7. "AM," Arctic Monkeys
"AM" is a rock album, and an efficient one. The dark, paranoid release, the fifth by the Sheffield group, fuses decades of rock history—from the Black Sabbath-versus-Black Keys doom of opener "Do I Wanna Know?" to the piano stomp of "Snap Out Of It," the psychedelics of "Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?" to the balladry of "No.1 Party Anthem." Frontman Alex Turner’s brooding lyricism puts desire and desperation at the bitter heart of the album, but the Monkeys’ studied intensity never loses a Britpop spunk. Turner’s wordplay is sharp, with tongue-twisters like "Tracy Island, time-traveling diamond" and a Scorsese pun on "Knee Socks." In the era of the declining rock and roll band, "AM" is a rock record both youthful and traditional. —Austin Siegemund-Broka
8. "The 20/20 Experience," Justin Timberlake
First off, let’s all just wipe "The 20/20 Experience—2 of 2" from our memories. JT’s second album of 2013 turned out to be a lazy collection of tired, monotonous dance tunes, but that does not take anything away from his true triumph this year. On "The 20/20 Experience," Timberlake gracefully balances artistry with accessibility—from the lush, Marvin Gaye-indebted champagne anthem "Suit & Tie" to the galloping bongos and crisp horns of "Let the Groove Get In." The album retains plenty of the vintage JT sound, and there’s also a bevy of old-school R&B touches that complement Timberlake’s ever-able falsetto. Here’s hoping a follow-up—and a real one, please—comes some time before 2020. —Tree A. Palmedo
9. "Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes," Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are back—with neo-hippie vibes radiating off their brows and bare toes tapping in time to chanted group choruses—and they’re ready to teach us all to love again. Critics largely panned the band’s self-titled album comparing their distinctly kitschy, clapping, love-is-all-around anthems unfavorably to classroom sing-a-longs. However, it is difficult to imagine anyone leading a group of six-years-olds in a rousing rendition of "Let’s Get High." The album is engineered to feel old and jangly—Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros seem dedicated to the premise that if a song sounds dusty enough, it will somehow become wise. It’s all in good (if oddly condescending) fun. —Sorrel L. Nielsen
10. "The Electric Lady," Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe has returned at long last. Her second full-length album "The Electric Lady" is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed "The ArchAndroid" (2010), both of which elaborate the slightly Afro-futuristic and always dystopian saga inaugurated by her 2007 debut EP "Metropolis: The Chase Suite." Whereas Monáe’s exceedingly brilliant previous efforts explored genres from punk rock to hip-hop, electro-pop to folk, and jazz to classical (and everywhere in between), "The Electric Lady" stands apart as an extended exercise in rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and all their variations. Monáe’s kaleidoscopic vision recasts classic African-American popular music, helped by icons Prince and Erykah Badu and R&B newcomers Miguel, Solange, and Esperanza Spalding. "The Electric Lady" is Monáe’s most stylistically cohesive work yet, as beautiful and thrilling as it is ambitious. —Nicholas T. Rinehart
Staff writer Alexander Tang can be reached at alexander.tang@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Se-Ho B. Kim can be reached at sehokim@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Natalie T. Chang can be reached at natalie.chang@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Lauren A. Rubin can be reached at LaurenRubin@college.harvard.edu. Staff writer Matthew J. Watson can be reached at matthew.watson21@gmail.com. Staff writer Will Holub-Moorman can be reached at william.holub-moorman@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Austin Siegemund-Broka can be reached at austin.siegemund-broka@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Tree A. Palmedo can be reached at tree.palmedo@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Sorrel L. Nielsen can be reached at sorrel.nielsen@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Nicholas T Rinehart can be reached at ntrinehart@gmail.com.