CoS Year-End Report: The Top 100 Albums
Ah, the end of the year. It’s quite a magical time, isn’t it? Teenagers are out of school and watching hokey vampire flicks, Wall Street brokers are suicidal, and well, our President is getting shoes thrown at him. It doesn’t get better than this, and just when you’re about to hang the proverbial hat, put your feet up, and relax… we’re here with a long, bloated, superficial yet well thought out end of the year list, all for your arguing pleasure.
2008 was a great year. It was the year of demystification. We saw a lot of things come out of the wood work that always seemed possible, but yet so far off. For one, no one can argue that Barack Obama’s win for presidency was perhaps one of the coolest things this country has accomplished thus far, but that’s stating the obvious. What about lil’ milestones like: Axl Rose coming out with Chinese Democracy, Harrison Ford returning to the fedora (rather weak, but nonetheless), and the start of production on Ghostbusters 3. Okay, only one of those things may be music related; however, it still casts one hell of a light on the stellar achievements in 2008. Or, maybe I’m just too much of a fan boy.
Before you dive in though, here’s a little background on the list. First off, this isn’t a collective decision or anything. The staff simply put in their top tens and I, being the obsessive compulsive decision maker, tallied everything into a points system. So, what you see here is the result of said system. Honestly, it’s interesting to see the similarities between our list and many other publications. Then again, there are some major deviations that you might not have expected (especially in comparison to our Mid-Year Report), but that’s what gives it character, right? Right?
Anyhow, without further ado, here’s our list:
That’s great. This list isn’t meant to dictate your life, pal.
I hate to say this, but it just so happens to be true. I finally downloaded Circus and it is also a much better album than the majority of these. The VAST majority of these.
I’m assuming you have a good explanation for that omission?>>>
Yes, and what a relief, it’s in the third paragraph above! And I quote:
“Before you dive in though, here’s a little background on the list. First off, this isn’t a collective decision or anything. The staff simply put in their top tens and I, being the obsessive compulsive decision maker, tallied everything into a points system. So, what you see here is the result of said system.”
There ya go!
You guys are also the only site I’ve read without a Microcastle mention. Bizarre. Especially considering this…
http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/10/10/album-reviewmicrocastle/
I’m assuming you have a good explanation for that omission?
My top ten:
1.Women - S/T
2.Black Mountain - In the Future
3.Deerhunter - Microcastle
4.Dodo’s - Visiter
5.Portishead - Third
6.Local H - 12 Angry Months
7.The Drift - Memory Drawings
8.Lukestar - Lake Toba
9.Crystal Antlers - s/t (technically an ep, but still great)
10.Russian Circles - Station
My top ten
1. Vampire Weekend
2. TV on the Radio
3. Portishead Third
5. Deerhunter Microcastle
6. Elbow Seldom Seen Kid (It won the Mercury prize for a reason)
7 Fleet Foxes
8 Fucked Up The Chemisty of Common Life
9. Okervil River The Stand Ins
10. No Age Nouns.
Looks like we are the only review site that treated it so then. This makes more sense then because I didn’t understand why In Rainbows wasn’t qualified and Oracular Spectacular was.
MGMT was released in 2007, Luke.
Great balanced list, but honestly the commissions of Elbows Seldom Seen Kid, No Age’s Nouns, and MGMT’s album should be crimes lol. And then MMJ and Oasis’s album I think deserved a mention. Those are both solid albums.
Wow, there are some really forgettable records that came out this year. Seriously, I don’t think any of the 100 records are going to be anything in the history of music.
So by your argument Mike, the omission of Oasis immediately makes this a “terrible list”?
Then by all means, I love terrible lists from here on out.
Wow..Oasis releases one of the best albums of their career and you dont include it in your top 100? what a terrible list
I still haven’t picked up Astronautaulis, but it is on my holiday lists (I get to celebrate two now!), so I couldn’t fairly put down a vote. To be fair, Mike handled the list as raw data. Since Consequence of Sound has so many writers, the list really represents our collective voice and not one writer’s opinion.
For example, I cheated a bit and submitted a top 30, but many of my more obscure albums didn’t make the cut. I don’t know if we are going to put up our personal lists, so I’ll hold off on showing you my list and give you a quick example. I had Curumin’s JapanPopShow at #10, Jazz Liberatorz and their phenomenal Clin d’oeil at 11, Bristle Ridge at #12, the Mighty Underdogs’ Droppin’.. at 13 and Shad’s The Old Prince at #14. I’d give all of these a minimum of 4 1/2 stars (I’d go down to my #19 before I dropped to 4), yet none made the top 100.
In Rainbows was a 2007 album. You won’t find it on anyone’s list this year.
I bought Astronautaulis Pomegranite due to the glowing 5 star review you gave it. And guess what? It tears everything else up!! I CANT BELIEVE YOU DIDNT INCLUDE IT!!!! SERIOUSLY??
Overall a pretty solid list. Was shocked that neither Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver are in the top 10.
Was disappointed that the following were not selected:
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
Beach House - Devotion
The Dodos - Visiter (unless i missed it?)
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
No Age - Nouns
Jamie Lidell - JIM
Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
Shearwater - Rook
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Nymphia
Also, are we considering In Rainbows as a 2007 album? If not, then it is absolute blasphemy to not have it included in the top 25.
Other then that, all my favs were there (lets not get started on order). What a great year 2008 has been in music!
I think MGMT’s album should definitely be on here somewhere
So how does Cut Copy’s ‘In Ghost Colours’ make it on the half-way 2008 list, and yet it doesn’t have a spot on the top 100? Cripes.
i personally would have put death cab, m83, and los campesinos much much higher… but overall good list
The lack of Gnarls Barkley and Foxboro hurt a lot, too. But, I went with the raw data. Haha.
True, true… Those dudes will always have a special place in my collection, but {gag}
haha well the best tracks are missing patrick stump
As a long-time fan, the fact that the Roots considered putting Fall Out Boy on their album (and released the single) hurt my feelings
right i forgot it was the double disk that came out in 08
agreed on be your own pet, eagles of death metal, the roots and gnarls barley,
fancy footwork came out in 07 though, definitely top 25 of that year
some of the albums left off this list hurt my feelings i thought
be your own pet - get awkward
eagles of death metal - heart on
the roots - rising down
foxboro hot tubs - stop drop and roll
el madmo - el madmo
gnarls barkley - the odd couple
guilty simpson - ode to the ghetto
chromeo - fancy footwork
weezer - the red album
were all worthy but nice work as usual so
Ra Ra Riot’s The Rhumb Line is another quality album that comes to mind.
Oh Mike, what a classy icon you chose (it’s so fitting)! And great job on the list… surprised to see T.V. and the radio make number one (seriously, whoa).
The Grand Archives was my favorite of this year. Did I miss it on the list? Check it out if you haven’t already.
great list. glad to see “Consolers of the Lonely” make it so high. it was definitely my favorite album of the year.
“Honestly, it’s interesting to see the similarities between our list and many other publications.”
It is even more interesting to see how far this list diverges. The top 10 is not all that different from many of the other lists out there, but I suppose you might want to have a talking with the writers if they were voting for New Kids on the Block as top album of the year. Seriously though, if you jump down to the later numbers, there are some real finds down there. Some albums that I completely forgot about when I was coming up with my list (Emiliana Torrini, Flobots, Sia) and others that I have not even listened to yet. It is crazy to see records like La Grecia, K’naan, Flogging Molly, Thrice, Wale, Erykah Badu, Tea Leaf Green, Opeth, Torche, etc. that were left off so many others.
Great work everyone! Excellent job with the compiling, Mike!
As with any list, there a million place I could disagree, but I really like this list. TV on the Radio’s Dear Science is one of my top 3. Here are my favorite inclusions and least favorite omissions:
BEST:
- Spiritualized, Raconteurs, and The Black Keys made the top 25. Hell yeah!
- CSS and Sia weren’t overlooked, though they both deserve to be ranked higher.
- The Parlor Mob at 36! I didn’t think anyone would rank them as highly as I do.
- Kings of Leon at 30. Not as good as Because of the Times, but Only By the Night has some infectious grooves.
WORST:
- No Cat Power?!? Are you kidding me? Jukebox might be her best work yet.
- No Eagles of Death Metal? Heart On is probably the catchiest rock album out in 2008 and it couldn’t beat out Blind Melon?
- I don’t recall seeing She & Him, The Gutter Twins, or My Morning Jacket either. Hmm.
Anyway, great job, everyone! I’ll be back reading this blog every day in 2009.
Completely agreed, actually. and the same goes for all of those albums, with a possible exception for Ne-yo. whose name I always feel stupid saying or typing. I dunno, maybe its this digital age, but I will always prefer songs I actually want to download over complete albums I never will.
Thanks Zatz. I’m not following with Beyonce. Her singles might be extraordinary, but as a whole, the album isn’t exceptional.
I appreciate that this list makes no concessions to what other people liked this year, but glaring absences for me are Amadou and Mariam, Mt. Eerie and Love is all, not to mention that I think time will tell on Skeletal Lamping(which I think is maybe Of Montreal’s best album). Also, T-pain Thr33 Ringz and Ne-yo Year of the Gentleman particularly, but even Usher and Beyonces’s albums this year, they might all be more or less trite and commercial, but they are still better than half the albums on this list, easily.
#92!?!?!?
THIS IS MORE WHACK THAN A DEAF JUDGE ON AMERICAN IDOL
Counting down the minutes until Kanye responds about his #92 position…
Maybe i’m blind.
Where is My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges?
Good list. Surprised you have Bon Iver so low down though (especially below G n’R, and holy crap i completely forgot about Titus Andronicus. Good choice there.
One of the best lists I’ve come across…..nicely done.
Oh, and Atmosphere is #8. YES YES YES.
Vampire Weekend as #2?! Ugh.
Otherwise, nicely done - good to see Tea Leaf Green, Dr. Dog, and The Bridge so highly-ranked, relative to what I expected.
Nice choice with TV on the Radio as #1. After all, “they are like the grandfathers of the whole indie music scene.”