This Sunday's OMM features the definitive guide to 2007, including our Top 50 albums of the year, compiled by the OMM team in consultation with our world-class team of critics.
Every day this week we'll be counting down OMM's Top 50 albums, starting with 50-41 today... from Britney Spears to Robin Thicke via Ilmiliekki Quartet and Gallows.
50. Blackout Britney Spears An album for which few had high hopes, Blackout was proof that some of the best music comes from artists on the brink of mental collapse. Ludicrously catchy lead single 'Gimme More' and the frantic electro-pop at the heart of Blackout proved an irresistible proposition. Forthcoming single 'Piece of Me' put the spotlight on Britney's role in the public eye, but the album was at its best when it centred on her real-life hobbies: having sex and dancing. Songs such as the frenetic 'Toy Soldier' and 'Hot as Ice' hit the mark, while 'Ooh Ooh Baby' was up there with 'Toxic'. The extent of Britney's involvement in any of this was open to question, but then that has been the case since day one. If you valued sonic originality, lyrical dexterity, vocal innovation and total danceability over such non-essential concepts as authorship, then Blackout was almost flawless. (Peter Robinson)
49. Set The Mood David Jordan Fine hook-filled debut from British pop's great hope.
48. Shotter's Nation Babyshambles Shockingly, Pete Doherty produced a tight LP.
47. Take It With Me Ilmiliekki Quartet Tom Waits and the Chili Peppers reimagined as dreamy jazz.
46. Stuck Between Stations The Hold Steady Literate US bar rock.
45. Lady's Bridge Richard Hawley Dark, brooding classic from Sheffield's Morrissey.
44. Orchestra of Wolves Gallows Fiercesome debut from the Watford hardcore outfit.
43. Time on Earth Crowded House The Finn bros added a touch of melancholy to their pop.
42. Overpowered Roisin Murphy The best grown-up dance album since Madonna's Ray of Light.
41. The Evolution of Robin Thicke Robin Thicke Finally, Timberlake was challenged as the US's funkiest white man.
See this Sunday's OMM for a chance to win all 50 albums.
