Regina Spektor (left), Grizzly Bear (top middle), Dirty Projectors (bottom middle), M. Ward (top right), Andrew Bird (bottom right)
We could tell early on that 2009 was going to be an outstanding year for music. Bands such as Animal Collective , Andrew Bird , Bon Iver and Antony and the Johnsons all released new music, and that was just in January. By the time we posted our online ballot to vote for the year's best music, we had a dizzying array of albums and artists from which to choose.
Thousands of votes poured in and, just as it is every year, the race was very close. In our mid-year ballot , Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion was the most popular album. But by the end of this year, Grizzly Bear had edged its way to the top, with Animal Collective, Phoenix, Neko Case and Andrew Bird rounding out the top five.
As always, be sure to tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Extended List: See The Top 50 Listener Picks For 2009
NPR Listeners Pick The Best of 2008
NPR Listeners Pick The Best of 2007
Complete coverage of the year in music, 2009 .
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01.
Song: Two Weeks
from Veckatimest
by Grizzly Bear
Full Grizzly Bear archive .
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Song Veckatimest Album Veckatimest Artist Grizzly Bear Label Warp Released 2009
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Merriweather Post Pavillion
02.
Song: My Girls
from Merriweather Post Pavillion
by Animal Collective
Full Animal Collective archive
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Song Merriweather Post Pavillion Album Merriweather Post Pavillion Artist Animal Collective Label Domino Released 2009
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03.
Song: Lisztomania
from
by
Full Phoenix archive .
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Song Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Artist Phoenix Label Glassnote Released 2009
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04.
Song: This Tornado Loves You
from Middle Cyclone
by Neko Case
Full Neko Case archive .
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Song Middle Cyclone Album Middle Cyclone Artist Neko Case Label Anti Released 2009
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05.
Song: Oh No
from Noble Beast
by Andrew Bird
Full Andrew Bird archive .
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Song Noble Beast Album Noble Beast Artist Andrew Bird Label Megaforce Released 2009
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06.
Song: The Rake's Song
from Hazards of Love
by The Decemberists
Full archive for The Decemberists .
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Song Hazards of Love Album Hazards of Love Artist The Decemberists Label Capitol Released 2009
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07.
Song: Wilco (The Song)
from Wilco (The Album)
by Wilco
Full Wilco archive .
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Song Wilco (The Album) Album Wilco (The Album) Artist Wilco Label Nonesuch Released 2009
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08.
Song: Blood Bank
from Blood Bank
by Bon Iver
Full Bon Iver archive .
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Song Blood Bank Album Blood Bank Artist Bon Iver Label Jagjaguwar Released 2009
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09.
Song: I And Love And You
from I and Love and You
by The Avett Brothers
Full archive for The Avett Brothers .
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Song I and Love and You Album I and Love and You Artist The Avett Brothers Label Sony Released 2009
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10.
Song: The Strangers
from Actor
by St. Vincent
Full St. Vincent archive .
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Song Actor Album Actor Artist St. Vincent Label 4AD Released 2009
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11.
Song: Zero
from It's Blitz [Deluxe Edition]
by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Full Yeah Yeah Yeahs archive .
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Song It's Blitz [Deluxe Edition] Album It's Blitz [Deluxe Edition] Artist Yeah Yeah Yeahs Label Interscope Released 2009
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12.
Song: Eet
from Far
by Regina Spektor
Full Regina Spektor archive .
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Song Far Album Far Artist Regina Spektor Label Warner Bros. Released 2009
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13.
Song: Stars of Leo
from Hold Time
by M. Ward
Full M. Ward archive .
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Song Hold Time Album Hold Time Artist M. Ward Label Merge Released 2009
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14.
Song: Feeling the Pull
from Strict Joy [Deluxe Edition]
by The Swell Season
Full archive for The Swell Season .
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Song Strict Joy [Deluxe Edition] Album Strict Joy [Deluxe Edition] Artist The Swell Season Label Anti Released 2009
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15.
Song: Say Please
from Monsters of Folk
by Monsters of Folk
Full Monsters of Folk archive .
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Song Monsters of Folk Album Monsters of Folk Artist Monsters of Folk Label Artist First/Shangri-La Released 2009
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16.
Song: Stillness Is The Move
from Bitte Orca
by The Dirty Projectors
Full archive for The Dirty Projectors .
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Song Bitte Orca Album Bitte Orca Artist The Dirty Projectors Label Domino Released 2009
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17.
Song: Sleepyhead
from Manners
by Passion Pit
Full Passion Pit archive .
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Song Manners Album Manners Artist Passion Pit Label French Kiss Released 2009
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18.
Song: You Are the Blood
from Dark Was the Night [4AD]
by Sufjan Stevens
Dark Was the Night, Live from Radio City Music Hall .
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Song Dark Was the Night [4AD] Album Dark Was the Night [4AD] Artist Sufjan Stevens Label 4AD Released 2009
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19.
Song: French Navy
from My Maudlin Career
by Camera Obscura
Full Camera Obscura archive .
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Song My Maudlin Career Album My Maudlin Career Artist Camera Obscura Label 4AD Released 2009
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20.
Song: Sick Muse
from Fantasies
by Metric
Full Metric archive .
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Song Fantasies Album Fantasies Artist Metric Label Metric/Last Gang Released 2009
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21.
Song: The Shrew
from March of the Zapotec
by Beirut
Full Beirut archive .
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Song March of the Zapotec Album March of the Zapotec Artist Beirut Label Pompeii/Ba Da Bing! Released 2009
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22.
Song: VCR
from XX
by The xx
Full archive for The xx .
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Song XX Album XX Artist The xx Label XL Released 2009
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23.
Song: Daniel
from Two Suns
by Bat for Lashes
Full Bat for Lashes archive .
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Song Two Suns Album Two Suns Artist Bat for Lashes Label Caroline Released 2009
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25.
Song: Satellite Skin
from No One's First and You're Next
by Modest Mouse
Full Modest Mouse archive .
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Song No One's First and You're Next Album No One's First and You're Next Artist Modest Mouse Label Epic Released 2009
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