An important part of my job is to make up facts and then explain how these facts came to be. It's an indisputable truth that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) does not know how to count.

Then came the almighty UPC code--the mark of the beast--that counted album sales more accurately. Except when they didn't. Independent record stores often didn't have the technology or the interest, for that matter, to care how much anything sold. Store owners intuitively knew the new Naked Raygun album was unlikely to sell millions. Just to prove further that the music industry was bad at math and logic, they like to count sales of double albums as TWO sales--as if any customer had the choice to only buy the first LP of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

I've seen all kinds of sales figures. The worldwide ones are even funnier, since what does that mean? Should we believe the fine merchants in the Southern Hemisphere actually care about whether or not International Music Superstars have their

You know, compiling a list of great third albums is a bit difficult. Not because there aren't many great third albums by an artist, but because it requires you to actually double-check things and also to check an artist you think might apply. Debut albums roll off our tongues. Second albums are checked out to see if the artist can deliver. Third albums are only important to record companies who once upon a time decided this would be the "breakthrough" record. Or that myth was created to explain the "importance" of Born to Run and Damn the Torpedoes.

In any case, unless someone calls their third album 3 or Third (Thanks, Big Star! And Led Zeppelin! And Chicago! No thanks to Peter Gabriel!), it often isn't easy to remember what a band's third album is. This gets progressively worse as the numbers pile on. I really like Richard Thompson's Rumor and Sigh, but what number should it be in his repertoire? Should I count only the solo albums? Or do the ones with Linda count? Weird US-only

Since I took the time to compile the Rolling Stones' worst albums, it only seems fair that I compile my 10 favorites. Not an easy task, since their greatest hits albums often come as advertised and include tunes that belong here and are not available elsewhere. My other struggle was leaving off Flowers, since it's a great album, but one of those weird collections of leftover tracks from British releases, and didn't seem right when both Aftermath and Between the Buttons placed. We're strictly using U.S. releases here, since this is the country where I am based and--despite all evidence suggesting otherwise--is the country where the Rolling Stones are from as well. Mick and Keith are New Yorkers, pure and simple. Ron Wood is from Connecticut. Charlie lives in Montana. Bill quit. Jones is dead. Taylor is touring when he can.

10) Out Of Our Heads: The album cover alone is reason enough to like these guys. Such bad complexions must lead to better music. Their earlier albums are closer to

Contrary to popular opinion, music bloggers are real people. We have friends. When we get together with those friends, we discuss music. All this talk about the whether or not Exile On Main St. is the "best" Stones album led my naturally cynical friends to discuss which were the worst. I promise to follow this list up with that list of the best and then you can really give me hell. After all, how does one rate Let It Bleed "over" Beggars Banquet or Aftermath. It depends what day it is.

As a testimony to the Stones' greatness, I had to cheat a little for this list. I had to throw in two live albums and include a couple albums I don't actually dislike. But if I had to rank all of their albums (excluding only Greatest Hits compilations), these are the ten that wouldn't be at the end of the line.

By all means, share your personal thoughts on these matters in the space generously provided below by the folks at Y! Music. I may not know you personally, but as a fellow music fan, I enjoy