EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

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Holden
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EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Alright, went through each of the album lists so far and entered them all in:
USA: Paste, Glide, Decibel, Revolver, Gorilla vs. Bear, Consequence of Sound, Latin Grammys, Uproxx, Stereogum
UK: The Quietus, Uncut, Mojo, BBC Radio 6 Music, The Skinny, Gigwise
Denmark: Gaffa (National and International)
Netherlands: OOR
France: Les Inrockuptibles

Top 50 as of 12.1.2020
1 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
2 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
3 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
4 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
5 | Waxahatchee | Saint Cloud
6 | Fleet Foxes | Shore
7 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero’s Death
8 | Sault | Untitled (Black Is)
9 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
10 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
11 | Sault | Untitled (Rise)
12 | Yves Tumor | Heaven To a Tortured Mind
13 | HAIM | Women in Music Pt. III
14 | Taylor Swift | folklore
15 | Thundercat | It Is What It Is
16 | Rina Sawayama | SAWAYAMA
17 | Tame Impala | The Slow Rush
18 | Laura Marling | Song For Our Daughter
19 | Deftones | Ohms
20 | Bill Callahan | Gold Record
21 | Working Men's Club | Working Men's Club
22 | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Reunions
23 | Moses Sumney | græ
24 | Charli XCX | how i'm feeling now
25 | Sufjan Stevens | The Ascension
26 | Soccer Mommy | color theory
27 | Jarvis | Beyond the Pale
28 | Caribou | Suddenly
29 | Khruangbin | Mordechai
30 | Helena Deland | Someone New
31 | Kelly Lee Owens | Inner Song
32 | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist | Alfredo
33 | Cornershop | England Is a Garden
34 | Jessie Ware | What’s Your Pleasure?
35 | The Flaming Lips | American Head
36 | Adrianne Lenker | songs
37 | Nadine Shah | Kitchen Sink
38 | Oneohtrix Point Never | Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
39 | Idles | Ultra Mono
40 | Mac Miller | Circles
41 | Baxter Dury | The Night Chancers
42 | Shirley Collins | Heart's Ease
43 | Pa Salieu | Send Them to Coventry
44 | Porridge Radio | Every Bad
45 | The Weeknd | After Hours
46 | Destroyer | Have We Met
47 | Songhoy Blues | Optimisme
48 | Róisín Murphy | Róisín Machine
49 | The Strokes | The New Abnormal
50 | Bruce Springsteen | Letter to You

A few notes:
No doubt in my mind FTBC will come out on top. RTJ4 is probably top 2 though, if I had to guess.
I think Bob Dylan will pass Phoebe Bridgers, since Bob Dylan is currently 1 in Rest of the world and 2 in the UK & Ireland but 30 in USA & Canada, which will definitely change.
Fontaines D.C. is doing crazy good, for now. I expect it to fall.
SAULT really came out of nowhere to put two albums in the Top 11 so far.

Also, a question: how should I handle Instrumentals by Adrianne Lenker? I've never seen it on its own in these lists, and whenever it is placed it's alongside Songs, so it lowers everything below it by one place. Should I combine them?
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

Sault's rise is definitely the story of the EOY lists so far. Very interesting to see them come out of nowhere after I didn't sense much buzz when the first one came out this summer.

RTJ4 seems on track to end up as their most acclaimed album, which is surprising after they underperformed on EOD lists last year. The timing of the album's release against the racial injustice protests of this summer helped them as well as Sault.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Jackson wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:08 am Sault's rise is definitely the story of the EOY lists so far. Very interesting to see them come out of nowhere after I didn't sense much buzz when the first one came out this summer.

RTJ4 seems on track to end up as their most acclaimed album, which is surprising after they underperformed on EOD lists last year. The timing of the album's release against the racial injustice protests of this summer helped them as well as Sault.
It’s shocking to me that reviewers aren’t going their usual path of picking one album for Sault! More than once they’ve had both in the top 10, which just seems so much more celebratory than I would expect, regardless about what you think of them.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by EGrignon »

Holden wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 1:49 am Also, a question: how should I handle Instrumentals by Adrianne Lenker? I've never seen it on its own in these lists, and whenever it is placed it's alongside Songs, so it lowers everything below it by one place. Should I combine them?
From what I understand, instrumentals is a companion piece to songs more than an album in its own right. In fact, it is impossible to buy a physical version of one without the other, it is always packaged as a double album outside of the streaming services. So I feel like it would make sense to count instrumentals and songs together as one single album.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Setherex »

I see no reason why they shouldn't be combined for the purpose of our tracking.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Henrik »

SpankyRevolution wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 4:03 am
Holden wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 1:49 am Also, a question: how should I handle Instrumentals by Adrianne Lenker? I've never seen it on its own in these lists, and whenever it is placed it's alongside Songs, so it lowers everything below it by one place. Should I combine them?
From what I understand, instrumentals is a companion piece to songs more than an album in its own right. In fact, it is impossible to buy a physical version of one without the other, it is always packaged as a double album outside of the streaming services. So I feel like it would make sense to count instrumentals and songs together as one single album.
So maybe they should be combined then. In any case, there’s no need to lower everything below it down, that’s to picky IMO.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Henrik »

