Halls are being decked, charge accounts are...

Halls are being decked, charge accounts are being maxed out and there’s annoying music everywhere you go. Yes, it’s that time of year again: Best-of season. First up in the pop music world is Spin magazine, which in its issue due on stands Tuesday names old guard Neil Young as artist of the year and Young Turk-ette Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville” as the top album. . . .

Two video notes: Kim Basinger guests with Tom Petty in the clip just shot for Petty’s new “Last Dance for Mary Jane” single, airing on MTV starting this week. . . . And the Cowboy Junkies have selected a video by Patrick Cady from among clips submitted by NYU graduate film students in a contest to visually illustrate the song “Floorboard Blues.” . . .

Motley Crue’s first album with former Scream singer John Corabi replacing fired Vince Neil is due in March. . . . Expect a guest appearance from Silk on Keith Sweat’s “The Freak Is On” album, due in March. Sweat discovered Silk. . . .

Former Bangle Susanna Hoffs is working on her second solo album with producer Matt Wallace, who’s worked with Soundgarden and Paul Westerberg and turned up the rock juice on John Hiatt’s recent “Perfectly Good Guitar.” Hoffs is being backed by former members of Cracker, with a guest appearance by guitarist Richard Thompson. . . .

Philip Bailey, while continuing to work with Earth, Wind & Fire, has a solo album due in February. Prince B. of PM Dawn produced two songs, while Chuckii Booker and Brian McKnight are also among the project’s producers. . . . Phyllis Hyman is working with producer Dave Hall (he did Mary J. Blige’s “What’s the 411?”) on an album due in April. . . .

The album singer Karyn White has been recording with husband Terry Lewis and his partner Jimmy Jam is coming in April. . . .

Crystal Waters, who disappeared after her huge, dance-oriented hit “Gypsy Woman” two years ago, will resurface with a new album in April.