This year turned out to be pretty spectacular for music. Here’s the list of my favorite records of the year (note: My favorite records, not necessarily the best ones ‹ I’m no taste dictator). I apologize ahead of time that I don’t listen to more hip-hop, country or electronic music, but there should be something everyone enjoys here. They’re all great records, I promise.

Zwan ‹ Mary Star of the Sea

Hipsters were allergic to Billy Corgan’s earnest, occasionally cheesy lyrics and the general audience was leery of Zwan’s dense three-guitar attack. But those who stuck around were pleasantly surprised by the album’s epic format, gorgeous harmonies, sing-along vocals and intricate guitar work. Too bad they didn’t last through the year, and too bad no one gave them a chance.

Best song: The ridiculously distorted and dramatic “”Declarations of Faith.””

The White Stripes ‹ Elephant

The Stripes are no gimmick band, as they proved with this kick-ass collection of four-chord romps. Whether screaming odes to tenacious childhood (“”The Hardest Button to Button””) or reviving the concept of romance in tender ballads (“”I Wanna Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart””), Jack White’s singing, guitar-playing and songwriting have never sounded better. Ditto for pretend-sister Meg White’s explosively immature drumming and cooing counterpart vocals.

Best song: “”Black Math,”” three glorious minutes of stomping and screaming.

Cat Power ‹ You Are Free

The year’s most arresting album, You Are Free has 14 songs of heartbreak and the struggle for emotional freedom with guest drumming from Dave Grohl and occasional vocals from Eddie Vedder. The true star, of course, is the passionate songwriting and singing of Chan Marshall, usually accompanied by little more than her awkward, majestic acoustic guitar.

Best song: “”He War,”” in which Marshall finally loosens up and attempts (unsuccessfully) to convince us she’s “”not that hot new chick.””

Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‹ Fever To Tell

This is dirty, sloppy, intoxicating rock Œn roll courtesy of three bored New Yorkers that want you to choke on your apathy. They’re a loud garage-rock band with no bassist and a provocative female singer, but there’s substance behind the hype. Every song is full of heart and heat.

Best song: “”Maps,”” in which frontwoman Karen O suddenly goes soft and sings “”wait, they don’t love you like I love you.”” No, Karen, we love you more.

The Strokes ‹ Room on Fire

The Strokes beat the sophomore slump mercilessly with this worthy successor to 2001’s Is This It? The songwriting is not as memorable, but they sound better than ever with guitars that sound like keyboards, drums that sound like trains, booty-shaking basslines and Julian Casablanca’s dry croon.

Best song: The urgent howling and angular guitar-work of “”Reptilia.””

Broken Social Scene ‹ You Forgot It In People

Fourteen hip Canadians come together from different bands to make an album that purrs, jolts and gets under your skin before you even know it. Boy/girl vocals, dreamy guitars, electronic beats and everything else under the sun in one indie free-for-all.

M83 ‹ Dead Cities, Red Seas, Lost Ghosts

The best record no one heard this year was a stunner full of gorgeous keyboard landscapes, pulsating beats and an unmistakable human touch. Hard to find but well worth the search.

Xiu Xiu ‹ A Promise

Xiu Xiu mastermind Jamie Stewart screeches heart-rending accounts of frustration and abuse set to sounds of atonal horns, throbbing synths and kitchen-sink percussion in this train wreck of an album. Caustic, disgusting, exhausting and completely unforgettable.

The Wrens ‹ The Meadowlands

Twisty, hook-laden indie-pop ranging from piano ballads to up-tempo rockers that manages to be both pleasant and unpredictable.

Deerhoof ‹ Apple O’

Spazzy, experimental guitar-pop that defies description. Kinda like The Strokes, if they were led by an insane 5-year-old girl singing about panda bears.

Honorable Mentions: Outkast ‹ Speakerboxx/The Love Below and Radiohead ­ Hail To The Thief

Only these two artists could release albums that are both a little disappointing yet also works of genius. Andre 3000’s “”Hey Ya”” and Radiohead’s “”2+2=5″” are two of the year’s best singles.

Other notable records were released this year by Basement Jaxx, the Neptunes, the Shins, the Stratford 4, the Raveonettes and Ryan Adams. But besides obvious targets such as Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit and Clay Aiken, what music sucked this year?

Chingy, Stellastarr* and Hillary Duff were much-hyped but low-talent newcomers, true knockoffs of superior artists. Liz Phair, Madonna and Black Eyed Peas made unwelcome, pandering comebacks. Kid Rock, Pink and Blink-182 shat out new albums that inexplicably got critical attention. Train and Jet should get into a head-on collision and disappear as two of the worst “”artists”” of 2003.

But by and large, 2003 was an excellent year in music that proved the new kids in town are worth keeping an eye on. What to expect for 2004? Madonna makes out with a chicken! The Strokes take a shower! And instead of saying and doing boneheaded things in public, Courtney Love will actually release music! Whatever happens, let’s just hope we can escape without hearing another “”funky”” white guy with a “”J”” name. John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, I’m looking at you.