What used to be a highly anticipated year-end tradition - a list of the best and most memorable music of the past 12 months - has largely become Internet clickbait, with lists of a hundred "best" albums popping up online as early as Halloween.

That doesn't mean it's not worth the effort, especially if we amend the word "best" to something more reasonable, like "favorite" or "recommended."

With that in mind, here are some of the releases from Hudson County artists that merit your attention, in what, by any measure, has been a very good year for rock, folk, and hip-hop.