The Top Ten Albums Of 2008

10: David Cook - David Cook

The first true rock star American Idol winner roared on his second album, the first since winning the talent competition. From the heavy rock of "Bar-Ba-Sol" to the emotional piano ballad "Permanent" and hitting every second-wave alternative sound in between, David proved it wasn't just the cougar love that won him the title.

9: Taylor Swift - Fearless

She's only 18, but she already has the songwriting chops of a Max Martin. Taylor's sophomore disc contains some of the best written country songs in recent memory, very few cliches or borrowed ideas. Starting with her declaration that "yeah, those girls are beautiful, but would they write a song for you" on "Hey Stephen" and going through the very grown up realization that Prince Charming doesn't exist on "White Horse" the Pennsylvania-born, Nashville-dwelling country pop star can even make an "I love you Mom & Dad" song like "The Best Day" sound amazing.

8: Katy Perry - One Of The Boys

Katy and her team of crack song doctors and producers (including Max Martin and Dr. Luke on the number one single "I Kissed A Girl" and former Eurythmic Dave Stewart on many other tracks) couldn't help but make catchy pop songs. But that's not the only reason to listen to One Of The Boys, it's the lyrics that explore gender roles in a tongue-in-cheek manner that elevate the album above the electro washed pop-punk of her Warped Tour peers.

7: Mariah Carey - E=MC2

There's no mistaking, Mariah's still a diva. Just because she doesn't out-octave Kathleen Battle much on her latest disc, she's still riding fly, migrating from the bar to the club to the party to the after party and is generally that chick you like. She's a Diva Don now, as gansta as an oversized Tony Montana t-shirt over a bulletproof vest. And yes boys, she wants you to touch her body...

6: Shelby Lynn - Just A Little Lovin'

The Grammy-winning country star covers Dusty Springfield with much emotion over gentle acoustic piano jazz. It's the perfect album to soundtrack breakfast with your southern gentleman on your veranda. I often use the word "chill" to describe certain electronic music that doesn't throb with a four-on-the-floor beat, but is smooth and downbeat. These are "chill" country versions of classics like "The Look of Love" and the title track.

5: Madonna - Hard Candy

It's not the perfect Madonna album, but really her singles collections The Immaculate Collection and GHV2 are the only perfect Madonna albums. Hard Candy does have many great disco-meets-hiphop tracks, from the lead single "4 Minutes" to the celebration of clublife "Heartbeat" to the throbbing roller-disco of the Wendy Melvoin guesting "She's Not Me" there are many tracks to stick into your party playlists.

4: Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

Girl Talk is the king! Taking just the hookiest parts of every pop, rock, hiphop, indie and oldies hit ever and layering, chopping and speeding up those bits he creates a tossed salad of an album. I don't know that you can call it music, the frenetic beat is more like every ADD kid's favorite... Wait! Is that Ace Of Base? I love this song!

3: Jay Brannan - Goddamned

There are moments on the Shortbus actor's full length debut album that sound like demos. The raw hook, just surrounded by acoustic guitar and piano, feel exposed. But as listeners to number 8 album will attest, sometimes high production values can obscure true emotion, something that never happens on Goddamned. The keystone track is "Housewife" - a wistful love song that threatens to leave me a bundle of sobs. But I would also recommend "A Death Waltz" or "Half-Boyfriend" as perfect places to start learning about the songwriting talents of Jay Brannan.

2: Santogold - Santogold

She is a creator, thrill is to make it up. Part Mark Ronson, part M.I.A., part B-52s, all insanely catchy and experimental. Sometimes it's a ball of noise, but sometimes it's gentle surf guitars and new wave hooks. One thing she is not: a Lower East Side Artiste. But she is pretty hipster friendly, but she comes bearing banger choruses.

1: Robyn - Robyn

What can I say about Robyn I haven't said before? Every damn song on here is a fucking masterpiece of pop, I have never loved every single song on an album before. Even my favorites (ABBA Gold, Regina Spektor's Begin To Hope, Relient K's Two Lefts) have a clunker or two, but not Robyn. Elevating pop music to an artform is the only way to describe it: every hook is stuck in your brain, every emotional plea is heartrending, every witty remark burns. Even the experimental stuff like "Anytime You Like" is transcendent, and the only song I would describe as average R&B is "Should Have Known" and it sounds like a winning hit! If you love pop music, if you love music in general, Robyn is the disc you must own. I know I subscribe to the "hyperbole is single greatest thing ever in the history of the universe" theory of music critiques, but I'm for real this time. For the love of Linda Perry, buy the damn thing!