral Fire
• PATTY GRIFFIN, Downtown Church
• BLUE RODEO, The Things We Left Behind
• LADY ANTEBELLUM, Need You Now
• CRAZY HEART, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (New West)
• DANNY BARNES, Pizza Box (ATO)
• SPOON, Transference (Merge)
• RAY WYLIE HUBBARD, A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkment (Hint: There Is No C)
• LAURA VEIRS, July Flame
• FREEDY JOHNSTON, Rain on the City

View recommendations from the previous year >