Thanks for this first update, Holden!!
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

I've combined the songs and instrumentals. Also, Henrik, what should I do in the case of ties? For example, I don't think anyone would propose combining the two SAULT albums, but at least one list has put them in one place. What I've been doing is this:

Let's say that both SAULT albums are placed in Number 2. Here is an example list as presented by the source:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise)
3 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

What I have been doing is this:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2.5 | Untitled (Black Is)
2.5 | Untitled (Rise)
4 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

Is this correct? Or how should I handle ties?
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Henrik »

Holden wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:07 pm I've combined the songs and instrumentals. Also, Henrik, what should I do in the case of ties? For example, I don't think anyone would propose combining the two SAULT albums, but at least one list has put them in one place. What I've been doing is this:

Let's say that both SAULT albums are placed in Number 2. Here is an example list as presented by the source:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise)
3 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

What I have been doing is this:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2.5 | Untitled (Black Is)
2.5 | Untitled (Rise)
4 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

Is this correct? Or how should I handle ties?
In the past, I have myself done as you suggested. But it really doesn’t matter much for the ranking in the spreadsheet. What does matter, is that I will eventually use the spreadsheet data on the AM website, and then it will look like an error if Rough and Rowdy Ways is listed as number 4 instead of 3. So I say put both Sault albums as number 2. Ok?
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Henrik wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:18 pm
Holden wrote: Wed Dec 02, 2020 2:07 pm I've combined the songs and instrumentals. Also, Henrik, what should I do in the case of ties? For example, I don't think anyone would propose combining the two SAULT albums, but at least one list has put them in one place. What I've been doing is this:

Let's say that both SAULT albums are placed in Number 2. Here is an example list as presented by the source:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | Untitled (Black Is) + Untitled (Rise)
3 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

What I have been doing is this:
1 | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2.5 | Untitled (Black Is)
2.5 | Untitled (Rise)
4 | Rough and Rowdy Ways

Is this correct? Or how should I handle ties?
In the past, I have myself done as you suggested. But it really doesn’t matter much for the ranking in the spreadsheet. What does matter, is that I will eventually use the spreadsheet data on the AM website, and then it will look like an error if Rough and Rowdy Ways is listed as number 4 instead of 3. So I say put both Sault albums as number 2. Ok?
Gotcha, thanks!
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by fabrizioalbertini »

hope to see miss XCX rise up to at least the top 15, especially after her snub last year
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

fabrizioalbertini wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 8:49 pm hope to see miss XCX rise up to at least the top 15, especially after her snub last year
:music-listening:
Same here! Looks like she got a couple of new top ten placements since this was updated.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

I'm going to do updates every week (on Tuesday), but I'd like to mention that I've used two lists now that were not on last year's spreadsheet that appear to be eligible:
Rolling Stone (Mexico)
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Germany)

I'm pretty sure Henrik said that Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik was eligible in another thread, and I don't see why RS Mexico wouldn't be, but I can just as easily remove them if there is an issue with them.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Henrik »

Go ahead and use them! Thanks!
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Henrik wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:24 pm Go ahead and use them! Thanks!
I see panam posted a list from RNZ music that may be eligible. Is that one indeed eligible?
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Henrik »

Holden wrote: Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:40 pm
Henrik wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:24 pm Go ahead and use them! Thanks!
I see panam posted a list from RNZ music that may be eligible. Is that one indeed eligible?
Yes!
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

I’ll post an update tomorrow but for however much everyone thought FTBC was going to dominate the EOY lists, it is assuredly not doing that. It is near/at the top, but dominating it is not.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

Holden wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:21 pm I’ll post an update tomorrow but for however much everyone thought FTBC was going to dominate the EOY lists, it is assuredly not doing that. It is near/at the top, but dominating it is not.
If this is the case it's because Punisher and RTJ4 seem to be overperforming, not from FTBC underperforming. FTBC is high up on virtually every recently posted list. It leads by far Metacritic's roundup, which usually tracks ours pretty closely.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Donchano »

My prediction for Top 10 :

01. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
02. Run the Jewels - RTJ4
03. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
04. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
05. Taylor Swift - folklore
06. SAULT - Untitled (Black Is)
07. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
08. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
09. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death
10. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Monte »

Jackson wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:00 pm
Holden wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:21 pm I’ll post an update tomorrow but for however much everyone thought FTBC was going to dominate the EOY lists, it is assuredly not doing that. It is near/at the top, but dominating it is not.
If this is the case it's because Punisher and RTJ4 seem to be overperforming, not from FTBC underperforming. FTBC is high up on virtually every recently posted list. It leads by far Metacritic's roundup, which usually tracks ours pretty closely.
lol overperforming.
She's just not dominating, not even the first few lists made it seem that way. I can't even remember her topping any lists so far, or maybe 1 or 2 (paste??). But my prediction was that she wasn't going to be in the top 5 after seeing the first lists (she probably will be)
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

