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In an age where declining CD sales point toward a possible future where sales of singles trump those of albums as a whole, Top 10 lists like the ones that make the rounds in late December may soon go the way of the cassette tape.

Consider -- according to The Associated Press, U.S. album sales were down 21.7 percent during the first week of December compared with the same period a year ago. To date, sales declined 13.8 percent for the year. That doesn't mean that albums aren't selling -- on the contrary, sales of the top 10 albums on the Bill 200 chart were up slightly from a year ago, but overall, CDs aren't moving like they used to.

For crusty old rock writers who opine fondly of the days when vinyl releases were works of art -- from the packaging to the music to the covers to the liner notes -- it's a sad day. Fans these days are more likely to track down their favorite song, download it and never hear the other songs from that same album.

If such trends continue, what would be the point in even making albums? And if music becomes a singles-driven industry, what does that say of the quality of those singles, without songs before and/or after it to prop it up and add depth and perspective? Taking that a step further, what does that do to the top 10 lists that chroniclers of popular culture look forward to so fondly?

It makes them pointless. Which isn't that much different than what they are now.

Granted, many readers comment about how they enjoy reading what we pick as the best-of albums every year. I've had many people tell me they discover new music that way. But really, top 10 lists are subjective and based solely on the tastes of the individual who compiles the list.

Take, for example, yours truly. I hardly listen to the radio; I might could identify a Britney Spears song by her voice alone, but that's not because I've listened to her new album, "Circus." That's not to say that it's no good; I have no idea whether it's fit for man or beast, because I don't like her particular style of music. Therefore, "Circus" wasn't even in the running for my best-of year-end list, even though it topped the Billboard Readers Poll for the best albums of 2008.

I concede that music critics, by and large, can be snobbish when it comes to music. We tend to overlook and ignore the mass-market commercial music that sells millions of albums, not because it's bad -- obviously, a lot of people think it is, or the artists wouldn't be making millions -- but because we believe there's other, less well-known music that's so much better.

My personal benchmark for a best album -- passion. Whether it's in the lyrics or the intensity of the music or just the unbridled enthusiasm that a band gets across on its recording, there's nothing more satisfying or pleasing to my ears than a band or a musician willing to bare their souls and put the emotional wreckage of their hearts and lives on display.

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 2008. 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 2008:

Bon Iver, "For Emma, Forever Ago"

Released: Feb. 19

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4.5 stars (out of five)

They say (Rolling Stone review): "This album is a quiet marvel -- just the sound of a sad guitar boy locking himself up in a cabin deep in the woods, singing, 'Can't you find a clue/When your eyes are painted Sinatra blue?' He doesn't tell you anything about who Emma is or what exactly she did to him forever ago -- but she must be proud she could put him through enough agony to inspire such great songs."

We say: Not since Mark Kozelek drifted into the spotlight with Red House Painters has a record seemed less like a musical endeavor and more like the living, breathing chronicle of one man's wounded heart. Bon Iver (French for "good winter") wrote this album in a remote Wisconsin shack in the middle of winter, and it's as devastating as the circumstances might indicate. "Skinny Love," the song that put this record on the map, holds up as devastatingly beautiful on subsequent listens as it is the first time you hear it. Whomever Emma might be, she comes across on this record as an archetype for every young man's first love long gone.

Key tracks: "Skinny Love," "Blindsided," "For Emma"

R.E.M., "Accelerate"

Released: April 1

Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say: (Amazon.com editorial review): "Here the alt-rock godfathers have resolved that dichotomy with their most focused and satisfying album in over a decade; a collection that doesn't so much revisit the bracing ethos of the band's '80s coming-of-age, as boil it down to its essence and supercharge it with the energy of their contemporary stage shows."

We say: The godfathers of college rock make the best post-Bill Berry album of their career and even top some of the records they made with their old drummer. It's a take-no-prisoners rock record, and the three remaining original members -- vocalist Michael Stipe, bassist Mike Mills and guitarist Peter Buck -- throw a mighty smackdown to all the young pups who would put them out to pasture. Personally, it rocks harder -- and more satisfying -- than "Monster," and in the R.E.M. pantheon, I'd put it up there with "Life's Rich Pageant." Blasphemy? Perhaps. Hear it for yourself to decide.

Key tracks: "Living Well Is the Best Revenge," "Supernatural Superserious," "Accelerate," "I'm Gonna DJ"

Various artists, "ReDistilled: 25 Years of Knoxville Rock"

Released: May 13

Amazon.com rating: Not applicable

We say: Other cities should be so fortunate -- not only is "ReDistilled" a showcase of some of East Tennessee's best musicians, it's a musical history lesson, an homage to musicians and bands long gone and a fund-raiser for a hell of a good cause -- WUTK-FM, 90.3 The Rock. There's no limit to the styles represented or the interpretations of the songs covered, and both cover band and original band shine brighter for it. East Tennessee is blessed to have such a dedicated mastermind as WUTK General Manager Benny Smith, who organized this album, and we can only hope that it's successful enough to warrant a volume two.

Key tracks: "Every Summer," "Crosstown Waltz," "104," "No Friend"

Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes"

Released: June 3

Amazon.com customer rating: 4.5 stars

They say: "The five young members of Fleet Foxes make up a very different sort of rock band, describing their own music as 'baroque harmonic pop jams.' Even that understates the depths of the quintet's effortless vocal harmonies and gently woozy, folky feel."

We say: The dudes in Fleet Foxes may look like a ragged collection of homeless lumberjacks, but they sing like escapees from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Gorgeous harmonies, intricate instrumental work and a quiet spirituality that pervades each song -- ever since My Morning Jacket brought the funk on its new album, "Evil Urges," Fleet Foxes is the heir to the scruff-rock throne. Imagine if The Beatles had grown up in the Pacific Northwest, playing around campfires high in the Cascades while they cut trees by day, and you get an idea of what this band sounds like.

Key tracks: "White Winter Hymnal," "Ragged Wood," "Blue Ridge Mountains"

The Hold Steady, "Stay Positive"

Released: July 14

Amazon.com customer rating: 4 stars

They say (Rolling Stone 4-star review): "Right now, no band displays the ranting soul, haunted heart or diseased liver of the American rock myth with more truth and empathy than the Hold Steady. The Brooklyn band's fourth set -- their most adventurous yet -- shows their loser-outlaw storytelling and classic riff propulsion in full flower."

We say: After "Boys and Girls in America," The Hold Steady was hailed as one of the best rock bands in America. Fortunately, "Stay Positive" lives up to such accolades -- the lead-off single, "Constructive Summer," is an anthem that seems to carry with it a hypnotic suggestion to turn the volume knob louder with every listen. It's the sound of teenage invincibility -- reckless, sardonic, moody and headstrong, and every minute is triumphant.

Key tracks: "Constructive Summer," "Sequestered in Memphis, "Yeah Sapphire"

Dead Confederate, "Wrecking Ball"

Released: Sept. 16

Amazon.com rating: Five stars

They say (Glide Magazine review): "Sure Dead Confederate has one of the best band names in rock, but as their name suggests, they stand out amongst their peers with ragged space rock elements that leap with wailing jams and harrowing unpredictability. Their debut full length Wrecking Ball shines with a dark sound that combines the indie credibility of early Nirvana with the ragged glory of Neil Young & Crazy Horse."

We say: In a year when psychedelic rock seemed to make a comeback -- Black Mountain and Dead Meadow, just to name a few -- this Athens, Ga., outfit managed to straddle the line -- there's the bluesy dirge of meandering guitar rock combined with the intensity of straight-ahead classic rock, and the end result is solid enough to please both stoners and Bic-flickers alike. Considering it's a debut record, it makes those who love rock, period, shudder with ecstasy to think about what this band is capable of in the years to come.

