In the stretch run now...

I listened this record more than anything else in 2006. To some extent, the delicious interplay between the next two records (WARNING: Spoiler Alert!!) is the only thing keeping it from the top spot. That, and it seemed dreadfully predictable.

In his solo debut, Yorke jumps off of the most intimate and sparse Radiohead songs. Thing "Pyramid Song" minus the guitars.

And, of course, Yorke can't help be political. Yes, "The Eraser" could just be another sad breakup song. It could also be a paean to the power of an idea:

The more you try to erase me,
The more that I appear.

In "Harrowdown Hill," he's more direct. The song is named after the site of the suspicious suicide of David Kelly, a British government official who spoke out against the trumped up "evidence" of Iraq's WMD. In that context, the lyrics of authoritarianism and artificial patriotism are chilling.

Ultimately, Yorke proves himself again to be the musical genius of his generation. I don't know if the others on this list can repeat their success, but I'm rather certain Radiohead's 2007 record will find him gunning again for the top spot. That kind of legacy means something.

Previous 2006 Todd Ten Entries

4. Rock Plaza Central - We Are Not Horses
5. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
6. Roddy Woomble - My Secret is My Silence
7. Infadels - We Are Not the Infadels
8. The Twilight Singers - Powder Burns
9. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
10. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time