Paris Hilton: Critics' Fave? A Look At Amazon Users' Top 10s

Year-end lists unashamedly plug Paris, High School Musical.

To truly call oneself a rock critic, one must be able to debate things like the geopolitical ramifications of Fergie's "London Bridge," write longwinded diatribes about "the dematerialization of the album into the celestial jukebox and other new media" and still find time to dismiss the new Black Keys single as little more than "Zeppelin-esque-detritus-masquerading-as-sharecropper's-lament" (or something like that). It never gets tougher for a critic or blogger than it does in December, when great minds turn toward the intricate, politically loaded construction of the annual "top 10" lists.

As previously explained here, to the seasoned music-head, compiling a list of your 10 favorite albums of the year is waaaay more complex than it should be: It's the de facto way of establishing your cred among your peers; of displaying your brainy, eclectic and diverse tastes; and of proving for all to see just how cool you really are (see ). Which is why you'll sometimes stumble across some baffling year-end lists ones filled with obscure Swedish noise-rock outfits and even more obscure hip-hop acts posted on blogs that are read by a select few music cognoscenti. It's the reason the longwinded Internet forum I Love Music gets overloaded with sessions debating the artistic worth of harp-sporting folk sprite Joanna Newsom's Ys in relation to hard-hitting hip-hop duo the Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury, and why that means the heartland rock of the Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America truly deserves to be ranked ahead of both on year-end lists.

Of course, it's all fairly ridiculous and nowhere is that more apparent than on the pages of Amazon.com, where millions of users cobble together top 10 lists of their own, populated with critically reviled acts like Brooke Hogan, Aly AJ and (gulp) Paris Hilton. They're lists completely devoid of pretense, context and in some cases what might seem to be common sense, often hastily thrown together in a matter of minutes.

And as such, they're a uniquely refreshing antidote to all the critic/blog hullabaloo: lists completely, truly rooted in reality, by the people and for the people. We've collected some of our favorite lists here largely unedited and enjoyed e-mail exchanges with the people who made them, in order to understand their list-making techniques, and better comprehend the merits of the Cheetah Girls in relation to Danity Kane. Which, in its own way, is sort of like attempting to contextualize the subtle differences between the Pipettes to the Chalets, only in the realm of pop-music and with the addition of corporate backing/svengali-ish puppet-mastering.

"Her debut album will be out January 30, 2007!"
Tim McGraw - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
"Great album featuring some of his latest hit songs.

It's like watching him in concert."
"I always love Christina and this album was so hot. Vocally she has such power and range and the songs are fun and/or emotional!

"
"This is actually a really fun album. Very catchy and vocally she can out-sing Britney at least!"
"This is Jessica's fun album.

Not many ballads like we know her for but a lot of '80s sounding dance songs and the ballads that are on the album are beautiful!"
"Her last album didn't thrill me but this album is really good there are the fun sarcastic songs and the deep vocally amazing songs. Pink is worth the money!

"
"I really like this CD and if you ask a lot of stores underestimated how well it would do and sold out the first day it came out!"
"I wasn't feeling her first album too much but these songs are all good. 'Final Goodbye' is my fave.

"
"Trina can really rap and this CD has her biggest hit 'Here We Go Again' with Kelly Rowland."
"It's been a long time since I've like any Bad Boy artist but their girls are hot!"
"Nicole used to be in Eden's Crush and she got another hit with this CD!

"
"This CD is my calorie burning CD!"
Crazymoose Says: "Pink's best? Maybe.

This album is good as a whole, but the standouts take it further. 'U + Ur Hand' and 'Who Knew' are great"
"I didn't expect anything good to come from her but I was wrong. 'SOS,' 'Unfaithful,' 'Final Goodbye,' she has great songs.

"
"OK, so it's a re-release of a 2005 album, but this shows how good pop music was MIA in this year. Into the Rush is an amazing album, even better w/ these new songs ('Chemicals React,' 'Never Far Behind.')"
"Awe .

.. Girl groups are amazing.

A very good debut album by five talented ladies."
"I know what your thinking, but once you listen to it, you'll probably agree, it's a solid debut."
"Raven Symone is amazing, and this soundtrack, much better than the first, is great, different genre songs.

All very feel good songs with plenty o soul."
Shakira - Oral Fixation, Vol. 2
"Good songs by crazy Shakira.

"
"Awesome-ness for Disney fans and theater geeks the world over. Not the best vocals but the best songs."
"Rob Zombie's album got a lot of harsh criticism, but I think that's just because he was trying something different.

I felt the album was very solid and enjoyable all the way through, so it made my #1 spot."
Tool - 10,000 Days
"Tool's album was terrific as well, and normally they are number 1 to me ..

. but I felt that their newest album wasn't quite as good as their last two. It was still an excellent CD with brilliant music, but I think it sounded like more of the same.

"
"So musically audacious, Paul Simon was able to pull off this kind of thing and he didn't do it better. John Mayer finds his voice and becomes the best singer songwriter of his generation."
"Wow.

Breathtakingly wonderful soul from rising star John Legend. A breath of fresh air especially for male soul singers."
"Gorgeous melodies and soaring vocals make this album stand out.

Truly beautiful."
"Lovely jazz inflected soul vocals and an impressive group of songs Rae either wrote or co-wrote."
"Greg Laswell's beautiful somber gravel voice is unique in pop music.

Another terrific singer songwriter on the rise!"
"The prolific Ed Harcourt turns out one of his best and most passionate albums yet. Incredibly beautiful and worth many listenings.

"
"This band needs to breakthrough to the big time. This is the band's richest sounding album. Full of brilliant pop rock songwriting.

"
"Remarkable and mature debut from Tunstall with this lovely, beguiling showcase of her songwriting and vocal abilities."
"Beck's tightest and most purposeful album yet. It seems more muted than the wonderful Guero but a closer listen shows how beautifully the whole thing is constructed.

"
"I am still unsure about how I feel about this album. It is one of the greats of 2006 though."
"There was so much hype leading up to this album.

But it's sad to say that this album was a letdown, it sounds WAY overproduced."
"Being a HUGE fan of Sing the Sorrow I was really looking forward to this album. But with its more catchy feel and the band's new appearance I am more than turned off.

This really is an album to avoid in 2006. After a few listens I grew bored."
"I brought it for 'To Be Loved' and that is the only song I listen off of it.

I have tried listening to other songs, but I just can't seem to get into them."
"AVOID!!

! I won this as a radio promo before the CD was released. And I don't like the band anyways, but when they said I won a free CD I was like, 'Ok I'll check it out.

' But I have only listened to it once, because it is THAT bad. All the songs sound the same and he is crying about how bad his life is." 2006 MTV Networks.

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