* A new thread for the 2006 quick updates.
* A new formula (in addition to the metacritic score the new formula includes Mercury Prize nominees, Schallplattenkritik's "bestenliste", Piero Scaruffi's ratings, etc.)
* A new album in the top 5.
* All-time positions added, although in wide ranges.

OK, here goes...

All-Time 1-500
1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

All-Time 501-1000
3. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
4. Bob Dylan - Modern Times (Note: Perhaps this ranking is a little conservative. With more ratings at metacritic, Modern Times has all chances to reach number one of the year.)
5. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
6. Scott Walker - The Drift

All-Time 1001-1500
7. Cat Power - The Greatest
8. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
9. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
11. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

All-Time 1501-2000
12. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
13. Thom Yorke - Eraser
14. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
15. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
16. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
17. Ali Farka Touré - Savane
18. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics

All-Time 2001-2500
19. Hot Chip - The Warning
20. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
21. Lambchop - Damaged
22. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
23. Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
24. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
25. Mogwai - Mr. Beast

The rest...
26. Comets on Fire - Avatar
27. Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
28. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
29. Paul Simon - Surprise
30. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
31. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
32. The Roots - Game Theory
33. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
34. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album
35. Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You
36. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
37. DFA - DFA Remixes: Chapter 1
38. Herbert - Scale
39. Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
40. Espers - II
41. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
42. The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
43. Tom Zé - Estudando o pagode
44. Juana Molina - Son
45. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
46. Aphex Twin - Chosen Lords
47. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
48. Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
49. Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
50. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
51. Calexico - Garden Ruin
52. Neil Young - Living with War
53. Danielson - Ships
54. Islands - Return to the Sea
55. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - Donuts
56. The Futureheads - News and Tributes
57. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
58. The Strokes - The First Impressions on Earth
59. Sway - This Is My Demo
60. T.I. - King
61. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
62. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
63. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
64. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
65. Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
66. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
67. The Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
68. Julie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
69. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
70. Plan B - Who Needs Actions When You Got Words

All-Time 1-500
1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

All-Time 501-1000
3. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
4. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
6. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
7. Scott Walker - The Drift

All-Time 1001-1500
8. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
9. Cat Power - The Greatest
10. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
12. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
13. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

All-Time 1501-2000
14. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
15. Thom Yorke - Eraser
16. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
17. Hot Chip - The Warning
18. The Roots - Game Theory
19. Ali Farka Touré - Savane

All-Time 2001-2500
20. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
21. Comets on Fire - Avatar
22. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
23. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
24. Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
25. M. Ward - Post-War
26. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
27. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
28. Lambchop - Damaged
29. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
30. Mogwai - Mr. Beast

The rest...
31. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album
32. Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
33. Paul Simon - Surprise
34. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
35. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
36. Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
37. Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You
38. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
39. DFA - DFA Remixes: Chapter 1
40. Espers - II
41. Herbert - Scale
42. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
43. The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
44. Tom Zé - Estudando o pagode
45. Juana Molina - Son
46. Danielson - Ships
47. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
48. Aphex Twin - Chosen Lords
49. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
50. Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
51. Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
52. Neil Young - Living with War
53. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
54. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
55. Calexico - Garden Ruin
56. Islands - Return to the Sea
57. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - Donuts
58. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
59. The Strokes - The First Impressions on Earth
60. Sway - This Is My Demo
61. T.I. - King
62. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
63. The Futureheads - News and Tributes
64. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
65. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
66. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
67. Oneida - Happy New Year
68. Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
69. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
70. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
71. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
72. The Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
73. Handsome Family - Last Days of Wonder
74. Julie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
75. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat

Camera Obscura finally charted. YAY! This year has gotten so much better since their latest masterpeice came out. Best year since '04.

I'm glad to see Camera Obscura in the list too !
Great pop record.
But I'm still sad not to see Midlake, The Sleepy Jackson and Ed Harcourt in the list.

And where are The Pipettes ?

Man Man!!!

Things are happening this time!!!

