Recommended by NPR Listeners
(NPR Listeners Pick the Year's Best CDs, From All Songs Considered)
Under the Blacklight, Rilo Kiley
Alright, Still, Lily Allen
The Con, Tegan and Sara
The Flying Club Cup, Beirut
Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, Josh Ritter
Cassadega, Bright Eyes
Cease to Begin, Band of Horses
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, Of Montreal
Kala, M.I.A.
Challengers, The New Pornographers
Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird
Boxer, The National
Wincing the Night Away, The Shins
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
Icky Thump, The White Stripes
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
The Reminder, Feist
Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Recommended by NPR's Bob Boilen
(A Year of Good Memories: Bob Boilen's Top Ten CDs for 2007)
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, Of Montreal
Challengers, The New Pornographers
The Distant Future, Flight of the Conchords
Person Pitch, Panda Bear
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
Versatile Heart, Linda Thompson
Night Falls Over Kordetala, Jens Lekman
Loney, Noir, Loney, Dear
Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Recommended by Brian Newhouse, Host of SymphonyCast
(APM Highlights Great Classical Voices of 2007)
Lux Aurumque, The Dale Warland Singers (Gothic G49252)
Folk Songs, Trio Mediaeval (ECM 9888)
Beethoven Symphonies, Osmo Vanska conducts the Minnesota Orchestra (BIS 1616)
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2, Yundi Li (Deutsche Grammaphon 477 6593)
Mahler: Symphony No. 5, Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela (Deutsche Grammaphon 477 7323)
Duets, Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazon (Deutsche Grammaphon 477 6663)
Borrowed Treasures, JoAnn Falletta/Robert Alemany/Debra Wendells Cross (Virginia Arts 901)
Mozart: Violin Concertos, Maxim Vengerov leads the UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (EMI 78374)
American Virtuosa: Tribute to Maud Powell, Rachel Barton Pine (Cedille 90000097)
Improvisata, Fabio Biondi leads Europa Galante (Virgin 63430)
Recommended by Will Hermes
(From Wilco to M.I.A.: Will Hermes' Top Ten CDs for 2007)
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
The Reminder, Feist
Person Pitch, Panda Bear
Untrue, Burial
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
In Rainbows, Radiohead
I'm Not There [Soundtrack], Various Artists
Kala, M.I.A.
Recommended by Meredith Ochs, NPR Reviewer
(An Homage to Bygone Decades: Meredith Ochs' Top Ten CDs for 2007)
Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
The Tall Pines, The Tall Pines
Person Pitch, Panda Bear
I'm Not There [Soundtrack], Various Artists
Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation, Various Artists
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Dirt Farmer, Levon Helm
Magic, Bruce Springsteen
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Recommended by Tom Moon, NPR Reviewer
(Sunshine Through the Clouds: Tom Moon's Top Ten CDs for 2007)
Drastic Fantastic, KT Tunstall
Everybody, The Sea and Cake
Cornell 1964, Charles Mingus with Eric Dolphy
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Live at Massey Hall 1971, Neil Young
Floratone, Floratone
Boxer, The National
Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Recommended by NPR's Robin Hilton
(A Remarkable Year: Robin Hilton's Top Ten CDs for 2007)
Writer's Block, Peter Bjorn & John
Challengers, The New Pornographers
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse
The Reminder, Feist
Mood Swings, Small Sins
Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire
Person Pitch, Panda Bear
The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nation's Millenium General Assembly, Le Loup
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Recommended by Brian McCreath
(Classical Gold: Top 10 CDs from WGBH)
Haydn: Symphonies 88-92, Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic (EMI 94237)
Nielsen: Clarinet and Flute Concertos/Wind Quintet, Sabine Meyer & Emmanuel Pahud (EMI 94421)
Russian Album, Anna Nebtrebko (Deutsche Grammophon 8153-02)
Handel Arias, Danielle de Niese (Decca 10035)
Handel: Concerti Grossi, Richard Egarr conducts the Academy of Ancient Music (Harmonia Mundi 907415)
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5/Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Robert Spano conducts the Atlanta Symphony (Telarc 80676)