The Top 4 seem pretty set in stone as of right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dylan taken over by Dua Lipa/Taylor Swift. I would say Phoebe Bridgers is overperforming, at least compared to my expectations.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

Monte wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:58 am
Jackson wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:00 pm
Holden wrote: Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:21 pm I’ll post an update tomorrow but for however much everyone thought FTBC was going to dominate the EOY lists, it is assuredly not doing that. It is near/at the top, but dominating it is not.
If this is the case it's because Punisher and RTJ4 seem to be overperforming, not from FTBC underperforming. FTBC is high up on virtually every recently posted list. It leads by far Metacritic's roundup, which usually tracks ours pretty closely.
lol overperforming.
She's just not dominating, not even the first few lists made it seem that way. I can't even remember her topping any lists so far, or maybe 1 or 2 (paste??). But my prediction was that she wasn't going to be in the top 5 after seeing the first lists (she probably will be)
According to the Metacritic link in my post (which uses fewer sources than we do here), FTBC is #1 on six lists so far. The next highest album has three #1's.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Alright, here is the update! (Note: The Guardian and Albumism are super obnoxious but to save time later on I have added in their lists as is so this is obviously not a perfect list, but hey it's just an update so whatever.)

New Sources:
USA: Complex, NPR, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Albumism, RIFF Magazine, Alternative Press, PopMatters, Billboard, AllMusic, Treble, Pitchfork, Noisey
Canada: Exclaim!
UK: The Line of Best Fit, Louder Than War, Crack, The Guardian, The Wire
Germany: NBHAP, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
Spain: Hipersonica
Mexico: Rolling Stone
New Zealand: RNZ Music
Belgium: Humo
Sweden: Sonic
Colombia: Revista Shock (National List)

1 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
3 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
4 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
5 | Taylor Swift | folklore
6 | Sault | Untitled (Black Is)
7 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
8 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
9 | Yves Tumor | Heaven To a Tortured Mind
10 | Waxahatchee | Saint Cloud
11 | HAIM | Women in Music Pt. III
12 | Fleet Foxes | Shore
13 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero’s Death
14 | Thundercat | It Is What It Is
15 | Sault | Untitled (Rise)
16 | Moses Sumney | græ
17 | Tame Impala | The Slow Rush
18 | Charli XCX | how i'm feeling now
19 | Bad Bunny | YHLQMDLG
20 | Jessie Ware | What’s Your Pleasure?
21 | Rina Sawayama | SAWAYAMA
22 | The Weeknd | After Hours
23 | Caribou | Suddenly
24 | Soccer Mommy | color theory
25 | Deftones | Ohms
26 | Kelly Lee Owens | Inner Song
27 | Lil Uzi Vert | Eternal Atake
28 | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist | Alfredo
29 | Chloe x Halle | Ungodly Hour
30 | Róisín Murphy | Róisín Machine
31 | Mac Miller | Circles
32 | Adrianne Lenker | songs/instrumentals
33 | Jay Electronica | A Written Testimony
34 | Porridge Radio | Every Bad
35 | Lady Gaga | Chromatica
36 | Nubya Garcia | Source
37 | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Reunions
38 | Sufjan Stevens | The Ascension
39 | Laura Marling | Song For Our Daughter
40 | Grimes | Miss Anthropocene
41 | Khruangbin | Mordechai
42 | Idles | Ultra Mono
43 | Beatrice Dillon | Workaround
44 | The Strokes | The New Abnormal
45 | Doves | The Universal Want
46 | Megan Thee Stallion | Good News
47 | Flo Milli | Ho, Why Is You Here?
48 | Bruce Springsteen | Letter to You
49 | Hayley Williams | Petals for Armor
50 | Destroyer | Have We Met
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

Thanks for the update, Holden. A few take-aways:

- I'm pleasantly surprised to see both Sault albums still doing well, with Black Is even rising a few spots in this update. I thought their placement on the initial list may have just been an outlier from a few lists, but it appears it will last. Can anyone think of another recent examples of albums with so few reviews upon release placing so high in the EOY spreadsheet? Usually when more initially obscure albums become acclaimed it's years after the fact
- The weirdest placement to me is Tame Impala at 17. That album was met with mediocre reception and seems like it came out eons ago. Name brand recognition appears to be a major factor in critics putting that ahead of many of the albums below it
- Glad to see Inner Song doing well after her debut in 2017 ended up as bubbling under on AM
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by acroamor »

Jackson wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:23 pm - The weirdest placement to me is Tame Impala at 17. That album was met with mediocre reception and seems like it came out eons ago. Name brand recognition appears to be a major factor in critics putting that ahead of many of the albums below it
Somewhat related to this: does anyone else feel a weird disconnect to albums released in January and February of this year because of coronavirus? It's been such an all-consuming part of the year that anything released before it feels like it was in a different era entirely. I've had that feeling with the Tame Impala release, but also the new albums by Soccer Mommy, Caribou, Caroline Rose, U.S. Girls, Dan Deacon, Grimes, Destroyer, etc.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Jackson wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:23 pm Thanks for the update, Holden. A few take-aways:

- I'm pleasantly surprised to see both Sault albums still doing well, with Black Is even rising a few spots in this update. I thought their placement on the initial list may have just been an outlier from a few lists, but it appears it will last. Can anyone think of another recent examples of albums with so few reviews upon release placing so high in the EOY spreadsheet? Usually when more initially obscure albums become acclaimed it's years after the fact
- The weirdest placement to me is Tame Impala at 17. That album was met with mediocre reception and seems like it came out eons ago. Name brand recognition appears to be a major factor in critics putting that ahead of many of the albums below it
- Glad to see Inner Song doing well after her debut in 2017 ended up as bubbling under on AM
A maybe important note here: I am also surprised by Slow Rush doing so good (I thought was just meh, definitely not as good as their prior too) but most of Tame Impalas acclaim is coming from outside the US and UK. Maybe that’ll change, I suspect it will fall, but interesting nonetheless
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

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good job holden
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Holden wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:03 pm
Jackson wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:23 pm Thanks for the update, Holden. A few take-aways:

- I'm pleasantly surprised to see both Sault albums still doing well, with Black Is even rising a few spots in this update. I thought their placement on the initial list may have just been an outlier from a few lists, but it appears it will last. Can anyone think of another recent examples of albums with so few reviews upon release placing so high in the EOY spreadsheet? Usually when more initially obscure albums become acclaimed it's years after the fact
- The weirdest placement to me is Tame Impala at 17. That album was met with mediocre reception and seems like it came out eons ago. Name brand recognition appears to be a major factor in critics putting that ahead of many of the albums below it
- Glad to see Inner Song doing well after her debut in 2017 ended up as bubbling under on AM
A maybe important note here: I am also surprised by Slow Rush doing so good (I thought was just meh, definitely not as good as their prior too) but most of Tame Impalas acclaim is coming from outside the US and UK. Maybe that’ll change, I suspect it will fall, but interesting nonetheless
Makes me wonder... how many album lists have been counted and how many more are expected (i guess compared to the average number of lists counter per year)
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

The top three (FTBC, RTJ4, Punisher) are FAR ahead of the others, and Fiona Apple has finally pulled ahead as anticipated:
FTBC: 370
RTJ4: 314
Punisher: 297
RARW: 182

Big drop off. Seems like we probably have our top three, as they each keep on appearing on almost every list. They also hold the top three positions in each region between them, except for Bob Dylan, who is managing to hold on to #1 in the UK and Ireland. Bob Dylan is shockingly being held back by a #14 ranking in the US/Canada, where I would've thought he'd be doing the best.

Here are the current top ten in each region. Consider this a small update, I guess.

USA & Canada
01 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
02 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
03 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
04 | Waxahatchee | Saint Cloud
05 | Taylor Swift | folklore
06 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
07 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
08 | Bad Bunny | YHLQMDLG
09 | HAIM | Women in Music Pt. III
10 | Yves Tumor | Heaven to a Tortured Mind

UK & Ireland
01 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
02 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
03 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
04 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
05 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero's Death
06 | SAULT | Untitled (Black Is)
07 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
08 | Yves Tumor | Heaven to a Tortured Mind
09 | Fleet Foxes | Shore
10 | Moses Sumney | græ

Rest of the World
01 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
02 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
03 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
04 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero's Death
05 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
06 | SAULT | Untitled (Rise)
07 | Tame Impala | The Slow Rush
08 | SAULT | Untitled (Black Is)
09 | Caribou | Suddenly
10 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

Here are the Top Five albums to currently not have a single vote in at least one region:
21 | Bad Bunny | YHLQMDLG (Rest of the World)
22 | The Weeknd | After Hours ( UK & Ireland)
30 | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist | Alfredo (Rest of the World)
33 | Chloe x Halle | Ungodly Hour (Rest of the World)
36 | Lil Uzi Vert | Eternal Atake (Rest of the World)
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Donchano »

Sault truly is the biggest surprise of the year. They are coming out nowhere, the albums barely grabbed attention of critics, only a few reviews upon release yet here we are they are slaying EOY lists. When was the last time we saw this kind of surprise?

Anyway, once again Swift releases another widespread acclaimed album but too bad it is too late to make it into many EOY lists otherwise interesting to see her joins Sault and Lenker with double acclaimed albums in the ranking.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by BleuPanda »

Another thing that always hits me with the EOY lists is the hip hop albums - there are only five hip hop albums in the MCCH top 100, yet here we have Bad Bunny and Lil Uzi Vert in the top 30 for the year despite not being mentioned there. And looking at those 5 that are in the MCCH chart, they generally have less reviews than the major albums. It feels clear we've reached the point where critics feel the need to include a fair amount of hip hop in their end of year lists, but they don't lend the same respect throughout the year when they are doing reviews.

Because it's not like these albums got unimpressive reviews initially; the Bad Bunny album has an 88 on Metacritic, Lil Uzi Vert an 84. They just aren't getting enough reviews to land on anyone's radar, but then suddenly all these publications who didn't bother with initial reviews include them. But it feels like this happens every year; mainstream critics don't seem to touch hip hop reviews unless it's from a tentpole act like Kendrick or Danny Brown. Which is bizarre - Bad Bunny and Lil Uzi Vert are close to cultural giants at this point. If they don't feel equipped to write nuanced reviews of these albums, maybe they need to hire someone who specializes in the genre?

