Robin Hilton

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Writer's Block, the 2006 album by Swedish pop trio Peter Bjorn and John, was easy to like. Ridiculously catchy, not least for the whistled refrain on "Young Folks" (which you likely know cold even if you've never heard of the band), the album won them legions of fans. That's what made the group's next move such a surprise.

If I picked my number one album of any given year based solely on how many times I played it, the self-titled debut from Broken Bells would have been light years ahead of everything else I listened to last year. One of the most infectious releases of 2010, Broken Bells perfectly pairs The Shins frontman James Mercer's falsetto with the elegant but quirky sonic sensibilities of über-producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton).

R.E.M. has followed a familiar trajectory for big bands that have been around a long time. After releasing a few groundbreaking albums in the early and mid-'80s, the band signed with a major label and became one of the biggest acts in the world.

Though my cold, black heart rarely stirs for the work of singer-songwriters, the voice of Sharon Van Etten always turns me into a weepy, vulnerable heap. If you listen closely to this gorgeous Tiny Desk performance she gave with her musical partner, Cat Martino, you can hear the sound of my eyelashes fluttering with misty delight.