2010 a banner year for musicians

o Eminem: “Recovery” (Interscope/Aftermath).

o The Posies: “Blood/Candy” (Rykodisc).

o The National: “High Violet” (4AD).

o Gaslight Anthem, “American Slang” (SideOne Dummy).

o Drive-By Truckers: “The Big To-Do” (ATO).

o Hellogoodbye: “Would It Kill You?” (Wasted Summer Records/Rocket Science Ventures).

o JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys: “Fidelity” (La Mina Records/Rocket Science Ventures).

o Robert Plant: “Band of Joy” (Rounder).

o Tokyo Police Club: “Champ” (Mom + Pop).

o Kim Richey: “Wreck Your Wheels” (Thirty Tigers).

Any year that includes new CDs from Los Lobos, Richard Thompson and John Hiatt is bound to be a good one for music. Add in the fact that Alejandro Escovedo, Elvis Costello and the Hold Steady also released albums this year, and you had some serious talent contributing to the 2010 CD pool. Yet only two of those artists made my top 10 list. It’s not that any of the six artists disappointed. In fact, Los Lobos and Thompson are nominated for Grammy Awards. They just had unusually tough competition this year. For my money, 2010 was the best year in music at this point of the young century. Picking the 10 best this year was a challenge, but here’s my ranking:

The 88: “The 88” (Rocket Science)

This classic-sounding power pop CD also tops my list of the best overlooked CDs of 2010 (a separate list devoted to albums that deserved far more attention than they received). This is the first time I’ve chosen an album to top both lists. But “The 88,” the fourth from this Los Angeles-based group, trumps a strong field.

Arcade Fire: “The Suburbs” (Merge)

On its third CD, “The Suburbs,” Arcade Fire scales back some on the cathedral-like grandeur of its first two albums, 2004’s “Funeral” and 2007’s “Neon Bible,” but the songs remain dynamic, charming and complex enough to reveal new dimensions over time. Those that invest the time into the CD will be rewarded with a rich listening experience.

The Black Keys: “Brothers” (Nonesuch)

With “Brothers,” Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney blast well beyond the rowdy blues-rooted guitar-and-drums sound of the group’s earlier CDs. And at virtually every turn they triumph, as they put a funkier, more soulful spin on their sound — and open the door to a whole new range of future musical possibilities.

Alejandro Escovedo: “Street Songs Of Love” (Concord)

Escovedo’s “Real Animal” was my pick for 2008’s best CD. “Street Songs Of Love” picks up where that album left off. Working in a lean, guitar-centered format, Escovedo delivers killer rockers in “Faith,” “Tender Heart” and “This Bed Is Getting Crowded.” The title track is a terrific, tough and soulful song, and Escovedo once again shows his talent for emotional balladry on “Down In The Bowery.”

Kanye West: “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)

West may have music’s biggest ego. It’s a good thing his talent is just as big. On “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” West continues to make his songs into works of sonic wonder, with an array of instrumental hooks, harmonies and quirky effects that make this the year’s best hip-hop CD.

Cee-Lo Green: “The Lady Killer” (Elektra)

Green, one half of Gnarls Barkley, shows on the highly entertaining “The Lady Killer” just how diverse his considerable talents are. On “Bright Lights, Bigger City,” he crafts a sleek blend of pop and R&B that is indeed cosmopolitan. He goes James Bond on “The Lady Killer Theme” and sounds more like “Shaft” on “Bodies.” With his profane hit song “F* You,” Green delivers a spirited update on classic up-tempo soul. Killer stuff, to say the least.

Jason & the Scorchers: “Halcyon Times” (Courageous Chicken Music/Nash Vegas Flash)

This hard-rocking, hard-twanging CD nearly equals this band’s 1983 classic, “Fervor,” earning it the number two spot on my best overlooked CDs list, as well as this ranking among 2010’s top CDs.

Jamey Johnson: “The Guitar Song “ (Mercury)

Few country artists have arrived to more acclaim than Johnson did with his 2008 debut disc, “That Lonesome Song.” If anything, “The Guitar Song,” two CDs and 25 songs strong, ups the ante. Once again, Johnson picks up the trail of country greats like Merle Haggard and George Jones with an austere, hard-twanging sound, and songs that already sound like enduring country classics. Country as a whole may be going pop and aiming for crossover appeal, but this album is good enough to spark a traditional country revival.

Band Of Horses: “Infinite Arms” (Fat Possum/Columbia)

This group delivers on the promise of its first two CDs with “Infinite Arms.” Here, Band Of Horses both broadens and sharpens its mix of shimmering rock-pop (think the Byrds) and Jayhawks-style country-pop. Saddle up. This group’s got the goods to have a long and successful ride.

John Hiatt: “The Open Road” (New West)

This masterful songwriter has made stellar albums before, with “Bring The Family” (1987) and “Slow Turning” (1988) among rock’s all-time great albums. “The Open Road” doesn’t quite equal those pinnacles, but it’s one of Hiatt’s better CDs. A rootsy gem with several great frisky rocking tunes and a pair of standout ballads, “The Open Road” has the kind of timeless sound that will give it real staying power.