In the waning days of 2008, 15 LiveDaily staffers and contributors compiled lists of their favorite albums from the past year.

Most lists show few similarities, but there is enough agreement to result in the rough consensus of our overall Top 10 list, which was topped by TV on the Radio [ tickets ]'s "Dear Science."

Each writer's Top 10 list--along with his or her thoughts about the year--follows.

See LiveDaily's consensus Top 10 albums list.

Rob Evans, LiveDaily Editor in Chief

1. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
2. Blitzen Trapper, "Furr" (Sub Pop)
3. Deerhunter, "Microcastle" (Kranky)
4. Paul Westerberg, "49:00" (self-release)
5. My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges" (ATO)
6. The Black Keys, "Attack and Release" (Nonesuch)
7. Jackie Greene, "Giving Up the Ghost" (429)
8. Vic Chesnutt, Elf Power, And The Amorphous Strums, "Dark Developments" (Orange Twin)
9. Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreak" (Roc-a-Fella)
10. Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note)

TV on the Radio keeps surprising with more inventive twists on their sound. Blitzen Trapper overcame their terrible moniker and their even worse album cover. Deerhunter's "Microcastle" unveils more with each successive listen. Paul Westerberg seems at his best when he's barely trying, and the pastiche album "49:00" may be his best solo release. My Morning Jacket didn't match the high bar of "Z," but managed to bring the funk. The Black Keys found the perfect producer in Danger Mouse. Why haven't more people heard of Jackie Greene? Why haven't more people heard of Vic Chesnutt? Kanye West earns entry for simply making a vocoder-heavy album listenable. Who knew that Willie Nelson was really a jazz singer?

Jon Zahlaway, LiveDaily Senior Writer

1. Nine Inch Nails, "Ghosts" (The Null Corporation)
2. Nine Inch Nails, "The Slip" (The Null Corporation)
3. Metallica, "Death Magnetic" (Warner Bros.)
4. Toadies, "No Deliverance" (Kirtland)
5. Danko Jones, "Never Too Loud" (Bad Taste)
6. The Raconteurs, "Consolers of the Lonely" (Warner Bros.)
7. Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" (Capitol)
8. AC/DC, "Black Ice" (Columbia)
9. Everlast, "Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford" (Three Ring Project)
10. Filter, "Anthems for the Damned" (Pulse Recording)

OK, I admit it: Trent Reznor is my man crush--but the latest releases from Nine Inch Nails aren't topping my 2008 list just because I dig him. Reznor self-released via NIN's website two surprise albums this year: "Ghosts I-IV," a spectacular, 36-song instrumental collection that unexpectedly turned up late one Sunday night in March (the first volume of which was free), and "The Slip," a full-length set with vocals that surfaced in early May accompanied by a note reading "This one's on me." Yes, he gave the whole thing away for free--and, for once, the old adage "You get what you pay for" doesn't apply. Of the remaining albums on my list, two deserve particular mention: Metallica, quite simply, was the comeback story of the year, reclaiming its rightful spot atop the heavy-metal heap with "Death Magnetic," a triumphant return to form for the veteran head-bangers; and reunited Texas rockers the Toadies, who made their much-deserved comeback official with "No Deliverance," their first new studio set in seven years.

Lucy Beach, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. The Dodos, "Visiter" (French Kiss)
2. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
3. Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
4. Frightened Rabbit, "The Midnight Organ Fight" (Fat Cat)
5. Delta Spirit, "Ode to Sunshine" (Rounder/UMGD)
6. The Black Keys, "Attack and Release" (Nonesuch)
7. Apollo Sunshine, "Shall Noise Upon" (Headless Heroes)
8. The Ting Tings, "We Started Nothing" (Columbia/Red Ink)
9. Vampire Weekend, "Vampire Weekend" (XL)
10. Department of Eagles, "In Ear Park" (4AD)

More often than not, when I sit down to compile my best-of list, I can't help but choose albums I've developed some sort of deep emotional connection to. While that may be the case for most of these albums, others were chosen simply because they're fun (Apollo Sunshine), addictive (The Ting Tings), or complete (Vampire Weekend). Delta Spirit's "Ode to Sunshine" can barely contain itself, overflowing with that eternal sound of searching. Bon Iver has created a truly special record--achingly, honestly beautiful. It's that unspeakable something better left alone, wordless. TV on the Radio has never released an album that's disappointed, but this is their most comprehensive work to date. Start to finish, absolutely no momentum is lost. 2008 may have been the year of duos (No Age, High Places) but no pair possesses more sonic power and depth than the Dodos. Some honorable mentions include the Helio Sequence, Raphael Saadiq, Lykke Li, and the Felice Brothers.

