The PLAY Lists >> The Top CDs of 2004

PLAY List
Best of 2004

2005 __ Volume 6

The PLAY Lists >> The Best CDs of 2004 — A Preview of the Top-Rated CDs of the Year

Here's a first look at the CDs that finished at the top of the 2004 critics' rankings in the magazines listed below. PLAY Lists for the various musical genres are in progress, but it is pretty clear that Kayne West's debut and U2's return have sparked considerable interest.

Updated July 27, 2005

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	Top-Rated CDs of 2004
Jazz	Maria Schneider Orchestra . Concert in the Garden. (ArtistShare) Down Beat: Jazz Album of the Year Joe Lovano. I'm All for You. (Blue Note) New York Times: The Deepest Jazz Grooves Don Byron. Ivey-Divey. (Blue Note) JazzTimes: Top 50 CDs Norah Jones. Feels Like Home. (Blue Note) Down Beat: 69th Down Beat Readers' Poll: Beyond Album Diana Krall. The Girl in the Other Room. (Verve) JazzTimes: Readers Poll Bojan Z Trio. Transpacific. (Label Bleu) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (New Jazz) Miles Davis. Seven Steps: The Completed Columbia Recordings, 1963-1964. (Columbia/Legacy) JazzTimes: Reissues of the Year Albert Ayler. Holy Ghost: Rare & Unreleased Recordings (1962-1970. (Revenant) The Wire: 50 Records of the Year
Popular Music	Kayne West. The College Dropout. (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) NYT-KS: The Year's Best Pop Albums Rolling Stone: 2004 Readers' & Critics' Poll Spin: 40 Best Albums of the Year USA Today: Album of the Year Vibe: Album of the Year (Editors' Picks) Village Voice: Pazz & Jop Poll XXL: Love/Hate 2004 U2. How to Dismantal an Atomic Bomb. (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) NYT-JP: The Year's Best Pop Albums Paste: Signs of Life 2004 Tracks: Tracks Top 20 Albums of 2004 Rolling Stone: 2004 Reader's & Critic's Poll (Readers' Poll) The Streets. A Grand Don't Come for Free. (679) Q: 50 Best Albums of the Year Brian Wilson. Smile. (Nonesuch) S&V: Best of 2004 on DVD and CD Uncut: New Album of the Year Norah Jones. Feels Like Home. (Blue Note) Down Beat: 69th Down Beat Readers's Poll: Beyond Album The Beta Band. Heroes To Zeroes. (Astralwerks) Res Magazine: Extended Play: Best of the Rest Lesbians on Ecstasy. Lesbians on Ecstasy. (Alien 8 Recordings) The Advocate: Top 10 Albums The Hold Steady. Almost Killed Me. (Frenchkiss) Spin: Ten Best Albums You Didn't Hear N.E.R.D. Fly or Die. (Virgin) Entertainment Weekly : Records of the Year (Second Opinion) Tom Waits. Real Gone. (Anti- ) Harp: Album of the Year Magnet: Essential Listening: The 20 Best Albums of the Year Wolf Eyes. Burned Mind. (Sub Pop) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Underground) Little Annie and the Legally Jammin'. Little Annie and the Legally Jammin'. (Italic) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Dance) Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle. One from the Heart. (Columbia) Uncut: Soundtracks of the Year Velvet Revolver. Contraband. (RCA) Classic Rock: Classic Rock Albums of 2004 Total Guitar: 50 Best Guitar Albums of 2004 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. 2 CDs. Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. (Mute) Mojo: 40 Best Albums of 04 The Dilinger Escape Plan. Miss Machine. (Relapse) Decibel: Top 40 Albums of 2004 Clash. London Calling. (Sony Legacy) No Depression: The 20 Top Reissued Recordings of 2004 Nirvana. With the Lights Out. (Geffen/UME) Spin: Ten Best Reissues of 2004 The Kinks. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. (Sanctuary) Uncut: Reissue of the Year The Mamas and the Papas. Complete Anthology. (Universal/Island) Uncut: Compilations and Box Sets of the Year Bob Dylan. Live 1964: Concert at Philharmonic Hall—The Bootleg Series Volumes 6. (Columbia/Legacy) Tracks: Top 10 Reissues The Faces. Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... (Rhino) Mojo: Reissue of the Year
Blues	Eric Clapton. Me and Mr. Johnson. (Reprise) Down Beat: 69th Down Beat Readers's Poll: Blues Album
Country	Loretta Lynn. Van Lear Rose. (Interscope) No Depression: The 50 Finest alt.country (or, Y'know, Whatever) Albums of 2004 Country Music Today: Album of the Year Terry Allen. Jaurez. (Sugarhill) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Americana)
Rap R&B	Kayne West. The College Dropout. (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) NYT-KS: The Year's Best Pop Albums Spin: 40 Best Albums of the Year Vibe: Album of the Year (Editors' Picks) XXL: Love/Hate 2004 Ludacris. The Red Light District. (Disturbint Tha Peace) Jet: Jet Top 20 Albums Danger Mouse. The Grey Album. [Note: not commercially available] Entertainment Weekly: Records of the Year Skinnyman. Council Estate of Mind. (Lowlife) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Folk)
World and Folk Music	Andrew Cronshaw. Ochre. (Cloud Valley) — U.K. — Celtic fROOTS: The Critics' Award Nominees Lhasa. The Living Road. (Warner) — U.S. — Latin pop fROOTS: The Critics' Award Nominees Youssou N'Dour. Egypt. (Nonesuch) — Senegal — Mbalax fROOTS: The Critics' Award Nominees Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (World) The Beat: Top of the Tens Tinariwen. Amassakoul. (IRL/Wayward) — Mali – rock fROOTS: The Critics' Award Nominees The Beat: Top of the Tens Mary McPartlan. The Holland Handkerchief. (MPC) — folk Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Folk) Max Romeo & The Upsetters. War Ina Babylon. (Hip-O-Select/Universal) — Jamaica — reggae Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Folk) Ali Farka Toure. Red & Green. (World Circuit) — Mali — folk fROOTS: The Critics' Award (Re-issue/Compilation)
Latin Music	Lhasa. The Living Road. (Warner) — U.S. — Latin pop fROOTS: The Critics' Award Nominees
Soundtracks	Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle. One from the Heart. (Columbia) Uncut: Soundtracks of the Year Massive Attack. Danny the Dog. (Wild Bunch Virgin) Mojo: Genre Albums of the Year (Soundtracks)
Classical	Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro. Gens, Ciofi /Kirschlager, Regazzo, Keenlyside/Rene Jacobs/Concerto Koln. 3-CDs. (Harmonia Mundi 6717414) Gramophone: Record of the Year Handel: Saul. Gabrieli Consort & Players / Paul McCreesh. (DV Archiv 474 5102) BBC Music Magazine: The Top 20 CDs of 2004