All-Time 1-500
1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

All-Time 501-1000
4. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
6. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
7. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
8. Scott Walker - The Drift

All-Time 1001-1500
9. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
10. Cat Power - The Greatest
11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
13. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
14. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

All-Time 1501-2000
15. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
16. Thom Yorke - Eraser
17. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
18. The Roots - Game Theory
19. Hot Chip - The Warning
20. Ali Farka Touré - Savane

All-Time 2001-2500
21. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
22. Comets on Fire - Avatar
23. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
24. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
25. Lambchop - Damaged
26. Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
27. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
28. M. Ward - Post-War
29. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
30. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
31. Mogwai - Mr. Beast

The rest...
32. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album
33. Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
34. Paul Simon - Surprise
35. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
36. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
37. Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
38. Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You
39. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
40. DFA - DFA Remixes: Chapter 1
41. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
42. Espers - II
43. Herbert - Scale
44. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
45. The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
46. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
47. Tom Zé - Estudando o pagode
48. Juana Molina - Son
49. Danielson - Ships
50. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
51. Aphex Twin - Chosen Lords
52. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
53. Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
54. Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
55. Neil Young - Living with War
56. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
57. Calexico - Garden Ruin
58. Islands - Return to the Sea
59. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - Donuts
60. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
61. The Strokes - The First Impressions on Earth
62. Sway - This Is My Demo
63. T.I. - King
64. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
65. The Futureheads - News and Tributes
66. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
67. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
68. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
69. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
70. Oneida - Happy New Year
71. Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
72. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
73. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
74. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
75. The Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
76. Handsome Family - Last Days of Wonder
77. The Black Keys - Magic Potion
78. Julie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
79. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
80. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

All-Time 1-500
1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

All-Time 501-1000
4. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
5. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
6. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
7. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
8. Scott Walker - The Drift

All-Time 1001-1500
9. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
10. Cat Power - The Greatest
11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
13. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
14. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

All-Time 1501-2000
15. The Roots - Game Theory
16. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
17. Thom Yorke - Eraser
18. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
19. Hot Chip - The Warning
20. Ali Farka Touré - Savane

All-Time 2001-2500
21. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
22. Comets on Fire - Avatar
23. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
24. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
25. Lambchop - Damaged
26. M. Ward - Post-War
27. Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
28. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
29. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations

The rest...
30. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
31. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go
32. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
33. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
34. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album
35. Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
36. Paul Simon - Surprise
37. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
38. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
39. Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
40. Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You
41. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
42. DFA - DFA Remixes: Chapter 1
43. Espers - II
44. Herbert - Scale
45. Juana Molina - Son
46. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
47. The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
48. Tom Zé - Estudando o pagode
49. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
50. Danielson - Ships
51. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
52. Aphex Twin - Chosen Lords
53. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
54. Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
55. Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
56. Neil Young - Living with War
57. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
58. Calexico - Garden Ruin
59. Islands - Return to the Sea
60. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - Donuts
61. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
62. The Strokes - The First Impressions on Earth
63. Sway - This Is My Demo
64. T.I. - King
65. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
66. The Futureheads - News and Tributes
67. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
68. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
69. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
70. Oneida - Happy New Year
71. Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
72. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
73. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
74. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
75. The Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
76. Handsome Family - Last Days of Wonder
77. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
78. Julie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
79. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
80. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

Can't wait to see the next update to see where the new The Hold Steady album will be ranked. Just bought it today and I gotta say, I think its the best album of the year so far.

With acclaimed new albums by Beck and the Decemberists coming out today in addition to the Hold Steady (we can probably forget about the Killers, whose much-hyped album is getting mixed reviews at best), the next 2006 update - or, probably more accurately, the one after the next - should be very interesting indeed.

Yes, it will be an interesting week to see where Hold Steady, Decemberists and Beck will end up. Here are the estimates so far, based on very few ratings for those albums.

