So many magazines, television networks, and other bloggers have been busy touting their lists of the best music from this past year and I’ve been mostly disappointed by the choices. I buy somewhere around 15 albums a month and definitely form my own opinions.

Seems like all these reviewers want to show off their knowledge of some obscure group that no one has ever heard of, and they bestow high honors upon them. While I do listen to some music that most people don’t know anything about, I prefer to stick to popular artists, or at least, artists that you have at least a chance of hearing on the radio or catching on tour.

That being said, I’d like to offer up my opinions on some of the best work of the year. I’m offering these in no particular order, mostly because I have a hard time choosing between genres and styles. You can click on the following items to purchase them from Amazon.

Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics

I, Jester, am officially declaring here and now that any and all comparisons between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera need to cease immediately. I can certainly understand why they started, with the similarity in ages, background, Disney start, and basically interchangeable first albums… however, where some people have gotten married and crowned queen of the trailer park, others have gotten married and put out an incredibly sexy mixture of modern pop and 1930′s extravagance. It’s smart, classy, and her voice has never been better.

The Fray – How to Save a Life

If you have been living in a cave without a television or radio, you’ve probably missed the title track on Grey’s Anatomy or commercials. Like most songs that get used in this way, you may be burned out by it. Do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of the album. “Over My Head (Cable Car),” “She Is,” and “All at Once” are three minute pop masterpieces. The Fray took a formula from Keane and added their own special ingredient to make something especially tasty.

Blue October – Foiled

Reminiscent of one of my personal favorites, Peter Gabriel, this sophomore major label release is at times dark, romantic, sweet, and acidic. “Hate Me” was the big hit over the summer. “X Amount of Words” and “Congratulations” are stand out tracks, and “Into the Ocean” is the current ring tone on my cell phone. This is one of the disks that got a lot of playtime on the iPod that is almost always attached to my hip.

KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope

Who’s cute, Scottish, a talented songwriter, and a tremendous live performer?* It’s this year’s best debut artist, KT Tunstall. You couldn’t escape “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” this year, and frankly, why would you want to? It’s the perfect pop song, complete with borderline-nonsensical lyrics open to interpretation, a great dance beat, and a sing along chorus that will get caught in your head for days. The rest of the album is solid and shows a wide range of influences. My favorite track? Definitely “Suddenly I See.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium

What’s better than a new album by rock-funk veterans, Red Hot Chili Peppers? That’s right, a DOUBLE album. There’s nothing especially new on this 28-song opus, but why fix something that isn’t broken? “Dani California,” “Snow (Hey Oh),” “Readymade,” and “Animal Bar” are standout tracks.

Elton John – The Captain and the Kid

While I am of the firm opinion that just about anything that Sir Elton does is great, (even the admittedly schmaltzy FM-Lite music of the past several years) this album proves why he will go down in history as one of the most important artists of modern times. This album was billed as the follow up to 1975′s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, a concept album about the oft-tumultuous relationship between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. This newest release definitely sounds like it could have been released in 1977, picking up where they left off 30 years ago. If you’ve abandoned EJ since the “Circle of Life,” maybe it’s time to give him another chance.

I’ve only just scratched this list, I have more coming in the next post or two. What are some of your favorites?