Kernis: Top 100 Greatest Dance Hits, Andrew Russo (Black Box 1107)
Guerrero: Missa Super Flumina Babylonis, Michael Noone conducts Ensemble Plus Ultra (Glossa 922005)
The Red Violin, Maria Bachmann (Endevour 1020)
Bach: Goldberg Variations, Simone Dinnerstein (Telarc 80692)
Recommended by Bruce Warren
(The Top 10 Debuts of 2007, from WXPN)
The Ortolan, The Deadly Syndrome
[Cross], Justice
Say Something, Via Audio
Leaves in the River, Sea Wolf
The Chaos in Order, Let's Go Sailing
Banging Down the Doors, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
Marry Me, St. Vincent
Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, The Twilight Sad
From Here We Go Sublime, The Field
All Hour Cymbals, Yeasayer
Recommended by Gary Walker
(What Made 2007 Sound So Good, from WBGO)
Abbey Sings Abbey, Abbey Lincoln
Live 2007: 4th Annual Concert Tour, SFJazz Collective
Sky Blue, Maria Schneider
Pilgrimage, Michael Brecker
Quartet, McCoy Tyner
We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song, Various Artists
In My Element, Robert Glasper
Red Earth, Dee Dee Bridgewater
Dear Miles, Ron Carter
Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Joe Lovano & Hank Jones
Recommended by Kevin Cole
(13 Great Musical Discoveries of 2007, from KEXP)
Emotionalism, The Avett Brothers
The Meaning of 8, Cloud Cult
All Hour Cymbals, Yeasayer
The Budos Band II, The Budos Band
The Broken String, Bishop Allen
Every Scene Needs a Center, Tullycraft
100 Days, 100 Nights, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Twilight on Sometimes Island, Li'l Cap'n Travis
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, Explosions in the Sky
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
I'm Gonna Live the Life I Sing About in My Song, Shane Tutmarc
Killion Floor, Orgone
Vampire Weekend (2008 release), Vampire Weekend
Recommended by John Schaefer, WNYC
(An Eclectic (Y)ear: John Schaefer's Best of 2007)
Goldberg Variations, Simone Dinnerstein
The Cloud of Unknowing, James Blackshaw
The London Book of the Dead, The Real Tuesday Weld
The Flying Club Cup, Beirut
Boxer, The National
Oceana, Osvaldo Golijov
A Year in the Wilderness, John Doe
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
Challengers, The New Pornographers
Panic Prevention, Jamie T.
Recommended by David Garland
(Top 10 Genre-Busting CDs of 2007, from WNYC)
Widow City, The Fiery Furnaces
World of Beauty, Kevin House
Rainy Day Song, Ed Askew
Bride of Dynamite, Rio en Medio
Comicopera, Robert Wyatt
Love Is Simple, Akron/Family
The Cloud of Unknowing, James Blackshaw
Ondes Silencieuses, Colleen
Sun Wheel, Mike Wexler
Mirrored, Battles
Recommended by Rita Houston
(The Year's Best Music, from WFUV)
Free Life, Dan Wilson
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Version, Mark Ronson
I'm Not There [Soundtrack], Various Artists
In Our Bedroom After the War, Stars
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Story, Brandi Carlile
Cassadega, Bright Eyes
Recommended by Banning Eyre
(Banning Eyre's Top 10 Albums of 2007)
Watina, Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective
Segu Blue, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
The Syliphone Years, Bembeya Jazz National
Ce, Caetano Veloso
Red Earth: A Malian Journey, Dee Dee Bridgewater
Mujer de Caberet, Puerto Plata
Jardim abandonado, Sergio & Odair Assad
Aman Iman, Tinariwen
The Roots of Chicha, Various Artists
Rokku Mi Rokka, Youssou N'Dour
Recommended by David Brown
(The Best Albums of the Year, from KUT)
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Twilight on Sometimes Island, Li'l Cap'n Travis
Woke on a Whaleheart, Bill Callahan
Tijuana Dreams, The Small Stars
Future Clouds & Radar, Future Clouds & Radar
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Recommended by Shaunna Morrison Machosky
(Top 10 Jazz Jewels of 2007, from WDUQ)
Song for Anyone, Chris Potter
Dept. of Good and Evil feat. Rachel Z, Dept. of Good and Evil
Metheny Mehldau Quartet, Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau
In My Element, Robert Glasper
Quartet, McCoy Tyner
Sky Blue, Maria Schneider
Light On, Tom Harrell
The Timeless Now, Dayna Stephens
Pilgrimage, Michael Brecker
Lawn Chair Society, Kenny Werner
Recommended by David Dye
(The Best CDs of 2007, from World Cafe)
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, Josh Ritter
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Boxer, The National
I'm Not There [Soundtrack], Various Artists
Kala, M.I.A.
