Best Music of 2009:
HN’s 30 Favorite Albums of the Year

As promised, we have finally put together our list of 30 favorite albums of 2009. This was no easy task. The music tastes of the HN Man are as varied as the types of men he dates (and there are many). Still, we compiled a list that would satisfy many, but remain true to our ideals (you won’t find Adam Lambert anywhere on this list, for example). It comes as no surprise that Yeah Yeah Yeahs top our list. Specifically, Karen O makes our list twice, first for “It’s Blitz! (which won by a landslide) and sencond for her work on the “Wild Things” OST. Spike Jonze’s film may have bombed, but the music is spectacular.  Of course, we would be lying if we ignored the incredible impact of Lady Gaga in 2009. Frankly, we’ve loved her since 2008 — back when she was performing live @ Family on Ave C — but we digress. There are probably names on this list you’ve never heard of (next week we’ll debut our list of “20 Albums you Don’t Know, but Should”), do not worry.

Hopefully, you’ll find a little something familiar and a little something new to experiment with here. Music should never be boring. On a sad, sad note. We included Whitney Houston’s new record, “I Look to You,” to our list, but not a single HN Man voted to include the album here. Heavy sigh. We can’t help but shed a tear for the Queen of Night. Mrs Bobby Brown may have escaped our music list this year, but expect a full Whitney throw-down for our upcoming “2009 Diva Off.” You will be surprised.

30. St. Vincent | Actor (Beggars Banquet)
29. Peter Bjorn & John | Living Thing (Almost Gold)
28. Passion Pit | Manners (Colombia/Frenchkiss Records)
27. Kylie | Live in New York (Astralwerks/Caroline/EMI)
26. Camera Obscura | My Maudlin Career (4AD)
25. Mos Def | The Ecstatic (Downtown)
24. Julian Casablancas | Phrazes for the Young (RCA)
23. Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca (Domino Records)
22. Bat For Lashes | Two Suns (Astralwerks/Parlophone)
21. Drake | So Far Gone (Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown)
20. Annie | Don’t Stop (Smalltown Supersound)
19. Rihanna | Rated R (Def Jam)
18. Florence +the Machine | Lungs (Island)
17. Fever Ray | Fever Ray (Mute)
16. Empire of the Sun | Walking on a Dream (EMI)
15. Atlas Sound | Logos (kranky)
14. Little Boots | Hands (Warner Bros/Ais)
13. La Roux | La Roux (Polydor)
12. Girls | Album (True Panther)
11. Sonic Youth | The Eternal (Matator)
10. Peaches | I Feel Cream (XL Recordings)
09. Karen O, The Kids | Where the Wild Things Are OST (Interscope Records)
08. Gossip | Music For Men (Colombia)
07. Animal Collective | Fall be Kind (Domino)
06. Jay-Z | Blueprint 3 (Warner/Roc Nation)
05. The XX | XX (XL Recordings)
04. Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)
03. Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest (Warp)
02. Lady Gaga | The Fame Monster (Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, Kon Live)
01. Yeah Yeah Yeahs | It’s Blitz (DGC/Interscope)

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