1. Madonna - Confessions On a Dancefloor (Nov. 15)

Madonna's upcoming album is without a doubt the most widely anticipated new album of the fall. Every new Madonna album is an event, but this one is being watched particularly closely as she attempts to come back from the first real commercial failure of her career. Reportedly, she's returning to dance music for the entire set, and if you can't wait, check out the new Motorola ad that includes brief snippets of the album's first single "Hung Up."

2. Outkast - 10 the Hard Way (Oct. 11)

This album has already experienced a number of delays so it would not be a shock for it to be delayed a bit longer. The duo of Andre 3000 and Big Boi electrified the music world with their most recent album, the Grammy-winning Album Of the Year Speakerboxxx/The World Below, and sold 5 million copies with the assistance of the smash hit singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move." Expect the new album to be a throwback to the exclusively hip hop sounds of the pair's earliest albums.

3. My Chemical Romance - Life On the Murder Scene (Oct. 25)

It has taken almost a year, but My Chemical Romance's album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge has finally broken through to mainstream pop audiences with the top 30 hit single "Helena." Look for this next album to be huge with a sure top 10, and possibly #1, chart debut.

4. Carrie Underwood - TBA (Nov. 15)

For a significant segment of the overall pop music audience, the first album release by the latest American Idol champion is a major annual event. This year is no different. Some details about Underwood's first full-length collection are leaking out. The album will probably include her initial hit "Inside Your Heaven" as well as a cover of Elvis Presley's "Trouble" and songs by country songwriters Craig Wiseman and Rivers Rutherford.

5. Dashboard Confessional - Dashboard Confessional (Oct. 11)

These emo masters reached #2 on the pop album chart with the set titled A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. They will be looking to top that this time around. Apparently the songs for a new album were written and ready to record when it was all scrapped and the group started over.

6. Hoobastank - TBA (Dec. 6)

This post grunge band is coming off a top 10 hit album and #2 hit single, both titled "The Reason." Much of the new music was written while on tour with Velvet Revolver. Look for some political content with a general theme of taking control of one's own life.

7. Neil Diamond - Neil Diamond (Nov. 8)

The actual content of this album is one of the most closely guarded secrets in pop music today. The eternally square Diamond has been recording with Rick Rubin, the producer who made Johnny Cash hip and was behind the boards on hits by Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys. Expect very stripped down performances focusing on Diamond's songwriting which was the focus of his first music business success 40 years ago.

8. Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough (Oct. 25)

Mary J.'s last album Love and Life was a disappointment, although it debuted at #1, compared to its predecessor No More Drama. She will try to not let that happen again. Initial word is that the music is upbeat and she has worked with a small army of some of the top producers in the music business including Kanye West, Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, and Raphael Saadiq.

9. Shakira - Oral Fixation 2 (Nov. 15)

The Spanish-language half of Shakira's two Oral Fixation albums is the biggest selling Spanish-language album in U.S. history. The single "La Tortura" has lingered on the charts for the past 4-5 months. This English-language release could be huge.

10. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better... (Oct. 4)

It has been a big year for this band from Glasgow. Their first, self-titled, album has been one of the most critically acclaimed of the past year. They were finalists for the Mercury Prize, one of the top British music awards of the year. Now watch for Franz Ferdinand to conquer the charts in the U.S.