	Top-Rated Music DVDs of 2004
Popular Music	Beatles. The First US Visit. (Capitol) Tracks: Top 10 DVDs Elvis Presley. Elvis: '68 Comeback Special. (BMG) Uncut: Music DVD of the Year White Stripes. Under Blackpool Lights. (XL) Mojo: DVD of the Year Isolated. Funkstörung Triple Media. Book with DVD. (Die Gestalten Verlag/!K7 Records. ) RES Magazine: Sound and Vision: 2004's Best Design+Music DVDS
Classical Music	Britten: Owen Wingrave. Kent Nagano. (Arthaus Musik) Gramophone: Best DVD

	Top-Rated Music Books of 2004
Popular Music	Bob Dylan. Chronicles: Volume One. (Simon & Schuster) Rolling Stone: Top Rock Reads Uncut: Books of the Year Mojo: Book of the Year Isolated. Funkstörung Triple Media. Book with DVD. (Die Gestalten Verlag/!K7 Records. ) RES Magazine: Sound and Vision: 2004's Best Design+Music DVDS

Sources >>

[AG] — "Best CDs of 2004." Acoustic Guitar Vol. 16, No. 8, Issue 146 (February 2005): pp. 16-19.

[TA] — "Top 10 Albums." The Advocate Issue 930 (January 18, 2005): pp. 70-71.

[ARG] — "Critics' Choice 2004." American Record Guide Vol. 61, Issue 1 (January/February 2005): pp. 53-56.

[AP] — "10 Essential Albums of 2004." A.P. Alternative Press Magazine Vol. 19, No. 199 (February 2005): p. 104.

