ILM’s Top 77 Albums of 2018

Kendrick scored 62 votes for To Pimp a Butterfly, don't know if that was the record though.

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To the people who organized this, thank you very much, this is the best list and ILM is the best community.

thank you poll-runners and ILXors :)

Great job running this, folks.

thx to the poll-runners!

onward to metal

great poll moka, forks, seandalai. well chuffed with that #1

I listened to the Low album once maybe a couple of months ago and it did not make much of an impression, I should give it a more focused listen I guess.

I sneakily suspect Low could win because it was my #1 and I've never been a Low stan. There must be others like me.

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, February 6, 2019 2:51 PM

I'm a genius.

thank you to the pollrunners, and thank you to all the other people who helped place a whole bunch of albums i loved onto this list

Low was my #1. I kind of wanted to give one of my more idiosyncratic favorites the top spot, but this was just too good in every way imaginable. Low is a band I always admired, but never loved. The couple times I saw them live were brilliant, but I never had the patience for their recordings. Did not expect they'd put out an album that would instantly hook me. This is the perfect example of a traditional guitar/bass/drums band using modern technology to its fullest to create something new and unusual, completely avoiding the kids let loose in a room full of toys mentality of so many rock bands turned tech neophytes. These songs have weight and alien timbers, mystery and drama, and are unmistakably Low to the core. The album flows so well from song to song, and manages to feel brief despite their signature glacial pace. Perfect.

how many ballots total were there?

it did not make much of an impression, I should give it a more focused listen I guess.

― silverfish, Thursday, February 7, 2019 2:13 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol i feel like this about maybe 15 or 20 albums on this list

usually I find the album list is a bit snoozy compared to the tracks list in terms of diversity and placement, but I had a blast with it this year

yeah, great list

booming post moodles

sorry i went overboard with the holter slagging, i get carried away at the sharp end of an eoy. will re-check everything i've heard and discover everything i haven't

I voted for my 10 favorite albums, and I think only two of them placed? I get why many of the rest wouldn’t be widespread faves, but the absence of Brandi Carlile does surprise me. Did you guys just not hear that LP? (It’s not even quite in my “wheelhouse,” yet it’s so objectively great I had to vote for it!)

most surprising absence imo: pistol annies

a bit surprised the Pistol Annies didn't place, it was probably just outside the 77. Brandi Carlile was my guess for the other country album to show up.

I also voted for Brandi xps

Thanks poll runners! Just caught up. Happy with that as a winner. Confusion hath made its masterpiece.

LOW

!!!!!!!!!!

i love ilm, personally

Country music is not really a thing here, so I've never heard of those artists. Wouldn't know who Kacey Musgraves is either, if it wasn't for ILM.

wow, Robyn made the top 3. Ah well. Low #1 though! So good! ILMFTW

wrt Low, it's crazy to me that a band managed to put out their best album 25 years in. makes me kind of hopeful.

Great poll!

Moka, tell us: who bears the onus of 78?

wait, people are saying the new one is the *best* Low album? I've got to get back to it to relisten

Good winner, pretty great 77.

Thankig u Moka, Forks and Seandalai! <3

it is def a contender for best Low album, though Trust is my sentimental fave

As someone who's gone between indifference and mild delight re: Low since the 90s, this is the only one that makes my jaw drop.

The Curtain Hits The Cast will always be my fave Low album

Low is one where there are a lot of contenders for best album and whenever anyone argues for any one of theirs being their best, it's usually a sound argument.

Great work pollrunners, thanks to all of you.

I have read only acess to the document, so seandalai will post the results later I guess but 78 was:

Beak> - >>>

my guess is sandro

I've been a big Low fan since the mid 90's and if this isn't their best album, it's definitely in contention. Secret Name means a lot more to me personally, but *best* is a tricky thing.

things we lost in the fire is still my fav but this one is up there

Simmy was #80
:((((((((((

Album with the most votes that didn't get to the top 77 was Grouper - Grid of Points with 9 votes. Ended up in place 87.

Album with the most number one votes that didn't make it was Simmy - Tugela Fairy with 2 number one votes. Ended up in place 80.

wow that's a truly excellent top 4 and a pretty decent top 20 overall, surprised that Low beat Kacey by so much though. my only real complaint is that OPN album placing which was easily his worst and pretty bad really

I really should have voted for Simmy especially since she was so close! sorry all

great work to moka, forks, and seandalai, thanks for running things

sean will drop full list soon i'm sure but:

Beak> #78
Current 93 #79
Jon Hassell, Sarah Davachi #81
Hausswolff , Mr Fingers #83
Tierra Whack #86
Grouper #87
Khruangbin #88
Hunee #89
Mid-Air Thief #90
Rico Nasty #91
Terekke #92
Spiritualized #93
Emma Ruth Rundler #94
Melody's Echo Chamber #95
Objekt #96
Rae Morris #97
"We Out Here" #98
The Amazing #99
Marie Davidson #100
Cavern of Anti Matter #101
Soccer Mommy #102
Kyler Gann #103
Black Panther OST #104
Neko Case #105
Szun Waves #106
Red Velvet #107

simmy was my number one
probs my favourite record this decade

sorry, DJ Healer also at #83

nice to see The Amazing crack the top 100 considering most of the posts about them on here are by me lol

Aw, depending on points there's a chance Black Panther OST and Emma Ruth Rundle would have placed in the top 77 had I been able to get a ballot together.

where'd lykke li place, forks?

That "We Out Here" comp is great. Think it slipped off my ballot right at the end