Links to the lists of top recordings are below. Titles are listed in italics. All recordings are listed in alphabetical order by artist. There is no number one recording for each year. Great music is not a contest.
My selection criteria for the top new recordings are: (1) an artist with an original, identifiable vision; (2) impeccable playing; (3) good sound; (4) packaging.
My criteria for the top reissued recordings are: (1) historical importance in the development of jazz; (2) music that stretched the boundaries of its time; (3) good sound; (4) packaging that includes informative and accurate notes.
Note that the top recordings for the years 1989 to 2005 are now in a .pdf file. The 2005 recordings are also below.