An 'Idiot' comes out on top

What do a trio of punk-pop elder statesmen, an aging country songbird, two white rappers, a former Beach Boy and a recently deceased singer/songwriter have in common? They all recorded and released some of the best music of 2004 in my opinion. Because of theirs and a few others' efforts, the best music of 2004 was born. Here are my picks for the best records of the year. 1. GREEN DAY - AMERICAN IDIOT
Who knew Green Day had it in them? 2004's best album springs from the mind of frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and is given life via his power chord crunch, Mike Dirnt's sprinting bass lines and Tre Cool's frantic percussion. Green Day wears its influences on its sleeve, whether it be rocking Ramones-style on "St. Jimmy" and "She's a Rebel" or aping The Clash on "Are We Waiting" and "Letterbomb," yet those forays are trumped by the sheer audacity of the operatic five-parters "Jesus of Suburbia" and "We're Coming Home Again." All told, American Idiot is the year's best and bravest record, not to mention the most relevant punk album since the early '80s. 2. WILCO - A GHOST IS BORN
Following up an album as sprawling, messy and downright genius as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would prove an almost impossible task for most bands, but Jeff Tweedy and company are no mere band. With Ghost, Wilco has created a record as heartfelt and fragile as any band today is capable and managed to make it nearly as fascinating as Foxtrot. The record evens itself out beautifully, combining extended guitar solos and whisper thin vocals with impressive deftness. Early on in Ghost, Tweedy beckons in a soft tone, "Come with me." Unlike any other band working today, Wilco is fearlessly leading us all into fresh, uncharted territory. 3. BRIAN WILSON - SMILE
It took him 38 years, but the former Beach Boy finally completed his long-awaited masterwork. The final product is no Pet Sounds, but the songs that drove Wilson mad in the mid-'60s sound vibrant and exciting here. One can't help but imagine what a massive creative rift this album would've caused if it had been released in early 1967, beating Sgt. Pepper out of the gate as the first rock album to rise to the level of pure art. Wilson's voice might not pack the same glorious punch as it did in the '60s, but that doesn't keep SMiLE from fully realizing Wilson's original, brilliant vision. 4. LORETTA LYNN - VAN LEAR ROSE
For her first album since 2000 (her 48th since her 1963 debut), Kentuckian songstress Loretta Lynn teams with Jack White of the White Stripes to create the best country album of the 21st century so far. Lynn's honest and deep songwriting, combined with White's nostalgic production, renders an album filled with a meaningful resonance which transcends genre. Tracks like "Trouble On the Line" and "Miss Being Mrs." are among the year's most affecting. 5. THE STREETS - A GRANT DON'T COME FOR FREE
Chronicling a week or so in the life of a disenchanted young man in London, Mike Skinner's second effort as The Streets (maybe the wittiest and most genuine rapper/storyteller recording today) is a concept record of the highest order. As we follow our hero through his usual travails with women, friends and drugs, as well as a lost 1,000 quid, Skinner's homemade beats ring as down to earth and true as his words. Grand's final two tracks make for the best album closers of the year and prove Skinner's strength at forcing his listeners to reflect on their own lives, a talent few rappers in history can claim. 6. U2 - HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB
Bono and the boys have come one hell of a long way since they got together in 1976. When their anthemic arena rock phase of the '80s gave way to an experimental, electronica inspired period in the '90s, it left many of its casual fans feeling alienated. In 2000, it dropped an album of amazing depth and resonance with All That You Can't Leave Behind, on which the band rejoiced in its classic sound, all shimmering guitar and celestial vocals. Bomb continues that push with 11 solid songs that, while not breaking down barriers or pushing the boundaries of rock forward, sure sound awesome blasting from a good set of speakers. 7. EMINEM - ENCORE
After two ultra-busy years, what with turning 50 Cent into a superstar, being embattled in various feuds and starring in an acclaimed film, Eminem still managed to piece together a fascinating album showcasing his many personas. Slim Shady shows up on the hilarious "Ass Like That," and Marshall Mathers surfaces on the confessional "Like Toy Soldiers." Eminem charges things up politically, challenging the moral authority as well as the president on "Mosh" and "Rain Man." A smattering of critics have blasted Encore as immature, but those people clearly aren't in on the joke. 8. MOS DEF - THE NEW DANGER
Aspiring actor and better half of the once influential hip-hop team Black Star, Mos Def is somewhat of a renaissance man. On his sophomore solo album, the mighty Mos, with help from his backing band Black Jack Johnson, displays his prowess in the fields of rock, rap, and earnest blues. Mos engineers Danger like a drug-induced thrill ride from genre to genre, and while its cohesiveness may be questionable, there's no denying the heft of Danger's socially relevant grooves. 9. ELLIOTT SMITH - FROM A BASEMENT ON THE HILL
Before his apparent suicide in the fall of 2003, Elliott Smith wrote, recorded and produced this set of mostly somber yet occasionally uplifting songs. Instead of letting the already somewhat polished material stagnate and fade into obscurity, Smith's family and friends layered the songs with a few final bits of production and organized the track list based on Elliott's final notebook scrawls. The result is an unknowing farewell from a tortured, tragic and elegant songwriter. 10. DIZZEE RASCAL - BOY IN DA CORNER/SHOWTIME
Released in America seven months apart, this duo from London rapper Dizzee Rascal is an invigorating one-two punch to the genre. Some of the best and most inventive hip-hop is leaking out of the London underground now, and along with Mike Skinner, Dizzee is on the front lines of the movement. Other than the skittering breakbeats and trip-hop flourishes, the real star of these records is Rascal's voice, at first awkward, yet growing on the listener with startling immediacy. Honorable mentions: Beastie Boys -- To the 5 Boroughs; Kanye West --College Dropout; Velvet Revolver -- Contraband; The Roots -- The Tipping Point; Interpol -- Antics