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It goes without saying, but it’s worth repeating — Top 10 lists are subjective and, relatively speaking, superfluous.

Let’s face it — most people don’t rely on critics or music journalists to dictate their tastes. If that were the case, most of the songs you hear on the radio would be relegated to backwater Myspace pages with a handful of fans and only a few listens each day. And most music intellectuals are, granted, out of touch with the music-buying masses.

That’s not because we don’t know good music; it’s just that our idea of “good” doesn’t exactly line up with the people who crank WIVK-FM and Hot 104.5 at top volume. I admit, we’re a bit snobbish when it comes down to it, and we tend to look down our noses at the mass-market commercial music that sells millions of albums. Not because it’s no good — obvously, a lot of people think it is, or the artists wouldn’t be making millions.

It’s just that, to those of us who have the luxury of listening to so much more music, to so many other unheard-of artists, it sounds soulless. Sure, an act like Big & Rich sounds like a million bucks, but that’s because they spent that much on production and recording. And sure, they sound like they’re having a lot of fun on their records, because they probably are — when you’re lighting cigars with $50 bills and taking hitchhiking strippers up to Brackins, I’d say your life is pretty enjoyable.

But to discover an artist or a band that sounds so ... passionate about what they do, so invested emotionally, so willing to bare their souls and put the emotional wreckage of their hearts and lives on display ... man, that’s good stuff. That’s real life. That’s something I identify with in a way I’ll never be able to with guys like Big & Rich.

That’s what captures my attention. That’s what makes up the bulk of this year’s Top 10 lists. Granted, it doesn’t mean that the 10 albums included here are the be-all, end-all of music for 2007. Certain albums and genres have been overlooked; not on purpose, but because ... well ... I just can’t afford the money and the time to listen to them all.

So without further ado, here are the official Weekend editor’s selections for the Best Albums of 2007:

The Arcade Fire, “Neon Bible”

Released: March 6

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say (from Amazon.com’s editorial reviews): “For their second full-length, the Montreal-based seven-or-eight-piece Arcade Fire show themselves capable of Big Rock, as original, and as potentially marquee-topping as TV on the Radio and Sigur Ros. Regardless, the intentional murkiness of these pleasantly anthemic New Wave dirges makes it sound as if the music has already reverberated through a crowded cement stadium.”

We say: After the quirky, all-over-the-map feel of “Funeral,” the band’s debut, “Neon Bible” sounds tighter, more focused, more methodical, and those are good qualities — especially when combined with the immense amount of talent the group displays. Every song seems to build to an anthemic crescendo, a barely contained, dynamite-wrapped package of yearning and longing and jubilant celebration. Easily, the best album of the year by any artist.

Key tracks: “Intervention,” “The Well and the Lighthouse,” “(Antichrist Television Blues)”

Feist, “The Reminder”

Released: May 1

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4.5 stars

They say: “Throughout, the record profits from a simple, unfussy aesthetic that keeps the production minimal and the emphasis squarely on Feist’s cracking, wistful vibrato. Everything sounds deliberate, but not obsessed over, like an e-mailed wedding invitation. It’s a low-pressure vibe, welcoming and content to linger. And linger you will.”

We say: In the din of a music made by such a collective as Broken Social Scene, the voice of Leslie Feist tends to get lost. Not that she’s not a key element of such a band — without her angelic voice, whatever music the band makes would be somehow lacking. On “The Reminder,” however, it’s all Feist — and what a delightful thing this record is. It’s a jazzy, moody collection of songs that bounces from the upbeat, guitar-anchored “Feel It All” to the slinky “My Moon My Man” to the somber “The Water.” If “The Reminder” is any indication of just how amazing this artist is, we cordially demand that she be booked at The Bijou Theatre as soon as possible.

Key tracks: “So Sorry,” “Feel It All,” “My Moon My Man,” “Sealion”

The Avett Brothers, “Emotionalism”

Released: May 15

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 5 stars (out of five)

They say: “Despite the stripped-down, largely acoustic arrangements, the 14 cuts here cover an impressively expansive musical terrain, with ‘Pretty Girl from Chile’ and ‘Pretty Girl from San Diego’ full of twists and surprises. Elsewhere there are echoes of influence from the Band, the Burritos, the Everlys, and beyond, but the music of this North Carolina family band refuses to be pigeonholed.”

