At the outset of this year's year-end countdown of the best songs I'd heard all year, I noted that one of 2007's entrants was the Bob Dylan of his generation.

Like most of America, I discovered Ryan Adams right after 9-11. The video for his single, "New York, New York," was shot four days before the World Trade Center tragedy, with both towers in the background while the North Carolina native sang, "I still love you New York."

It was an ominous portrayal of art imitating life, and Adams' efforts ever since have certainly been artistic and prolific. At about an album a year for the past several, Adams' 2007 release, "Easy Tiger," was something of a departure. He actually took a couple of years to put it together.

The sound is pure alt-country delight. And for those of you unfamiliar with that genre, a style that gets virtually no radio play anywhere, it's basically an offshoot of what Neil Young has been doing for four decades. In fact, if I had to crown a king of alt-country, it would be Young.

Adams made this album with his band, The Cardinals, and one single that immediately caught my attention was "Two." Its melancholy sound and lyrics are something of an AM country classic.

If you take me back

Back to your place

I'll try not to bother you

I promise


Cause it's colder here

And I wish it was hot

The sink's broke

It's leaking from the faucet

Adams is a songwriter's songwriter. He managed to write a song called "Political Scientist" that actually didn't suck. A tune he penned called "Meadowlake Street" is one of the 20 or so best rock songs of my lifetime, an album cut that didn't see the light of day on mainstream radio.

However, my guess is that Adams never wants that type of commercial success. It would dull the shine off his cool, although I should note that of all places, I heard this year's No. 19 song playing at Wilder's restaurant in Henryetta, Okla., one Saturday evening as my mom and I ate chicken and dumplings.

I recalled turning to Mom and saying, "Wow. I can't believe they're playing this guy here. In Henryetta. At a restaurant."

But as a fan of Ryan's entire body of work, I'm more than willing to let the masses in on a secret I've known about for half a decade: If you love singer-songwriters, there is simply nobody better than Ryan Adams.

See others:

No. 25 - Everyday America - Sugarland

No. 24 - Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns

No. 23 - Famous In A Small Town - Miranda Lambert

No. 22 - Colorful - Rocco DeLuca & The Burden

No. 21 - Never Again - Kelly Clarkson

No. 20 - Streetcorner Symphony - Rob Thomas