Key tracks: "The Rat," "Goner," "Start Me Laughing"

Jenny Lewis, "Acid Tongue"

Released: Sept. 23

Amazon.com rating: 4.5 stars

They say (from Amazon.com editorial reviews): "Without abandoning her roots, Rilo Kiley's front woman adds more soul and jazz weaponry to her musical arsenal, culminating in a record that combines the folky introspection of Joni Mitchell, circa Court and Spark, with the bluesy rock of the Rolling Stones, circa Sticky Fingers, i.e. slide guitar, Hammond B3 organ, and funk-oriented bass (Lewis contributes piano, vibraphone, and guitar)."

We say: On "Acid Tongue," Jenny Lewis is a singer-songwriter whose work takes the best of her contemporaries -- the voice of Neko Case, the songwriting of Chan Marshall and the rock swagger of her band Rilo Kiley -- and distills it into a brew that veers from crystalline-pretty to rocky-pop. The highlight is a 9-minute epic, "The Next Messiah," that throws in everything but the kitchen sink, veering from one style to the next without losing focus on the destination. An amazing album.

Key tracks: "Black Sand," "The Next Messiah," "Carpetbaggers"

Kings of Leon, "Only By the Night"

Released: Sept. 23

Amazon.com rating: 3.5 stars

They say (from Amazon's editorial review): "Despite a wave of criticism asserting that Kings of Leon's fourth full-length is 'too commercial,' Only by the Night may be the closest thing to a pitch-perfect album to drop in 2008. Granted, Tennessee's band of brothers (and one first cousin) takes a turn for the heavily polished here, but what the album lacks in rough-edged raunch, it more than makes up for in earnestness and -- yes -- stunning beauty."

We say: After coming out of the gate swinging with "Youth and Young Manhood," the three brothers/one cousin four-piece from Nashville fell under scrutiny as the Next Big Thing in the nu-Southern rock genre (see also: Drive-By Truckers, My Morning Jacket). They did the shaggy Black Crowes thing on subsequent records, but it took this year's "Only By the Night" for them to shed any comparisons to their contemporaries and stand up on their own as complete and utter bad-ass rock bruisers. From the ominous "Closer" to the gritty "Crawl" to the mournful "Use Somebody," this is a record that's meant to be blasted loud.

Key tracks: "Closer," "Crawl," "Sex on Fire," "Use Somebody"

TV on the Radio, "Dear Science"

Released: Sept. 23

Amazon.com rating: 4 stars

They say (Jon Pareles, The New York Times): "The songs are vertiginous, full of cantilevered rhythms and synthetic sounds, yet openly catchy ..."

We say: If most records gradually build to a crescendo somewhere in the middle of the recording, TV on the Radio kicks in the door to your brain and charges in with guns blazing -- "Halfway Home," the opening track, is an all-out salvo of bombast, energy and layers of sound that's dizzying. It's a record markedly different from "Return to Cookie Mountain," the band's 2006 effort -- it's lighter, less dense and more funky -- but the themes, often wrapped in cryptic lyrics and phrases, will leave your head spinning.

Key tracks: "Halfway Home," "Dancing Choose," "Shout Me Out"

Sun Kil Moon, "April"

Released: Oct. 8

Amazon.com rating: 4.5 stars

They say (from the San Francisco Chronicle): "Mark Kozelek returns with an album of rare warmth and immediacy, where intensely personal lyrics hang on hazily magnificent melodies."

We say: Right this way -- you're headed down the mental and emotional hallway of one of the most underrated singer-songwriters in the country. Mark Kozelek, a published poet and part-time actor, is best known as front man for Red House Painters, a band that painted vivid, dreamy slowcore landscapes built around gentle guitars and Kozelek's heartfelt lyrics. On "April," he serves up more of the same -- and, if it's possible, makes it sound just as immediate, just as fresh and just as personal as he ever has. It's the soundtrack to heartbreak, a record meant to be played as candles burn down to the wick and "what-ifs" play over and over again in your mind.

Key tracks: "Lucky Man," "Heron Blue," "Tonight in Bilbao"

Honorable Mentions

Drive-By Truckers, "Brighter Than Creation's Dark," released Jan. 22: The best Southern rock band working today steps up its game after losing guitarist/songwriter Jason Isbell. Their vision of the South is still a bleak one, but they rattle those blue-collar chains with magnificent bravado.