Edit: I should have looked further down than where I'm currently catching up with listening; there's also Jay Electronica and Flo Milli in the top 50 as far as ignored hip hop. And add in both Sault and Chloe x Halle, and this seems like a phenomena largely hitting black-dominated genres (though I spy at least one electronic album in the current top 50 I've never heard of until now, which has always felt in a similar boat with only the major established acts getting initial reviews).
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by nquoid »

BleuPanda wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 3:15 pm Another thing that always hits me with the EOY lists is the hip hop albums - there are only five hip hop albums in the MCCH top 100, yet here we have Bad Bunny and Lil Uzi Vert in the top 30 for the year despite not being mentioned there. And looking at those 5 that are in the MCCH chart, they generally have less reviews than the major albums. It feels clear we've reached the point where critics feel the need to include a fair amount of hip hop in their end of year lists, but they don't lend the same respect throughout the year when they are doing reviews.

Because it's not like these albums got unimpressive reviews initially; the Bad Bunny album has an 88 on Metacritic, Lil Uzi Vert an 84. They just aren't getting enough reviews to land on anyone's radar, but then suddenly all these publications who didn't bother with initial reviews include them. But it feels like this happens every year; mainstream critics don't seem to touch hip hop reviews unless it's from a tentpole act like Kendrick or Danny Brown. Which is bizarre - Bad Bunny and Lil Uzi Vert are close to cultural giants at this point. If they don't feel equipped to write nuanced reviews of these albums, maybe they need to hire someone who specializes in the genre?

Edit: I should have looked further down than where I'm currently catching up with listening; there's also Jay Electronica and Flo Milli in the top 50 as far as ignored hip hop. And add in both Sault and Chloe x Halle, and this seems like a phenomena largely hitting black-dominated genres (though I spy at least one electronic album in the current top 50 I've never heard of until now, which has always felt in a similar boat with only the major established acts getting initial reviews).
Digging into the Bad Bunny album. Looking at who has featured it; no Rest of the World sources and only 1 UK source, who despite reviewing albums didn't review YHLQMDLG.

In the US though, every source that reviewed it is already featured in MCCH (apart from the New York Times). But then; Uproxx, Complex, NPR, Entertainment Weekly and Noisey don't really do reviews so wouldn't get picked up.

Seems like a mixture of the critics that could write these reviews aren't (probably because the readership isn't there) and then a lot of US focused popular hip-hop music isn't really translating when you get to the rest of the world.

But then something like Salut absolutely is playing international to critics circles, but is in a very similar boat when it comes to the lack of reviews...
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by charliepanayi »

Sault have been talked up quite a bit in the UK in recent months especially as their music has chimed in with the protests of summer 2020, I think their anonymity (though apparently the people involved are listed on the discogs page)/reclusive nature is why their profile isn't bigger. The Mercury Prize really whiffed not giving Black Is a nomination, maybe they'll give Rise one next year though
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Last time I included a partial list from The Guardian, I decided to just remove it from this update altogether until the list is complete.

New Sources:
USA: Beats Per Minute, Slant, Flood, SPIN, American Songwriter, AV Club
Canada: Northern Transmission
UK: The Times, Loud and Quiet, NME, Clash, Live4Ever, Stereoboard, Dork
Australia: Double J
Sweden: Dagens Nyheter, Gaffa
Mexico: MeHaceRadio (English and Spanish), IndieRock
Germany: Zundfunk, Muxikexpress
Portugal: BLITZ (Intl and Natl)
Spain: Mondosonoro