[BBC] — "The Top 20 CDs of 2004." BBC Music Magazine Vol. 13, No. 5 (January 2005): pp. 23-26.

[TB] — "The Experts Pick...The Best of 2004." The Beat Vol. 24, No. 1 (2005): pp. 36-41

[CFM] — "The Very Best of 2004." Classic fm Issue 122 (January 2005): pp. 63-67.

[CMT] — "Contributors' Picks: Our 2004 Writer's Poll of the Year's Best Music." Country Music Today Vol. 5, Issue 26 (January/February 2005): pp. 76-79.

[CR] — "Classic Rock Albums of 2004." Classic Rock Issue 75 (January 2005): pp. 36-37.

[Decibel] — "Top 40 Albums of 2004." Decibel Issue 004 (January/February 2005): pp. 49-60.

[DB-R-2003-Results] — "69th Readers Poll: Complete Results." Down Beat Vol. 72, No. 8 (August 2005): pp. 48-49.

[DB-C-2004] — "53rd Annual Critics Poll." Down Beat Vol. 71, No. 12 (December 2004): pp. 62-63.

[EW] — Browne, David. "Music: Records of the Year." Entertainment Weekly Issue #799/800 (December 31, 2004/January 7, 2005): pp. 132.

[EW-2] — Sinclair, Tom. "A Second Opinion." Entertainment Weekly Issue #799/800 (December 31, 2004/January 7, 2005): p. 138.

[FI] — Golubic´, Thomas, and Gary Calamar. "The Top 25 Soundtracks." Fade In Vol. 8, No. 2 (2005): pp. 56-60.

[FF] — "The Want List 2004." Fanfare Vol. 28, No. 2 (November/December 2004): pp. 99-129.

[FR] — "The Critics Award 2004." [ Online ] fROOTS No. 259/260 (January/February 2005). Available: http://www.frootsmag.com/content/critpoll/ (Accessed 17 December 2004)

[G] — "Gramophone Awards 2004." Gramophone Vol. 82, No. 985, Awards Issue (2004): pp. 29-49.

[G-Categories] — "Gramophone Awards 2004." Gramophone Vol. 82, No. 984 (October 2004): pp. 40-53.

[G-CC] — "Critics' Choice." Gramophone Vol. 82, No. 987 (December 2004): pp. 54-65.

[Grooves] — "The Best Discs of 2004." Grooves Issue 16 (2005): pp. 95-96.

[Harp] — "Year in Review: Critics Picks Top 40." Harp Vol. 3, No. 18 (January/February 2005): pp. 114-119.

[JT-2004] — "The Year in Review: Top 50 CDs '04." [ Online ] JazzTimes Vol. 35, No. 1 (January/February 2005): pp. 66-71. Available: http://www.jazztimes.com/reviews/critics_picks/top50_data.cfm (Accessed 18 January 2005).

[JT-2004-R] — "The Year in Review: Readers Poll '04." [ Online ] JazzTimes Vol. 35, No. 1 (January/February 2005): pp. 72-73. Available: http://www.jazztimes.com/columns_and_features/web_exclusive/readers_poll/index.cfm (Accessed 18 January 2005).

[Jet] — "Jet Top 20 Albums." Jet Volume 107, No. 3 (January 17, 2005): p. 65.

[LB] — "Top Ten CD Picks 2004." Latin Beat Magazine Vol. 14, Issue 10 (December 2004/January 2005): pp. 24-25.

[LAT] — Los Angeles Times

[Magnet] — "Essential Listening: The 20 Best Albums of the Year." Magnet Vol. 13, No. 66 (January/February 2005): pp. 66-68.

[MM] — "Critics Pick the Top 10 CDs of 2004." Metal Maniacs Vol. 22, No. 2 (February 2005): pp. 34-35, 88-93, 120.

[Mojo] — "40 Best Albums of 04." Mojo Issue 134 (January 2005): p. 78-83.

[NYT-BR] — Ratliff, Ben. "The Deepest Jazz Grooves." New York Times (December 26, 2004): Sect. 2, p. 42.

[NYT-JP] — Parales, Jon. "The Year's Best Pop Albums." New York Times (December 26, 2004): Sect. 2, p. 37.

