Yearly Top Albums

Setting a threshold helps eliminate fanboyism, along with the odds of the band's "marketing" end hyping an album.
At a certain point you have to set a minimum number of ratings and reviews as that would indicate a certain level of interest that you would expect from an album on a  so-called "best of the year" list.
As for the biggest acts being the only ones on the list, you'd be surprised at how many bands have caught PA members' ear because of the quality, not name recognition. Most times, but obviously not always, a great album's reach will expand due to word of mouth (again reviews & ratings). Buying an album because  one or two people love it is a bit much to expect with the deluge of releases out there. Especially when no PA collabs, reviewers or admin have rated it. Not to dismiss my opinion or that of other hoi polloi PA community members, just that PA "experts, for lack of a better term, have a track record, and face more scrutiny than Joe Blow.