The American Music Awards, broadcast Nov. 23, offered a pretty good clue about the music that ruled the charts in 2008. The performers at the awards were littered with pop starlets like Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Natasha Bedingfield, hip-hop light performer Ne-Yo, and teen poppers Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. There wasn't a Dylan, Nas, Pearl Jam, Springsteen or Alan Jackson in sight.

Not to re-state a tired rock critic cliche, but today's music buyers appear to value breezy escapism over artistic ambition, innovation, intelligence or emotional weight.

That's too bad, because plenty of good and thoughtful music was released in 2008. In fact, it was hard to limit this list to 20 CDs. In any event, here are the CDs that topped my playlist for 2008:

1 Alejandro Escovedo: “Real Animal” — There may well be no other artist who is more under-appreciated than Escovedo. His latest CD, “Real Animal,” rocks more than his other albums, which is just fine, since the searing tracks “Smoke,” “Chelsea” and “Real as an Animal” are among the most stirring songs of Escovedo’s career. His talent for writing tuneful rootsy rock shines in “Always a Friend” and “Sister Lost Soul.” Escovedo also finds room for a few ballads, including “Sensitive Boys” and “Hollywood Hills,” among the prettiest ballads he has written.

2 Lucinda Williams: “Little Honey” — What’s eye-opening on “Little Honey” isn’t that Williams made an outstanding album. It’s that she sounds happy, instead of conflicted or downright heartbroken. The reason: her engagement to manager/producer Tom Overby. The good cheer also brings out a more lively side to Williams’s music, as she rocks with abandon on “Honey Bee” and “Real Love.” She’s also at her tender best on affecting ballads like “Knowing” and “Rarity.” Meanwhile, the pop-infused “Little Rock Star” is one of Williams’s best songs ever.

3 R.E.M.: “Accelerate” — After a pair of albums that showcased R.E.M.’s softer side, the band turns up the guitars and rocks out on “Accelerate.” The result is a CD that holds its own alongside such career-defining R.E.M. albums as “Automatic for the People” and “Life’s Rich Pageant.”

4 The Hold Steady: “Stay Positive” — Even better than the group’s impressive 2006 CD, “Boys and Girls in America,” “Stay Positive” is packed with gritty, hook-filled rockers and more of frontman Craig Finn’s incisive observations on the everyday life of the common man.

5 Metallica: “Death Magnetic” — The last time fans heard from Metallica (on the 2002 CD “St. Anger”), the group had nearly disintegrated. Six years later, Metallica sounds stronger than it has in years, as “Death Magnetic” sizzles with fire, passion and sheer musicality.

6 Elvis Costello and the Imposters: “Momofuko” — Few artists have stayed as creative and vital for as long as Costello. “Momofuko” is yet another fine effort that deftly covers plenty of stylistic ground, from the hooky new-wavish rock of “American Gangster Time” to the Latin and lounge jazz accents of “Harry Worth” to the elegant pop of “No Hiding Place.”

7 Beck: “Modern Guilt” — Long one of rock’s most creative songwriters, Beck turns out one of the most tuneful CDs of his career with “Modern Guilt.”

8 Santogold: “Santogold” — Like M.I.A., Santogold is a spunky vocalist who mashes together hip-hop, electronica, world beat and pop into an intoxicating mix. But Santogold’s music leans more on melody, where M.I.A.’s crazy-quilt sound is centered more on the rhythms. As a result, Santogold’s self-titled debut CD is more likely to appeal to rock fans, particularly on songs such as “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Say Aha,” where her hooky pop melodies take priority over the beats.

9 Coldplay: “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” — The British band made the common mistake with its previous CD, “XYZ,” of sticking too closely to the musical blueprint of a previous hit album (in this case, 2002’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head”). With “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay regains its stride, supplementing its trademark arena-suitable ballads with a few brisk tracks (the stomping “Lost!” and “Violet Hill”) and by getting more adventurous on the multi-faceted “42.”

10 The Black Keys: “Attack & Release” —The duo’s rocking take on raw blues is as explosive as ever, but this time out it’s mixed with a few nifty twists, like the acoustic hill-country sound of “Psychotic Girl” and the organ lines of “Oceans And Streams.”

Honorable Mentions: Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreak"; Dailey & Vincent, self-titled; The Knux, "Remind Me in 3 Days"; Nada Surf, "Lucky"; Taylor Swift, "Fearless"; Rise Against, "Appeal to Reason"; The Roots, "Rising Down"; Of Montreal, "Skeletal Lamping"; Dr. John and the Lower 911, "City That Care Forgot"; Kings Of Leon, "Only by the Night."