Top 100:
1 | 1 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | 2 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
3 | 3 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
4 | 7 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
5 | 8 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
6 | 5 | Taylor Swift | folklore
7 | 4 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
8 | 6 | Sault | Untitled (Black Is)
9 | 10 | Waxahatchee | Saint Cloud
10 | 13 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero's Death
11 | 11 | HAIM | Women in Music Pt. III
12 | 16 | Moses Sumney | græ
13 | 9 | Yves Tumor | Heaven To a Tortured Mind
14 | 12 | Fleet Foxes | Shore
15 | 14 | Thundercat | It Is What It Is
16 | 21 | Rina Sawayama | SAWAYAMA
17 | 15 | Sault | Untitled (Rise)
18 | 17 | Tame Impala | The Slow Rush
19 | 18 | Charli XCX | how i'm feeling now
20 | 20 | Jessie Ware | What’s Your Pleasure?
21 | 23 | Caribou | Suddenly
22 | 30 | Róisín Murphy | Róisín Machine
23 | 19 | Bad Bunny | YHLQMDLG
24 | 22 | The Weeknd | After Hours
25 | 25 | Deftones | Ohms
26 | 34 | Porridge Radio | Every Bad
27 | 24 | Soccer Mommy | color theory
28 | 38 | Sufjan Stevens | The Ascension
29 | 42 | Idles | Ultra Mono
30 | 26 | Kelly Lee Owens | Inner Song
31 | 32 | Adrianne Lenker | songs/instrumentals
32 | 39 | Laura Marling | Song For Our Daughter
33 | 40 | Grimes | Miss Anthropocene
34 | 41 | Khruangbin | Mordechai
35 | 28 | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist | Alfredo
36 | 29 | Chloe x Halle | Ungodly Hour
37 | 44 | The Strokes | The New Abnormal
38 | 27 | Lil Uzi Vert | Eternal Atake
39 | 49 | Hayley Williams | Petals for Armor
40 | 90 | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas
41 | 59 | Bartees Strange | Live Forever
42 | 31 | Mac Miller | Circles
43 | 35 | Lady Gaga | Chromatica
44 | 51 | Lido Pimienta | Miss Colombia
45 | 33 | Jay Electronica | A Written Testimony
46 | 100 | Ela Minus | acts of rebellion
47 | 48 | Bruce Springsteen | Letter to You
48 | 46 | Megan Thee Stallion | Good News
49 | 52 | Working Men's Club | Working Men's Club
50 | 63 | J Hus | Big Conspiracy
51 | 58 | The 1975 | Notes on a Conditional Form
52 | 56 | The Microphones | Microphones in 2020
53 | 37 | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Reunions
54 | 57 | The Flaming Lips | American Head
55 | 73 | Jarv Is… | Beyond the Pale
56 | 36 | Nubya Garcia | Source
57 | 45 | Doves | The Universal Want
58 | 113 | Baebadoobee | Fake It Flowers
59 | 62 | Nadine Shah | Kitchen Sink
60 | 66 | clipping. | Visions of Bodies Being Burned
61 | 77 | Moses Boyd | Dark Matter
62 | 98 | Georgia | Seeking Thrills
63 | 102 | Open Mike Eagle | Anime, Trauma and Divorce
64 | 50 | Destroyer | Have We Met
65 | 74 | Jeff Parker | Suite for Max Brown
66 | 94 | Arca | KiCK i
67 | 54 | Bill Callahan | Gold Record
68 | 69 | Pa Salieu | Send Them to Coventry
69 | 64 | The Chicks | Gaslighter
70 | 47 | Flo Milli | Ho, Why Is You Here?
71 | 119 | Touché Amoré | Lament
72 | 61 | The Soft Pink Truth | Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?
73 | 71 | Jehnny Beth | To Love Is to Live
74 | 43 | Beatrice Dillon | Workaround
75 | 198 | Bright Eyes | Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was
76 | 107 | Four Tet | Sixteen Oceans
77 | 53 | Helena Deland | Someone New
78 | 55 | Cornershop | England Is a Garden
79 | 78 | Lucinda Williams | Good Souls Better Angels
80 | 65 | Code Orange | Underneath
81 | 76 | Oneohtrix Point Never | Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
82 | 157 | Protomartyr | Ultimate Success Today
83 | 115 | Sorry | 925
84 | 72 | Gorillaz | Song Machine, Season One: Strange Times
85 | 60 | Shabaka & The Ancestors | We Are Sent Here By History
86 | 67 | Lil Baby | My Turn
87 | 70 | Julianna Barwick | Healing Is A Miracle
88 | 101 | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Sideways To New Italy
89 | 99 | Headie One | Edna
90 | 120 | King Krule | Man Alive!
91 | 232 | Empress Of | I'm Your Empress Of
92 | 88 | U.S. Girls | Heavy Light
93 | 79 | Kylie Minogue | Disco
94 | 81 | Baxter Dury | The Night Chancers
95 | 68 | Duval Timothy | Help
96 | 197 | Kevin Morby | Sundowner
97 | 87 | Pearl Jam | Gigaton
98 | 95 | Spillage Village | Spilligion
99 | 93 | Poppy | I Disagree
100 | 84 | Special Interest | The Passion Of
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Arsalan »

Is Radio X's list ineligible? We have counted their EOD list before.

also what happend to The Forty-Five list? Is it eligible?
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Arsalan wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:25 pm Is Radio X's list ineligible? We have counted their EOD list before.

also what happend to The Forty-Five list? Is it eligible?
The Forty-Five is not YET eligible but it may be if it’s Alexa rank improves, so I’m waiting on that one.

Radio X isn’t in my master list of last year’s sources, so I’ll have to look into that one. The EOD criteria is different than EOY, so if it’s eligible I’ll add it to the spreadsheet by next time.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Arsalan »

Holden wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 pm
Arsalan wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:25 pm Is Radio X's list ineligible? We have counted their EOD list before.

also what happend to The Forty-Five list? Is it eligible?
The Forty-Five is not YET eligible but it may be if it’s Alexa rank improves, so I’m waiting on that one.

Radio X isn’t in my master list of last year’s sources, so I’ll have to look into that one. The EOD criteria is different than EOY, so if it’s eligible I’ll add it to the spreadsheet by next time.
Okay, I just checked and Radio X is not an eligible source.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by panam »

Arsalan wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:53 pm
Holden wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:32 pm
Arsalan wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:25 pm Is Radio X's list ineligible? We have counted their EOD list before.

also what happend to The Forty-Five list? Is it eligible?
The Forty-Five is not YET eligible but it may be if it’s Alexa rank improves, so I’m waiting on that one.

