Metacritic: Best Albums of 2006

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71 The Academy Is...
75 The Accidental
68 Adele
70 Adem
67 The Airborne Toxic Event
70 Alkaline Trio
72 Alphabeat
52 Ashanti
84 Bajofondo
56 David Banner
76 The Baseball Project
77 Beck
77 Black Affair
59 Black Ghosts
76 Black Kids
68 Booka Shade
74 Brazilian Girls
90 The Bug
70 Glen Campbell
75 Brendan Canning
69 The Charlatans
72 Coldplay
78 The Cool Kids
65 Alice Cooper
65 CSS
66 Miley Cyrus
45 Dandy Warhols
81 Danny!
73 Death Vessel
79 Damien Dempsey
58 Dirty Pretty Things
57 Disturbed
72 Dr. Dog
82 DragonForce
75 Jakob Dylan
77 Earlimart
77 Brian Eno + David Byrne
83 Alejandro Escovedo
62 The Faint
56 Feeder
65 The Fiery Furnaces
88 Fleet Foxes
64 iForward, Russia!
61 The Fratellis
73 The Futureheads
59 G Love & Special Sauce
65 The Game
73 Inara George With Van Dyke Parks
81 Girl Talk
61 Golden Animals
64 Mike Gordon
81 Al Green
42 G-Unit
79 GZA
64 Albert Hammond, Jr.
67 Ed Harcourt
78 Emmylou Harris
84 Harvey Milk
76 Juliana Hatfield
61 Hawthorne Heights
82 HEALTH
86 Hercules And Love Affair
77 John Hiatt
82 High Places
76 Zach Hill
85 The Hold Steady
63 Vanessa Hudgens
70 Human Highway
77 James Hunter
68 Ice Cube
66 Ida Maria
69 Jaguar Love
69 Jewel
76 Joan As Police Woman
81 Jamey Johnson
70 Jonas Brothers
59 Judas Priest
57 Kerli
73 Ladytron
69 Cyndi Lauper
72 Leila
76 Lykke Li
82 Lil Wayne
82 Lindstrom
72 Little Jackie
60 Lloyd
55 Los Lonely Boys
74 Love As Laughter
79 Aimee Mann
80 Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
76 John Mellencamp
71 The Melvins
71 Men Without Pants
71 Midnight Juggernauts
74 Mirah
63 Alanis Morissette
56 Motley Crue
74 The M's
83 The Music Tapes
54 The Music
71 My Brightest Diamond
70 My Morning Jacket
63 N.E.R.D. [The Neptunes]
71 Nas
79 Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis
84 Randy Newman
78 Nine Inch Nails
75 The Notwist
75 Conor Oberst
52 The Offspring
80 One Day As A Lion
75 Oneida
82 Opeth
62 The Orb
75 Oxford Collapse
62 James Pants
43 Katy Perry
74 Lee "Scratch" Perry
84 Sam Phillips
56 The Pigeon Detectives
72 Plies
73 Robert Pollard
81 Ponytail
64 Primal Scream
78 Ra Ra Riot
48 The Rascals
71 Ratatat
64 Re-Up Gang
48 Gavin Rossdale
71 The Rumble Strips
65 RZA
74 Scars On Broadway
72 Ron Sexsmith
85 Shearwater
39 Shwayze
81 Sigur Rós
78 Silver Jews
67 Slipknot
74 Sloan
79 Patti Smith and Kevin Shields
71 Solange
69 Son, Ambulance
63 Sam Sparro
76 Spiritualized
65 Rick Springfield
65 Staind
90 Steinski
47 Stereo MC's
72 Stereolab
69 The Stills
75 Subtle
83 Sugarland
67 Supergrass
70 Matthew Sweet
77 Irma Thomas
84 Teddy Thompson
57 Three 6 Mafia
76 Tilly And The Wall
64 The Ting Tings
72 Tittsworth
68 James Jackson Toth
72 Randy Travis
65 Usher
58 David Vandervelde
72 The Verve
69 The Virgins
69 Loudon Wainwright III
77 Martha Wainwright
85 The Walkmen
67 The Watson Twins
67 Ben Weaver
81 The Week That Was
64 Weezer
77 Paul Weller
76 White Denim
79 Cassandra Wilson
87 Dennis Wilson
76 Wire
78 Wolf Parade
61 XX Teens
55 Yung Berg
66 The Zutons

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The following table displays the highest-scoring albums for the year in Metacritic's database. Also listed at the bottom of the page are year-end critic top ten lists culled from various music publications, as well as year-end picks from Metacritic users.

