The numbing list parade rolls on! Today’s opportunity to sit in judgment of others’ opportunity-to-sit-in-judgment comes courtesy of Brit rag Q, who’ve announced their picks for the Top 50 albums of ’07. American readers will have to be understanding on two fronts: First, some 2006 Stateside releases came out just this year across the Atlantic (e.g. Cold War Kids, the Hold Steady, the Decemberists etc.). And second, as in accord with British law and precedent, Arctic Monkeys must place somewhere in the Top 5 (this year, see also). Shit, you guys aren’t gonna be understanding at all, are you (via PSNYC):
50 Stereophonics – Pull the Pin
49 Jamie T – Panic Prevention
48 Justice – ?
47 Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
46 Sigur Ròs – Hvarf-Heim
45 Lucinda Williams – West
44 Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!
43 Patrick Watson – Close to Paradise
42 The Enemy – We’ll Live and Die in These Towns
41 Keren Ann – Keren Ann
40 Field Music – Tones of Town
39 Joni Mitchell – Shine
38 Fall Out Boy – Infinity on High
37 Robyn – Robyn
36 Common – Finding Forever
35 Hard-Fi – Once upon a Time in the West
34 M.I.A. – Kala
33 Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
32 Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future
31 Soulsavers – It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land
30 The National – Boxer
29 Roìsìn Murphy – Overpowered
28 The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
27 Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
26 Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
25 Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
24 PJ Harvey – White Chalk
23 Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
22 The Coral – Roots & Echoes
21 Cold War Kids – Robbers & Cowards
20 The Rumble Strips – Girls and Weather
19 Björk – Volta
18 LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
17 Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight
16 Manic Street Preachers – Send Away the Tigers
15 Interpol – Our Love to Admire
14 Cherry Ghost – Thirst for Romance
13 Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob
12 Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
11 Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
10 Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
09 The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
08 The Shins – Wincing the Night Away
07 Kings of Leon – Because of the Times
06 Bruce Springsteen – Magic
05 The Good, The Bad & The Queen – The Good, The Bad & The Queen
04 Radiohead – In Rainbows
03 Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
02 The White Stripes – Icky Thump
01 Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Yep Arcade Fire at number one! Probably don’t need the exclamation point! As the drama of that reveal effectively squashed by the post header. But still there it is, the first — and after the massive amounts of press and inevitable if low-key backlash, perhaps only? — time this year Neon Bible is regarded so reverently. Come to think of it this list is pretty reverent to the traditionally “big” indie acts across the board (Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, the Shins, the White Stripes), probably a little too much so. Anyway somebody should send their office a copy of Hissing Fauna sometime today.
You Might Also Like
 |
 |
Still in awe that no one is bashing Interpol for being high up on the list. I like the album, but i know every other person thinks it’s complete dog shit.
it’s clear that the only way to settle this is to arrange a pitchfork vs. q mag street fight.
i’m putting 10 on q.
What I don’t understand is why everyone is taking this so personally. These lists are based on albums that have created different levels of impact. That’s not to say all of them are brilliant or that they deserve the recognition- it just means these are the albums that people were talking about for this year. Of course Arcade Fire are going to be number 1. Whether you liked Neon Bible or not, you can’t deny the repsonse that the album has gotten all year. That’s what these lists signify- albums that for one reason or another, have impacted the social consciousness of music for this year. There’s is no way lists like these could ever mean anything else because music is entirely subjective. Just because I hear an album one way does not mean someone else hears it like I do. There is no way to creat a uniform set of standards for what makes an album the “best” onto a list like this. It just doesn’t make sense.
this is like the list of best “mediocore indie music of the year” except in rainbows, sound of silver, kala and boxer would be in my best of
What’s most surprising about this list is that Radiohead isn’t #1. I mean, this is Q after all. They would make up a Radiohead album just as an excuse to put it at number 1. Granted, I agree In Rainbows wasn’t the best of the year, but you know, British music snobs LOVE their Radiohead…
Plus, it’s kinda sad when the closest thing to hip-hop on the list is M.I.A. but again, not surprising. I just can’t see Britons getting down to Ghostface Killah…
The Arctic Monkeys are fantastic live, which may have something to do with the love for the record.
Also, their cover of You Know I’m No Good is one of my favorite singles of the year.
Does anybody know when “Boys & Girls in America” is coming out? I can’t wait.
Uh, last year in the U.S. I think it came out in early ’07 in Europe.
I’d pick Neon Bible too. It has a maturity that most “indie” acts lack. The album also comes from the same voice while having a completely different feel. I know most people who visit this site are more interested in clothes/ labels, but anyone who slags Neon Bible automaticially owns 3 copies of the new Rilo Kiley. There is no middle ground here…
*Adopting Rodney Dangerfield voice* I tells ya, this list is out-of-date! I think I saw Sun Sessions in here somewhere.
What’s this about no hip-hop? Is Common a polka performer?
I’m just glad to see Fire at number one. Where they belong…
I’m just glad to see Arcade Fire at number one. Where they belong…
Q didn’t pick In Rainbows #1 cuz it’s TOO obvious…DONT you guys remmeber when the NME dared put OK Computer BEHIND the latter coming Spiritualized ‘Ladies n Gentlemen…’ cd?!??!!
They did that cuz everyone ELSE in the world picked OKC as the album of the year, so they wanted to be EDGY!! hahaha…now Ladies n Gentlemen is great shit but…come on…same w/Neon Bible, good stuff, good as those guys could do, impressive, but not better/best compared to their IDOLDS Radiohead…but n e way…how bout that Tigers trade HUH!?!?!
There’s a whole lot of “WTF?!?” going on in Dave W.’s comment but I’ll only ask for a bit of clarification:
What exactly does an NME ranking from 10 years ago have to do with a Q ranking from 1 week ago? And, for that matter, who but you still cares?
Where is ALBERT HAMMOND JR.???????
Ah, I seemed to have overlooked Common on this list. True, he is more hip-hop than M.I.A, but there were ar better releases this year, such as American Gangster, the aforementioned Ghostface, and (dare I say) Kanye West…
Strange how everybody seems to have either forgot or just overlooked Apples In Stereo this year. New Magnetic Wonder is actually a great album.
Umm SP? There was a point there, the point is it’s always HIP to pick the non obvious #1 album in those polls, Q/NME whatever.
BTW i just realized i havnt seen n e one put Baby 81 in their top lists…SORTA surprising, no?? i’m not a BIG fan of it but it has a few really solid songs and i thought all the mags loved it?
i hate this magazine