John Dugan, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. Portishead, "Third" (Mercury)
2. Al Green, "Lay It Down" (Blue Note)
3. Lykke Li, "Youth Novels" (Atlantic)
4. Hercules and Love Affair, "Hercules and Love Affair" (Mute)
5. The Black Ghosts, "The Black Ghosts" (Iamsound)
6. Last Shadow Puppets, "The Age of the Understatement" (Domino)
7. Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money Records)
8. Goldfrapp, "Seventh Tree" (Mute)
9. Neon Neon, "Stainless Style" (Lex)
10. Paul Weller, "22 Dreams" (Yep Roc)

I like British music, I like soul music, I like disco music, and I like concept albums about gull-winged sports cars made in Ireland, evidently ("Stainless Style"). In our fracturing music culture, there were shards of brilliant music, but no all-conquering album or artist this year--though Lil Wayne and Kanye made a good go at it, percolating through the culture like new icons they are. Three stunning returns--those of Portishead, Al Green and Paul Weller--made this a year of low-key genius reasserting itself. Green's and Weller's choice of new collaborators was key, and Portishead's painstaking songwriting and recording process produced a record of a challenging but rewarding standard that few artists even conceive of so late in their careers. Electronic dance acts The Black Ghosts and Hercules and Love Affair found that starting with great songs only makes the beats that much tastier.

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. Nickelback, "Dark Horse" (Roadrunner).
2. Panic at the Disco, "Pretty. Odd." (Atlantic/Fueled by Ramen)
3. Metallica, "Death Magnetic" (Warner Bros.)
4. Slipknot, "All Hope is Gone" (Roadrunner)
5. James Morrison, "Songs for You, Truths for Me" (Interscope)
6. The Feeling, "Join With Us" (Universal (UK import)
7. AC/DC "Black Ice" (Columbia)
8. Kaiser Chiefs, "Off With Their Heads" (Universal)
9. Theory of a Deadman, "Scars and Souvenirs" (Roadrunner)
10. David Cook, "David Cook" (RCA)

The year 2008 was one in which we saw Nickelback provide a classic hedonistic sound with great tongue-in-cheek lyrics and song titles; Metallica burn on all cylinders with a stellar return to form; and Panic at the Disco show a new maturity inspired by paisley-decorated British '60s acts such as The Kinks. Slipknot went "psychosocial" on its traditionally heavy pseudo-melodic sound. Soulful Brit James Morrison gave the impression he's been around for years, and fellow countrymen The Feeling gave US pop bands a run for their money. To round out the Top 10 of 2008, AC/DC didn't reinvent the wheel, while Kaiser Chiefs offered catchy choruses, guitar lines and keyboards to create an instant classic that must be heard. Theory of a Deadman's single "Bad Girlfriend" ripped off The Cult, but its track "I Hate My Life" is this year's "Rockstar." Finally, "American Idol" David Cook served up a tasty rock collection.

For Christina Fuoco-Karasinski's Top 10 singles, visit Joost.

Tara Hall, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. Wild Sweet Orange, "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" (Red Ink)
2. Conor Oberst, "Conor Oberst" (Merge)
3. Kings of Leon, "Only By The Night" (RCA)
4. Rachael Yamagata, "Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart" (Warner Bros.)
5. Vampire Weekend, "Vampire Weekend" (XL)
6. Randy Newman, "Harps & Angels" (Nonesuch)
7. Nine Inch Nails, "The Slip" (The Null Corporation)
8. My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges" (ATO)
9. Jenny Lewis, "Acid Tongue" (Warner Bros.)
10. Alejandro Escovedo, "Real Animal" (Back Porch)

