2010 Magazine's Albums Of The Year Thread For Posting Lists and Discussion

the list is pretty decent & totally in line w/ potw writers, but the writing is hella lazy

also this re: "who dat" is hilarious

Probably the most straightforwardly lyrical single to drop on major label since “A Milli.”

Though the abysmal first-week showing of Soulja Boy’s third album, The DeAndre Way, probably dooms him (it didn’t crack the top 50), it’s really quite good, not a “Yah Trick Yah” in the bunch

talk about missing the point

rae song bangs, hadn't heard it before

"bitch" is definitely not the worst but it's also far from the best, why do people keep singling it out?

great chorus?

oh that's passion of the weiss? when i interviewed ikonika she was bitching heavily about "some shitty little blog that called me the m.i.a. of dubstep", which we both lol'ed at for a while - turned out it was that

this yelawolf song is kinda "..." but "blame game" at #2 i kinda dig

like the writeup on "hometown hero"

I can def tell that Weiss is more attuned to my own listening habits of looking for gems in full albums and more-critical-mass mixtapes than the more noz/deej/j0rdan "in my world of YouTube."

except for where he names the #1 song of the year a song not even on either yelawolf release

that's just old-fashioned challops, read yr ILX

i mean, it's basically a list of tracks from the the 40-or-so biggest rap goon-approved releases and a few wild cards. My list would be like all the same names in a different order

Not that I'm complaining. It's obviously a great list, but it says more about rap-in-2010 than Weiss (and not that I'm complaining about that either)

can you clear the air about whether or not you're complaining

i dont think thats really an accurate characterization whiney
of me/noz/jordan's approach, or weiss'

s

i mean voting dru down 'hello' is a total youtube (the album JUST leaked)
me voting for an instrumental from a ski beatz comp is a 'goon approved album track'

XXXXXXXP: Whiney you know I love you too but you must know how little I care which strawmen I resemble. I have been on this board for a minute or two and if I haven't earned a couple doubt-benefits by now then it's just more proof that you all need me and my AWESOME PERSPECTIVE.

(Plus if some bearded hipster listens to Das Racist and says "Oh man I wanna be cool like those guys so I better go read some Paco Ignacio Taibo II novels" — like I did with all the references Public Enemy dropped in 1988 — then that's all bonus.) (yes i know that sounds ridic)

What's the deal with Shabazz Palaces albums/tracks showing up on 2010 lists? Weren't they 2009 releases?

no one outside of Seattle knew about them iirc? Same thing with Tyler, The Creator

and Horseback

it happens.

Matos: hiphopcritic.com has ran album/single/mixtape polls the last few years. Their site appears to be down tho.

That PotW list is pretty good.

whiney and i were throwing around the idea of doing an invite-only goon EOY poll

Btw, I agree with Whiney about "Bitch" being the worst song on the E-40. That shit is tired.

http://fourfour.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b8c369e2010535c3d6e8970b-pi

that's a girl that is primed for global pop-chart domination.

pouty and vacant, but defiant.

HMV's poll of polls:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/critics-name-the-years-best-albums-ndash-but-are-they-right-2169468.html

are they for real talking about 'album sales' in 2010

I'm not feeling Jamey J. Is there a silver medal winner for this years "major label country dude that nerds have passing interest in"

― smangda (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, December 20, 2010 9:59 PM (1 week ago)

YMMV, obvs, but I quite enjoyed Dierks Bentley's "Up On The Ridge." Moderately bluegrassy country record featuring guest spots by Jamey J., Miranda Lambert, Del McCoury, Chris Thile, etc. I liked it better than the Jamey record.

Not sure there was a nerd-friendly, Paisley/Lambert-style knockout punch in country this year, really.

are they for real talking about 'album sales' in 2010

― lyrics is weak ... like clock radio similes (deej), Monday, December 27, 2010 3:38 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

^yeah I wasnt for sure if I was a bad person for getting severely annoyed by that, y'know, given the Shitfork hegemony that has crowded many of these EOY lists (no offense for those who gotta eat)...

I'm not feeling Jamey J. Is there a silver medal winner for this years "major label country dude that nerds have passing interest in"

― smangda (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, December 20, 2010 9:59 PM (1 week ago)

My favorite country/bluegrassy LP of the moment, The Steeldriver's Reckless, isn't on a major label--but the lead singer/songwriter guy is a Nashville insider who sells songs to Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, etc. Similar to JJ in that respect, but with a better voice.

I read that as "The Steendriver"

Is there a silver medal winner for this years "major label country dude that nerds have passing interest in"

Wouldn't the answer to this be "Taylor Swift" (especially if Miranda Lambert counted last year)?

Anyway, there's lots of country on my lists, like always. Jace Everett, Flynnville Train, and Chely Wright (along with Taylor and Jamey) all made my Pazz & Jop ballot, though none of those three were technically on a major label. Major-label dudewise, certain other critics seemed to like Kenny Chesney, Jerrod Neimann, Trace Adkins, Randy Houser, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner, or Gary Allan (all of whose albums were good-to-passable, in more or less that order to my ears) more. (Probably left some out, too.)

Since we're on Country at the moment:

Country Universe Top Singles

1. Miranda Lambert- The House That Built Me
2. Little Big Town- Little White Church
3. Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue
4. The Band Perry- If I Die Young
5. Eric Church- Smoke a Little Smoke
6. Zac Brown Band- As She's Walking Away
7. Laura Bell Bundy- Giddy On Up
8. Laura Bell Bundy- Drop On By
9. Chely Wright- Broken
10. Dierks Bentley- Draw Me a Map
11. David Nail- Turning Home
12. Lee Ann Rimes- Swingin'
13. Luke Bryan- Rain is a Good Thing
14. Tim McGraw- Still
15. Carrie Underwood- Undo It
16. Jerrod Nieman- Lover, Lover
17. Little Big Town- Kiss Goodbye
18. Randy Rogers Band- Steal You Away
19. Jerrod Nieman- Do What You Want
20. Lee Ann Rimes- Crazy Women
21. Miranda Lambert- Only Prettier
22. Cay Walker- She Won't Be Lonely Long
23. Taylor Swift- Fearless
24. Jamey Johnson- Playing the Part
25. Bucky Covington- A Father's Love
26. Lady Antebellum- American Honey
27. Keith Urban- Put You in a Song
28. Blake Shelton- Who Are You When I'm Not Looking
29. Mary Chapin Carpenter- I Put My Ring Back On
30. Easton Corbin- Roll With It
31. Sunny Sweeney- From a Table Away
32. Jaron & the Long Road to Love- Pray For You
33. Keith Urban- I'm In
34. Carrie Underwood- Temporary Home
35. Billy Currington- Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer
36. Sugarland- Little Miss
37. Taylor Swift- Back to December
38. Clay Walker- Where Do I Go From You
39. Joey + Rory- That's Important to Me
40. Rascal Flatts- Why Wait

Folk Roots

1. Bellowhead Hedonism (Navigator)
2. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabate Ali And Toumani (World Circuit)
3. AfroCubism AfroCubism (World Circuit)
4. Eliza Carthy & Norma Waterson Gift (Topic)
5. Chris Wood Handmade Life (R.U.F.)
6. Cheikh Lô Jamm (World Circuit)
7= Emily Portman The Glamoury (Furrow)
Alasdair Roberts Too Long In This Condition (Navigator)
9. Carolina Chocolate Drops Genuine Negro Jig (Nonesuch)
10.Konono No 1 Assume Crash Position (Crammed)
11= Andy Cutting Andy Cutting (Lane)
Natalie Merchant Leave Your Sleep (Nonesuch)
13= Jim Moray In Modern History (NIAG)
Syriana The Road To Damascus (Real World)
15= Asmara All Stars Eritrea’s Got Soul (Outhere)
The Imagined Village Empire And Love (Emerson Corncrake Constantine)
Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal Chamber Music (No Format)
18. Hindi Zahra Handmade (Blue Note)
19= Ian King Panic Grass And Feverfew (Fledg’ling)
Ruth Theodore White Holes Of Mole Hills (River Rat)

Reissues
1. Various Africa – 50 Years Of Music (Discograph/Sterns)
2. Étoile de Dakar feat. Youssou N’Dour Once Upon A Time In Senegal (Sterns)
3. Various Palenque Palenque (Soundway)
4. Various The Roots Of Chicha Vol 2 (Crammed)
5. Shirley Collins Sweet England (Fled’gling)
6. Various Ghosts From The Basement (Weekend Beatnik)
7. Various Next Stop Soweto Vol. 2 (Strut)
8= A.L. Lloyd An Evening With A.L. Lloyd (Fellside)
Various Folk Against Fascism Vol.1 (Folk Against Fascism)
Various More Miles Than Money (Ace)
11. Various The Sound Of Siam (Soundway)
12= Bob Dylan The Witmark Demos 1962 – 1964 (Sony)
Incredible String Band The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (Fledg’ling)
Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars The World Defeats The Grandfathers (Sterns)
Various Afrobeat Airways: West African Shock Waves (Analog Africa)
Various Angola Soundtrack: The Unique Sound Of Luanda (Analog Africa)
Various Sound Of The World Presents Anywhere On This Road (Warner Classics & Jazz)

Can't argue with that fRoots Top Five...

There's no way Janelle Monae only sold 20,000. Must be UK-only sales.

Those sales figures look incomplete to me also.

x-post re fRoots top 5:

The late Ali Farka Toure's final effort seems to be showing up a fair amount. I had never heard of their number 1 choice, Brit folk-rockers Bellowhead, till now.

lol @ deej pretending that "album sales" are meaningless

I mean, yeah, its a really stupid indicator of "quality" that influences any kind of "best of" list, but pretending that album sales don't still influence what kind of label support and marketing push an artist gets is just being willfully stubborn.

I actually wouldn't be that surprised if Monae only sold 20k in the U.S., but that's just me being cynical again.

she sold 21k her first week. those are definitely not us figures -- yeezy at 50k?

Extracted from Soundscan stats last week. Should be more complete lists available in just over a week.

Rank - TITLE - Artist - 2010 Sales - Total Sales (released before 2010)
01 - RECOVERY - Eminem - 3,145,760 -
02 - SOLDIER OF LOVE - Sade - 1,287,173 -
03 - THANK ME LATER - Drake - 1,210,763 -
04 - RAYMOND V RAYMOND - Usher - 1,156,966 -
05 - THE E.N.D. (THE ENERGY NEVER DIES) - Black Eyed Peas - 1,088,153 - 2,874,978
06 - REBIRTH - Lil Wayne - 697,423 -
07 - THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM - Alicia Keys - 680,270 - 1,459,363
08 - MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY - Kanye West - 671,994 -
09 - PASSION PAIN & PLEASURE - Trey Songz - 565,852 -
10 - I AM NOT A HUMAN BEING - Lil Wayne - 564,110 -
11 - PINK FRIDAY - Nicki Minaj - 560,992 -
12 - BATTLE OF THE SEXES - Ludacris - 555,432 -
13 - STILL STANDING - Monica - 533,559 -
14 - RATED R - Rihanna - 515,568 - 1,014,163
15 - LOUD - Rihanna - 495,641 -
16 - B.O.B. PRESENTS THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY RAY - B.O.B. - 463,572 -
17 - STRONGER (WITH EACH TEAR) - Mary J Blige - 450,845 - 844,850
18 - READY - Trey Songz - 403,300 - 841,734
19 - ANOTHER ROUND - Jaheim - 382,049 -
20 - WE ARE YOUNG MONEY - Young Money - 362,112 - 547,808
21 - RELAPSE - Eminem - 359,949 - 2,095,307
22 - BACK TO ME - Fantasia - 350,684 -
23 - THIS IS IT - Michael Jackson - 341,578 - 1,628,623
24 - THE BLUEPRINT 3 - Jay-Z - 323,070 - 1,837,828
25 - NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE ANKH - Erykah Badu - 296,367 -
26 - DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS - Bruno Mars - 274,056 -
27 - KIDZ BOP 17 - Kidz Bop Kids - 269,185 -
28 - JASON DERULO - Jason Derulo - 259,517 -
29 - MAN ON THE MOON: THE END OF DAY - Kid Cudi - 250,181 - 509,940
30 - I AM…SASHA FIERCE - Beyonce - 244,285 - 2,903,107
31 - SEX THERAPY: THE SESSION - Robin Thicke - 233,409 - 443,233
32 - THE STATE VS RADRIC DAVIS - Gucci Mane - 217,849 - 408,925
33 - SO FAR GONE - Drake - 216,993 - 546,141
34 - THE BRIDGE - Melanie Fiona - 213,553 - 332,847
35 - THE ESSENTIAL - Michael Jackson - 206,134 - 1,733,130
36 - VERSUS (EP) - Usher - 205,724 -
37 - SIR LUSCIOUS LEFT FOOT: THE SON OF CHICO DUSTY - Big Boi - 199,319 -
38 - WAKE UP - John Legend & Roots - 192,448 -
39 - THRILLER - Michael Jackson - 192,101 - 5,897,458
40 - THE BEGINNING - Black Eyed Peas - 181,321 -
41 - THA CARTER III - Lil' Wayne - 178,709 - 3,519,451
42 - BLACKSUMMERS'NIGHT - Maxwell - 176,980 - 1,125,786
43 - HOW I GOT OVER - Roots - 175,061 - 175,061

How Superstars’ Pay Stifles Everyone Else

Consider the market for pop music. In 1982, the top 1 percent of pop stars, in terms of pay, raked in 26 percent of concert ticket revenue. In 2003, that top percentage of stars — names like Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera or 50 Cent — was taking 56 percent of the concert pie.

I'm guessing those Soundscan stats are for hip hop/R&B only since Taylor isn't on there.

I'm guessing they're only for hiphop/r&b because only hiphop & r&b artists are on there.

I mean, yeah, its a really stupid indicator of "quality" that influences any kind of "best of" list, but pretending that album sales don't still influence what kind of label support and marketing push an artist gets is just being willfully stubborn.

― one pretty obvious guy in the obvious (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 27 December 2010 15:45 (4 hours ago) Permalink

what does this have to do w/ anything? its an article about how critics are disconnected from real america (which is like, duh) but then it suggests that what is popular is represented by cd sales, which is wholly incorrect in 2010. i didnt say anything about sales not influencing things