No conozco a (casi) nadie...

EL AÑO EN MÚSICA en los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica (como dice Santo B), según el New York Daily News.

El rock hizo su regreso (una suerte de) y el reggaeton explotó (de alguna manera). Houston se convirtió en una nueva ciudad del rap (al menos para la prensa). Esas fueron las tendencias que ayudaron a definir un año mudo en la música.

El año 2005 ciertamente tuvo sus puntos altos. Pero no pudo desarrollar un movimiento masivo (como el grunge o el estilo teen-pop de los 90). Tampoco pudo revertir las tendencias más depresivas en cuanto a ventas de la industria de la música. Las ventas de CD sufrieron una descomunal caída del 10% en una espiral en descenso desde hace cinco años.

BEST ALBUMS
1. BRIGHT EYES "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"/"Digital Ash in a Digital Urn": Por fin, un joven y sensible poeta con algo que decir.
2. THE MARS VOLTA "Frances the Mute": For the second time in a row, Mars created guitar music that breaks new ground.
3. MARY GAUTHIER "Mercy Now": At age 45, Gauthier cut her country debut, rife with tales of alcoholism, physical abuse and emotional breakdowns, all told with a chillingly dry eye.
4. JOHN LEGEND "Get Lifted": Soul with genuine sophistication.
5. LOW MILLIONS "Ex-Girlfriends": Adam Cohen, son of Leonard Cohen, offered heartbreak songs with a pop craftsman's ear.
6. ANTONY "I Am a Bird Now": The lush-voiced singer serenaded gender blending in a way that could make those of any sexual persuasion swoon.
7. KEYSHIA COLE "The Way It Is": Cutting-edge R&B, with the feisty character of a young Mary J. Blige - but with finer skills.
8. SEU JORGE "Cru": The Brazilian singer-guitarist put his own gorgeous stamp on samba.
9. COMMON "Be": Not only the catchiest rap album of the year, but the smartest.
10. NEIL YOUNG "Prairie Wind": A sweet meditation on mortality, recorded by Young at a time when he thought he might be facing it.

BEST ALBUM BY A BUNCH OF REALLY OLD GUYS
The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang": Their best since 1981's "Tattoo You."

WORST ALBUMS
1. J.Lo "Rebirth": Even her fans wouldn't buy it.
2. MARIAH CAREY "The Emancipation of Mimi" A huge commercial comeback, but it sounded no brighter than "Glitter."
3. SHERYL CROW "Wildflower": A lugubrious attempt to remake Elton John's "Madman Across the Water."
4. BIG & RICH "Coming to Your Town": A proclaimed attempt to shake up country that wound up breaking no rules at all.
5.-7. A three-way tie for the palest rock album of the year: BO BICE "The Real Thing"; NICKELBACK "All the Right Reasons"; BON JOVI "Have a Nice Day."
8. OZZY OSBOURNE "Under Covers": The king of heavy metal offered his takes on John Lennon and Buffalo Springfield songs. Perhaps the strangest cover album since Ethel Merman did her disco disk in 1979.
9. THE MAGIC NUMBERS "The Magic Numbers": The most disappointing critical hype of the year. A harmony band without a solid sense of melody.
10. SHAKIRA "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2": Sounded like Gwen Stefani's album without the hooks.

WORST NEWS
The announcement of CBGB's moving from its home, set for next fall.

BEST REISSUE
Terry Reid's "Superlungs," a thrilling compilation of the overlooked '60s singer's best.

MOST INSPIRING COMEBACK
Obscure '60s soul singer Bettye Lavette earned the most attention of her 44-year career for a muscular CD, produced by Joe Henry, called "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise."

BIGGEST HYPE
Live 8, that 10-city, zillion-star pile-on meant to raise awareness of Africa's problems. But it only succeeded in allowing a historic number of stars to slap themselves on the back.

BEST CONCERTS
CAROLE KING at Radio City
BETTYE LAVETTE at the Knitting Factory
KRAFTWERK at Hammerstein Ballroom
U2's opening show of its tour, in Philadelphia
MARIANNE FAITHFULL at Town Hall
ALICIA KEYS at Radio City
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS at the Beacon
THE ROLLING STONES at the Garden
PAUL MCCARTNEY at the Garden
THE RASPBERRIES' spectacular reunion at B.B. King's

MOST DISAPPOINTING COMEBACK
Cream's tentative reunion, after a 37-year wait, at Madison Square Garden.

WEIRDEST TOUR
Two of the main remaining members of Queen played with ex-Bad Company/Free singer Paul Rodgers. The result? "Queen for Dummies."

MOST MISLABELED SHOW
The AmsterJam Mash-Up concert at Randalls Island, in which bands didn't so much "mash up" as simply "duet."

BEST SINGLES
1. MADONNA "Hung Up"
2. THE YING YANG TWINS "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
3. THE KAISER CHIEFS"I Predict a Riot"
4. LOUIS XIV "Finding Out True Love Is Blind"
5. TEGAN & SARAH "Walking With a Ghost"

WORST SINGLES
1. R. KELLY "Trapped in the Closet" Part 1
2. R. KELLY "Trapped in the Closet" Part 2
3. R. KELLY "Trapped in the Closet" Part 3
4. R. KELLY "Trapped in the Closet" Part 4
5. R. KELLY "Trapped in the Closet" Part 5

MOST INTERESTING NEW RADIO FORMAT
Hurban, for Hispanic urban music.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"New York Doll," about New York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane's journey from drunk to Mormon.

WORST DOCUMENTARY
Madonna's "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret," in which the former fun-time gal turned so lecturing, she even chewed out her makeup man for not being registered to vote.