We say: The Avett Brothers have been building up to this — a masterpiece, as far as we’re concerned. It’s a rootsy celebration of life and love and loss and the fact that feeling everything — the good, the bad and the ugly — is a beautiful thing, because it means you’re alive. Call it country, roots-rock, alt-folk, whatever — Scott and Seth Avett drift from one track to the other with all of the joyous abandon of two pardoned prisoners gulping in deep lungfuls of air and freedom for the first time in years.

Key tracks: “Shame,” “Die Die Die,” “The Weight of Lies,” “The Ballad of Love and Hate”

Wilco, “Sky Blue Sky”

Released: May 15

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say: “Mostly written in the studio by the full band, it’s certainly the group’s most cohesive album in ages, presenting a dense song cycle padded with intricate guitar work, brushed rhythms, and ‘70s soft-rock accents.”

We say: Ever since the pleasing-but-largely forgettable debut of “A.M.” and the subsequent alt-country experimentation of the double record “Being There,” we keep waiting on Wilco to make a bad record. On the contrary, this Chicago-based band seems to shift direction and style as much as lead singer Jeff Tweedy shifts the lineup. With “Sky Blue Sky,” the band takes a subdued approach to new music, opting to forego the experimental sounds of previous releases “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and “A Ghost Is Born” in favor of a more roots-oriented return to origin. This isn’t the no-frills rock of “Passenger Side” or “Casino Queen,” however — Tweedy maintains a cryptic approach to lyrics, and the punch of guitar ferocity is just enough to break up any sort of monotony on songs like “You Are My Face.” Overall, it’s a fine addition to the Wilco canon and upholds the reputation the band has achieved as America’s answer to the modern-rock geniuses in Radiohead.

Key tracks: “You Are My Face,” “Impossible Germany,” “Hate It Here,” “Leave Me (Like You Found Me)”

Jason Isbell, “Sirens of the Ditch”

Released: July 9

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say (from Amazon’s editorial review): “... you’re drawn in, to a clearly delineated but poetic storyline and gorgeous melodies. Isbell’s best songs will remind you of Richard Buckner, Raymond Carver and Neil Young.”

We say: Since joining the Drive-By Truckers in time for the “Decoration Day” record, Jason Isbell added a haunting voice, a strong narrative and a sublime penchant for storytelling to that band. When he left last year, it didn’t bode well for the Truckers, but it made for a killer solo release. “Sirens” gives fans of Isbell’s work in the Truckers what they’ve always wanted — a solid record where he doesn’t have to share guitar parts, songwriting or lead vocals with anybody else. He more than holds his own, and in so doing crafts some remarkable music that combines for one of the best singer-songwriter driven releases of 2007.

Key tracks: “Brand New Kind of Actress,” “Dress Blues,” “Grown,” “Shotgun Wedding”

Vic Chesnutt, “North Star Deserter”

Released: Sept. 11

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say: “The message is simple in ‘You Are Never Alone,’ the fifth track on Vic Chesnutt’s 11th album: ‘keep on keepin’ on.’ Trite and cliché by any other artist, Chesnutt makes it work on what may be his most triumphant effort since 1996’s About to Choke. Recorded in Montreal with the Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, ‘Deserter’ carries not a bell or whistle that dominated his last few records, stripping down and leaving Chesnutt’s shrewd, witty lyrics and fragile, plainspoken voice center stage.”

We say: With an acoustic guitar and a haunting set of lyrics, Georgia resident Vic Chesnutt throws up the flag on the first track, “Warm” — no fancy studio trickery, no instrumental shenanigans ... just a guy, his guitar and the brain and eyes of an observer who sees and absorbs what so many of us seem to miss. Like Dylan’s, his voice isn’t for everyone, but somehow, given his physical condition (he’s a quadraplegic) and his body’s limits, the frailty of his sometimes-wavering, always-certain voice makes his words even more appealing. There’s a dark air of mystery hanging over all of “North Star Deserter,” and when the thunder crashes (as on “Everything I Say”), it’s chilling to hear.

Key tracks: “Everything I Say,” “Warm,” “You Are Never Alone,” “Splendid”

Iron & Wine, “The Shepherd’s Dog”

Released: Sept. 25

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say: “... Iron & Wine (Sam Beam, that is) recoils to the earnestness and intimacy that embodied his first two records, his cerebral words and phrases tunneled beneath an orchestra of guitar, banjo, keyboards, and strings. More definitive than ever, the rhythm and percussion complement Beam’s voice, a lulling, almost eerie tone that occasionally recalls John Lennon’s early solo work ...”

We say: Sometimes, you can stare at the work of a craftsman, and you can just tell how much love was put into it. Whether it’s a piece of wood carved and sanded and shaped by a carpenter or an album like “The Shepherd’s Dog,” you can sense just how lovingly, how painstakingly, the artist labored over it. With “The Shepherd’s Dog,” Beam — a.k.a. Iron & Wine — sands down this collection of 12 folk-pop gems to shimmering perfection — rough around the edges, but filled with little instrumental touches that add an ethereal element to what amounts to a dreamscape of vivid colors. It’s said Beam was influenced by Tom Waits’ “Swordfishtrombones” in making this record. If so, he did Waits proud.

Key tracks: “White Tooth Man,” “Carousel,” “Innocent Bones,” “Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog)”

Bruce Springsteen, “Magic”

Released Oct. 2

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say: “... with E Street Band in tow, Springsteen goes on to retrace every step between here and ‘Greetings from Asbury Park,’ hand-delivering more could-be, would-be hits than anything he’s done since ‘Born in the USA.’”

We say: Trying to build on the success of “The Rising,” The Boss’s post-9/11 masterpiece, would have been a mistake. Springsteen is too savvy, too creative, to attempt such a thing, so on “Magic,” he goes in the opposite direction. If “The Rising” was an album of hope, “Magic” is a record of seething, simmering frustration — about the state of music (“Radio Nowhere”), the war (“Last to Die”) and the growing disconnect between Americans — their relationships to one another, to their leaders, to life itself. There are those wistful, tender moments that he’s done so well for years — “Livin’ in the Future,” which gives Clarence Clemons a chance to shine bright, and “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” a gem of descriptive scenes on a sweltering night and the girls that walk his Jersey streets. It’s a testament to Springsteen’s talent and genius that, at almost 60, he’s made one of the best albums of the year.

Key tracks: “Radio Nowhere,” “Livin’ in the Future,” “Your Own Worst Enemy,” “I’ll Work for Your Love”

The Deadstring Brothers, “Silver Mountain”

Released: Oct. 8

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4.5 stars

They say: No editorial review for this album

We say: Right out of the gate, the boys from Detroit that make up the Deadstring Brothers sound like they’re ghosts unleashed from the walls of Nellcote, the famous French studio where Mick and Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones cut their masterpiece, “Exile on Main Street.” There’s an undeniable passion woven throughout the songs on “Silver Mountain,” an urgency channeled from the vestiges of such “Exile” standouts as “Happy” and “On Down the Line” that doesn’t let up until the title track, six songs in. Even then, the Deadstring Brothers sound so damn good, so spot-on at capturing the genius of the Stones, that somebody should probably drug test them — given that “Exile” was recorded on a binge of heroin, booze and debauchery, it seems impossible for another band, 40 years later, to capture its fire and vitality with such haunting clarity without the use of similar substances.

Key tracks: “Ain’t No Hidin’ Love,” “Heavy Load,” “Queen of the Scene,” “Tennessee Sure Enough”

Radiohead, “In Rainbows”

Released: Oct. 10 (for digital download; hard-copy CD to be released Jan. 1)

Average Amazon.com customer rating: Not rated

They say: “‘In Rainbows’ is the group’s most ‘band’-sounding album since ‘OK Computer.’ This is not a record that hits you over the head with how far this group is pushing the envelope; it’s simply a phenomenal, well-crafted, and exciting album. As soon as it’s done, you’re playing it again.”