Back in the early '80s, I loved cassingles--a.k.a. "cassette singles" for those less in-the-know or just too young to remember. The ability to enjoy a song without making a commitment to the entire cassette--that was utter genius in my book. Now I have the mp3 to thank for my continued indecisiveness, though it makes for a tough time when trying to come up with the best albums of the year. That said, a mixture of the imaginative and the classic made the "buy-the-album" cut, with newbies like Wild Sweet Orange and Vampire Weekend giving icons Randy Newman and Alejandro Escovedo a run for their money. And though some in the music world faced rehab, divorce disputes and other random pitfalls, these 10 kids played nice and fair, focusing more on their output and subsequent tours than any headline-making shenanigans.

Jim Harrington, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. R.E.M., "Accelerate" (Warner Bros.)
2. Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note)
3. The Dandy Warhols, "Earth to the Dandy Warhols" (Beat the World Records)
4. B.B. King, "One Kind Favor" (Geffen)
5. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
6. Shelby Lynne, "Just a Little Lovin'" (Lost Highway)
7. Omara Portuondo, "Gracias" (Montuno)
8. Brian Wilson, "That Lucky Old Sun" (Capitol)
9. Rachael Yamagata, "Elephants . . . Teeth Sinking Into Heart" (Warner Bros.)
10. Mike Doughty, "Golden Delicious" (ATO)

Experience counts for plenty. For proof, please see 2008: a year in which the old-timers thoroughly kicked all the young whippersnappers' butts. On this list, you'll find a 66-year-old Beach Boy (Brian Wilson), two people in their 70s (Willie Nelson and Omara Portuondo) and even one octogenarian (B.B. King). Indeed, topping this list are the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers from Athens, GA--R.E.M.--a group of three guys who are all right around 50. This is not a new trend: In recent years, if you've wanted to hear the good stuff, you've needed to turn on the music vets. It's sort of a sad commentary on the state of the industry when, going into 2009, you find that you're still looking forward to the new Bruce Springsteen CD and not "The Next Big Thing."

Tjames Madison, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
2. Deerhunter, "Microcastle" (Kranky)
3. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
4. Blitzen Trapper, "Furr" (Sub Pop)
5. Tobacco, "F---ed Up Friends" (Anticon)
6. No Age, "Nouns" (Sub Pop)
7. Portishead, "Third" (Island)
8. Beach House, "Devotion" (Carpark)
9. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (Mute UK/Anti-)
10. Darker My Love, "2" (Dangerbird)

Fittingly for a year that featured both epochal changes and catastrophic plunges, TV on the Radio was there to guide us through the process. Three albums in and Tunde Adebimpe, Dave Sitek and Co. feel like they've been part of our nation's fabric roughly since, well, forever. "Dear Science" doesn't reinvent the wheel; the album simply continues an exciting process of evolution that began two years ago with 2006's best LP, "Return to Cookie Mountain." Atlanta's Deerhunter and LA's No Age, however, do make the great leap forward with albums built on chewing gum, baling wire and vast surpluses of chutzpah. Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes and Beach House make West Coast country rock circa 1973 cool again, Portishead returns after 10 years with an album that shouldn't be this great, Nick Cave scores points just for being Nick Cave, analog-synth weirdo Tobacco makes the most gorgeous pure noise you'll hear this year, and Darker My Love reinvents 1967 over and over again in pure pop solitude. Second team: Deerhoof, Beck, Crystal Castles, The Fall, The Mae Shi, Times New Viking, Sic Alps, Girl Talk, Ponytail, Crystal Stilts.

Jed McGowan, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
2. Beach House, "Devotion" (Carpark)
3. Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
4. Okay, "Huggable Dust" (Absolutely Kosher)
5. Shugo Tokumaru, "Exit" (Almost Gold)
6. Ponies in the Surf, "See You Happy" (Darla Records)
7. Au, "Verbs" (Aagoo)
8. Atlas Sound, "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel" (Kranky)
9. Lucky Dragons, "Dream Island Laughing Language" (Marriage)
10. Castanets, "City of Refuge" (Asthmatic Kitty)

