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Our favorite albums, concerts of 2010

With apologies to the Lady, our pop favorites weren't necessarily Monster-sized.

By Jon Bream and

Chris Riemenschneider

December 19, 2010 at 9:14PM

Janelle Monae (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

OK, we admit it: The biggest thing in music this year was unquestionably Lady Gaga. Her shows Aug. 30-31 at sold-out Xcel Energy Center were the grandest spectacles of the year, and her presence still loomed larger than anybody's in pop music. Fortunately, size doesn't matter when it comes to critics' year-end lists. While we enjoyed Gaga's performance, it did not come close to our favorites of the year. Similarly, you won't find too many blockbuster albums on our best of 2010, which, of course, is about quality, not quantity. TOP CONCERTS

BREAM

1. Janelle Monae, Varsity Theater (March 31)

2. Muse, Target Center (Oct. 5)

3. Jonsi, Pantages Theatre (April 24)

4. Shelby Lynne, Dakota Jazz Club (May 1)

5. Titus Andronicus, Triple Rock Social Club (Sept. 17)

6. The Dead Weather, First Avenue (July 28)

7. Angelique Kidjo, Dakota Jazz Club (March 2)

8. Devo, Minnesota Zoo (July 3)

9. Willie Nelson, Mystic Lake Casino (Oct. 29)

10. Jimmy Cliff, Minnesota Zoo (Aug. 7)

RIEMENSCHNEIDER

1. LCD Soundsystem, Roy Wilkins Auditorium (Oct. 23)

2. Black Keys, First Avenue (June 8)

3. Rufus Wainwright, Orchestra Hall (Aug. 11)

4. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Rock the Garden, Walker Art Center (June 19)

5. Arcade Fire, Roy Wilkins Auditorium (Sept. 22)

6. Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dakota Jazz Club (July 20)

7. Titus Andronicus and Free Energy, Triple Rock Social Club (Sept. 17)

8. Dawes, Justin Townes Earle, Retribution Gospel Choir, P.O.S., Atmosphere, Taste of Minnesota (July 2)

9. Janelle Monae and Of Montreal, First Avenue (Sept. 23)

10. Gorillaz, Target Center (Oct. 17)

TOP ALBUMS

BREAM

1. Janelle Monae, "The ArchAndroid"

2. Jamey Johnson, "The Guitar Song"

3. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"

4. Shelby Lynne, "Tears, Lies and Alibis"

5. The Dead Weather, "Sea of Cowards"

6. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, "I Learned the Hard Way"

7. Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

8. Taylor Swift, "Speak Now"

9. John Mellencamp, "No Better Than This"

10. Bruce Springsteen, "The Promise"

RIEMENSCHNEIDER

1. Black Keys, "Brothers"

2. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, "I Learned the Hard Way"

3. Vampire Weekend, "Contra"

4. Willie Nelson, "Country Music"

5. Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"

6. Cee Lo Green, "The Ladykiller"

7. Band of Horses, "Infinite Arms"

8. The Sword, "Warp Riders"

9. Arcade Fire, "The Suburbs"

10. Titus Andronicus, "The Monitor"

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719 • Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658

Look for our ninth annual Twin Cities Critics Tally, a year-end assessment of Minnesota-made music.

Arcade Fire performing at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in September. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

about the writers

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

Chris Riemenschneider

Critic / Reporter

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.