We say: Radiohead has never veered from the oncoming headlights of impending disaster when it comes to playing a game of rock ‘n’ roll chicken. An album like “OK Computer” could only have been made by this collective of ostentatious British rockers, and to follow it up with “Kid A” and “Amnesiac” was even more daring. After the letdown of “Hail to the Thief,” “In Rainbows” is a blessing in disguise. It doesn’t knock you down with innovation or experiment, but it does remind you of just how good the band is, and it’s probably the most accessible (not that Radiohead is so far out there) album since “The Bends.” It’s ferocious in spots, gentle in others and great all over.

Key tracks: “Bodysnatchers,” “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” “Reckoner,” “House of Cards”

Honorable Mentions

— Patty Griffin, “Children Running Through,” released Feb. 6: Is it any wonder artists from the Dixie Chicks to Emmylou Harris to The Wreckers to Kelly Clarkson have recorded the songs of the fiery-haired singer-songwriter from Nashville? She writes phenomenal words and sings them with a voice so sweet it makes sugar seem like spoiled milk. Her latest is like all the rest of her catalogue — phenomenal.

— Kings of Leon, “Because of the Times,” released April 3: With a stunning debut and a better-than-average sophomore effort, the boys from Nashville prove that the third time’s a charm. They hit their stride on “Because of the Times,” crafting more complex songs that make all the comparisons to Zeppelin-meets-Skynyrd obsolete. This is the sound of new Southern rock, and it sounds very, very goood.

— The Ike Reilly Assassination, “We Belong to the Staggering Evening,” released May 8: After a more subdued album on “The Junkie Faithful,” Ike and the boys get back to what they do best — dirty, gritty, folk punk that makes him America’s answer to Billy Bragg. With wit and swagger, Reilly writes a mean song and uses whatever it needs to get it right.

— The White Stripes, “Icky Thump,” released June 19: Jack White can do no wrong, it seems. Every White Stripes record seems to pop with the fervor of White’s musical zeal, and when he’s not guiding Loretta Lynn into making a masterpiece or recording with The Raconteurs, he’s making albums like the bruising “Elephant” or the folk-flavored “Get Behind Me Satan.” On “Icky Thump,” he and Meg get back to basics — rock ‘n’ roll, as only a guitar-playing fiend like White can churn out.

— Ryan Adams, “Easy Tiger,” released June 26: After taking a year off from three releases in 2005, it’s obvious that the break (and a newfound sobriety) have been good for the former Whiskeytown singer-songwriter. “Easy Tiger” ranks among his best, right up there with “Heartbreaker” and “Cold Roses.”

— Interpol, “Our Love to Admire,” released July 10: More atmospheric, more diverse and — dare we say it? — more upbeat than the dour rockers “Turn on the Bright Lights” and “Antics,” the latest offering by this New York post-punk band is damn fine ear candy.

— Spoon, “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” released July 10: After the more commercial-sounding “Gimme Fiction,” indie rockers Spoon decide to muddy the waters a bit. There’s still the playful attitude, but a more dense and complex instrumental arrangement makes the album one that requires a few listens to really get into. For indie rock lovers, that’s a rewarding thing.

— Okkervil River, “The Stage Names,” released Aug. 7: Will Sheff may be the best singer in indie rock, and when the band weaves in lines from the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B.” into “John Allyn Smith Sails,” it’s a dizzying moment of greatness.

— Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, “Lifeline,” released Aug. 28: It’s obvious why Harper credits his band on this outing — without them, “Lifeline” wouldn’t have the sweet, soulful feel of a collective of musicians sharpened to razor-like efficiency and tightness, playing their hearts out on this album of R&B-influenced gems.

— Band of Horses, “Cease to Begin,” released Oct. 9: Ben Bridwell and company relocate from Seattle to South Carolina; maybe it’s just that their debut, “Everything All the Time,” was so stunningly brilliant, but “Cease to Begin” falls just a little short from making the cut of the Top 10. Still a fabulous album, however.