Radio X isn’t in my master list of last year’s sources, so I’ll have to look into that one. The EOD criteria is different than EOY, so if it’s eligible I’ll add it to the spreadsheet by next time.
Okay, I just checked and Radio X is not an eligible source.
I was looking for the Year was chosen but I didn't find it too.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Any major updates
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Edre Peraza wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:06 am Any major updates
I’m doing them on Tuesday’s. You’ll get one tomorrow.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Holden wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:16 am
Edre Peraza wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:06 am Any major updates
I’m doing them on Tuesday’s. You’ll get one tomorrow.
Ah okay
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Holden »

Next update!

Here are the new sources:
USA & Canada: Uproxx Critics Poll, The Alternative, Fader, mxdwn.com, A Closer Listen, Downbeat (Jazz), Downbeat (Blues), Downbeat (Beyond), Spectrum Culture, XXL, Aquarium Drunkard
UK & Ireland: DIY, musicOMH, Kerrang!, Songlines, No Ripcord, Shindig!, Dazed, Classic Rock, Irish Times, Resident Advisor
Rest of the World: IndieRocks, Rockdelux - Intl, Nojesguiden-Intl, Dansende Beren (Intl), Knack Focus, Kalporz, Tonspion, Jenesaispop, Hymn, Revista Martin, Soundi, Muzikalia (International), Rolling Stone (Germany), Laut, Mowno, HumoNegro, Radionica, Dagsavisen, CrazyMinds (International)
National Lists: Rockdelux (Natl), Nojesguiden-Natl, Dansende Beren (National), CBC Music (Natl), Complex (Canada-NTL), Muzikalia (NTL), Soundi (National), Hipersonic (National), Irish Times (National), HumoNegro (National), CrazyMinds (National)


Top 100:
1 | 1 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters
2 | 3 | Phoebe Bridgers | Punisher
3 | 2 | Run the Jewels | RTJ4
4 | 4 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia
5 | 5 | Perfume Genius | Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
6 | 7 | Bob Dylan | Rough and Rowdy Ways
7 | 6 | Taylor Swift | folklore
8 | 10 | Fontaines D.C. | A Hero's Death
9 | 8 | Sault | Untitled (Black Is)
10 | 9 | Waxahatchee | Saint Cloud
11 | 13 | Yves Tumor | Heaven To a Tortured Mind
12 | 11 | HAIM | Women in Music Pt. III
13 | 12 | Moses Sumney | græ
14 | 14 | Fleet Foxes | Shore
15 | 20 | Jessie Ware | What’s Your Pleasure?
16 | 16 | Rina Sawayama | SAWAYAMA
17 | 18 | Tame Impala | The Slow Rush
18 | 19 | Charli XCX | how i'm feeling now
19 | 22 | Róisín Murphy | Róisín Machine
20 | 29 | Idles | Ultra Mono
21 | 15 | Thundercat | It Is What It Is
22 | 17 | Sault | Untitled (Rise)
23 | 26 | Porridge Radio | Every Bad
24 | 21 | Caribou | Suddenly
25 | 28 | Sufjan Stevens | The Ascension
26 | 31 | Adrianne Lenker | songs/instrumentals
27 | 32 | Laura Marling | Song For Our Daughter
28 | 25 | Deftones | Ohms
29 | 27 | Soccer Mommy | color theory
30 | 30 | Kelly Lee Owens | Inner Song
31 | 24 | The Weeknd | After Hours
32 | 35 | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist | Alfredo
33 | 23 | Bad Bunny | YHLQMDLG
34 | 33 | Grimes | Miss Anthropocene
35 | 34 | Khruangbin | Mordechai
36 | 37 | The Strokes | The New Abnormal
37 | 42 | Mac Miller | Circles
38 | 39 | Hayley Williams | Petals for Armor
39 | 47 | Bruce Springsteen | Letter to You
40 | 43 | Lady Gaga | Chromatica
41 | 36 | Chloe x Halle | Ungodly Hour
42 | 55 | Jarv Is… | Beyond the Pale
43 | 41 | Bartees Strange | Live Forever
44 | 67 | Bill Callahan | Gold Record
45 | 44 | Lido Pimienta | Miss Colombia
46 | 38 | Lil Uzi Vert | Eternal Atake
47 | 66 | Arca | KiCK i
48 | 40 | Lianne La Havas | Lianne La Havas
49 | 46 | Ela Minus | acts of rebellion
50 | 50 | J Hus | Big Conspiracy
51 | 54 | The Flaming Lips | American Head
52 | 48 | Megan Thee Stallion | Good News
53 | 52 | The Microphones | Microphones in 2020
54 | 49 | Working Men's Club | Working Men's Club
55 | 82 | Protomartyr | Ultimate Success Today
56 | 53 | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Reunions
57 | 71 | Touché Amoré | Lament
58 | 84 | Gorillaz | Song Machine, Season One: Strange Times
59 | 51 | The 1975 | Notes on a Conditional Form
60 | 45 | Jay Electronica | A Written Testimony
61 | 60 | clipping. | Visions of Bodies Being Burned
62 | 65 | Jeff Parker | Suite for Max Brown
63 | 58 | Baebadoobee | Fake It Flowers
64 | 56 | Nubya Garcia | Source
65 | 74 | Beatrice Dillon | Workaround
66 | 83 | Sorry | 925
67 | 64 | Destroyer | Have We Met
68 | 57 | Doves | The Universal Want
69 | 59 | Nadine Shah | Kitchen Sink
70 | 80 | Code Orange | Underneath
71 | 73 | Jehnny Beth | To Love Is to Live
72 | 87 | Julianna Barwick | Healing Is A Miracle
73 | 75 | Bright Eyes | Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was
74 | 147 | Jeff Rosenstock | NO DREAM
75 | 70 | Flo Milli | Ho, Why Is You Here?
76 | 62 | Georgia | Seeking Thrills
77 | 88 | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Sideways To New Italy
78 | 126 | Sevdaliza | Shabrang
79 | 102 | Thurston Moore | By The Fire
80 | 92 | U.S. Girls | Heavy Light
81 | 245 | Dogleg | Melee
82 | 85 | Shabaka & The Ancestors | We Are Sent Here By History
83 | 68 | Pa Salieu | Send Them to Coventry
84 | 97 | Pearl Jam | Gigaton
85 | 119 | Hum | Inlet
86 | 61 | Moses Boyd | Dark Matter
87 | 94 | Baxter Dury | The Night Chancers
88 | 76 | Four Tet | Sixteen Oceans
89 | 96 | Kevin Morby | Sundowner
90 | 79 | Lucinda Williams | Good Souls Better Angels
91 | 86 | Lil Baby | My Turn
92 | 123 | Andy Shauf | The Neon Skyline
93 | 208 | AC/DC | Power Up
94 | 135 | Crack Cloud | Pain Olympics
95 | 63 | Open Mike Eagle | Anime, Trauma and Divorce
96 | 81 | Oneohtrix Point Never | Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
97 | 72 | The Soft Pink Truth | Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?
98 | 120 | Matt Berninger | Serpentine Prison
99 | 77 | Helena Deland | Someone New
100 | 90 | King Krule | Man Alive!
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by charliepanayi »