Vampire Weekend, self-titled, released Jan. 29: Indie-pop with some world music influences -- Vampire Weekend may have been one of the most over-hyped bands of 2008, but this record proves it's attention rightly paid. A phenomenal, feel-good debut album.

The Dirtbombs, "We Have You Surrounded," released Feb. 13: Garage rock album about urban paranoia from a Detroit-based band that utilizes two drummers. It's lean, mean and grimy, in a good way.

The Black Keys, "Attack and Release," released April 1: This Ohio-based two-piece continues to diversify, building on a blues-rock foundation for one of the most well-rounded releases of the year.

James McMurtry, "Just Us Kids," released April 15: How to improve on the visceral and scathing political single "We Can't Make It Here Anymore"? Easy -- write two similar songs, "God Bless America" and "Cheney's Toy." But it's not just McMurtry's stellar political anthems that stir the soul -- the title track is flat-out beautiful, with its imagery and melancholy look at growing older.

The Black Angels, "Directions to See a Ghost," released May 13: The band describes what it plays as "Native American drone 'n' roll," and for good reason -- there's a primal ferocity to this, the group's sophomore effort, that's rattles your very core.

Death Cab for Cutie, "Narrow Stairs," released May 13: Another band that would have to challenge itself to make a bad record. Intricate Indie-pop showcased by chiming guitars and the mellifluous voice of Ben Gibbard.

Coldplay, "Viva La Vida, or Death and All His Friends," released June 17: Can Chris Martin and company make a bad album? Maybe. But "Viva La Vida" ain't it.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, "Passenger Seat," released Aug. 19: If Drew Holcomb succeeded as a solo singer-songwriter, he excels with his new backing band. Jangly guitars, sweet harmonies and upbeat Americana pop make "Passenger Seat" a road-trip record that'll make the miles melt away.

Calexico, "Carried to Dust," released Sept. 9: This Arizona-based rock band adds horns and pastiches of the Southwest for a record that serves as a soundtrack to love in the desert.

The Best Local Albums of 2008

The American Plague, "Heart Attack" -- Ryan "Tater" Johnson of 10 Years produced this record, which goes toe-to-toe with national releases from heavy rock bands of similar gravitas and comes out on top. "Heart Attack" is a nitro-fueled Camaro on jacked-up back tires, doing doughnuts in your yard at 3 a.m. while you stare gape-jawed from the bedroom window.

Christopher Scum, "Fifty Acres of Pain" -- How one man can endure so much trauma, both as a result of environment and his own hand, and not be locked away in a padded cell somewhere is amazing. That he can focus that pain and turn it into art is awe-inspiring. "Fifty Acres of Pain" is one man's torturous journey through his own psyche. It's raw, brutal and unflinching, and if you've got the courage to go into those dark places, Mr. Scum is a masterful tour guide.

Hector Qirko Band, "Old School" -- Hector Qirko is the Indiana Jones of the local music scene -- he's a college professor by day, and by night he slings a guitar for a half-dozen different outfits, swapping out styles and licks so effortlessly it's maddening to those who hope to attain even a quarter of his talent. "Old School" is a blues record by one of the longest-running bands in the local scene, and these guys throw down like Clint Eastwood -- they may be salty dogs, but they'll still whip your ass.

Heiskell, "Clip-on Nose Ring" -- Jeff Heiskell, former front dude for Knoxville indie rock sensations The Judybats, calls this his "big gay redneck record." That it may be, but it's also a dandy of a pop-rock album -- breezy, introspective, often witty, occasionally acerbic. Heiskell sounds more comfortable than he has in years, and the listener is the better for it.

Medford's Black Record Collection, "Eccentricity NOS" -- Now a four-piece, the guys in MBRC capitalize on the raw talent they displayed on "The Flattville Murder Album" and build an album that sounds like a spring storm blowing through Cades Cove -- whipping pine branches, the creaking boards of old cabins moaning under the wind's blast and ghosts of long-dead mountain folks silhouetted against every flash of lightning. It's Americana finery from some East Tennessee's best.

