My 'albums of the year' list was much harder this year because I hadn't been keeping a list of what I'd been listening to- in contrast to the way I seemed compelled to document nearly every gig I went to. Usually I take a look at a few of the critics' polls to remind myself what went on throughout the year, but this time it was different. Publications like the NME, the Wire, Spin, the UK daily newspapers were listing a lot of albums which I either didn't like (Starsailor, Spiritualized, Divine Comedy) or just didn't get around to hearing (Fennesz, Cannibal Ox). It almost seemed like I had been listening to the 'wrong' albums!
It was also harder to make a list because, out of all the albums I bought or borrowed, there wasn't one that lept out at me as soon as I got it and then stayed with me for weeks. As someone who has often defined the passing year relative to my favourite album from it, this was actually very frustrating! It also meant that it seemed like it had been a bad year for music, when I knew that the opposite was true.
For me, 2001 was the most schizophonic year for music that I can remember. There were so many highlights from all genres of music - Bjork's half choral/ half glitchcore album 'Vespertine', was as important as Daft Punk's infectious disco-funk. The Avalanches ultra-smart sampling and DJ tricks on 'Since I Left You' impressed me as much as Nick Cave's lyricism on 'No More Shall We Part'. The retro moves of the White Stripes, the Strokes and the Hives sit happily on my shelf beside the unfocused ambition of the Aphex Twin's 'Drukqs' and Tortoise's 'Standards'. I'm quite happy to listen to Bubba Sparx's 'Ugly' one minute, then slap on Low's bleak 'Things We lost in the Fire' the next.
I could go on for ages, but what I'm trying to say is that everything seems wide open and fresh again. That was my main reason for making a composite list of the favourite albums of the people who use this site - it was the best way to showcase the huge variety on offer. So here's to you and your highly diverse top 30....

1. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
2. Bjork - Vespertine
3. Radiohead - Amnesiac
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part
5. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
6. Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
7. The Strokes - Is This It?
8. Bonnie Prince Billy - Ease Down the Road
9. Fennesz - Endless Summer
10. Pulp - We Love Life
11. Jay-Z - The Blueprint
12. Daft Punk - Discovery
13. Beta Band - Hot Shots II
14. Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the New Loud
15. Simian - Chemistry is what we are
16. Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)
17. Squarepusher - Go Plastic
18. Missy Elliot - Miss E... So Addictive
19. Tindersticks - Can Our Love...
20. Mercury Rev - All Is Dream
21. Le Tigre - Feminist Sweepstakes
22. Fugazi - the Argument
23. Stephen Malkmus
24. Sparklehorse - it's a Wonderful Life
25. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire
26. Lift to Experience - the Texas Jerusalem Crossroads
27. Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon
28. Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me
29. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Bavarian Fruit Bread
30. Ed Harcourt - Here be Monsters