Albums must have at least 7 reviews to qualify for high score lists. Reissues, "best-of" compilations and box sets are not eligible for inclusion. Year of release reflects U.S. release date unless title has not yet been released in the U.S.

You may also view an index of all albums in our database alphabetically by artist.
In addition, you may view the top-rated albums by year: All | 2007 | '06 | '05 | '04 | '03 | '02 | '01 | '00

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year
1	Savane by Ali Farka Toure	2006	94
2	Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits	2006	92
3	Modern Times by Bob Dylan	2006	89
4	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse	2006	89
5	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio	2006	88
6	Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer	2006	88
7	Fishscale by Ghostface Killah	2006	88
8	The Town And The City by Los Lobos	2006	87
9	Estudando o Pagode by Tom Zé	2006	86
10	'Sno Angel Like You by Howe Gelb	2006	86
11	For Hero: For Fool by Subtle	2006	85
12	The Drift by Scott Walker	2006	85
13	I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo	2006	85
14	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady	2006	85
15	Ys by Joanna Newsom	2006	85
16	Serena-Maneesh by Serena-Maneesh	2006	84
17	Donuts by J Dilla aka Jay Dee	2006	84
18	Black Cadillac by Rosanne Cash	2006	84
19	The Crane Wife by The Decemberists	2006	84
20	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case	2006	84
21	The Body, The Blood, The Machine by The Thermals	2006	84
22	The Letting Go by Bonnie "Prince" Billy	2006	84
23	Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco	2006	83
24	Game Theory by The Roots	2006	83
25	Love by The Beatles	2006	83
26	Like Red On A Rose by Alan Jackson	2006	83
27	Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut	2006	83
28	Nashville by Solomon Burke	2006	83
29	Morph The Cat by Donald Fagen	2006	83
30	Blood Mountain by Mastodon	2006	82

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists

Village Voice's 2006 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll (a survey of 494 critics)
1.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
2.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
3.	Fishscale by Ghostface Killah
4.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
5.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
6.	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
7.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
8.	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case
9.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
10.	Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits
Read The Full Results

Idolator's 2006 Jackin' Pop Critics Poll (a survey of 497 critics)
1.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
2.	Fishscale by Ghostface Killah
3.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
4.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
5.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
6.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
7.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
8.	Silent Shout by The Knife
9.	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case
10.	The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
Read The Full Results

Austin Chronicle [Raoul Hernandez]
1.	The Last Romance by Arab Strap
2.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
3.	His Hands by Candi Staton
4.	La Cantina by Lila Downs
5.	Be Your Own Pet by Be Your Own Pet
6.	Pink by Boris
7.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
8.	All This Time by Heartless Bastards
9.	Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses
10.	One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This by New York Dolls

Austin Chronicle [Audra Schroeder]
1.	Avatar by Comets On Fire
2.	The Drift by Scott Walker
3.	Beach House by Beach House
4.	Conference Of The Birds by Om
5.	What's For Dinner? by The King Khan & BBQ Show
6.	Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer
7.	Early Violence by Psychic Ills
8.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
9.	House Arrest by Ariel Pink
10.	Rather Ripped by Sonic Youth

Almost Cool
1.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
2.	Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
3.	Come Up For Air by The White Birch
4.	The Lost Take by Dosh
5.	Writer's Block by Peter Bjorn & John
6.	IBM 1401 - A User's Manual by Johann Johannsson
7.	Burial by Burial
8.	So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys
9.	The Avalanche by Sufjan Stevens
10.	Black Tar Prophecies Vol's 1, 2, & 3 by Grails

Amazon.com [Editors' Picks]
1.	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case
2.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
3.	The Crane Wife by The Decemberists
4.	Eye To The Telescope by KT Tunstall
5.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
6.	Continuum by John Mayer
7.	Carnavas by Silversun Pickups
8.	Superpop Venezuela by Los Amigos Invisibles
9.	Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain by Sparklehorse
10.	The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian

Billboard [Staff Consensus]
1.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
2.	We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen
3.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
4.	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
5.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
6.	Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards by Tom Waits
7.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
8.	(tie) Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers (tie) Taking The Long Way by The Dixie Chicks
9.	(tie) 10,000 Days by Tool (tie) Love by The Beatles
10.	Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae

Blender
1.	Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
2.	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
3.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
4.	FutureSex / LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake
5.	Fishscale by Ghostface Killah
6.	Love by The Beatles
7.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
8.	The Breakthrough by Mary J. Blige
9.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
10.	Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut

