my top 10 albums of 2009 (what's still in my iPod)

I love music! A lot! I’ve always loved music. I listen to it constantly and sing all the time too. I said that in my 1^st edition of “what’s in my iPod” way back HERE. I’m no expert though... and acutally have no natural musical talent... just a lover of music. Here are my top 10 albums that released in 2009. (Albums in consideration were only ones that released in '09 and that I actually own.)

Honorable mentions: I will say that I love worship music. It's my favorite genre and what I own the most of. I listen to it a lot. I just want to mention 3 awesome worship albums that released this year that didn't quite cut it into the top 10.

We Shall Not Be Shaken - Matt Redman
One of the sixsteps guys & one of my favorite worship leaders. I love this guy and I love his heart and I love these songs. He writes awesome stuff and this CD is no exception. Definitely check it out.

Attention – Kristian Stanfill
His first release since signing on with sixsteps. Great stuff from this North Point guy turned Passion City Church & Passion Conference worship leader... A couple songs really are really stellar.

Not Guilty Anymore – Aaron Keyes

Everyone comes away talking about this guy's amazing and genuine heart for God... so I won't bore you with more of that. He led some at Catalyst this year & did an awesome job. This is his latest CD with some really great songs (some fresh from the Psalms).

ok, now for my top 10... (drumroll...) 
#10            21st Century Breakdown – Green Day

I’m a big Green Day fan and this album will probably be average in the end. A couple songs are awesome, and some are not so awesome. Songs like Know Your Enemy and 21st Century Breakdown and 21 Guns helped this album crack into the top 10.

#9            Only By the Night – Kings of Leon

I like these guys’ sound a lot. It’s a fresh and original sound in my opinion. This is their 1^st album I’ve ever personally owned. Some great songs on this album. No doubt you’ve heard a couple that are the big hits, but you definitely need to check out the rest of this CD too. The vocals are sweet.

#8            The Resistance – Muse

This UK band has been around for a while, but really took the world by storm this year and with this album. They toured with and opened for U2 on their most recent tour, which exposed them to new audiences. They already have a die hard following, but since The Resistance released they have more and more of a mainstream following. I can only say that these guys’ sound is completely unlike anything else. There is no band to compare them to (not in the U.S. anyway). It is the most original sound I’ve ever heard. And by now, who hasn’t heard the hit song “Uprising”? A mix of elements you would never think would fit together. The 1^st time you hear it you’re like “What?” But now I love it and can’t hear it enough. I’m guessing this must be the kind of music going down in the underground clubs and rave scene in England…

#7            Church Music – David Crowder Band

David Crowder is my favorite worship leader in the world! I have had my most intense and amazing times of corporate worship with the David Crowder Band leading! He will always be one of my favorites! This particular album however was not my favorite… definitely not his best. It just does not come close to the brilliance of A Collision, or Illuminate, or Remedy. But those are probably unfair standards to hold a new album to… it’s just what I’ve come to expect from Crowder. It’s still my 7^th best album of the year with some awesome songs that I think will be sung in the Church for a long time.

#6            Armistice – Mute Math

WOW! I love me some Mute Math and this is their best ever. (I saw them back in like ’98 before they were even Mute Math. They were this weird band named Earthsuit and not that great. They’ve come a long way since then.) Basically every song on this album knocks it out of the park. I heard that they were wrapping up what was supposed to be this album in the studio and were really frustrated with the final product. They were sitting on the front porch of an old house talking and basically all decided together that they should either write the best stuff they’ve ever written or quit! They decided to start over and make their best music EVER! And that’s exactly what they did. They threw out the whole album they had almost finished and made this amazing album. If you haven’t heard it seriously go buy it today!

#5            Awake – North Point Live

This live worship album from our parent church just came out 2 weeks ago, but still makes it in the top 5 albums of the year. You can read my review of it HERE. Honestly, these 3 worship CDs in the top 5 albums of the year are really hard to separate because they are all so awesome. You should go buy them all if you don’t already have them. 

#4            A_Cross // The_Earth: Tear Down the Walls – Hillsong United

Whoa. These guys are pushing worship forward with every new song they write. I am and always have been and always will be partial to the sixsteps guys, but I have to be honest… Hillsong United is at least tied for my favorite worship band. The songs on this CD are of course already sung in churches all over the world as worship to our awesome God. Joel Houston and the gang are really anointed song writers. Your Name High (Live) is my fav song on this CD… I could sing that to God every day. And that’s just a glimpse of the rockin’ songs lifting God up on this album.

#3            Hello Hurricane – Switchfoot

The best songs ever from this awesome band in my opinion. You can read the review of this CD I just recently wrote HERE. It’s amazing. Foreman really wrote some great stuff and outdid himself this time.

*OK, these next 2 CDs really are tied for 1^st place… I keep going back and forth and literally can’t decide which one is the best. They are different so it’s tough to even compare them. Both great albums that will be remembered and played in iPods for a long long time…

#1            Hope Rising – Steve Fee

This is the best worship album of the year. You can read my review of it when it released back in October HERE. These songs are the words so many of us want to be saying to God to lift Him up. These songs have taken the Church by storm! We’ll be singing these to worship God for a generations I would guess.

#1            No Line On the Horizon – U2

Brilliant. That’s the only word I could use for this amazing CD. Brilliant. Crystal and I saw U2 on this No Line On the Horizon tour this Fall. (You can read about that HERE.)

You can read my in depth review of this album HERE. I’m sure you’ve heard these songs by now! Louie even took a portion of his talk at Catalyst to comment on the great and authentic worship song Magnificent. I’m sure you’ve heard If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Get On Your Boots, Stand Up Comedy, and Breathe too. The whole CD is awesome. One of the greatest bands of all time!

How about all of you? I would love to know your top 10 albums of 2009… Any albums you agree or disagree on?