I find it amusing that the music media bangs on about how we need more protest music etc (and spent a year or two attacking Taylor Swift simply because she hadn't made any political statements at the time) and then they almost totally ignore Algiers/Drive By Truckers/Jeff Rosenstock this year - OK the latter is on the list but fairly low down. Algiers might have suffered for coming out all the way back in January.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by acroamor »

Dogleg making the much-deserved sharp rise into the top 100 is what I was most excited to see about this update
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

charliepanayi wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:36 pm I find it amusing that the music media bangs on about how we need more protest music etc (and spent a year or two attacking Taylor Swift simply because she hadn't made any political statements at the time) and then they almost totally ignore Algiers/Drive By Truckers/Jeff Rosenstock this year - OK the latter is on the list but fairly low down. Algiers might have suffered for coming out all the way back in January.
Even though I have a feeling you arent crazy about the new 1975 record, to me almost every song has strong political commentary and yet most critics failed to even bring that up and only talked about how weird it was that they experimented with different genres.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Sweepstakes Ron »

I know I'm kinda being deliberately provocative here, but I recall one publication claiming that "WAP" is apparently "revolutionary" because... they say the word "pussy" instead of a euphemism. So I feel like what they're looking for is not what typically comes to mind when we think of "political" music.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by BleuPanda »

Both Fetch the Bolt Cutters and RTJ4 are heavily political and make up 2/3 of the current top 3, and the big surprise this year is the two Sault albums which are also rather political, so I don't understand the implication they're being hypocritical.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by mileswide »

Not to mention Heaven to a Tortured Mind and grae if we're talking gender/sexual politics. And I haven't heard Ultra Mono but I can't imagine IDLES have toned down their campaigning lyrics.

I do agree though that the coverage in some media outlets of Swift's prior lack of partisan commentary was uncalled for, bordering on guilt by association just because a tiny alt-right minority of her multi-million-strong fan base made presumptions based on her physical attributes.
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by charliepanayi »

BleuPanda wrote: Wed Dec 23, 2020 4:39 am Both Fetch the Bolt Cutters and RTJ4 are heavily political and make up 2/3 of the current top 3, and the big surprise this year is the two Sault albums which are also rather political, so I don't understand the implication they're being hypocritical.
You're right of course, and I didn't mean to imply there was no topical/political acclaimed albums this year, I just mean the acts I mentioned could be forgiven for thinking 'hey, don't forget about us!'
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Re: EOY 2020 Albums List Updates

Post by Jackson »

Holden wrote: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:25 pm 15 | 20 | Jessie Ware | What’s Your Pleasure?
Nice! Also a good update for under-the-radar rock acts like Jeff Rosenstock and Dogleg.
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