This year, Stereogum wanted you -- the readers -- to decide the year's best albums. Thousands voted during our 7 day poll and we've finally tallied the Top 20.
As promised, one of you (selected randomly) wins the lot of 'em, purchased NEW from an ACTUAL STORE ... so you can regift the ones with rootkits.
Props to those who gave Monk & Coltrane's Carnegie reissue a shoutout. And to everyone who couldn't get enough Kidz Bop. To the guy who said Walk The Line's Soundtrack was 2005's best: go buy a Johnny Cash album ... one without Jaoquin Phoenix. To the gal who voted for Simply Red's remix CD: I think you're reading the wrong blog.
One poll taker wrote in, "No good music has been released since 1998." Thank god he didn't win.
Kanye may claim Stereogum Readers Hate Black People, but Jed, Jim, and I think your responses were top-notch, even if you are racist. Thanks for voting, thanks for reading, have a great holiday.
 | 20 KANYE WEST | |
|---|---|---|
 | 19 BRIGHT EYES | |
 | 18 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM | |
 | 17 ANDREW BIRD | |
 | 16 OKKERVIL RIVER | |
 | 15 GRIZZLY BEAR | |
 | 14 ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS | |
 | 13 THE NATIONAL | |
 | 12 M.I.A. | |
 | 11 Animal Collective | |
 | 10 My Morning Jacket | |
 | 09 SLEATER-KINNEY | |
 | 08 THE DECEMBERISTS | |
 | 07 BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE | |
 | 06 NEW PORGRAPHERS | |
 | 05 SPOON | |
 | 04 CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH | |
 | 03 BLOC PARTY | |
 | 02 WOLF PARADE |
 | 01 SUFJAN STEVENS |
|---|
And our randomly generated winner: Zac Cianflone. Congrats Zac!
UPDATE: You may have noticed Arcade Fire on the list earlier. I included them because pollmaster Jim said "Some people had convoluted arguments for considering AF an 05 release." I just read the arguments ... and they're not very good. So I put the Arcade Fire out. Welcome Kanye.
