It's officially that time of year. We're hitting the home stretch on the holiday season so in the entertainment world that means we're getting hit with a flood of Oscar contenders and everybody whose got something to say about music is whipping out their best of 2005 lists (look for PM Media's next weekend). Spin has weighed in on the year that was anointing the Killers as the Band of the Year, Arcade Fire as Breakout Band of the Year and the London rapper, by way of Sri Lanka, M.I.A. as Artist of the Year. Kayne West's Late Registration took top honors as album of the year with other notable entries including Franz' You Could Have It So Much Better (3), The New Pornographers Twin Cinema (7) and Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine (9). Its an interesting issue of the year that was covering everything from Jessica Simpson's butt implants, "Feel Good Inc." as the single of the year, and did you realize Frances Bean was 12? Twelve years of Courtney screwing an impressionable mind.

Source: Spin

Spin's Top 20 Albums of 2005
1. Kayne West - Late Registration
2. M.I.A. - Arular
3. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
4. Gorillaz - Demon Days
5. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
6. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
7. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
8. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
9. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
10. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
11. Beck - Guero
12. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
13. My Morning Jacket - Z
14. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
15. Slim Thug - Already Platinum
16. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lighting, Strike
17. Common - Be
18. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
19. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
20. System of a Down - Hypnotize