The Americana and roots music authority

The No Depression Community's Top 50 Albums of 2009

Buddy & Julie Miller - Written in Chalk is the No Depression Community's favorite Americana album of 2009

The Americana/roots/indie/alt/whatever music world has had a pretty great year full of new releases. With a saturated music market delivering innumerable new releases all the time, it's no picnic trying to decide what stands out as the finest recording(s) of the year. But, as you've shown all year on this site, the No Depression community has remarkable taste.

A few weeks ago, we asked for your lists. You voted, we tallied. Below you'll find your Top 50 Americana/roots/indie/alt/whatever albums of 2009. Click on the link next to each to purchase/download from Amazon. Those which have been reviewed on this site will also have a link to the review(s). Enjoy!

1. Buddy & Julie Miller - Written in Chalk (review | buy)
2. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (review | buy)
3. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (buy)
4. Tom Russell - Blood and Candle Smoke (review | buy)
5. Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women (buy)
6. Wilco - Wilco (the Album) (review | buy)
7. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies (buy)
8. Chuck Prophet - Let Freedom Ring (buy)
9. Steve Earle - Townes (buy)
10. Guy Clark - Somedays the Song Writes You (review | buy)
11. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (buy)
12. Sam Baker - Cotton (review | buy)
13. Son Volt - American Central Dust (review | buy)
14. Eilen Jewell - Sea of Tears (buy)
15. Rosanne Cash - The List (buy)
16. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Self-titled (buy)
17. Levon Helm - Electric Dirt (review | buy)
18. Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend (review | buy)
19. John Doe & the Sadies - Country Club (buy)
20. Drive-By Truckers - The Fine Print (buy)
21. Joe Henry - Blood From Stars (buy)
22. Gurf Morlix - Last Exit to Happyland (buy)
23. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (buy)
24. Kris Kristofferson - Closer to the Bone (review | buy)
25. Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers - Self-titled (buy)
26. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (buy)
27. Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Willie & the Wheel (buy)
28. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day (buy)
29. Drivin' and Cryin' - Great American Bubble Factory (review | buy)
30. Gary Louris and Mark Olson - Ready for the Flood (buy)
31. Booker T. & the Drive-By Truckers - Potato Hole (buy)
32. Lyle Lovett - Natural Forces (review | buy)
33. Richmond Fontaine - We Used to Think the Freeway Sounded Like a River (buy)
34. Alela Diane - To Be Still (buy)
35. Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle - Let's Just Stay Here (buy)
36. Israel Nash Gripka - New York Town (review | buy)
37. Loudon Wainwright III - High, Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (buy)
38. Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan (buy)
39. Wayne Hancock - Viper of Melody (buy)
40. Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey (buy)
41. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park (review | buy)
42. Monsters of Folk - Self-titled (buy)
43. Caroline Herring - Golden Apples of the Sun (review | buy)
44. John Fogerty - The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (buy)
45. Radney Foster & the Confessions - Revival (review | buy)
46. Handome Family - Honey Moon (review | buy)
47. Amanda Shires - West Cross Timbers (buy)
48. Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy (buy)
49. The Gourds - Haymaker (buy)
50. A.A. Bondy - When the Devil's Loose (buy)

Thanks to everyone who voted! We'll be posting the Best of the Decade list next week. Stay tuned for that.

Tags: 2009, albums, altcountry, americana, best, bestof2009, buddymiller, nodepression, of, rootsmusic

Comment by Leslie P. on December 13, 2009 at 9:01pm: 51. The Dexateens - Singlewide :-)

Comment by Daniel T on December 13, 2009 at 11:10pm: At least MOST of my top ten made the top 30. There are a few I still need to buy. Trusting the taste of ND readers as I do, I'll most likely purchase without listening beforehand. MY bigggest glaring omission, leaving Lyle Lovett's " Natural Forces " off my list. Truth be told I didn't buy it till last week and just listened to it yesterday. (Sat 12th dec.) Strange, I normally get Lyle's stuff as soon as it comes out. Then again I'd have had to leave something else off the list. Paring it down to ten was tough enough. How does the DBT's release of outtakes make the top 30, but Patterson Hood's solo effort not? Don't get me wrong , I have everything the DBT's have put out , but .......????? And John Fogerty's Blue Ridge Rangers redux was nowhere near as good as the original. Didn't see that one making it. Looking forward to the best of the Decade list.

Comment by Birgit Burke on December 14, 2009 at 9:06am: my wish list..

Comment by Josh Worner on December 14, 2009 at 11:27am: The Duke and the King!

Comment by simon2307 on December 14, 2009 at 11:44am: The Duke and the King!

Comment by SoCalBert on December 14, 2009 at 2:03pm: Thanks for doing the work of collecting and tabulating the results for this list. For some reason I love the year-end best album lists.

Say what you will about the state of the music biz-- 2009 was a pretty strong in the Americana/roots areas no? I think it surpassed 2008 by about March.

And I have to echo the sentiments above about the Patterson Hood CD-- it seems others on this board need to give it a spin-- especially any DBT fans.

Comment by Leslie P. on December 14, 2009 at 3:58pm: Agreed. I'm down with almost all of the choices, but also noticed the absence of
Patterson's "Murdering Oscar".

Comment by Joanie Grace on December 14, 2009 at 7:53pm: So glad that Gurf is on the list. His album has not left the frequent player list since I bought it!

Comment by Miss Adelaide on December 14, 2009 at 11:57pm: 51. The Steep Canyon Rangers, Deep In The Shade. But a good list, overall.

Comment by Ken Shane on December 15, 2009 at 6:23am: Love the Buddy and Julie Miller album at #1. Could not agree less with the Avett. Bros at #2. Over-hyped, and over-produced. They're a fine band, but this album was a misfire.