Full of heart and harmonies, the Fleet Foxes' self-titled, full-length debut spent the most time playing on my iPod in 2008. Baltimore duo Beach House delivered another dream-pop masterpiece with their sophomore album, "Devotion." Two artists on my list--Bon Iver and Ray Raposa of the Castanets--spent time in isolation (a cabin in the woods and a motel room in the desert, respectively) to create breathtakingly personal albums. Musical tinkerers Au, Shugo Tokumaru and Lucky Dragons all offered albums that were a pleasure to the ears and rewarded repeat listenings. Okay and Atlas Sound provided the soundtrack for the year's sadder, more introspective moments, while Ponies in the Surf's "See You Happy" was my go-to album for celebrations and dinners with friends.

Don Zulaica, LiveDaily Contributing Writer

1. Metallica, "Death Magnetic" (Warner Bros.)
2. Ben Folds, "Way To Normal" (Epic)
3. Ani DiFranco, "Red Letter Year" (Righteous Babe)
4. Jeff Beck, "Live At Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club" (Eagle)
5. Electric Six, "Flashy" (Metropolis)
6. Weezer, "The Red Album" (Geffen)
7. The Roots, "Rising Down" (Def Jam)
8. George Carlin, "It's Bad For Ya" (Laugh.com)
9. Slipknot, "All Hope Is Lost" (Roadrunner)
10. Guns N' Roses, "Chinese Democracy" (Geffen)

Plenty of good stuff to warm the sub-cockle area of the heart, from songwriters that continue to get better over time (like DiFranco, Foldsand Rivers Cuomo), to unrelentingly soulful grooves (Roots), to instrumentalists that remind us why soul can't be quantified with a metronome or sales figures (Beck). I still maintain that I'm not angry enough for Slipknot, but sweet Jesus they're talented at what they do (and don't tell anybody the dirty little secret that they're actually musical, not just loud). Rick Rubin deserves every award he gets for reminding Metallica where they came from. George Carlin, R.I.P. A band that really got under my skin in the best way this year was Electric Six, who didn't make me laugh as much as Carlin, but they sure slapped me upside the face while trying their best. And for merely being released, "Chinese Democracy" deserves a nod. Can we now move on?

Bill Ashton, LiveDaily Contributor

1. Raphael Saadiq, "The Way I See It" (Columbia)
2. Delta Spirit, "Ode To Sunshine" (Rounder)
3. The Black Keys, "Attack & Release" (Nonesuch)
4. Vampire Weekend, "Vampire Weekend" (XL)
5. Dr. Dog, "Fate" (Park The Van)
6. A.A. Bondy, "American Hearts" (Fat Possum)
7. Goldfrapp, "Seventh Tree" (Mute)
8. Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
9. Sigur Ros, "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" (XL)
10.Jonah Smith, "Brooklyn Sessions" (Independent)

What an incredible year for new records! This list could easily have been a Top 30. These 10 are simply the albums that I can't turn off. Notes on a few: Bon Iver, Goldfrapp and Sigur Ros put out the most gorgeous songs and stunning arrangements this year. A.A. Bondy's record is the compass for the future of Fat Possum, a label known for archiving the old juke-joint bluesmen of the Delta. Vampire Weekend was the top of the afro-centric rhythm releases this year with an album that can be described simply as "total fun". If you're not familiar with Delta Spirit, Dr. Dog or Jonah Smith, be sure to add their live shows to your list of New Year's Resolutions; they're three of the best live shows out there. And Raphael Saadiq's "The Way I See It" is the best R&B album since D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar".

Tom Ewald, LiveDaily Contributor

1. Frightened Rabbit, "Midnight Organ Fight" (Fat Cat)
2. TV on the Radio "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
3. Nick Cave, "Dig Lazarus, Dig" (Mute UK/Anti)
4. Longhorne Slim, "Longhorn Slim" (Kemado)
5. City and Colour, "Bring Me Your Love" (Vagrant)
6. Bon Iver, "For Emma Forever Ago" (Jagjaguwar)
7. Cut Copy, "In Ghost Colours" (Interscope)
8. Kanye West, "808s and the Heartbreak" (Roc-A-Fella)
9. Beck, "Modern Guilt" (Interscope)
10. The Whigs, "Mission Control" (Ato Records/Red)

These are the albums that continue to stay in my rotation--the ones that upon first listen caught and maintained my attention, as opposed to the many others I heard where I thought, "That one song is awesome, but the rest of the disc sucks." Call them music for 40-year-old, urban/suburban white guys with kids who still want to hear new artists but who lack time and patience for anything too heavy, experimental, or without lyrics. Drink up!

