Of course, this year's nominees were picked by a guy from Snow Patrol, a guy from the Killers, a guy from CMJ and a guy from KCRW ... and I suppose it reflects that diverse group (note the sarcasm).

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I've been looking forward to this day since the beginning of the year. Finally the results of the 2007 Idolator Pop Critics Poll are in. I will be doing some serious geeking out over the results in the coming days (weeks? months), but for now here are the big winners, according to the 451 critics who submitted ballots:

#1 Album: LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver

#1 Single: Rihanna feat. Jay-Z, "Umbrella"

#1 Artist: Radiohead

#1 Reissue: Young Marble Giants, Colossal Youth and Collected Works

And for fun, here's how some imaginaries voted (I didn't include some because I was either not sure if they would be comfortable linking to their ballots because they were entered under the staffer's real names or I just didn't see them). If I missed any please let me know or include a link in the comments. Mine is here. Other TIG staffers:

Imaginary Dana

Imaginary Liz

Erik Gonzalez

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After much deliberation, here’s my top ten for 2007.

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On the off chances that 1) anyone cares what their friendly neighborhood imaginary film and theater critic thinks about the year's music releases, and 2) anyone is doing anything at all during the dead 'tween-holidays week, much less reading top-ten lists, here are my favorite albums of the year, alpha by artist:

• The Apples in Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder
• The Eames Era – Heroes + Sheroes
• Imperial Teen – The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band
• Just Jack – Overtones
• LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
• Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
• Menomena – Friend and Foe
• The New Pornographers – Challengers
• Radiohead – In Rainbows
• Tracey Thorn – Out of the Woods

My films-of-the-year feature (coming early '08) will be far more compelling. Promise.

Anyone who knows me outside of the HTML world knows two things:

1. I am a big guy.
2. I don't know my way around HTML very well.

In order to thwart my big-guy status, I've done many things over time. First, I enjoy minimalist art a lot more than big, bombastic art. This carries to music as well: I think the Arcade Fire are gloriously over-rated (too big) and prefer the more subtle stylings from big bands like that of Broken Social Scene. Arena rock was great. But it's over. Let's move on.

In any case, given that I like minimalism and I don't know my way around HTML very well, I've opted to display my lists for 2007 WITHOUT the bombast of YouTube videos and such. You want to hear a sample of something? Ask Google. They're small guys and they know their way around HTML. I'm sure they can find you a YouTube video or free MP3.

That said, here are my lists for the TOP SEVEN best albums of Oh SEVEN (in general) and the TOP SEVEN best albums out of the Northwest:

Best of 2007

1. Radiohead—In Rainbows
2. Amon Tobin—Foley Room
3. Elliott Smith—New Moon
4. LCD Soundsystem—Sound of Silver
5. Philip Glass and Leonard Cohen—Book of Longing
6. The Blakes—The Blakes
7. Slow Six—Nor’Easter

Best Northwest of 2007

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Sometimes I think it takes me waaay too long to come up with my Top 20 albums of a given year. There are a lot of internal debates and arguments that really have no right answer. Really, you reach a point where all the albums are good but how to rank them gets to be quite the challenge. This year was chock full of good music (not matter what the naysayers might groan). I counted something like 175+ albums worth mentioning in 2007, and that is only a tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything that was released in the year. However, I did whittle it down to 20... well, 22 if you count my 2 EP exception (EP's don't count as real albums).

If you're interested in some sub-lists, like my albums "with apologizes" (albums I didn't hear but should have) or "best imports" or "most disappointing" (hint, the band who made it rhymes with Milo Biley), check it out here.

So, here we go:

#21 The EP's - Two EP's made me happy this year, and really, they would be in the top 20, but it seems unfair to me to include EP's versus albums. They're both UK pop, and they're both brilliant in their own cute way.

Los Campesinos! Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (Thanks to igLiz for this band!)

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OK, well, nobody likes to reflect and rank more than I do (I'm a scientist, I love to quantify), so here goes. I've got my favorite songs of 2007 - no, not best or most innovative, but rather the songs I liked ... lots and lots and lots. There is a little overlap from my forthcoming Best Albums, but also some curveballs. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention:

• "Girls and Boys in Love" by the Rumble Strips
• "Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
• "Jack the Ripper" by the Horrors (special note: If the Horrors had a brain and released the original fast demo version of this song on their debut Strange House, it would have been an easy top 10.)
• "Ragoo" by Kings of Leon
• "Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki
• "Geld Essen" by K.I.Z.

#10. "The Prayer" by Bloc Party from Weekend in the City - This song is one of the most interesting songs Bloc Party has recorded. Too bad the rest of the album (short of "Hunting for Witches") just wasn't as cool.

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It’s always odd to revisit what you’ve reviewed over the course of a year. Sometimes, much can change – as after subsequent listenings, you realize that record you thought was pretty decent just blows (see The Killers’ Sam’s Town) or you come to love an album that you’d previously dismissed as mediocre (see “Into the Wild” soundtrack). The true test of a “best release of the year” is its stability, so I’ve tried to pick “long-haul” contenders—albums I’ll go to for months (or even years) to come, with no requirement for a set amount of finalists. Here’s what made the cut...

TOP ALBUMS:

• LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver (this one sits significantly higher than the rest)
• Interpol: Our Love to Admire
• The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
• Eddie Vedder: "Into the Wild" soundtrack
• Minus the Bear: Planet of Ice
• Aqueduct: Or Give Me Death

And, topping the list of what sadly wasn’t as good as I expected:
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

I’ll leave it at that. I can hardly fathom how disappointed I was by that output (mixing the quirky fire of Modest Mouse with legendary jangler Johnny Marr? How did it fall so flat?).

TOP NORTHWEST ALBUMS:

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Since I have the time and am not terribly anxious to go outside in the rain again but am looking to start an argument or two, here's my list of my top 10 albums of the year, with YouTube-age of my favorite song from each album (where available).

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If we're looking for the mainstream USA "Best of 2007", here it is: the Amazon.com staff list!

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