These are my top five favorite (sometimes less) albums for the year of the album's release. (Links take you to comments that I may have made about these albums on immediacy.)
2009
Balmorhea, All is Wild, All is Silent
Lily Allen, It's Not Me, It's You
2008
Joe Jackson, Rain
The Cat Empire, So Many Nights
Duffy, Rockferry
Randy Newman, Harps and Angels
School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms
2007
The Polyphonic Spree, The Fragile Army
Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Flight of the Conchords, The Distant Future
Mark Ronson, et al., Version
Semiotics, Live in Glen's Backyard
2006
Bob Schneider, The Californian
Lily Allen, Alright, Still
The Cat Empire, Two Shoes
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
The Cat Empire, The Cat Empire
2005
Carbon Leaf, Indian Summer
Rodney Crowell, The Outsider
Sons and Daughters, The Repulsion Box
Aimee Mann, The Forgotten Arm
Ben Folds, Songs for Silverman
2004
Rush, Feedback
Sons and Daughters, Love the Cup
William Shatner, Has Been
Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand
Charlotte Martin, On Your Shore
2003
James McMurtry, Live in Aught-Three
Rusty Truck, Broken Promises
Lyle Lovett, My Baby Don't Tolerate
The White Stripes, Elephant
Rodney Crowell, Fate's Right Hand
2002
Aimee Mann, Lost in Space
Spoon, Kill the Moonlight
Various Artists, Chicago (soundtrack)
Bruce Hornsby, Big Swing Face
Bob Schneider, The Galaxy Kings
2001
Randall Bramblett, No More Mr. Lucky
David Byrne, Look Into the Eyeball
Ben Folds, Rockin' the Suburbs
Carbon Leaf, Echo Echo
Spoon, Girls Can Tell
Suzanne Vega, Songs in Red and Gray
2000
Aimee Mann, Bachelor No. 2
Darden Smith, Extra, Extra
Eliza Carthy, Angels & Cigarettes
Various Artists, Welcome to VH1 Storytellers
Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory
1999
Lyle Lovett, Live in Texas
"Weird Al" Yankovic, Running with Scissors
Patty Larkin, A Gogo
Eleanor McEvoy, Snapshots
Lit, A Place in the Sun
1998
Fastball, All the Pain Money Can Buy
Various Artists, Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours
Various Artists, Live from the River Music Hall, Vol. 1
Happy Rhodes, Many Worlds Are Born Tonight
Eliza Carthy, Red
1997
Fleetwood Mac, The Dance
Moxy Fruvous, You Will Go to the Moon
Sarah McLachlan, Surfacing
Dwight Yoakam, Under the Covers
Roger Hodgson, Rites of Passage
1996
Paula Cole, This Fire
Suzanne Vega, Nine Objects of Desire
Mark Knopfler, Golden Heart
Patti Rothberg, Between the 1 and the 9
Belle & Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister
1995
Alanis Morisette, Jagged Little Pill
James McMurtry, Where'd You Hide the Body
Annie Lennox, Medusa
Bonepony, Stomp Revival
Bruce Hornsby, Hot House
1994
Concrete Blonde, Still in Hollywood
The Dave Mathews Band, Under the Table and Dreaming
Various Artists, Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved
John Hiatt, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan
Richard Thompson, Mirror Blue
1993
Darden Smith, Little Victories
Donald Fagen, Kamariad
Various Artists, Redbeard's All Access
Tim Finn, Before & After
John Hiatt, Perfectly Good Guitar
Bruce Hornsby, Harbor Lights
1992
James McMurtry, Candyland
Lindsey Buckingham, Out of the Cradle
Peter Gabriel, US
Michelle Shocked, Arkansas Traveller
Suzanne Vega, 99.9F
1991
The Commitments, Soundtrack to The Commitments
Bruce Cockburn, Nothing But a Burning Light
Richard Thompson, Rumor and Sigh
Happy Rhodes, Warpaint
R.E.M., Out of Time
1990
Darden Smith, Trouble No More
Vaughan Brothers, Family Style
The Replacements, All Shook Down
John Doe, Meet John Doe
Was (Not Was), Are You Okay?
