Another GREAT look for K’naan who’s seeing some amazing success with his sophomore album Troubador! Click here for the full list!

Now that you’ve examined our list of 2009’s best-selling albums, take a look at what the Billboard staff subjectively chose as the year’s best albums. Indie music came on strong, while R&B and straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll are represented — but it’s hip-hop that takes the crown this year. Don’t agree with our picks? Tell us your favorite album of 2009 in the comments below.

How was the Critics’ list formulated? Billboard’s editors, reviewers and reporters each turned in a ranked list of their personal top 10 albums released between mid-November 2008 and mid-November 2009 (which approximately matches the Billboard chart cycle). Points were awarded inversely to the position each record was ranked. So, if a writer listed an album as a No. 1 choice, it earned 10 points toward the total; at No. 2 it earned nine points, and so on. See the list of writers who voted.