Up Front and Down Low, Teddy Thompson
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
Civilians, Joe Henry
Recommended by Robin Gehl
(Next Generation Classical: WGUC's Top CDs of 2007)
Vladimir Jurowski conducts the Dresden Staatskapelle, with pianist Helene Grimaud. (Deutsche Grammophon 477 6595)
Riccardo Muti conducts the Vienna Philharmonic, with violinist Vadim Repin. (Deutsche Grammophon 477 6596)
Paavo Jarvi conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. (Telarc 80681)
Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Orchestre de Paris, with pianist Lang Lang. (Deutsche Grammophon 477 6596)
Nicola Luisotti conducts the Dresden Staatskapelle, with soprano Anna Netrebko & tenor Rolando Villazon. (Deutsche Grammophon 477 6663)
Stile Antico performs a cappella music for Compline. (Harmonia Mundi 807419)
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra performs with violinist Sarah Chang. (EMI 94431-2)
Mikhail Pletnev conducts the Russian National Orchestra. (Deutsche Grammophon 477 6409)
"Cantus" is the name of both the ensemble and the CD. (Cantus Recordings CTS-1207)
Simone Dinnerstein performs Bach's Goldberg Variations. (Telarc 80692)
Recommended by Jeff McCord
(The Best Songs of the Year, from KUT)
Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
Woke on a Whaleheart, Bill Callahan
La Radiolina, Manu Chao
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, Ruthie Foster
Children Running Through, Patty Griffin
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
Magic, Bruce Springsteen
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
Recommended by Jonny Meister
(Top 10 Blues Albums of 2007, from WXPN)
Raw, Bobby Rush
Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions, James Blood Ulmer
Let Us Get Together, Marie Knight
Code Blue, Sugar Blue
Old School, Koko Taylor
Meet Me in the Cotton Field, Terry "Big T" Williams & Willie "Junebug" Taylor
High Country Blues, Harrison Kennedy
Searching for Frank, Franklin & Baytop
Live: A Night at Tipitina's, Mem Shannon
Done Got Tired of Tryin', Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
Recommended by Folk Alley Hosts and Staff
(Folk Alley's Favorite CDs of 2007)
The Gospel Truth, Susan Werner
Children Running Through, Patty Griffin
Dirt Farmer, Levon Helm
Letters from Sinners & Strangers, Eilen Jewell
Lightweights & Gentlemen, LAU
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby
Fork in the Road, The Infamous Stringdusters
Viridian, The Greencards
South of Delia, Richard Shindell
Quartet, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice
Recommended by NPR's Ned Wharton
(CD Gift Guide for 2007)
Traffic and Weather, Fountains of Wayne
Proof of Youth, The Go! Team
Hey Hey My My Yo Yo, Junior Senior
The Essential Capitol Collection, Keely Smith
Techari Remix, Ojos de Brujo
Sky Blue, Maria Schneider Orchestra
The Red Violin, Joshua Bell
The Jekyll & Hyde Tour, P.D.Q. Bach
Rose Window, Linn Barnes & Allison Hampton
Recommended by NPR's Stephen Thompson
(A Very Tolerable Christmas)
Bing Crosby's Christmas Classics, Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Bitter Honey, Eef Barzelay
Christmas, Low
Happiness, The Weepies