1989
Michelle Shocked, Captain Swing
Darden Smith and Boo Hewerdine, Evidence
Sarah McLachlan, Touch
Joe Jackson, Blaze of Glory
Paul Simon, The Rhythm of the Saints
1988
Bobby McFerrin, Simple Pleasures
Michelle Shocked, Short Sharp Shocked
Oingo Boingo, Boingo Alive
John Hiatt, Slow Turning
Joe Ely, Dig All Night
1987
The Reivers, Saturday
X, See How We Are
Fleetwood Mac, Tango in the Night
R.E.M., Document
John Mellencamp, The Lonesome Jubilee
1986
Timbuk 3, Greetings from Timbuk 3
Elvis Costello, King of America
Paul Simon, Graceland
Peter Gabriel, So
Elvis Costello, Blood & Chocolate
1985
Kate Bush, Hounds of Love
Oingo Boingto, Dead Man's Party
Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms
Rush, Power Windows
Waterboys, This is the Sea
1984
Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense
Laurie Anderson, Mister Heartbreak
Rush, Grace Under Pressure
R.E.M., Reckoning
Bruce Cockburn, Stealing Fire
1983
Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues
Police, Synchronicity
R.E.M., Murmur
Peter Gabriel, Plays Live
Pink Floyd, The Final Cut
1982
Rush, Signals
Joe Jackson, Night and Day
The Pretenders, Learning to Crawl
Kate Bush, The Dreaming
Richard and Linda Thompson, Shoot Out the Lights
1981
Rush, Moving Pictures
Joe Jackson, Jumpin' Jive
Billy Joel, Songs in the Attic
Dan Fogelberg, The Innocent Age
Police, Ghost in the Machine
1980
Rush, Permanent Waves
Rockpile, Seconds of Pleasure
Talking Heads, Remain in Light
The Alan Parsons Project, The Turn of a Friendly Card
Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (3)
1979
Joe Jackson, Look Sharp!
The Eagles, The Long Run
Pink Floyd, The Wall
Fleetwood Mac, Tusk
Talking Heads, Fear of Music
1978
Elvis Costello, This Year's Model
Cars, The Cars
Heart, Dog & Butterfly
Rush, Hemispheres
Police, Outlandos D'Amour
1977
Elvis Costello, My Aim Is True
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Billy Joel, The Stranger
Steely Dan, Aja
Rush, A Farewell to Kings
1976
The Eagles, Hotel California
Rush, 2112
Heart, Dreamboat Annie
Boston, Boston
Styx, Crystal Ball
1975
Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
Rush, Fly By Night
Electric Light Orchestra, Face the Music
Steely Dan, Katy Lied
1974
Supertramp, Crime of the Century
The Eagles, On the Border
Robert Palmer, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
Steely Dan, Pretzel Logic
Bad Company, Bad Company
1973
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
Fleetwood Mac, Mystery to Me
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy
Wings, Band on the Run
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-Nerd
1972
Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick
Nick Drake, Pink Moon
Yes, Fragile
Elton John, Honky Chateau
Steely Dan, Can't Buy a Thrill
1971
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV (Zofo)
The Who, Who's Next
Jethro Tull, Aqualung
Pink Floyd, Meddle
Elton John, 11-17-70
1970
Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman
Van Morrison, Moondance
Yes, The Yes Album
Cat Stevens, Teaser and the Firecat
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmo's Factory
1969
The Beatles, Abbey Road
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin III
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Green River
King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willy and the Poor Boys
1968
The Beatles, The Beatles (White Album)
Aretha Franklin, Lady Soul
1967
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour
1966
The Beatles, Revolver
1965
The Beatles, Rubber Soul
Jerry Lee Lewis, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
1963
The Beatles, Please Please Me
1962
Original Cast Recording, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum
Booker T. & the MGs, Green Onions
1960
Tom Lehrer, Songs & More Songs
1959
The Kingston Trio, ...from the "Hungry i"
Tom Lehrer, An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer
1958
Tom Lehrer, Tom Lehrer
1957
Little Richard, Here's Little Richard
1956
Elvis Presley, Elvis