Robert Franklin, LiveDaily Contributor

1. Beck, "Modern Guilt" (Interscope)
2. TV on the Radio, "Dear Science" (4AD/Interscope)
3. Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" (Capitol)
4. Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night" (Sony)
5. Killers, "Day and Age" (Island)
6. Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic)
7. Oasis, "Dig out Your Soul" (Reprise)
8. Vampire Weekend, "Vampire Weekend" (XL)
9. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
10. Deerhunter, "Microcastle" (Kranky)

The year started slowly with only two real standouts from Death Cab and Coldplay. As the summer rolled around, so did the hits. First there was Beck, who continued to push music forward with an incredibly solid album from beginning to end. Next, Vampire Weekend dropped the catchiest collection of songs I have heard in years. Finally, TV on the Radio crushed it with "Dear Science"--a rocky, disco, R&B, groovy tour de force. As the year winds down, I am left admiring Deerhunter and
Fleet Foxes--two newbies who will be defining music for years to come.

Justin Rodstrom, LiveDaily Contributor

1. Radiohead, "In Rainbows" (TBD) [Editor's Note: A version of this album was released in October 2007, but the full release of the album was not available in the United States until January 2008.]
2. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
3. The Raconteurs, "Consolers of The Lonely" (Third Man/Warner Bros.)
4. Sigur Ros, "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" (EMI)
5. Metallica, "Death Magnetic" (Warner Bros.)
6. The Mars Volta, "The Bedlam In Goliath" (Universal)
7. The Roots, "Rising Down" (Def Jam)
8. My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges" (ATO)
9. The Black Keys, "Attack & Release" (Nonesuch)
10. Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night" (RCA)

2008 was a celebration of the return of rock music to the forefront of the American psyche. A potent combination of fascination with rock borne out of a new video game industry with titles including Rock Band and Guitar Hero, as well as a swelling in rock-scene communities--most evident in the hipster/indie movement--have revitalized interest in rock music, the likes of which have not been seen since the grunge movement of the early 1990's. Not only did 2008 see releases from rock mammoths like AC/DC, Guns N' Roses and Metallica, but saw up and comers rise to new heights. Both My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon, two bands who only three years ago were sidestage bands at Bonnaroo Music Festival, are now receiving daily radio play in New York City, and will both be hosting their own headlining shows at the world's most well known arena, Madison Square Garden. Let's just hope that the momentum and interest in rock artists generated in this resurgent year carry over into 2009 and well into the future.

Roubina Surenian, LiveDaily Contributor

1.Kings of Leon, "Only By The Night" (RCA)
2.Death Cab For Cutie, "Narrow Stairs" (Atlantic)
3.The Raconteurs, "Consolers of the Lonely" (Warner Bros.)
4.The Music, "Strength in Numbers" (Capitol)
5.My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges" (ATO Records)
6.Bloc Party, "Intimacy" (Wichita)
7.The Kooks, "Konk" (Astralwerks)
8.Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreak" (Roc-a-Fella)
9.Sigur Ros, "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" (XL)
10.The Gutter Twins,"Saturnalia" (Sub Pop)

The year 2008 was about evolution, and Kings of Leon continue to dominate with another solid record that proves they are a formidable force--though a big breakthrough has been elusive in the US.. Jim James of My Morning Jacket illustrates "evolution" best with vocals finally coherent enough that the masses can sing along. The Brit-Pop genre dazzled with a mature and enjoyable sophomore release by The Kooks, The Music continue to astound record after record and precocious Bloc Party gave us more genre-blending rock, with sensitive lyrics and pulsating beats. Kanye West, whether you love or hate him, proved he is incapable of doing anything less than brilliant with another slick record. In a year when Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan recorded an album together, it simply proved the magic and (r)evolution I expected this year. Anything is possible. Repeat after me.