Top 5 Records

M83, “Saturdays = Youth” (Mute)

Frightened Rabbit, “The Midnight Organ Fight” (Fat Cat)

Sigur Ros, “Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust” (EMI/XL)

Cut Copy, “In Ghost Colours” (Modular)

Bound Stems, “The Family Afloat” (Flameshovel)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Records

TV on the Radio, “Dear Science” (Interscope)

Blitzen Trapper, “Furr” (Sub Pop)

Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)

Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)

She & Him, “Vol. 1″ (Merge)

—Andy Seifert

Top 5 Albums

Amadou & Mariam, “Welcome to Mali” (Nonesuch)

Olivier Messiaen Complete Edition, 32 discs (Deutsche Grammophon)

Johnny Cash, “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Legacy Edition with DVD” (Columbia)

Ursula Oppens, “Elliott Carter Complete Piano Works” (Cedille)

René Pape, “Gods, Kings & Demons” (Deutsche Grammophon)

—Dennis Polkow

Top 5 Honorable Mention Records

The Notwist, “The Devil, You + Me” (Domino)

Vivian Girls, “Vivian Girls” (Mauled by Tigers/In the Red)

Silver Jews, “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea” (Drag City)

Fucked Up, “The Chemistry of Common Life” (Matador)

Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Local Records

Bound Stems, “The Family Afloat” (Flameshovel)

Nachtmystium, “Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1” (Century Media)

Sybris, “Into the Trees” (Absolutely Kosher)

Local H, “Twelve Angry Months” (Shout! Factory)

Russian Circles, “Station” (Suicide Squeeze)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Hip-Hop Records

Lil Wayne, “Tha Carter III” (Cash Money)

Kanye West, “808s & Heartbreak” (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam)

The Knux, “Remind Me in Three Days…” (E Pluribus Unum)

Flying Lotus, “Los Angeles” (Warp)

GZA, “Pro Tools” (Babygrande)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Metal Records

Nachtmystium, “Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1” (Century Media)

Harvey Milk, “Life…The Best Game in Town” (Hydra Head)

Wetnurse, “Invisible City” (Seventh Rule)

The Sword, “Gods of the Earth” (Kemado)

Disfear, “Live the Storm” (Relapse)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Underrated Records

Nada Surf, “Lucky” (Barsuk)

The New Year, “The New Year” (Touch & Go)

Constantines, “Kensington Heights” (Arts & Crafts)

Crooked Fingers, “Forfeit/Fortune” (Red Pig)

Counting Crows, “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” (Geffen)

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Songs

“New Country,” The Walkmen

“Couleurs,” M83

“Hearts on Fire,” Cut Copy

“One Pure Thought,” Hot Chip

“White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Shows

My Bloody Valentine, Aragon Ballroom

Radiohead, Lollapalooza

The Notwist, Logan Square Auditorium

Crooked Fingers, Schubas

M83/School of Seven Bells, Bottom Lounge

—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Viking Metal Song Titles

“Demonic Fleshtemple” from Behexen, “My Soul for His Glory” (Moribund)

“Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags” from Amon Amarth, “Twilight of the Thunder God” (Metal Blade)

“Entering the Hall of the Slain” from Unleashed, “Hammer Battalion” (SPV)

“Exile the Daystar” from Battlelore, “The Last Alliance” (Napalm)

“The Devil’s Milk Pail” from Asmegin, “Arv” (Napalm)

—Andy Seifert

Top 5 Bands That Broke Up That You Weren’t Aware Were Still Together

Quiet Riot

Hootie and the Blowfish

The Spice Girls

Toto

The Police

—Andy Seifert

Top 5 Best Parties/DJ Performances

DJ World at Carnivale’s Anniversary, Carnivale

DJ Limelight at Unity Party, Crobar

Mick Boogie, Crimson Lounge

DJ Kaos/DJ Torin at Black Alumni Reunion Party, Colonnades Club inside Memorial Stadium on the campus of University of Illinois

Biz Markie, The Manor

—Scoop Jackson

Top 5 Classical Concerts

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, Tashi, Ravinia

Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, James Conlon & the Chicago Symphony, Ravinia

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Music of the Baroque

Stravinsky’s Firebird, Valery Gergiev & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Elliott Carter Complete Piano Music, Ursula Oppens, Ravinia

—Dennis Polkow

Top 5 Outdoor Performances

Radiohead, Lollapalooza

Andrew Bird, Millennium Park

Fleet Foxes, Millennium Park

Battles, Lollapalooza

The Dodos, Pitchfork Music Festival

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Wish-I-Made-It Shows

My Bloody Valentine, Aragon

James Murphy, Pat Mahoney, Smart Bar

Codebreaker, Sonotheque

2020 Soundsystem, Martyrs

Hum, Double Door

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Club Shows/Parties

Modeselektor, Sonotheque

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Empty Bottle

Stewart Walker, Cake (Loft Party)

Yaz, Chicago Theatre

Jeff Mills, Smart Bar

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Dance/Electronic Albums

DiskJokke, “Staying In” (Smalltown Supersound)

Hot Chip, “Made In The Dark” (Astralwerks)

Martin Eyerer, “Word of Mouth” (Kling Klong)

Portishead, “Third” (Mercury)

Syclops, “I’ve Got My Eye On You” (DFA)

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Rock Albums

MGMT, “Oracular Spectacular” (Sony)

Fleet Foxes, “Fleet Foxes” (Sub Pop)

The Jealous Girlfriends, “The Jealous Girlfriends” (Last Gang)

Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend” (XL)

TV On the Radio, “Dear Science” (Touch And Go)

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Disco Tracks

Fan Death, “Veronica’s Veil” (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework) (Phantasy Sound)

Michoacan, “Opiate Opus” (Tiny Sticks)

Holy Ghost!, “Hold On” (Mock & Toof Remix) (DFA)

Lusty Zanzibar, “For My Friends” (Bear Funk)

They Came From The Stars And I Saw Them, “Signals” (Emperor Machine Dub Remix) (This Is Not An Exit)

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Techno Tracks

Martin Eyerer, “Cave Canem” (Kling Klong)

John Dahlbäck, “Pyramid” (Pickadoll Records)

Daniel Steinberg, “Cobra Limbos” (Front Room Recordings)

Ryan Crosson, “Confiteria del Molino” (Wagon Repair)

Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “They Only Come Out At Night” (Musique Risquée)

—Duke Shin

Top 5 Indie Remixes

Born Ruffians, “I Need A Life” (Four Tet Remix) (Warp Records)

Quixote featuring Lisa Li-Lund, “Before I Started To Dance” (Prins Thomas Diskomiks) (Versatile Recordings)

Vampire Weekend, “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” (Chromeo Remix) (XL Recordings)

Jamie Lidell, “Little Bit Of Feel Good” (Mr. Oizo Mix) (Warp Records)

Friendly Fires—Paris (Aeroplane Remix Feat. Au Revoir Simone) (XL Recordings)

—Duke Shin