As I explained last year, to be eligible, an album only had to be added to my music collection in 2007, but not necessarily released in 2007. Some long-time favorites with which I had familiarity but had not previously owned were only eligible for “Honorable Mention” along with a few others that didn’t quite make the Top 10.
In order to make it into the Top 10, a CD had to saturate my listening time for an appreciable length of time. Although I have ranked them, distinguishing between any two of these CDs is very difficult indeed. When I obtained each it probably remained in heavy rotation at home, on my iPod and at work for several weeks, often receiving two or three plays per day. This is the quality level required to make the Top 10.
In the coming days, I’ll have articles delineating my picks for Best of 2007. In addition to the Best Albums, I’ll list my favorite songs for the year as well as some musical disappointments for 2007.
If you are interested in my past picks, I have articles for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.