Album, schmalbum. Not only is it rare to find 60 unadulterated minutes of listening time, but, thanks to my iPod, I don't know what the things even look like.

For me, 2006 was all about letting go of the guilt associated with this and focusing on the music . . . three minutes at a time. Here's the best I found:

11. “Stay,” Small Sins Super-cool Eurotrash . . . from Toronto.

10. “Delirious Love,” Neil Diamond and Brian Wilson Rick Rubin wasn't feeling this one, so Neil invited a neighbor and re-recorded it. The sound of this Brooklyn boy colliding with his adopted Southern California home never sounded so good. Neil should have played on Carl and the Passions.

9. Quiet Town, Josh Rouse Dude lives in Spain. Wrote a song about it. Goes like this . . .

8. “Way Out,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs I hated this band . . . until this song.

7. “Emily Kane,” Art Brut What's better motivation for writing a pop song than tracking down an old flame. Whether or not he got the girl, this sharp-witted toe-tapper no doubt achieved its other mission: "I want schoolkids on buses singing your name."

6. “Something About You Girl,” Tahiti 80 These Parisian popsters have always displayed impeccable taste in music, and, on their latest CD Fosbury, they prove they can also create it. This gorgeously wimpy ballad is downright Bacharachian.

5. “God Is in the Roses,” Rosanne Cash Songs inspired by the recent death of your parents and stepmother are certain to be tearjerkers, but Cash manages to uplift. The ‘Pet Sounds’ piano intro is a nice touch too. Criminally overlooked by Grammy voters.

4. "Smile," Lily Allen God bless the Brits for mining the reggae and finding fresh sounds. Lily is coy and irresistible . . . and snotty girl songs like this make me real glad I'm not dating.

3. “What You Know,” T.I. Sure the "loaded foty-fo" bit is badass, but it’s all about the backup vocals: “Aay! … OK! . . . Oh! . . . Yeah! . . . What?!?” Genius.

2. “Feb 14,” Drive-By Truckers Disillusioned R.E.M. fans need look no further: The Drive-by Truckers are your new favorite band -- they even come complete with a hefty back catalog. (That goes for disillusioned Stones and Skynyrd fans too). A whale of a heartache song soaked in chicken grease. "Take your chocolates and go home!"

1. “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley Nope. Still not sick of it.