Songs for Christmas, Vol. II: Hark!, Sufjan Stevens
Recommended by WXPN's Kathy O'Connell
(The Top 10 Kids' CDs of 2007, from WXPN)
Calling All Kids, Candy Band
Chickens, Buck Howdy & BB
Down at the Sea Hotel: Singer-Songwriter Lullabies, Various Artists
The Dream Jam Band, The Dream Jam Band
Experience...101, Sweet Honey in the Rock
For the Kids III, Various Arists
It's a Bam Bam Diddly, Father Goose
Mommy Says No!, The Asylum Street Spankers
My Green Kite, Peter Himmelman
Wonderstuff, Recess Monkey
Recommended by MPR's Steve Seel
(Top CDs of 2007, from 'The Current')
Armchair Apocrypha, Andrew Bird
Boxer, The National
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Emerald City, John Vanderslice
Moo, You Bloody Choir, Augie March
For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
The Stage Names, Okkervil River
Parade, Vicious Vicious
Marry Me, St. Vincent
Recommended by WGUC's Naomi Lewin
(Top Five Musical Sleigh Rides)
Christmas with The Pops, "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, Erich Kunzel conducts the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Telarc
Jacques Ibert: Piano Music, "Sleigh Ride," Hae-won Chang, piano, Naxos
Mahler, Symphony No. 4, Gustav Mahler, Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the San Francisco Symphony, SFS
Mozart in the Morning, "German Dance" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Neville Marriner conducts the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philips
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Lieutenant Kije, "Troika" Sergei Prokofiev, Andre Previn conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Telarc
Recommended by KPLU
(Top Ten Jazz CDs of 2007, from KPLU)
Destination Moon, Deborah Cox
Night Moves, Kurt Elling
Return to You, Sara Gazarek
Russell Gunn Plays Miles, Russell Gunn
River: The Joni Letters, Herbie Hancock
Metheny Mehldau Quartet, Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau
Feeling Good, Randy Crawford & Joe Sample
I Know Nothing, Dean Schmidt
This Meets That, John Scofield
Vignola Plays Gershwin, Frank Vignola
Recommended by KPLU
(Deck the Halls with Swing)
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Vince Guaraldi
Warner Bros. Jazz Christmas Party, Michael Franks
Christmas for Lovers, Kenny Burrell
Christmas Songs, Diana Krall
Django Bell, The Gypsy Hombres
Bob Boilen with Carrie Brownstein, Will Hermes, Tom Moon & Meredith Ochs
(2007: The Year in Review from All Songs Considered)
Dirt Farmer, Levon Helm
The Voice of Lightness: Congo Classics 1961-1977, Tabu Ley Rochereau
The Distant Future [EP] , Flight of the Conchords
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
The Shepherd's Dog, Iron & Wine
Sky Blue Sky, Wilco
Icky Thump, The White Stripes
Shine, Joni Mitchell
White Chalk, PJ Harvey
In Rainbows, Radiohead
Kala, M.I.A.
Person Pitch, Panda Bear
EP, Vampire Weekend
Wild Mountain Nation, Blitzen Trapper
Capo My Heart and Other Bear Songs, Lucinda Blackbear
Floratone, Floratone
Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? , Of Montreal
Boxer, The National
I'm Not There [Soundtrack] , Various Artists
Neon Bible, The Arcade Fire
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