TRACKS
Amy Winehouse, "I Cheated Myself"
Robin Thicke, "Can You Believe"
Musiq Soulchild, "Buddy"
Rihanna, "Umbrella"
Rahsaan Patterson, "Oh Lord, Take Me Back"
Ne-Yo, "Do You"
Common, "The People"
Chaka Khan, "Angel"
Anthony Hamilton, "Do you Feel Me"
Kurt Elling, "Undun"

ARTISTS
Amy Winehouse
Rahsaan Patterson
Chaka Khan
Jay-Z
Timbaland

COMMENTS
For all the drama going on within the crumbling monolith that is the established music industry, there were so many funky-ass joints released this year. Funny how that works: turmoil breeding creativity, and decentralization fostering a rich underground of R&B "sangers" and groove makers.

Falling just south of the list: Ledisi, Jill Scott, Talib Kweli, Justin Timberland, and T-Pain.

Parting shot: Please Amy Winehouse, clean up girl. Unlike other tabloid fodder, you can blow — oh, sorry, poor choice of words. I mean you are supremely talented, able to stand toe-to-toe with guts-all-over-the-page masterpieces like Marvin Gaye's "Here My Dear." Don't make my "Frank" and "Back to Black" into collectors items.