T’was a darn good year in music.

And though it would be impossible to hear everything that’s been released, here are our top picks. Feel free to create your own list in the comments section.

Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me

She plays a harp. Her album is in three parts. Enough said.

Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

It’s very eclectic with a bit of classical composition, electronica, rap, and even a glimmer of bollywood pop. Plus it has some pretty badass guest appearances (Snoop Dogg as an example).

Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles

It’s just…fun.

Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)

Energetic, Epic and Exceptional. Seriously worth taking the time to listen to the entire album in one sitting, as it’s a journey everyone should experience.

Sufjan Stevens: Age of Adz

The reasons are covered here.

Beach House: Teen Dream

Simply a beautifully written album.

LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

Witty and fun, perfect for a road trip or even a house party.

Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM

Produced by Beck, every song tells its own story in its own way, yet there is a synchronicity that pulls the whole album together.  French pop combines with american dark dream drama making the album part sexy, part intellectual.

Sleigh Bells: Treats

Treats, the debut album from the electro-rock duo Sleigh Bells, is a thrill ride…

Warpaint: The Fool

All-female quartet became a local sensation in LA after the release of their 2009 EP Exquisite Corpse. They enlisted John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers to help with mixing the EP. Their 2010 release, The Fool, is comprised of charisma, psychedelia, post-punk, experimental funk and electro pop instrumentals glazed in a hazy wash of vocals.

Here we go Magic: Pigeons

Their second album released by the five-piece Brooklyn, NY band.

Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

The “perfect balance between noisy adventurism and pop immediacy.”

The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt

That voice. Oh…that voice! The passionate Swedish folksinger, Kristian Matsson, who is behind The Tallest Man on Earth, rocks out on the guitar, banjo and piano.

Delorean: Subiza

On their new album, Subiza, the Spanish four-piece deploys the build-and-burst tempos of 90s house and techno music, and they do so explicitly, never shying away from arms-in-the-air piano bridges or incandescent raves. This music is proudly informed by the resiliency and vigor of classic club music, and its title (named after the Basque town in which the album was recorded) recalls the famously nightclub-centric Ibiza and the Balearic dance music that originated there.

Yeasayer: Odd Blood

“Electrifyingly ‘Odd‘”

The experimental rock band also did a remix of a fave, Florence and the Machine‘s hit single “Dog Days Are Over,” which was released in October 2010.

Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

Just a happy sounding band with just the right amount of sulky.

Bands We Missed But Wish We Hadn’t:

Glasser: Ring

Twin Shadow: Forget

What else?!