This year, Stereogum wanted you — the readers — to decide the year’s best albums. Thousands voted during our 7 day poll and we’ve finally tallied the Top 20.
As promised, one of you (selected randomly) wins the lot of ‘em, purchased NEW from an ACTUAL STORE … so you can regift the ones with rootkits.
Props to those who gave Monk & Coltrane’s Carnegie reissue a shoutout. And to everyone who couldn’t get enough Kidz Bop. To the guy who said Walk The Line‘s Soundtrack was 2005′s best: go buy a Johnny Cash album … one without Jaoquin Phoenix. To the gal who voted for Simply Red’s remix CD: I think you’re reading the wrong blog.
One poll taker wrote in, “No good music has been released since 1998.” Thank god he didn’t win.
Kanye may claim Stereogum Readers Hate Black People, but Jed, Jim, and I think your responses were top-notch, even if you are racist. Thanks for voting, thanks for reading, have a great holiday.
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20
KANYE WEST |
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19
BRIGHT EYES |
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18
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM |
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17
ANDREW BIRD |
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16
OKKERVIL RIVER |
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15
GRIZZLY BEAR |
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14
ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS |
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13
THE NATIONAL |
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12
M.I.A. |
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11
Animal Collective |
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10
My Morning Jacket |
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09
SLEATER-KINNEY |
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08
THE DECEMBERISTS |
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07
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE |
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06
NEW PORGRAPHERS |
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05
SPOON |
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04
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH |
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03
BLOC PARTY |
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02
WOLF PARADE |
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01
SUFJAN STEVENS |
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And our randomly generated winner: Zac Cianflone. Congrats Zac!
UPDATE: You may have noticed Arcade Fire on the list earlier. I included them because pollmaster Jim said “Some people had convoluted arguments for considering AF an 05 release.” I just read the arguments … and they’re not very good. So I put the Arcade Fire out. Welcome Kanye.
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colin meloy is the male indie rock hottie of the year. no need for a poll.
Down with Sujckin Stevens!
I believe United State Of Electronica was released the other year. I remember seeing them at the Capitol Hill Block Party two summers ago.
I really end up checking out a lot of music from this site. I’ve picked up seven of the ten records on the top tier. Much love to The New Pornos and S-K.
spoon is BEERSTER rock?? wtf
Cripple Crow is a great album….should have been on this…
I’m gonna add more AF should be on the list into the fire. British audiences have only heard of AF into 2005 when it was released in the UK, thus making it into Q’s and NME’s top 10 list (very high I might add). So for some people, thier first glimpse of AF came in 2005. (That’s why I voted for them). And actually the whole reason why there is even an argument about it should rule them elligible.
I’m happy Canuck rock ruled in 2005, but this list was kinda predictable. I do think that the Stevens record should be up there, but it’s really long and I can barely finish it. I do want to see Franz there though.
But seriously man, you voted for this, you should be happy about. Rock snobs are getting on my nerves. Who gives a shit if you think some scadanavian garage, the who influenced jam band who sing in a weird language who you have all thier b-sides and saw them in concert and thought they were “unbelievable”, should be the number 1 album. This is just a list, don’t be hating.
i just don’t like spoon. don’t hate me. specifically, i don’t think ‘gimme fiction’ is all that. but that’s me. it sounded too much like their previous albums, except every single track was totally fuckin’ disposable. but hey.
cripple crow shoulda been on this list. it was a nice stretch for devendra.
i would’ve voted for AF, but i didn’t consider the UK factor.
why should franz be on this list, though? that album was fucking weak, and surprise, surprise, beatles inspired songs. i am fucking sick of songs with ‘emma’ or ‘eleanor’ in the title. that doesn’t make the song any more precious or outstanding. i didn’t have any faith in them anyway, except for their artful videos they released every now and again.
RIGHTO.
no surprises here.
A good chunk of these albums sound nearly identical. How about branching out a bit? Listen to Monk & Coltrane at Carnegie Hall or Amadou & Mariam’s Dimanche a Bamako, just to name two of the great (but seemingly ignored) releases of 2005.
Yeah, it’s just a list. There are countless other lists too. Just experiment with different music and see if you like what they recommend. If not, who cares.
HOLD STEADY WUZ ROBBED
I love the Hold Steady. I loved Separation Sunday. I am a girl. Lots of girls I know love the Hold Steady. Maybe the girls I know are not of the status quo, but I don’t think the no-girls-like-them rule explains their lack of presence and I don’t know what does. Dammit.
Where’s the male hotties of 2005??? I expect nude pics with the results (nothing hotter than a bunch of skinny pale white guys)
Devin, maybe you should listen to Broken Social Scene again, it will come together for you.
Hold Steady was snobbed because no one could understand all the Minnesota references… pick up a map people or talk to a Minnesotan. j/k
Runners Four?
What is this? The top 20 albums noone has ever heard of but must be cool cause this site says so? This shit sucks!!
scott, if you were to put up a top 20, what would it be?
Yeah! What’s yr personal Top 20?
I wanna know Scott’s personal Top 20 as well!
I’m gonna go against the grain and be POSITIVE, good list everybody! Way to put Kanye more or less in his place (i.e. NOT IN THE TOP TEN).
I would personally replace Bloc Party (ehhhh) with DEERHOOF, but I realize that it’s not for everybody. I guess. Just like (pffft) Hold Steady.
Come see the duck! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM
Wow. Nice list, though I must admit that I haven’t heard a bunch of these. That’s what happens when your mindset is permanently stuck in Dave Kendall-era 120 Minutes. You can see what I’m talking about by checking out my year end lists all week long over at: http://bedroomdancing.typepad.com
Mt top 30 songs of the year are up there now. What were yours? End of shamless self promotion. Oh and Scott, belated congratulations on the Pop Candy interview.
Why weren’t Kings of Leon added? Becaue they are boring, talentless and a waste of time to listen to. Have a nice day.
White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Fiona Apple, and Common should all be on any top 20 list this year….but then again Im not a pretentious deuschbag….
it seems that some people are missing the point that this was a reader poll.
if your favorite wasn’t included, it’s because other people didn’t care about it as much as you. go make your own list.
My list is, to be modest, probably the best on the net
No dude, your list is just like any other hipsters list ont he net. It consists of the same cds in a different order, you are nothing special, get over yourself.
i think he means “pretentious deutschbag”
haha, nice one hans
i’m chuckling
curious why all these people take issue with “pretentious hipster” lists, yet are reading this site
go read perezhilton.com
his top disc is hilary duff
Not sure of the rules here so if this is frowned upon I apologize. Just thought I’d share my personal top 20 songs of the year. I’m not even sure all of these were released in ’05 but they didn’t hit my ears until then so here goes:
20. The Fruit Bats – Legs of Bees
19. Calla – It Dawned On Me
18. Longwave – Here It Comes
17. Elbow – Forget Myself
16. The Exit – Back To The Rebels
15. The Hold Steady – Your Little Hoodrat Friend
14. My Morning Jacket – Wordless Chorus
13. I Am Kloot – Over My Shoulder
12. Spoon – Sister Jack
11. LCD Soundsystem – Tribulations
10. The Breakmakers – Something Without Me
9. The Wedding Present – Always The Quiet one
8. The Thrills – Big Sur
7. Pinback – Non-Photo Blue
6. The New Pornographers – Use It
5. Cursive – The Recluse
4. Sun Kil Moon – Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
3. Maximo Park – Graffiti
2. Idlewild – El Capitan
1. Of Montreal – Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games
Sorry for the long post, but I’m bored and felt like opening myself up to public ridicule(sp?).
FYI …. We haven’t forgotten your Male Indie Rock Hotties results nor the picks for Sufjan’s next album. My skiing vacation ends tomorrow … I’ll tally and post then. My Sidekick’s not great for blogging. In the meantime, I’m enjoying reading your arguments…
my top twenty stuffed with artists too poor to afford publicists and ad space at pitchfork.
http://www.micropop.net/node/48
except that the majority of your artists are on major labels kosmo vinyl. but i’ll give you franz ferdinand, definitely no money with those guys
no…way…Sufjan!?..who could have guess that!
For the record…. The Monk/Coltrane Carnegie Hall album wasnt a “reissue.” The recording was discovered in January by a Library of Congress worker, and technicians spent almost a year remastering it. Recorded in 1957, no one had ever heard it.
No my list is not the same as everyone else’s because I have the Heartless Bastards, the most slept on band of the year.
I would also like to know where the Hold Steady landed.
Perhaps you could release an Xcel spreadsheet of the voting – via NumSum.com. Nerds.
How big of a poseur am I if I go out and get all these CD’s or have my “hip” friends burn them for me?
I’m always good for mainstream music but have found it intimidating, and somewhat difficult, to venture into “indie” rock (except Rilo Kiley and Ari Hest, who I love)…gosh darn Clear Channel!
Jesus Christ made a best of list too!
http://whatwouldjb.blogspot.com/
Since this is a list of readers favoites, and this site is part of Blogusphere central, would the albums on this list be considered Mainstream?
Shame not to see Hard-Fi on here, even though I think it’s silly to already be putting out 2005 lists before the year is over.
I say it’s time or Best of 2004 lists . . .
http://forthiteration.blogspot.com/
I agree with Michael on the posting of the best of 2004. Several of my most played albums of late were 2004 releases that I didn’t get until this year. Eugene Edwards and John Hoskinson.
Based on recent listens my 2005 list would surely be revised by the end of 2006. The Art Burt, Gavin Elder and Pale Stars are proving to be more compelling then the Decemberists or Bloc Party.
and point take on the number of major label releases on my list, although it’s only about half and it represents what little I can stomach from the majors these days.
Olivia- don’t worry, everyone in indie rock is a poseur. There’s nothing wrong with that. Since indie rock is not a genetic phenotype that people are born with, you can only ever pretend to be it, so then it just becomes a matter of HOW LONG you’ve been pretending to be it.
Also, Pale Stars? Are they back together, or are you talking about their ’90s stuff? They had some good tunes.
i like 11-20 much more than the top ten.
I think that you are remembering The Pale Saints from the 90s. The Pale Stars are a newish band from Baltimore and side project of Splitsville, the sound is alt-country leaning with heavily effects laden guitar work.
Dude, there’s like, 3 days left to the year. I think we’re safe doing a year-end. Precaution is one thing, but . . . two condoms is another.
Ah, I should have known. I haven’t heard THOSE Pale Stars.
After 150 postings of comments the topic has been diluted. Scott, could we please move on? Pass the butter.
just posted mine in case anyone cares:
http://clevertitlesaresolastsummer.blogspot.com/2006/01/ctasls-best-of-05-best-albums-bethanne.html
Hard-Fi Stars of CCTV
Gorillaz Demon days
Franz Ferdinand You could have it so much better
Akon Trouble
Madonna Confessions on a dancefloor
Are you sure 64745 about this?!?
Are you sure 64745 about this?!?