Cokemachineglow
1.	For Hero: For Fool by Subtle
2.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
3.	Roots & Crowns by Califone
4.	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case
5.	Shut Up I Am Dreaming by Sunset Rubdown
6.	Fishscale by Ghostface Killah
7.	Pink by Boris
8.	Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer
9.	Yellow House by Grizzly Bear
10.	Lisbon by Keith Fullerton Whitman

Delusions of Adequacy [Staff Consensus]
1.	Starless & Bible Black Sabbath by Acid Mothers Temple
2.	Rather Ripped by Sonic Youth
3.	Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue by Kayo Dot
4.	Putting The Days To Bed by The Long Winters
5.	Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses
6.	The Crane Wife by The Decemberists
7.	Drum's Not Dead by Liars
8.	At Home With Owen by Owen
9.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
10.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan

Drowned In Sound [Picks of founder Sean Adams]
1.	Black Holes & Revelations by Muse
2.	The Greatest by Cat Power
3.	Howling Bells by Howling Bells
4.	I Write Sins Not Tradegies by Panic! At The Disco
5.	Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
6.	Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene
7.	Someone To Drive You Home by The Long Blondes
8.	Show Your Bones by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
10.	Young Machetes by Blood Brothers

Dusted [Picks of co-editor Otis Hart]
1.	The Drift by Scott Walker
2.	In Colour by The Concretes
3.	Donuts by J Dilla
4.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
5.	Burial by Burial
6.	Acapulco Roughs by Colossal Yes
7.	Leaves From Off The Tree by Sharron Kraus, Meg Baird & Helena Espvall
8.	Dialogue by Hisato Higuchi
9.	Melody Mountain by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
10.	Harmony In Ultraviolet by Tim Hecker

Dusted [Picks of co-editor Sam Hunt] Listed alphabetically
	Derdang Derdang by Archie Bronson Outfit
	The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
	In Colour by The Concretes
	Ships by Danielson
	'Sno Angel Like You by Howe Gelb
	Ys by Joanna Newsom
	Jack Rose by Jack Rose
	Melody Mountain by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
	To Find Me Gone by Vetiver

Entertainment Weekly [Staff]
1.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
2.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
3.	Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
4.	FutureSex / LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake
5.	Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
6.	Taking The Long Way by The Dixie Chicks
7.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
8.	Alright, Still by Lily Allen
9.	The Greatest by Cat Power
10.	Post-War by M. Ward

Entertainment Weekly [Chris Willman]
1.	Taking The Long Way by The Dixie Chicks
2.	Alright, Still by Lily Allen
3.	Love by The Beatles
4.	A Blessing And A Curse by Drive-By Truckers
5.	These Days by Vince Gill
6.	Other People's Lives by Ray Davies
7.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
8.	Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco
9.	Like Red On A Rose by Alan Jackson
10.	Last Man Standing by Jerry Lee Lewis

Filter
1.	Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses
2.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
3.	You In Reverse by Built To Spill
4.	Carnavas by Silversun Pickups
5.	Robbers & Cowards by Cold War Kids
6.	The Greatest by Cat Power
7.	St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
8.	The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
9.	World Waits by Jeremy Enigk
10.	Brightblack Morning Light by Brightblack Morning Light

Lost At Sea
1.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
2.	Drum's Not Dead by Liars
3.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
4.	Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
5.	Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses
6.	Yellow House by Grizzly Bear
7.	The Body, The Blood, The Machine by The Thermals
8.	The Eraser by Thom Yorke
9.	Return To The Sea by Islands
10.	Show Your Bones by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Magnet
1.	Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
2.	The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
3.	Live A Little by Pernice Brothers
4.	Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case
5.	Return To Cookie Mountain by TV On The Radio
6.	I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass by Yo La Tengo
7.	Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
8.	So Divided by ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
9.	Bang Bang Rock & Roll by Art Brut
10.	Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses

Mojo
1.	Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs
2.	Modern Times by Bob Dylan
3.	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
4.	We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen
5.	Derdang Derdang by Archie Bronson Outfit
6.	To Find Me Gone by Vetiver
7.	Back To Black by Amy Winehouse
8.	People Gonna Talk by James Hunter
9.	The Trials Of Van Occupanther by Midlake
10.	The Greatest by Cat Power

MusicOMH
1.	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
2.	Howling Bells by Howling Bells
3.	Black Holes & Revelations by Muse
4.	Ballad Of The Broken Seas by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
5.	The Warning by Hot Chip
6.	Silent Shout by The Knife
7.	Through The Windowpane by Guillemots
8.	Ys by Joanna Newsom
9.	Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
10.

The 30 Best-Reviewed Albums of the Year

Music Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists