Muse
The 2nd Law
Release date: Friday
What they say: "It feels like it's time to move on and do something radically different," said Muse's bassist Christopher Wolstenholme.
What we say: Arguably this year's most-anticipated rock release, the record's lead single Madness finds the British trio embracing a more subtle pop sound, while the Olympic theme song Survival is suitably epic.
Taylor Swift
Red
Release date: October 22
What she says: "From intense love, intense frustration, jealousy, confusion, all of that, in my mind, all those emotions are red. There's nothing beige about any of those feelings."
What we say: Swift promises a warts-and-all outlook with her fourth album. We wonder if any of these songs contain another kiss-off to John Mayer.
Soundgarden
King Animal
Release date: November 13
What they say: "It re-establishes that we still rock, we're still heavy, and we're still a little weird," stated the band's guitarist Kim Thayil to Rolling Stone magazine.
What we say: The reformed Seattle grunge legends recently released a 37-second snippet of the lead track Worse Dreams, and it sounds poppy and polished. Here's hoping their music hasn't lost all its sludgy beauty.
Robbie Williams
Take the Crown
Release date: November 5
What he says: Announcing the album on his website, Williams says his "main priority was to write what I consider, and hopefully what the world would consider, to be hits. I'm very excited."
What we say: Williams hopes this album will be his big comeback after his 2009 lacklustre effort Reality Killed the Video Star. His recent Take That reunion is already paying off, with his fellow member Gary Barlow producing this album's summery lead single Candy.
50 Cent
Street King Immortal
Release date: November 13
What they say: "He's taking it back to the old 50," Hitboy, 50 Cent's producer, told MTV. "And he had some new records that were some different-sounding stuff, too. I'm excited to see how people react to it."
What we say: 50 Cent experienced a flop record in 2009. With the hip-hop game generally moving so fast, it will be interesting to see if fans will still be interested in what Fiddy has to say.
Alicia Keys
Girl on Fire
Release date: November 27
What she says: "The album represents a new me in every way," Keys told CNN.
What we say: Keys will talk about being a new mother, but the album is not full of sleepy ballads – we think the R&B star is too classy for that.
Green Day
¡Uno!
Release date: tomorrow
What they say: the band's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong declared the album as "the best music we've ever written, and the songs just keep coming".
What we say: This is the first of a trio of albums to be released over the next three months. Judging by the tracks Kill the DJ and Let Yourself Go, the group ditched their rock-opera vibe for a punchier sound.
Tinie Tempah
Demonstration
Release date: mid-October
What he says: "I think it's time to take it to that next level and make it even bigger and better."
What we say: So far, the signs are good. Tempah already recorded collaborations with Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris. Sadly, a hook-up with Adele was quashed after the soul singer suffered vocal problems.