17 Tracks Online

17 Tracks Top 15 Albums of 2008

1. Intimacy - Bloc Party

Beating out the biggest band and biggest rapper of the year for the album of 2008 is Bloc Party with their ambitious Intimacy. It's an album about the heartbreak that comes from both love gone awry and death. Judging from the declaration of war that is opener "Ares" and the frantic drive of lead single "Mercury", it would seem that Kele Okereke doesn't handle loss so well. Juxtapose the record's more aggressive songs with the likes of "Biko" and "Signs", both highly moving tracks, and the entire gamut of human emotion is captured.

2. 808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West

808s is the year's most controversial record. Combine that with its extremely late release date, and 808s & Heartbreak probably isn't going to score very high on Acclaimed Music despite deserving it more than any of his releases since Late Registration. No rapping, no parental guidance warning, no unusual collaborations -- this is new ground for Kanye. "Welcome To The Heartbreak" gives you the chills while "Heartless" and "Robocop" bring the thrills. You've put out another classic Mr. West. Well done.

3. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay

It's 2008's great American rock album made by a British band with a Spanish title and a French lady too busy saving the world to cover her breasts. I'm not one for songs without words, but "Life In Technicolor" is absolutely gorgeous. Then of course you have the album's first three singles which all made the list for top 25 songs of the year. Viva La Vida is the most epic record Coldplay has ever crafted.

4. Santogold - Santogold