The Top 40 Albums of May 2010!!!

May 2010 has been a fruitful month for music. Reggae, country, jazz, and rock music have been well represented. The Junior Gong aka Damian Marleydropped his long anticipated album Distant Relatives with rap legend Nas. The album features reggae, sick African beats, hip-hop, and spot on guest appearances by k’naan and Lil Wayne.

On the country side, Texan outlaw Willie Nelson strikes again with Country Music and Merle Haggard makes one of his best records in recent memory with the album I Am What I Am (Amazon Exclusive Version). And the Preservation Hall Jazz Band made an amazing album An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program (Deluxe Version) with guests like Louis Armstrong, Andrew Bird, Steve Earleand Jim James aka Yim Yames from My Morning Jacket. And on the rock scene, new albums from Cornershop, LCD Soundsystem, and Broken Social Scene add balance to a nice month in music.

From Latin rappers Cypress Hill to African drummer Tony Allen (part of Fela Kuti‘s legendary band) to Texan musicians Court Yard Hounds(part of the Dixie Chicks) this months selection is diverse and full of wonderful sounds. Here are the Top 40 albums of May…

The Best of May 2010

1. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Nas – Distant Relatives [Universal 2010]
2. Merle Haggard – I Am What I Am [Vanguard Records 2010]
3. Willie Nelson – Country Music [Rounder 2010]
4. Various Artists – An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program [Preservation Hall Recording 2010]
5. Toots & the Maytals – Flip and Twist [D and F Music 2010]
6. Jakob Dylan – Women And Country [Columbia 2010]
7. Tony Allen – Secret Agent [Nonesuch Records 2010]
8. Cornershop – Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast [Ample Play Recordings 2010]
9. Peter Wolf – Midnight Souvenirs [Verve 2010]
10. The Physics – Future Talk [The Physics 2007]
11. Pretty Lights – Making Up A Changing Mind [Pretty Lights Music 2010]
12. V.V. Brown – Travelling Like The Light [Capitol 2010]
13. Winston Jarrett – Bushwhackers Gangbangers [Bigmore Productions 2010]
14. Various Artists – Something Old, Something New, Volume 5 [Penthouse Records 2010]
15. Various Artists – Big Stage Riddim [Penthouse Records 2010]
16. Very Be Careful – Escape Room [Barbes Records 2010]
17. Various Artists – Special Request, Volume 3 [Penthouse Records 2010]
18. Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Steps Ahead [Strut Records 2010]
19. Dr. Dog – Shame Shame [Anti 2010]
20. Radar Bros. – The Illustrated Garden [Merge Records 2010]
21. The Apples in Stereo – Travellers In Space And Time [Yep Roc Records 2010]
22. MGMT – Congratulations [Sony 2010]
23. Court Yard Hounds – Court Yard Hounds [Columbia 2010]
24. Caribou – Swim [Merge Records 2010]
25. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening [Virgin Records 2010]
26. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record [Arts & Crafts Records 2010]
27. The Kissaway Trail – Sleep Mountain [Bella Union 2010]
28. Passion Pit – Manners [Columbia Records 2010]
29. The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever [Vagrant Records 2010]
30. Various Artists – Joe Gibbs 12” Disco Showcase Volume 4 [VP Records 2010]
31. The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards [Third Man 2010]
32. Gogol Bordello – Trans-Continental Hustle [American Recordings 2010]
33. Cypress Hill – Rise Up [Priority Records]
34. Solomon Burke – Nothing’s Impossible [E1 Music 2010]
35. Ginjah – Never Lost My Way [Digital Release 2010]
36. Alan Jackson – Freight Train [Arista 2010]
37. Judgement Day – Peacocks / Pink Monsters [Judgement Day 2010]
38. The Rafters – Animal Feelings [Asthmatic Kitty Records 2010]
39. Jeff Beck – Emotion & Commotion [Atco/Rhino 2010]
40. Slash – Slash [Dik Hayd 2010]