PRODUCT SHOP NYC | The 57 Best Albums of 2005

Another year is about to end and it's time to compile those "best of" lists. I found this year to, once again, be a fairly boring year for new music. There were very few records that truly blew me away. The albums that stuck out seemed to be by artists who I have come to expect a lot from and who were able to deliver.

Two singer-songwriters who truly surprised me this year are Ryan Adams and Bright Eyes. I've never really cared for either act or any of their previous albums. This year, both Conor and Ryan released multiple records that caught me completely off guard. I've been converted into a fan.

You'll also find a bunch records on this list from the new crop of ultrahyped acts, including artist like Sufjan Stevens, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Nationals, Wolf Parade, Bloc Party, M.I.A., The Hold Steady, and Devandra Barnhart. When all is said and done, their records did stand out this year. Many of them get blogged about way to much, but they all released relatively good albums and deserve spots on the list.

A few old-timers also made the list this year. New Order, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen all made beautiful albums that are easily the best material they've released in over a decade.

As for this years number one album, I'll just say that it came as a total surprise. I had written the band off after their last record, thinking their time had passed. I never thought they'd be able to mature their sound in such an elegant and rocking way. The second I started listening to their new album, I found myself completely immersed in it. It's one of those albums that needs to be listened to from start to finish. It's record that has a timeless quality to it and that's why it tops this years list. Without further hoopla, here's.....

PRODUCT SHOP NYC'S THE 57 BEST ALBUMS OF 2005
57. I Am Kloot - Gods and Monsters
56. Bruce Springsteen – Devils & Dust
55. Mommy & Daddy – Duel At Dawn
54. The Decemberists - Picaresque
53. The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
52. Mars Volta – Frances The Mute
51. Animal Collective - Feels
50. Black Mountain – Black Mountain
49. Fatlip – The Lonliest Punk
48. Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
47. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Jacksonville City Nights
46. Franz Ferdinand – You Can Have It So Much Better With…
45. Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
43. Laura Veirs - Years of Meteors
42. Tom Vek – We Have Sound
41. The Joggers – With A Cape And A Cane
40. Goldfrapp - Supernature
39. Beck - Guero
38. Devandra Banhart – Cripple Crow
37. My Morning Jacket - Z
36. The National - Alligator
35. DangerDoom – The Mouse And The Mask
34. Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
33. Nine Inch Nails – [With Teeth]
32. Fiest – Let It Die
31. The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike
30. Sam Champion – Slow Rewind
29. Brendan Benson - Alternative to Love
28. Clap Your Hand Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
27. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
26. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
25. The Babyshambles – Albion Seed
24. Silver Jews – Tanglewood Numbers
23. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs
22. Wolf Parade – Apologies To The Queen Mary
21. Stephen Malkmus – Face The Truth
20. Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman’s Woman
19. New Order – Waiting For The Sirens Call
18. The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers
17. Brakes – Give Blood
16. Sleater-Kinney – The Woods
15. Spoon – Gimme Fiction
14. Sigur Ros – Takk….
13. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
12. LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem
11. Youth Group – Skeleton Jar
10. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
9. Frank Black – Honeycomb
8. Paul McCartney – Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
7. Ryan Adams – Cold Roses
6. M.I.A. - Arular
5. The Rakes - Capture / Release
4. Gorillaz – Demon Days
3. Antony & The Johnsons – I Am Bird Now
2. The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
1. Supergrass – Road To Rouen

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Rough Trade Shops Top 100 Albums of 2005
TotesProbsMaybs Top 30 Songs of 2005
Largehearted Boy's Favorite Albums of 2005
East Bay Express critic's Best Records of 2005
Amazon's Best of 2005: Top 100 Editors Picks
Amazon's Best of 2005: Top 100 Customers' Picks
Informational Leafblower's Top 40 Bands In America - 2005 Edition
Basement Galaxy's Best Albums of 2005
King Blind's Top 15 Albums of 2005
Reality Check's Top 19 Albums of 2005

Comments

[d]

im so glad comments are back. this site sucks.

[Matt]

Great list, and thanks for the reminder of why I read ProductShop in the first place. Of course, I'd have some quibbles--no Teenage Fanclub??? MIA???--it's swell to see a blog by someone who actually knows something about music pre-1999. Even better to see you acknowledge Paul McCartney's surpisingly excellent Chaos and Creation and give the super props to the highly underrated Supergrass. In any event, excellent list, and how lovely to see that Annie and Art Brut ain't anywhere near it.

[auds]

Thanks for the link!
Only recently listened to Twin Cinema - now listening to it all the time - disappointed I made my list before I could have included it.

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I've never really cared for either act or any of their previous albums. This year, both Conor and Ryan released multiple records that caught me completely off guard. I've been converted into a fan.