[NYT-KS] — Sanneh, Kelefa. "The Year's Best Pop Albums." New York Times (December 26, 2004): Sect. 2, p. 37.

[NYT-Classical] — "The Best Classical CDs of 2004." New York Times (December 12, 2004): Sect. 2, p. 35.

[ND] — "The 50 Finest alt.country (or, Y'know, Whatever) Albums of 2004." [ Online ] No Depression No. 55 (January/February 2005): pp. 28-31. Available: http://www.nodepression.net/bonus/bestof2004.html (Accessed 18 January 2005). [Note: The No Depression website contains the ballots of each critic but not the resulting ranked listing.]

[Paste] — "Signs of Life 2004." [ Online ] Paste Issue 14 (February/March 2005): pp. 70-76.

[Q] — "50 Best Albums of the Year." Q Issue 222 (January 2005): p. 78-89.

[Res] — "Extended Play: Best of the Rest." RES Magazine Vol. 7, No. 6 (2004): pp. 62-63.

[RES-DVD] — "Sound and Vision: 2004's Best Design+Music DVDS." RES Magazine Vol. 7, No. 6 (2004): pp. 64-65

[RS-50] — "The Top Fifty Records of 2003." Rolling Stone Issue 964/965 (December 30, 2004/January 13, 2005): pp. 140-153.

[RS-R&C] — "2004 Readers' & Critics' Poll." Rolling Stone Issue 966 (Jan 27, 2005): pp. 54-55.

[TS] — "2004: Remember the Time." The Source No. 183 (December 2004): pp. 119-134.

[SL] — Broughton, Simon. "Best Albums 2004." Songlines Issue 28 (January/February 2005): pp. 24-25.

[S&V] — "S&V Entertainment Awards: Best of 2004 on DVD and CD." Sound & Vision (February/March 2005): pp. 98-99.

[Spin] — "40 Best Albums of the Year." Spin Vol. 21, No. 1 (January 2005): pp. 63-68.

[Spin-Reissues] — Hermes, Will. "Ten Best Reissues of 2004." Spin Vol. 21, No. 1 (January 2005): p. 70.

[Spin-Singles] — Aaron, Charles. "20 Best Singles of 2004." Spin Vol. 21, No. 1 (January 2005): p. 72.

[Spin-Cult] — "Ten Best Albums You Didn't Hear." Spin Vol. 21, No. 1 (January 2005): p. 74.

[Strings] — "5X5." [ Online ] Strings Vol. XIX, No. 6, Issue 125 (January 2005): pp. 64-71. Available: http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/Strings125/reviews.html (Accessed 18 January 2005).

[TG] — "50 best Guitar Albums of 2004." Total Guitar Issue 313 (January 2005): pp. 28-29.

[UC] — "Uncut Presents The Best of 2004." Uncut Take 91 (January 2005): pp. 73-81.

[UC-2] — "Uncut Presents The Best of 2004 — Part Two: Films, DVDs and Books of the Year." Uncut Take 92 (January 2005): pp. 79-87.

[USA Today] — "Critics Gang Up on the World of Music." USA Today (December 26, 2004): Section D, p. 6.

[Tracks] — "Tracks Top 20 Albums of 2004." Tracks Vol. 1, Issue 6 (December 2004/January 2005): pp. 98-100.

[TW] — "2004 Rewind." The Wire Issue 251 (January 2005): pp. 38-49.

[Urb] — "The Top 10 Albums of 2004." Urb Vol. 15, No. 123 (January/February 2005): p. 82.

[Vibe] — Editors' Picks." Vibe (January 2005): pp. 50-51.

[VV] — "The 31st (or 32nd) Annual Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll." [ Online ] The Village Voice (February 10, 2005): pp.

Sources >> Books

[RS-Reads] — "Top Rock Reads." Rolling Stone Issue 964/965 (December 30, 2004/January 13, 2005): p. 176.

[RES-DVD] — "Sound and Vision: 2004's Best Design+Music DVDS." RES Magazine Vol. 7, No. 6 (2004): pp. 64-65

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Here's a first look at the CDs that finished at the top of the 2004 critics' rankings in the magazines listed below. PLAY Lists for the various musical genres are in progress, but it is pretty clear that Kayne West's debut and U2's return have sparked considerable interest.