It seems like every decade for the last 50 years has ended with an outpouring of excellent popular music. 1959 saw the release of not only Ray Charles' What'd I Say but also Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. 1969-the year of Woodstock -brought The Band and Abbey Road. Perhaps the knowledge that a 10-year epoch-the standard unit of measurement in musicology, as in so much else-is coming to a close heightens the urgency for an artist to go above and beyond and create something that will define the time period forever after. This is certainly true of 2009. The following list by no means captures all of the many remarkable albums of the year, just the 10 "best of the best."10. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs: The middle-aged members of Yo La Tengo are the veritable Energizer bunnies of indie. Nearly a quarter-century and over a dozen albums into their career together, the Hoboken-based trio once again show on Popular Songs that they're nowhere near stopping-hell, they're not even slowing down! Popular Songs follows the band's tried-and-true formula of catchy pop songs and mellow interludes with several longer meditations to conclude the album. This time around, elements of Motown find their way into the mix.

9. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone: The lore surrounding Middle Cyclone is almost as great as the album itself (I said almost). Case recorded most of the tracks in a barn filled with eight free pianos that she acquired on Craigslist. Cryptic lyrics, including a whole song told from the perspective of a tornado, are laden with unsettling nature-themed imagery. Wilderness metaphors, coupled with threatening gestures and pronouncements run pretty heavy, making this no country-noir record for the faint of heart.

8. The Xx - Xx: A rather straightforward pop album filled with short songs and catchy melodies, this summer release garnered a lot of attention. The young Londoners sing with characteristic British understatement, creating a mood that complements the bare instrumentation on masterfully produced songs like "VCR." Simple arrangements and spacey, reverberant guitars work for them where, in the hands of less attentive musicians, they might feel canned.

7. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic: In case anyone had any doubts, in 2009 the Flaming Lips proved that redemption is possible. After a decade of struggling to recapture the magic that lost in the wake of The Soft Bulletin (1999), the quartet finally delivered its promise. The artful upshot of their studio experimentation is a treat for long-standing fans and newcomers alike, drawing on influences from Chick Corea to the Beatles to science-fiction soundtracks.

6. Atlas Sound - Logos: Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox shows that he can cut it as a solo artist as well. Every song on Logos is different, but all share a similar sound-collage aesthetic that never leaves you bored, even when the overall effect is dreamy. The brightest gem of the record is "Walkabout," which features fellow-genius Noah Lennox (a.k.a. Panda Bear). When you hear it, it won't leave your head for weeks.

5. Girls - Album: A new band from San Francisco, Girls are unapologetic about their obsession with the Beach Boys and '50s rock. But whereas nostalgic tribute can slip into the lamentably derivative, this is in no way true of Album. Lead singer Christopher Owens' voice-at times scratchy, at others gentle and imploring-is both original and inimitable. Despite the frivolity implied by the album and band names, an overpowering anguish emanates from the record, differentiating it from the sunny vibes of the early rock'n' roll that it ostensibly imitates.

4. St. Vincent - Actor: Singer-songwriter Annie Clark (a.k.a. St. Vincent) has clearly learned a thing or two from her former touring bandmate, Sufjan Stevens. While the Midwestern indie-folk Yoda is in hibernation- having "suspended" his mythical "50 states project"-Clark is stealing his thunder. On Actor, she combines an orchestral, baroque sensibility with danceable electronic pop, seamlessly weaving the two strands with her beautiful, feathery voice and highly distorted guitar playing. Some of the most compelling melodies of the year are right here: seriously, no one can afford to miss "The Neighbors."

3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca: Before this year, we already knew that Dave Longstreth had a dizzying imagination. Prior Projectors records were full of highbrow concept, featuring complicated time signatures and unpredictable melodies. On Bitte Orca, the six-member ensemble took these elements and made something less hopelessly cerebral (read: pretentious). When you put this fantastic record on, you will still be mesmerized by the details, but you will actually hum along with a catchy melody and even, at moments, (gasp!) want to dance.

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: Listeners who come to this album with the expectation of easily dissolving into comfortable pop melodies will be disappointed. Veckatimest has a few catchy tunes (especially "Two Weeks"), but most of the album is laboriously layered and supremely subtle. In short, it takes time, but the effort pays off. Veckatimest is just as much a choral album as it is a rock album, and its most haunting moments demand to be played in a dim Gothic cathedral.

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion: Somehow, the three members of Animal Collective brilliantly interweave English folk melodies, Brazilian techno, Brian Wilson and much, much more, in the space of 11 psychedelic songs-and it always works. At base, these songs are all rather conventional pop songs, but the way that they have been taken apart and reconstituted makes them mysterious and arresting. It's only fitting that Merriweather, which came out in the very first week of 2009, ended up being the best album of the year.