This hasn't been any ordinary year. 2007 saw what many heralded as the demise of the major label with Radiohead's self-released album, the recent resignation of a hip-hop mogul from his throne atop his label and the deaths of a number of legends. But more so than any of these headlining highs and lows, 2007 will be remembered as an incredible year for music.

A rebirth of the long-since waning hip-hop scene as well as the return of several indie rock mainstays, 2007 seemed to be the year of the comeback. Be it the aforementioned Radiohead, electro-lords Battles, indie-troubadours Of Montreal or MCs like Ghostface Killah and Jay-Z, this year was spattered with countless stellar releases.

As such, this list was exceedingly difficult to formulate. We don't claim it to be infallible or even correct. This list encapsulates what we at The Michigan Daily felt were the 25 best albums of a year littered with best albums.

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Over the course of 10 early October days, Radiohead managed
to generate a buzz the likes of which most bands will never see. Of course, we all know the story by now - the surprise announcement, the name-your-own-price download and the middle finger to the recording industry are all things that only a band of Radiohead's popularity
and stature could pull off.
Unfortunately, now that the band has signed with XL Recordings, we'll have to wait for another group of independently-minded superstars to create the New Music Order. Nevertheless,
we're left with one hell of a great record. On In Rainbows, Radiohead has moved in one of the few directions left for such an inventive group: back toward pop. This is by far the least-strange album Radiohead has released in years. Still, it's anything
but shallow. As relatively straightforward as In Rainbows is, it possesses an intensity only a band that's reached the edge of experimentation could achieve. Welcome
back to earth, guys. It's good to have you.

MATT RONEY

2. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

Most bands don't make it to seven albums, let alone seven great and distinctive LP's, but Animal Collective isn't most bands and its career arc is almost as reptilian as its sound. After its last two stellar LP's, a let-down was seemingly inevitable, and with Panda Bear's Person Pitch blowing minds with its AM psych and setting the bar impossibly
high, how could Animal Collective outdo itself? Let Avey Tare take the reins for a while. This is his album and it's his vocals that carry anthems like "For Reverend Green," "Fireworks"
and "Peacebone." The craziest thing is that Strawberry Jam has already gotten me wondering
where Animal Collective will go next. Collaborate with R. Kelly?

LLOYD CARGO

3. M.I.A. - Kala
Don't mistake M.I.A.'s pop sensibilities for aesthetic vapidness. The British-Sri Lankan artist kicked off 2007 with one of the year's most musically diverse offerings, without compromising the bold political message she delivered on her 2005 debut Arular. Kala takes listeners from the disco streets of the Bollywood scene ("Jimmy") to the world of psychedelic '80s new-wave pop ("20 Dollar") to the unmentionable atrocities of third-world genocide ("Hussel") and then back to contemporary Top 25-friendly London ("Come Around"). On "Paper Planes," she samples a series of disturbing gunshots, juxtaposed by the cha-ching of a cash register, overpowering an innocent chorus of chanting children. What message is M.I.A. trying to send? You decide. In the meantime, M.I.A.'s addictive beats and powerful melodies are entrenching her well-deserved place in modern music.

SASHA RESENDE

4. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
I don't really care about The Beach Boys. I know they supposedly wrote the book on white-male vocal harmonies and their music is more complex than your average pop confection. The bottom line: Though Panda Bear often draws comparisons to the famed surf-rockers, you don't have to love The Beach Boys or be some kind of music scholar to enjoy Panda Bear. Person Pitch is a spiraling hypnotic album filled with lush melodies and buoyant rhythms. Songs like "Take Pills" and "Bros" layer sample upon sample, and then just seem to grow organically in different directions. It's pop with patience. Rarely does an album sound so studied in its creation, yet immediate in its listening. This was the best album in the spring - and now, as bitter winds keep us sheltered indoors, it fits even better.
GABRIEL BAKER