All-Time 1-500
1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

All-Time 501-1000
4. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
5. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
6. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
7. Scott Walker - The Drift

All-Time 1001-1500
8. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
9. Cat Power - The Greatest
10. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
13. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
14. Liars - Drum's Not Dead

All-Time 1501-2000
15. The Roots - Game Theory
16. Built to Spill - You in Reverse
17. Thom Yorke - Eraser
18. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
19. Hot Chip - The Warning
20. Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go
21. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
22. Ali Farka Touré - Savane

All-Time 2001-2500
23. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
24. Comets on Fire - Avatar
25. Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
26. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
27. Lambchop - Damaged
28. Beth Orton - Comfort of Strangers
29. Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
30. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

The rest...
31. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
32. M. Ward - Post-War
33. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
34. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album
35. Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
36. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
37. Matmos - The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
38. Paul Simon - Surprise
39. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
40. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
41. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
42. Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
43. Howe Gelb - 'Sno Angel Like You
44. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
45. DFA - DFA Remixes: Chapter 1
46. Espers - II
47. Herbert - Scale
48. Juana Molina - Son
49. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
50. The Coup - Pick a Bigger Weapon
51. Tom Zé - Estudando o pagode
52. Danielson - Ships
53. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
54. Aphex Twin - Chosen Lords
55. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
56. Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror
57. Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat
58. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
59. Neil Young - Living with War
60. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
61. Calexico - Garden Ruin
62. Cursive - Happy Hollow
63. The Dears - Gang of Losers
64. Islands - Return to the Sea
65. Graham Coxon - Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
66. The Strokes - The First Impressions on Earth
67. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - Donuts
68. Sway - This Is My Demo
69. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
70. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
71. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
72. J Dilla aka Jay Dee - The Shining
73. Kelley Stoltz - Below the Branches
74. T.I. - King
75. The Futureheads - News and Tributes
76. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
77. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
78. Oneida - Happy New Year
79. Scritti Politti - White Bread Black Beer
80. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
81. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country
82. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
83. Handsome Family - Last Days of Wonder
84. The Sparks - Hello Young Lovers
85. Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio
86. Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat
87. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely
88. Julie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You
89. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
90. Plan B - Who Needs Actions When You Got Words (re-entry)

Well, Beck didn't even make the list this time, but you got a few other new albums instead.

Underestimates? We'll see...

The more albums you add, the sadder I get that 3121 doesn't make the cut.

All the best albums are being pushed out for the "critic's darlings" like Yo LA Tengo and TV on the Radio. It's turing into another nerdy college rock year.

It's been a bad year so far imo. Pearl Jam still tops my list as the most enjoyable listen of the year. Raconteurs is ok, as is Frances McKee's album which few will have heard about (she was part of the Vaselines - remember them?)

It's been a good year. It's just the critically acclaimed stuff that kind of blows.

meh, the last couple years have kind of blown. My personal prediction is that it will take till late 2008/early 2009 for things to get interesting again.

I agree, it hasn't been a great year thus far. Several decent albums, but only two I'd rate as very good: the Pipettes and Love Is All.

I've really enjoyed this year so far. My current top four are Tool (not even charting here!), Built to Spill, TV on the Radio, and Willie Nile (also absent). I'd rather have Arctic Monkeys and Gnarls Barkley on the chart than a lot of stuff that's out there.

how is return to cookie mountain number one for 2006? yes it's very good but when considering the statistics of the album in comparison to whatever people say i am that's what i'm not, the arctic monkeys are the forerunners. just because piero scaruffi (who is so close-minded it hurts) didn't review the album, and that its metacritic score is 5 points lower doesn't make a difference when adding up all the best of all time lists for whatever people... so is there any way you, henrik, could explain this to me??

I've been waiting for this question, as I agree that the order of these two albums seems a little odd. But here's an attempt to explain what's going on:

1. WPSIATWIN came out earlier in 2006. RTCM had no chance to be in any of the all-time lists where WPSIATWIN is listed.

2. Most of WPSIATWIN's critical acclaim come from the UK. In comparison to other countries, a lot of lists have come from UK critics this year, and these lists are therefore given a somewhat lower weight.

3. My calculations take into account not only the metascore, but also the number of reviews at metacritic. RTCM is based on 37 reviews and WPSIATWIN is based on 32 reviews. And since there are so many critics' opinions combined in the metacritic information, it is weighted very high in the Acclaimed Music formula.

Hope this makes some sense.

Morph The Cat by Donald Fagen only 50th best of the year ?? Do me a favour !!