Socks and pants are boring; our advent calendars give us all the chocolate we need over the festive period, and don't even think about slipping a lump of mouldy old coal into our stockings! What we really want for Christmas is a lovely, shiny CD full of stonking great pop tunes. But, with so many to choose from, which one should you pick? Well, to make your Christmas shopping that little bit easier this year, we've recapped the best album releases from the last three months to form a handy buyers' guide.

Babyshambles: 'Shotter's Nation'

Something strange happens to Pete Doherty and co. on their second album: they morph from a scruffy, rag-tag collective to a fighting fit, sharp-edged rock outfit. Hoobloodyray!

> Click here for our full review of Shotter's Nation

Britney Spears: 'Blackout'

Against all odds, pop's favourite baldie makes the best album of her career during her annus horribilis, turning herself into a strutting, rutting, dry-humping-in-the-middle-of-the-club electro-diva.

> Click here for our full review of Blackout

Girls Aloud: 'Tangled Up'

Bolder, brasher and more barn-storming than anything they've ever released before, the Aloud's fourth album is their most danceable collection yet.

> Click here for our full review of Tangled Up

Kylie Minogue: 'X'

The little Aussie pop rocket's tenth album isn't the best of her career, but it contains enough winning moments to keep Kylie in the charts and, just as importantly, in our hearts.

> Click here for our full review of X

Leona Lewis: 'Spirit'

As shiny, expensive and expertly-constructed as Simon Cowell's teeth, Leona Lewis' debut album is good enough to turn her into The X Factor's first superstar.

> Click here for our full review of Spirit

McFly: 'Greatest Hits'

The last boyband standing's first hits collection is a 45-minute guitar-pop delight containing no fewer than 13 top ten singles. Nice one, boys!

> Click here for our full review of Greatest Hits

Shayne Ward: 'Breathless'

The Manchester lad manages to shake off his talent show shackles on his accomplished second album. Fans of kick-in-the-nuts-style falsetto vocals will be particularly impressed.

> Click here for our full review of Breathless

Spice Girls: 'Greatest Hits'

The iconic girl group's retrospective album collects all their singles from 'Wannabe' to new tune 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)'. If you can't find something to like here, you don't really like pop music.

> Click here for our full review of Greatest Hits

Sugababes: 'Change'

The sophisticated trio grow up without surrendering their pop smarts on their hits-packed fifth album. Funnily enough, new(ish) member Amelle Berrabah just about steals the show.

> Click here for our full review of Change

Wombats: 'A Guide To Love...'

The Scouse scamps' debut album is young, dumb and full of tunes – good enough to make even the sulkiest Peaches Geldof wannabe crack a smile.

> Click here for our full review of A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation