2011 was the year music learned to float. Actually, that’s not true at all; music has been reaching for feelings of tidal drift since the first Gregorian monks figured out how to chant, or maybe since the first caveman licked a frog and figured out that his grunts got extra-spacey. But surveying our 2011 top 50, ethereal haze is something that’s reached across genre lines to touch all corners of the musical globe.
In indie rock, Bon Iver’s slippery blend of smooth-rock sounds and abstract-jazz ideas shared a certain starry-eyed afghan-rug appeal with Gang Gang Dance’s worldly stoner pulses, Kate Bush’s daffy piano odysseys, M83′s synth fantasias, and Oneohtrix Point Never’s Casio-addled nostalgia-play. In rap, the so-called “cloud rap” aesthetic wafted through Clams Casino’s astral instrumental thump, ASAP Rocky’s stylized Southern-rap love letters, and Kendrick Lamar’s wordy self-examinations, even manifesting in big blockbuster opuses like Drake’s emo masterstroke and Kanye West and Jay-Z’s superstar summit. In electronic music, Pictureplane, Nicolas Jaar, and James Blake zoned the fuck out in some extremely different ways. Even R&B saw the rise of pill-popping auteurs like the Weeknd and Frank Ocean.
Elsewhere in the top 50, there’s a certain blood-and-fire darkness that encompasses Fucked Up’s roaring punk opera, EMA’s feral intensity, PJ Harvey’s battlefield expressionism, Iceage’s elusive jittercore, and Cold Cave’s wounded-animal dance parties. And we didn’t plan things out this way, but Austra and Zola Jesus ended up back-to-back at #14 and #15, presumably the most howlingly goth one-two punch in top-50 history.
But our #1 album of the year, though it has moments of both drift and wail, exists outside those trends. It’s a thing entirely unto itself: A great work of classical po songwriting, of perfectly calibrated recording, and of transcendent lyrical neediness. And it could’ve just as easily dropped in 1981, 1991, or 2001.
Here is the Stereogum editorial staff’s favorite LPs and EPs of 2011:
STEREOGUM’S TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2011
50 Youth Lagoon – The Year Of Hibernation (Fat Possum)
49 Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine (Carpark)
48 Oddisee – Rock Creek Park (Mello Music Group)
47 Wilco – The Whole Love (dBpm)
46 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l (4AD)
45 Adele – 21 (XL)
44 James Blake – James Blake (A&M/ATLAS)
43 Twin Sister – In Heaven (Domino)
42 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Fat Possum)
41 Das Racist – Relax (Greedhead)
40 Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Top Dawg)
39 Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Circus Company)
38 The Antlers – Burst Apart (Frenchkiss)
37 Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum)
36 Cut Copy – Zonoscope (Modular)
35 Atlas Sound – Parallax (4AD)
34 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo (Matador)
33 SBTRKT – SBTRKT (Young Turks)
32 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (4AD)
31 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)
30 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs (XL/TBD)
29 Washed Out – Within And Without (Sub Pop)
28 Pictureplane – Thee Physical (Lovepump United)
27 Destroyer – Kaputt (Merge)
26 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong (Slumberland)
25 Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years (Matador)
24 Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra (self-released)
23 Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Merge)
22 Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire (Capitol / Pax-Am)
21 Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape (self-released)
20 Real Estate – Days (Domino)
19 Iceage – New Brigade (Dais)
18 Beyoncé – 4 (Columbia)
17 Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica (Mexican Summer/Software)
16 Neon Indian – Era Extraña (Mom & Pop/Static Tongues)
15 Zola Jesus – Conatus (Sacred Bones)
14 Austra – Feel It Break (Domino/Paper Bag)
13 Yuck – Yuck (Fat Possum)
12 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
11 Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow (Anti-/Fish People)
10 Jay-Z And Kanye West – Watch The Throne (Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella/Roc Nation)
09 ASAP Rocky – LIVELOVEA$AP (self-released)
08 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Island)
07 EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints (Souterrain Transmissions)
06 Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact (4AD)
05 The Weeknd – House Of Balloons (self-released)
04 Fucked Up – David Comes To Life (Matador)
03 Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
02 Drake – Take Care (Young Money)
01 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost (Matador/True Panther Sounds)
//
Here’s that list in more copy/paste friendly format so you can post on your LiveJournal:
50 Youth Lagoon – The Year Of Hibernation
49 Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
48 Oddisee – Rock Creek Park
47 Wilco – The Whole Love
46 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
45 Adele – 21
44 James Blake – James Blake
43 Twin Sister – In Heaven
42 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
41 Das Racist – Relax
40 Kendrick Lamar – Section.80
39 Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise
38 Burst Apart – Burst Apart
37 Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
36 Cut Copy – Zonoscope
35 Atlas Sound – Parallax
34 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
33 SBTRKT – SBTRKT
32 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
31 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
30 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
29 Washed Out – Within And Without
28 Pictureplane – Thee Physical
27 Destroyer – Kaputt
26 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong
25 Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years
24 Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra
23 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
22 Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
21 Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape
20 Real Estate – Days
19 Iceage – New Brigade
18 Beyoncé – 4
17 Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
16 Neon Indian – Era Extraña
15 Zola Jesus – Conatus
14 Austra – Feel It Break
13 Yuck – Yuck
12 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
11 Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
10 Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
09 ASAP Rocky – LIVELOVEA$AP
08 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
07 EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
06 Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
05 The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
04 Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
03 Bon Iver – Bon Iver
02 Drake – Take Care
01 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
//
Coming up with the Stereogum list meant leaving out some personal favorites of our four staff members:
HONORABLE MENTIONS
SCOTT
01 Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit
02 Opeth – Heritage
03 Low – C’mon
04 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
05 Quilt – Quilt
AMRIT
01 Future Islands – On The Water
02 araabmuzik – Electronic Dream
03 The Men – Leave Home
04 Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place
05 Pure X – Pleasure
TOM
01 Don Trip & Starlito – Step Brothers
02 Fiend – Tennis Shoes And Tuxedos
03 TKO Capone – Tropical Swaggin Duh
04 G-Side – Island
05 Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Lost In Translation
CORBAN
01 Lil B – I’m Gay (I’m Happy)
02 Katy B – On A Mission
03 Vivian Girls – Share The Joy
04 R. Kelly – Love Letter
05 Sleep ∞ Over – Forever
//
And below, our favorite EPs:
STEREOGUM’S TOP 5 EPS OF 2011
01 The Soft Moon – Total Decay
02 Clams Casino – Rainforest
03 Elite Gymnastics – Ruin
04 Light Asylum – In Tension
05 Holy Other – With U
//
Feel free to express your (dis)pleasure with the results on this post, or by voting in The Gummys, which you have one more day to enter! Here are some other publications’ lists we’ve been highlighting:
- PASTE‘s Top 50 Albums Of 2011
- Q‘s 50 Best Albums Of 2011
- Uncut‘s Top 50 Albums Of 2011
- Decibel‘s 40 Best Albums Of 2011
- MOJO‘s Top 50 Albums Of 2011
- FACT’s Top 50 Albums Of 2011
- New York Magazine‘s Top 10 Albums Of 2011
- Rolling Stone‘s 50 Best Albums Of 2011
- NME‘s 50 Best Albums Of 2011
- Spin‘s 50 Best Albums Of 2011
- Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums Of 2011
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Your taste in hip-hop is appalling, M83 is at least 12 places too low, Fleet Foxes is ridiculously low, and where is The Drums? Apart from that this list is not altogether terrible.
For the record:
1) M83 – Midnight City
2) Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
3) Bon Iver – Bon Iver
4) The Drums – Portamento
5) Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
6) Wild Beasts – Smother
7) Death Grips – ExMilitary
8) Destroyer – Kaputt
9) James Blake – James Blake
10) Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years
And tracks:
1) Azealia Banks – 212
2) M83 – Midnight City
3) Battles – Ice Cream
4) Cold Cave – The Great Pan Is Dead
5) Death Grips – Guillotine (It Goes Yah)
6) M83 – Steve McQueen
7) The Drums – Money
8) Radiohead – Lotus Flower
9) Bon Iver – Holocene
10) Girls – Vomit
i love how your computer turned the “8 )” into a coolshades
I hated it, then accepted it, now I’m kind of partial to it.
i have not seen man man on a single list yet. that is too bad, that album is fantastic fantastic.
I haven’t so much as looked at the list, or checked the comments to see if anyone else has made this joke, but DAMMIT THIS LIST MAKES ME SO ANGRY
Where the fuck is Balam Acab?
I’m with Eric Morecambe on this one, you have placed all the right albums, just not necessarily in the right order!
The Field – Looping State of Mind. WHERE IS IT.
Fine, I’ll say it… where’s Goblin?
You’re a brave man.
Wild Beasts “Smother” is the best album of the year hands down.
but aside from that, glad you guys had the same love for r&b/hip hop that i did this year. None of the albums i thought i was going to love really did anything for me, and a bunch of newcomers/beyonce and her hubby and his protege being fucking awesome grabbed my attention. House of Balloons, Take Care, 4, Nostalgia, Ultra, and Watch The Throne are all in my top ten this year.
Where is Lulu?!?!
I find it interesting and also a little sad that the once critical darling Bright Eyes has been ignored not only on all these lists, but every corresponding comment section. Not one mention of The People’s Key by anyone, critic or commenter! Poor Conor. Now he will be super mega sad.
I’ve been thinking about this and will try to poorly phrase it. Radiohead has few to zero peers in today’s music. So it’s impossible to critique them with other acts with the same parameters as other bands. The expectations, stakes, and quality is so different. So either a Radiohead release is what we’d expect it to be, a brilliant success. Or it wasn’t.
Basically, I’m saying Radiohead should be in the top 5 of these lists or not at all.
This list sucks, Wheres
TY SEGALL??
“your opinion is wrong”
It’s already been mentioned multiple times, but i’d like to once again hold the mantle for “Smother”. Definitely one of my top ten of the year, other than that I mostly agree with the list.
I think this is a pretty good list. Few things I would have changed: Bon Iver would have been 1 and I would have put st vincent, james blake and tune yards higher.
http://www.lowerfrequencies.com/
The problem with this list, and most others, is that they don’t acknowledge the fact that M83′s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is the best album that’s been released in the last half a decade or so.
Pie in everyone’s face.
Supremely surprised by the lack of Cass McCombs, seen as you guys gave it such a great write-up.
YOU NEVER EVEN TRIED TO LOVE ME.
WHAT DID I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOU WANT ME?
WTH…. No Lykke LI?!? This list is bogus.
Hi. I’m still president of the Destroyer’s Kaputt Is [Still] Too Damn Low Party. Can I count on your vote this November?
KOL by Radiohead might’ve only had 8 tracks, but it still probably had the most best-songs of the year on a single album. And even though it was pretty weak, the Strokes deserve to be at least at 50 for the 3 good songs alone. But you get ONE kudo for acknowledging Wild Flag:)
For your pleasure, a couple of Spotify playlists based on this list.
http://spotirama.blogspot.com/2011/12/stereogum-best-50-albums-of-2011.html
1.- Girls – “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”
James Blake – James Blake
Kurt Vile – ”Smoke Ring For My Halo”
SBTRKT – SBTRKT
Foo Fighters – ”Wasting Light”
Gang Gang Dance – “Eye Contact”
Explosions in the Sky – “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care”.
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
M83 – ”Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
Jens Lekman – ”An Argument With Myself”
Radiohead – “The King of Limbs”
TV on the Radio – “Nine Types of Light“.
