What are your favorite albums of 2006? [View All]

I'm using a strict cutoff of albums from only 2006 for my list, but if you want to include albums released in late 2005, I'm not going to mind. If you haven't gotten a chance to post your list yet, now is your chance - and if you posted before, you have an opportunity to make changes and are welcome to post again.

My top 20 follows. I know that on certain days I'll wish I included some other albums in my list, and I'll likely buy more 2006 albums, but this is a good sample. I included quick descriptions of what the albums sound like. Albums are not in order except for The Dixie Chicks. Some CDs might equal Taking The Long Way musically, but it is such a bold comeback.

Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way (#1 ALBUM) (southern rock, power pop, country)
The Corrs - Home (Celtic and pop)
Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country (girl group pop, Belle And Sebastian)
The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea (indie pop)
Neil Young - Living With War (60s protest)
Nina Gordon - Bleeding Heart Graffiti (Aimee Mann mixed with pop/rock)
Damone - Out Here All Night (Avril, 80s hard rock)
Belle And Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (60s and 70s rock)
The Charade - A Real Life Drama (indie pop, jangle pop)
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (The Smiths, indie pop)
Josh Ritter - Animal Years (folk/rock)
The Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America (Counting Crows, The Replacements)
Alison Ray - Downside Up (Avril, Melissa Etheridge)
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (alt-country)
Indigo Girls - Despite Our Differences (punk-tinged folk/rock)
Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me (The Beatles, The B-52s, R.E.M.)
Hem - Funnel Cloud (art-pop)
Candice Accola - It's Always The Innocent Ones (Avril, American Hi-Fi, Jewel - album released only on iTunes for now)
The Format - Dog Problems (The Clash, Ben Folds, power pop)
Thea Gilmore - Harpo's Ghost (Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Sheryl Crow)

Some honorable mentions:

Those Transatlantics - Knocked Out (New Pornographers, The Cardigans, My Morning Jacket)
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (The Beatles, Sonic Youth)
Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (indie pop)
Lillix - Inside The Hollow (new wave, pop/rock)
Susan Cagle - The Subway Recordings (Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow - this album has top 20-type music, but does have background noise)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go (traditional folk mixed with some Sigur Ros and his own personality)
Ellery - Lying Awake (The Cranberries, Sarah McLachlan)
The Weepies - Say I Am You (Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls)
Veruca Salt - IV (Joan Jett, Cheap Trick, Hole)
The Wreckers - Stand Still, Look Pretty (Dixie Chicks, country/pop)
Alexz Johnson - Songs From Instant Star 2 (Damhnait Doyle, pop/rock)
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Green Day, power pop)
The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity (The Sundays, Black Sabbath)
The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home (Blondie, Pulp, Elastica)
Gomez - How We Operate (indie pop, All Music Guide lists Pavement)
Cat Power - The Greatest (Memphis soul sound, alternative rock)
Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler (power pop, Bruce Springsteen)
Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac (alt-country, folk, pop/rock)
Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope (Fiona Apple, The Strokes, Billie Holiday)
Persephone's Bees - Notes From The Underworld (dance/pop, Fleetwood Mac)
Slumber Party - Musik (psychedelic pop)
Tom Petty - Highway Companion (classic rock)
Paul Simon - Surprise (classic rock)
Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You (Jayhawks)
The Randies - Saw The Light (power pop, No Doubt)
Ingrid Michaelson - Girls & Boys (indie rock)
Leigh Nash - Blue On Blue (Sixpence None The Richer, Eisley)
Jennifer O'Connor - Over The Mountain... (update of the old Liz Phair sound)
Elton John - The Captain And The Kid (classic rock)
Ripley - Outtasite! (The Pretenders, power pop)
Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls (Joni Mitchell, Suzanne Vega, other folk/rock and a slight country influence)

Unfortunately, couldn't hear the whole albums from Vince Gill, M. Ward, Silversun Pickups, Band Of Horses, and more.

These sound like the best R&B/hip hop albums:

Corrine Bailey Rae - self-titled
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Beyonce - B'day
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

All in all, a good year for the kinds of music I like.