Andrew Meddaugh's better late than never list:

2009 was a good year for my "used" record collection... and a bad year for "new" music getting into my ears, but from what I heard, this is what really stuck (and forgive me for falling back on old favorites) -

10. Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
9. Levon Helm - Electric Dirt
8. Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery
7. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
6. Grizzly Bear - Vecktamist
5. Akron/Family - Set em Wild Set em Free
4. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
2. Flaming Lips - Embryonic
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

Now that I think about it... I actually did hear a lot of new things (No Age, Wavves, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, etc.) but I really wasn't into most of it, it must be sign that I'm getting old. And no I didn't make Animal Collective number one because of Pitchfork's praising, I listened to that album more than anything else this year, I'm still listening to it, it's a new classic IMO and I will be listening to it when I am 60 years old.

oh and honorable mention in the not great, not even that good, but it's good to have you back category: Phish - Joy (hooray for my youth!)