Mic Harrison and The High Score, "On the Right Side of the Grass" -- Off stage, Mic, Robbie, Vance and Brad come across as a more easygoing, likeable version of Dwight Yoakam's porch-rattling band of misfits in "Sling Blade." On stage and on this year's release, however, they play with honky-tonk grit and hard-driving country-rock fervor. If only Nashville would release something this good.

Tenderhooks, "New Ways to Butcher English" -- Indie-pop finery from a Knoxville band that's going places, if there's any justice in the world. This quartet of young players belongs on a label like Sub Pop or Jagujaguwar, but hopefully we'll keep them around East Tennessee for a while.

Tim Lee 3, "Good2b3" -- With straightforward rock this good, it's amazing that Tim Lee never broke into the ranks of commercially appreciated artists back during his heydays with college-rock underground sensations The Windbreakers. Then again, if he had he might never have found his way to East Tennessee, and the local music scene would be all the poorer for it.

Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere, "Eskimo Hair" -- East Tennessee's quirk-rock godfather makes what might be the most straightforward, diverse and satisfying album of his storied career. There's still the typical Todd Steed humor on songs like "The French Girl and the Redneck," but songs like "Preservation Roof" and "Highway 78" make this a warm, vibrant and fulfilling local release.

John T. Baker, "Rainbrella" -- Snips, clips and samples are interspersed with indie-pop finery from the guy who's underappreciated as a sideman for so many projects and a bandleader for so many others. Baker's a creative force in the music scene, and a guy who makes music because he loves doing it -- hence the free download of this entire album.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Erick Baker, "It's Getting Too Late to Say It's Early" ... Westside Daredevils, "Brave New Nothing" ... Y'uns, self-titled ... Cold Hands, "Sex. Beats. Romance." ... Matt Woods, "Broken Strings and Beer Specials" ... Christabel and the Jons, "Custom Made for You" ... Jonathan Sexton, "Big Love" ... Dixie Highway Band, "Highways and Heartaches" ... Robert Lovett, "Keep on Workin'" ... Senryu, "The Guilty Party Rages On"

Five concert highlights: The best shows of 2008

Justin Townes Earle with The Felice Brothers, April 5 at Barley's Taproom in Knoxville's Old City: Fans looking for Justin to come across as a younger version of his old man were disappointed; those wanting some good music were greatly rewarded. Earle channeled Hank Williams Sr. and The Felice Brothers channeled the Soggy Bottom Boys for a show that ended with everyone on stage, singing their guts out in joyous abandon.

Dixie Dirt farewell show with Antenna Shoes, April 12 at Barley's Taproom: It seemed like a toss-off, a throwaway show just to say goodbye to fans. No encores, short set and just like that, one of East Tennessee's best rock bands was no more. It may not have been the group's best show, but it still qualifies as one of the best of 2008, simply because we'll never see anything like it again.

Tift Merritt with Jim Bianco at The Pilot Light in Knoxville's Old City, July 18: The diminutive singer-songwriter filled the dinghy club with a voice so angelic it seemed to scrub the grime right off the walls, bouncing on her heels as she pounded her keyboard and gently swaying left-to-right as she strummed her guitar. Amazing voice in an intimate setting; it doesn't get much better than that.

TV on the Radio with The Dirtbombs, Sept. 21 at The Bijou Theatre, downtown Knoxville: From the howling chorus of "Wolf Like Me" to the all-star encore featuring multiple guitars, drums and everybody on stage banging in percussive rhythm, it was a mind-blowing show. From start to finish, TV on the Radio pulled no punches and brought its A-game for a concert that was ferocious in its zeal.

The Avett Brothers with Matt Butcher, Nov. 7 at The Bijou Theatre, downtown Knoxville: Stutter-stepping in true Elvis fashion, Seth and Scott Avett were balls of pent-up passion that was released over two nights at the Bijou. The second night featured an appearance by their dad on an old gospel song and all of the gorgeous harmonies that celebrate life and love so effectively on the band's albums.