Music
30 Dec 10

ARCADE FIRE'S THE SUBURBS IS HMV ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Canadian Rock group top HMV's Poll of Polls for second time in a decade

HMV can reveal that the year's best album according to music critics in the UK and Ireland is The Suburbs by Canadian Rock group Arcade Fire. (See full top-50 poll listing below). The highest Irish placing is achieved by Villagers' superb Becoming A Jackal, which – buoyed by its No.1 place in the Hot Press listings – is at No.16 in the chart.

Each December, music retailer HMV compiles a definitive 'poll of polls' survey by collating and aggregating the various album of the year nominations made by music and arts writers from across a wide range of publications, including Q, Mojo, NME, Kerrang!, Uncut, Mixmag, Wire, The Fly, Hot Press, GQ and Time Out, as well as among the national press and various online sites.

Now in its tenth year, this is second time that Arcade Fire have topped the survey, having triumphed with their acclaimed debut Funeral back in 2005.

Released in the UK and Ireland in August 2010, when it reached No.1 in the Official album charts, and with sales fast-approaching 300,000 platinum status, The Suburbs dominated this year's HMV poll with a total of eighteen nominations, including a No.1 placing from Q Magazine. The album is Arcade Fire's third studio release since the band formed in 2001, and has attracted near-universal acclaim, including several Grammy nominations. The album is considered a strong contender for this year's BRITs International Album of the Year.

"it's great to top HMV's Poll of Polls for the second time this decade," Arcade Fire said in an official statement. "We're extremely flattered. Thank you."

HMV Music Manager, John Hirst, adds: "The first time I listened to The Suburbs I knew there would be few better releases this year, and that many critics would most likely consider it their album of 2010. Few acts are able to match critical acclaim with global commercial success whilst also retaining their credibility in the eyes of fans – but Arcade Fire are able to achieve this, and are regarded by many as the best rock band on the planet right now."

Just behind Arcade Fire in the Poll of Polls rankings is US band The National, whose fifth studio album High Violet scored consistently among the publications polled, picking up sixteen votes in the process. Third placed This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem - the music project fronted by the American musician, songwriter and producer James Murphy - also picked up sixteen votes.

Fourth place in the poll goes to Maryland-based Indie-Rock duo Beach House, whose third studio album Teen Dream received thirteen nominations. Rounding off the top five, and confirming the remarkable domination of North American artists among this year's most acclaimed albums, is Janelle Monae, the Grammy-nominated Urban/R'n' B singer, songwriter and performer from Kansas, whose spectacular debut ArchAndroid garnered Album of the Year accolades from both The Guardian and Sunday Times.

The rest of the top 10 is made up by Vampire Weekend's Contra (no.6); Yeasayer's Odd Blood (no.7); Gorillaz Plastic Beach (no.8) - curiously the first poll entry by a UK act; Caribou's Swim (no.9); and Ariel Pink's Before Today (no.10). Kanye West's acclaimed My Beautiful Dark, Twisted Fantasy (no.11), would surely have made the top 10 if it had come out even a month earlier, while the Take That boys may be pleased to see that their Stuart Price-produced album Progress - which has just notched up the best part of 2m sales as one of the fastest-selling albums in charts history - has also attracted some critical approbation by registering in the HMV poll top-50.

THE 2010 HMV POLL OF POLLS TOP 50

11. Kanye West / My Beautiful Dark, Twisted Fantasy
12. Joanna Newsom / Have One On Me
13. Gill Scott Heron / I'm New Here
14. Sleigh Bells / Treats
15. Foals / Total Life Forever
16. Villagers / Becoming A Jackal
17. Laura Marling / I Speak Because I Can
18. These New Puritans / Hidden
19. Black Keys / Brothers
20. Deerhunter / Halcyon Digest

21. Hot Chip / One Life Stand
22. Robyn / Body Talk
23. John Grant / Queen Of Denmark
24. Paul Weller / Wake Up The Nation
25. MGMT / Congratulations
26. Avi Buffalo / Avi Buffalo
27. Manic Street Preachers / Postcards From A Young Man
28. Four Tet / There Is Love In You
29. Grinderman / Grinderman 2
30. Robert Plant / Band Of Joy

31. Warpaint / The Fool
32. Big Boi / Sir Luscious Left Foot
33. Flying Lotus / Cosmogramma
34. Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate / Ali And Toumani
35. Broken Bells / Broken Bells
36. Best Coast / Crazy For You
37. Marina and the Diamonds / Family Jewels
38. Oneohtrix Point Never / Returnal
39. Edwyn Collins / Losing Sleep
40. Glasser / Ring

41. Swans / My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope
42. Field Music / Field Music
43. Zola Jesus / Stridulum II
44. Steve Mason / Boys Outside
45. Deftones / Diamond Eyes
46. Plan B / The Defamation Of Strickland Banks
47. Neil Young / Le Noise
48. MIA / Maya
49. Take That / Progress
50. Drums / Drums

Over thirty publications, sites & organisations were polled:

Music/Lifestyle Press: The Fly, GT, GQ, Hot Press, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Mixmag, Mojo, Music Week, NME, Pure Groove, Pitchfork, Q, Record Collector, Rock Sound, Rolling Stone, State, Time Out, Wire and Uncut.

National Press: Daily Star, Guardian, Metro, News of the World, Observer Music Monthly, Press Association, Sun - Something For The Weekend & Sunday Times.

Online Sites & Orgs: Drown In Sound, Pop Justice, Piccadilly Records, Record of the Day, Rough Trade.