Who says the album's dead? This year saw some fine ones, with veterans like U2 and Bruce Springsteen setting the bar. Rolling Stone rates the cream of the crop:
- U2, No Line on the Horizon: Bono & Co. explored “dark places” and came away “with a sense of drama that no one could match all year."
- Bruce Springsteen, Working on a Dream: The Boss at his “wildly baroque” best: “decked-out folk and rock struggling with the big stuff—and having a great time along the way.”
- Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: “The wholesome French version of the Strokes,” delivered an energetic and insanely catchy mix of guitar rock and electronics.
- Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3: Some of Jay-Z’s “cleverest braggadocio ever,” backed by “stunningly good beats from rich friends like Kanye West.”
- Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown: With their second rock opera, Green Day “revitalizes the idea of big-deal rockers actually saying something.”
- Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca: This freaky yet fun art rock album was the year’s most original, with its “sideways harmonies, warpedsoul crooning, and dreamlogic arrangements.”
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