Albums of '11: #1 The Throne, "Watch the Throne"

Happy holidays! It's the time of year when we look back and that's what we're doing for the next two weeks. This week, we'll look at the 25 best albums and next week, we'll review the 25 best songs.

#25-21, #20-16, #15-11, #10-6, #5-2

1. The Throne, “Watch the Throne” (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam): Hip-hop royalty Jay-Z and Kanye West join forces to inspire each other to even higher artistic heights. Not only did their rhymes rise to the challenge (especially in “Murder to Excellence”) but their already-intricate deliveries improved, as they bob and weave with each other and the music on “Otis” and “----- in Paris.”