Producer-turned-performer Kanye West may have lost the Best New Artist prize to Gretchen Wilson at last month's American Music Awards, but the critics at Entertainment Weekly still have much love. Way back in February, our own Michael Endelman called West's debut album, The College Dropout, a collection of ''lush, intricate, and unabashedly pop productions that are alternately uplifting and jiggle-inducing.''

Dropout is just one of a select few discs to make our holiday gift guide. Every CD listed here received either an A or A- — representing the very best of the year in music according to EW's critics — from Björk's experimental vocal album Medulla to Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn's quirky collaboration with White Stripe Jack White.

We've divided the list by genre for easy scanning. Select a genre below, or continue to the next page for the entire list. (To read reviews, click the album titles.)