“What a night for a dance, you know I’m a dancing machine. With a fire in my bones and the sweet taste of kerosene”

For whatever reason I failed to put together my list of the top 10 albums of the year in 2007, and the music world clearly suffered. Not wanting to withhold my knowledge or influence for a second straight year, I bring you the best of 2008.

10. “Learning To Live”, Darius Rucker: Erstwhile Hootie and the Blowfish frontman reinvents his solo persona in the form of a real, By God country and western album. While it would be easy to dismiss this as another pop turned country wannabe, it wouldn’t be fair to the job his earnest baritone does on songs like lead hit “Don’t Think I Don’t think About It” and instant classic “All I Want You To Leave Me (Is Alone)”.

9. “Fearless”, Taylor Swift: It is difficult to argue with her talent (she writes and performs all her own tunes), her success (she has sold eleventy bazillion records), or her appeal (cute as a button), and on her second album the juggernaut continues.

8. “Accelerate”, R.E.M.: Some bands age gracefully, other implode in their prime, but a rare few just keep on keeping on. Refusing to go softly into the night, Stipe, Buck, and Mills churn out a half hour of the slinky, smirking guitar rock that first made them college heroes close to three decades ago.

7. “Death Magnetic”, Metallica: With rehab, therapy, and Jason Newstead well in their past, the boys team with Midas maker Rick Rubin and get back to doing what they do best, making loud, aggressive, face melting heavy metal, complete with the Hammet guitar solos so glaringly absent on “St. Anger”.

6. “One Of The Boys”, Katy Perry: Smarter, sexier, and sassier than Britney Spears at her apex, Katy Perry is the perfect pop-star for both tweens and soccer moms. Her debut CD is coy, clever, and most importantly, incredibly catchy.

5. “Fleet Foxes”, Fleet Foxes: Creepy debut CD from Seattle brooders. Grizzly, winding guitar rock with harmonies that ebb and flow before building to a ridiculous climax on each song. Coldplay – Douchebaggery = Fleet Foxes.

4. “Folie à Duex”, Fall Out Boy: Lost in their Hot Topic wardrobe and the Kip Wingeresque forgettability of Patrick Stumpf’s voice, is the maturation of Pete Simpson-Wentz’s song writing. Infinitely listenable power pop music with devastatingly sharp lyrics missing from previous F.o.B. efforts.

3. “Vampire Weekend”, Vampire Weekend: Boat shoe and cardigan wearing, Ivy leaguers make an African influenced genre of music they describe as “Upper West Side Sowetto”. The soundtrack for the kids down at the Yacht Club.

2. “Day and Age”, The Killers: Give Brandon Flowers his due, he is nothing if not unpredictable. If 2006’s “Sam’s Town” was a dustland opus, “Day and Age” is a Space Camp fantasy, blending 80’s synth with 90’s angst to create a lush and brilliant story. Like the previous three Killers albums (counting last year’s EP “Sawdust”) this one is an acquired taste and much better on the 10th listen than the first.

1. “Only By The Night”, Kings of Leon: On their first album the Followill’s were all about style over substance (which somehow translated into making them the biggest band in Europe). Their second full length showed maturation and promise but was still lacking for the depth to propel them to superstardom here in the States. On their third, “Only By The Night”, the Kings have found that depth in spades. Caleb has traded marbles in his mouth warbling for real singing and killer lyrics. Brother Nathan, always the strongest musician on the band, takes his drumming to the next level and gives the songs a tempo lacking in previous KoL efforts while Jared and Matthew wrap the songs together with the strings. Lead single “Sex on Fire” is a bona fide rock smash while closing track “Cold Dessert” shows off a promising blusier side.