Real Estate – ”Days”
Low – “C’mon”
Fleet Foxes – ”Helessness Blues”
Arctic Monkeys – “Suck it and See”
Adele – ”21″
J Mascis – “Several Shades of Why”
Destroyer – ”Kaputt”
Fernando Milagros – ”San Sebastian”
Cass McCombs – ”Wit’s End”
The Decemberist – ”The King is Dead”
Lykke Li – “Wounded Rhymes”
Lady Gaga – ”Born this Way”
Mogwai – ”Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will”
William Fitzsimmons – “Gold in the Shadow”
PJ Harvey – ”Let England Shake”
Cut Copy – ”Zonoscope”
Metronomy – ”The English Rivera”
Alex Turner – “Submarine”
I wouldn’t cry if there were more Future Islands and Drums on this list.
No sir! someone has a crush on Drake, cause he is crap, just like Beyonce and her husband, and oh fuck! ASAP Rocky wtf is that??!? my god… besides that, it is a pretty solid list.
Wussy’s Strawberry is the one no one’s talking about, and it is sincerely a Great album. If you like loud guitars and solid songs (break-up songs? maybe?) you can’t do much better than this (or, really, any of Wussy’s).
I remain sincerely puzzled why Wussy gets so little press on blogs like this. They’re definitely indie enough. Maybe they’re not “groundbreaking” enough in their sound? But with songs as good as these, they shouldn’t need to be. Is it because all of the band members are over 30?
Distribution might be one reason; I don’t think it’s available for download at either Amazon or iTunes. But you can find it here: http://wussy.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry You can stream the whole thing, and download the great “Pulverized” for free. “Pizza King” is also very solid.
PS I second or third Shabazz Palaces!
Only listened to one of the albums in the top 10. Three in the top 20. 2011 is the year I no longer became a fickle music listener.
No Danny Brown. I’m sad =(
Toro Y Moi <333333333333333333333333333333333333
Are you drunk guys??Drake,BEYONCE ???Ah ah….and of course Girls at number one…ah ah ah…no Shabazz Palaces????But Beyoncé ?????This is a joke right?
yeah, black up is some heavy shit
I’m glad to have a good music site support my choice of Father, Son & Holy Ghost as the best album this year has produced :)
Wilco and Radiohead again, really? Is there any level of mediocrity these two bands can achieve to finally get boot off these lists.
At least Zola Jesus and Neon Indian got some love. Overall, better than AV Club’s.
Oh, and the wrong band named “Weekend” made the list.
Girls at number 1!!! perfect stereogum <3! but Drake is way too high. And I'm surprised Pure X, Puro Instinct and Shabazz Palaces were ignored
Should have waited for The Roots to drop.
Can anyone explain to me the reasoning behind the near-systematic shafting of Destroyer that’s happened in nearly every damn list that’s come out so far? Is it really just because it came out so early?Kaputt should be in the top 5, easily. Same with tune-yards. Is Take Care really better than nearly every single major indie release of 2k11? This year was much too good for that.
i really really liked Camp *runs away*
While I agree that most of these records were indeed the best of this year, the order is just all wrong to me. ‘w h o k i l l’ is CRIMINALLY low on this list, and seeing AraabMUZIK and Das Racist so high is maddening.
Very surprised by the lack of Cass Mccombs, seen as you gave his record such a good write-up…
YOU NEVER EVEN TRIED TO LOVE ME.
ahem again………Wye Oak?
Has no one here heard Rustie – Glass Swords???
I’m surprised that Destroyers album hasn’t been more successful on these first few lists released, it seems to be really popular with all the commenters but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the critics.
RLLY no Panda Bear!?
And no Shabazz Palaces? What so did you guys look at GvB’s top LPs and say fuck, we don’t want to look like this bro.
the fact this last doesn’t include tom waits is a travesty. get your act together, stereogum.
Tom Waits
Seeing Girls @ #1 makes my little heart beat faster. Best band in the world….best album.
Pains of Being Pure at Heart is my #2……..Then Lykke.
Thanks Stereogum….
This year’s Rural Alberta Advantage anyone? Definitely a top 50 album I reckon. Just sayin’.
meh, the only albums that mattered this year were Opeth “Heritage”, Mastodon “The Hunter”, Tombs “Path of Totality, Graveyard “Hisingen Blues” & Trap Them “Darker Handcraft”
So there are some good artists on here, PJ Harvey, St. Vincent, Bon Iver. Rather than complain about the list, I think I would like to complain about the trend.
What happened to loud uplifting bombastic rock and roll? This list has a ton I’d say 2/3 snoozers? A lot of synthy, sleepy folky blah stuff. Maybe this was the best we had to offer for this year.
I would like to ban bearded sad bastard singer song writers in 2012, synth music must be accompanied by loud drums and something other than a swedish guy/girl mooning about love.
Good list. A little safe, but still good. My main beef? Atlas Sound and tUnE-yArDs are WAY too low. And Drake is WAY too high.
I’m just surprised both Bon Iver and M83 aren’t both higher up.
I’m surprised Generationals aren’t on more lists too.
For the most part the list is agreeable, glad Zola Jesus was in there too. But doesn’t anybody else care that they left out Flo + the Machine?
It seems to be a rough split between people who were expecting more and people who just straight up hate her. I’m the first camp. It’s a good album but I’m finding it hard to truly love.
I feel like they should do a top 25 in june, a top 50 in december, see how many bands that are loved in june are out of favor by wintertime. makes me wonder how long the albums from june to dec are going to stay on people’s radars
the lack of Shabazz Palaces is embarassing. Youth Lagoon? Seriously?
drake at #2 and the cosmos are just two things i will never understand.
they forgot Friendly Fires “Pala”
Some great picks on here that I thought were glaring oversights on other lists, like Austra. But, Those Darlins got snubbed.
I know this is the bazzilionth comment so it will probably go unread but:
Wild Beasts – Smother
Holy Ghost!
Ryan Adams III/IV
My favorite song this year: “Loop the Loop” from Wild Beasts.
“I’ve made enough enemies…”
props to amrit for at least recognizing Pure X; “Pleasure” is one of the best albums of the last few years. the guitar on that album could simultaneously get the party started, bring a tear to your eye, and lull a baby into a pleasant sleep.
Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion is insanely underrated imo. Should’ve been top 50.
No In the Grace of your Love? No Shabazz Palaces? No Decemberists? No Los Campesinos? No Explosions in the Sky?
What the I don’t even know. Oh wait I do 2011 was just really fucking good for music.
wut about james blake 4 times.
Ok list, but please tell me that Okkervil River didn’t stop being cool??
Lists need to hold off until the year is actually over. The Roots and The Black Keys both released damn good albums this week, but they won’t be getting any love.
Presumably they’ll be eligible for next year, but yeah, I see your point.
I will approve of this list on the basis that Bon Iver was not #1. That being said…James Blake, St. Vincent and M83 should have been higher.
Finally finished this damn list- and i don’t care if your favorite album isn’t on it, :): http://swagexpress.com/2011/12/09/top-20-albums-of-2011/
The Strange Boys put out a very good album that I’d put in my top 50.
If the year lasted 10 days longer I’d no doubt be adding The Maccabees new joint to my list.
WU LYF?
love Wu Lyf.
Can I say I approve of the love this list gave to the Antlers? Because I do, and I just did.
No Weeknd? LOLWUT!?
I know it’s metal but….Krallice’s Diotima…*musicgasm*
you forgot The Decemberists (best album of the year)
hahahaha. that’s a good one.
why was the logo and creative design of the top 50 albums list, redone 3/4 days after it originally appeared. When this list was first published the image at the top, or connect with this was just a simple Stereogum’s Top 50 albums of 2011. Now the word Stereogum is in multicolored font. The words 50 albums are in some geometric shape figure, and then you have the covers of all the albums all in this logo masthead thing.
Why redesign the logo of it? I read the list once already. Then the new logo appeared and i assumed it was maybe the Gummys or a redesigned list. All that was changed was the font and the logo attached to this story.
Bizarre.
LYKKE LI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beirut.
Where the hell is Rustie?
not yet seen a 2011 poll that includes the great final album by Poly Styrene, Generation Indigo, such a pity because it’s a great album.
not yet seen a 2011 poll that includes the final album by Poly Styrene, Generation Indigo, such a pity because it’s a great album.
Where is Tomboy? Where is 936? Where is Black Up?
And Drake is number 2? Fail.
It was good to see that Austra finally made a list but the Drake album is not a top fifteen, or even top twenty five album. The Girls album was very well done but I am not sure I would have put it number 1, but certainly top 10. Tune-yards is a top ten album and Those Darlins should have been given more credit than not being on this list.
My humble list (Best of): http://auralfood.blogspot.com/
I know end of the year lists are subjective and all, but why would you include Beyonce and skip Panda Bear? Why would you put Drake as number 2 album of the year and just ignore Black Up, the most creative hip-hop album of the year? And what about 936?
Y u no give love to Peaking Lights? :(
Toronto really put a lot of exciting shit out this year – Austra, Drake, Fucked Up. M83 tops my list,.. for a double album it goes by so fast, so gorgeous
While I believe that James Blake should have been hight than SBTRKT, just a better album, my bigger issue is why no one wants to give THE GIVERS – IN LIGHT album any love. You can’t find a better feel good lp for the year. Just saying… If I’m wrong, please someone tell me why.
Created a Spotify list for those who want to listen: http://open.spotify.com/user/colinize/playlist/296cgmICVT8P6TyaHbAlNk
I made a Spotify list for Stereogum Top 50 Albums of 2011: http://open.spotify.com/user/cedrone/playlist/5LLXkLgHccKU4LynrQoU9t
well i feel overall it’s a great list. certainly better depth than what i’ve seen thus far. and nice to see that some of the more overhyped dross either didn’t make it(gaga)or was ranked low(adele)……adele was a fine album but hardly top 10,all things considered. also really nice to see one of these having finally included kate bush’s marvelous 50 words for snow. it’s one of her best works in ages and has not even been uttered on any list i’ve seen. i will say,i do question the omission of bjork,flo + the machine and lykke li. disappointing their albums weren’t considered for top 50 positions because they were actually pretty fantastic. and then in-turn see beyonce and drake of all people ranked so highly. and drake at no.2? why? you had one of the most intelligent,thought-provoking pieces of music released in PJ Harvey’s LES and it’s at no.8 and drake is no.2?
the ‘Gum List is solid. but i like mine a little better:
http://feerocksworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-albums-of-2011.html
how has no one said anything about the Dodos????
What you talking about, drake and Bon Iver ¿? seriously man :S
parallax was too good to be put in at 35. i’m not saying it should be top 10, but i’m saying that that album was too good to be at 35.
dodos….
Drake, Jay-Z and Kanye West,… Are you serious? Hiphop is an underground movement, those mtv gangsta wannabe’s make hiphop to shame. Screaming “nigga” over classic tracks isn’t music.
That’s so true.
My best of 2011:
http://ludditestereo.net/2011/12/13/best-music-of-2011-20-16/
Great to see “David Comes to Life” high up on the list. A truly inspiring and unique album. Gotta love it.
Curse you for putting so many albums above St Vincent’s “Strange Mercy,” but to hell with this entire list for putting Girls and Drake at 1 and 2 and ranking Watch the Throne anywhere in the top 40.
Shame! Shame I say!
Adele! Hahahahaha! Apart from that, not a bad list. Well done for remembering Cut Copy. Albums seem to sometimes be overlooked in these lists if they come out at the start of the year. Gotta mention Konkylie by When Saints Go Machine. My favourite album of the year by a million miles!
Does anyone actually agree with Drake at the 2 spot? Do they just randomly pick albums? If not it seems like they really missed the mark this year. Meanwhile I haven’t seen Loch Lomond on any year end list.