Like every other music critic on Earth, I’m asked during this time of year to reflect on the prior 12 months and render a verdict on which music was the “best.” That’s an incredibly hard thing for me, because … well, because I like a whole lot of music, and depending on when/where/how I hear it, my opinion on what’s “best” can vary from day to day, if not minute to minute. This is not a unique problem, but it is mine.

But, of course, I’ve gotta make up my mind at some point, and whittle down my personal favorites into some sort of cohesive and concise statement about the year’s musical landscape. That point, however, is not now. Look to the final 2010 edition of Orlando Weekly for a distillation of what – at this particular moment in time, at least – I, music editor Justin Strout, and columnist/contributor/comment-generator Bao Le-Huu think are the handful of albums that truly are the best.

For now, though, just in time for Christmas shopping, I thought I’d share a long-ass, unedited, alphabetical, no-comment data-dump of the 66 – yes, sixty-six – albums that I thought were truly exceptional in 2010, a year that, it must be noted, was exceptionally exceptional for good music. No reissues, no singles, just the albums that got repeated plays and gave considerable pleasure during the year.

• Olafur Arnalds – And They Have Escaped the Weight of Dark
• ARP – The Soft Wave
• Atlas Sound – Bedroom Databank, Vols. 1 & 2
• The Attack – Of Nostalgia and Rebellion
• Balmorhea – Constellations
• Beach House – Teen Dream
• Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night
• Best Coast – Crazy for You
• “Justin Bieber” – USMILEAMBIENT
• Bilal – Airtight’s Revenge
• Black Tusk – Taste the Sin
• BLK JKS – ZOL!
• The Books – The Way Out
• The Chemical Brothers – Further
• Citay – Dream Get Together
• Coliseum – House With A Curse
• Dead Confederate – Sugar
• Earl Greyhound – Suspicious Package
• Eluvium – Similies
• Eternal Summers – Silver
• The Futura Bold – The Futura Bold
• Gatorface – Wasted Monuments
• The Good Ones – Kigali Y’ Izahabu
• Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer
• Grinderman – Grinderman 2
• Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday
• Holy Fuck – Latin
• Javelin – No Mas
• Shooter Jennings & Hierophant – Black Ribbons
• Seu Jorge & Almaz – Seu Jorge & Almaz
• Konono No. 1 – Assume Crash Position
• Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
• LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
• John Legend & the Roots – Wake Up!
• Masters of Reality – Pine/Cross Dover
• Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday
• Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid
• The Morning Benders – Big Echo
• Mumpsy – Fatelifter
• No Friends – Traditional Failure EP
• Radioclit – Secousse
• Retribution Gospel Choir – 2
• Jack Rose – Luck in the Valley
• The Ruby Suns – Fight Softly
• Salem – King Night
• Serena-Maneesh – S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor
• S.K.I.P. – Until the Very End
• Sleigh Bells – Treats
• Soars – Soars
• Omar Souleyman – Jazeera Nights
• Squarepusher – Shobaleader One: d’Demonstrator
• Marnie Stern – Marnie Stern
• Sun Airway – Nocturne of Exploded Chandelier
• Sun Araw – On Patrol
• Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
• Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope to the Sky
• The Sword – Warp Riders
• Teenage Fanclub – Shadows
• Thee Sgt. Major III – The Idea Factory
• The Thermals – Personal Life
• Torche – Songs for Singles
• Julieta Venegas – Otra Cosa
• Viernes – Sinister Devices
• Various Artists – Fonogramaticos V. 10
• Various Artists – Shangaan Electro
• Various Artists – Tradi-Mods vs Rockers