By far the highest ranking German album on my countdowns ever, this was a real pleasant surprise this year. It�s the longest album on the countdown, so that means there�s a little bit of filler, but all in all this band�s electro/glam makeover was a resounding success, even if it wasn�t met with the sales it deserved. Bounding between dramatic power ballads and dancefloor stompers, it�s an extremely strong set of mainstream pop/rock songs, and the album Tokio Hotel should have released this year. I doubt many people have even heard it, which makes it the perfect recommendation for this catch-up time of year.
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3. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
The number three spot is split between this album and the entertainment Lambert gave us on Idol this year. It�s impossible to separate the two. Luckily, though, on its own the album doesn�t disappoint. It�s overproduced and overblown, sure, but that�s what this type of pop music should be. More importantly, Lambert�s the first American popstar in a long time to attempt uttering words like �glam rock� in the context of mainstream radio play. For that alone he deserves one of the top spots. There were a couple of potholes on the road to success, but his second single is starting to take off and I can�t wait to see what he does in the future.
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