Oh, these critics and their year-end Best-Of lists!

Sure, the whole routine strikes me as silly at times. But there also is some value, if we view the exercise as celebrating and sharing music we love, which is something everyone should do all the time! (And as regular listeners of Sound Opinions know, Greg Kot and I are devoted to the notion that everyone is a critic, so feel free to post your list in the comments.)

Here, then is the start of my bottom-to-top count-down, with subsequent installments to follow all week, leading up to the Best-Of episode on Sound Opinions this weekend.

40. Fraser Gorman, Slow Gum (House Anxiety/Marathon Artists)

Here is my review for this blog.

39. Passion Pit, Kindred (Columbia)

Here is our review on Sound Opinions.

38. Blur, The Magic Whip (Warner Bros.)

Here is my review for this blog, and here’s our review on Sound Opinions.

37. Viet Cong, Viet Cong (Jagjaguwar)

Here is my review for this blog.

36. Robin Guthrie and Mark Gardener, Universal Road (Soleil Apres Minuit)

Here is my review for this blog.

35. Los Lobos, Gates of Gold (429)

Listen for Los Lobos live on Sound Opinions early in the new year!

34. Blackalicious, Imani Vol. 1 (Black Mines)

Here is our review on Sound Opinions.

33. The Chills, Silver Bullets (Fire)

Here is our review on Sound Opinions.

32. The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (Columbia)

Here is my review for this blog, and here’s our review on Sound Opinions.

31. Glenn Mercer, Incidental Hum (Bar/None)

Here is my review for this blog.

Tomorrow: Nos. 21 to 30 on the Top 40.

Follow me on Twitter @JimDeRogatis, join me on Facebook, and podcast or stream Sound Opinions.