AllMusic’s Favorite Albums of 2008
December 5th, 2008 | 4:00 pm est |
Pop New Releases
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior
Black Milk - Tronic
Brian Blade Fellowship - Season of Changes
Anthony Braxton - Beyond Quantum
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
Buena Vista Social Club - At Carnegie Hall
Calexico - Carried to Dust
Los Campesinos - Hold on Now, Youngster…
James Carter - Present Tense
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Elvis Costello & the Imposters - Momofuku
Rodney Crowell - Sex and Gasoline
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Deerhunter - Microcastle
Raheem DeVaughn - Love Behind the Melody
Lila Downs - Shake Away/Ojo de Culebra
Duffy - Rockferry
The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Foreign Exchange - Leave It All Behind
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
Juliana Hatfield - How to Walk Away
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Jazzanova - Of All the Things
Kelley Polar - I Need You to Hold on While the Sky Is Falling
The Kills - Midnight Boom
B.B. King - One Kind Favor
Solange Knowles - Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
Femi Kuti - Day by Day
Leila - Blood, Looms and Blooms
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin’
M83 - Saturdays=Youth
Madlib - WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling
Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis - Two Men with the Blues
The New Year - The New Year
Randy Newman - Harps and Angels
No Age - Nouns
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Osborne - Osborne
Portishead - Third
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Steve Reid Ensemble - Daxaar
R.E.M. - Accelerate
Robyn - Robyn (US Bonus Track)
Santogold - Santogold
Stereolab - Chemical Chords
George Strait - Troubadour
Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless
Taylor Swift - Fearless
Times New Viking - Rip It Off
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Pop Reissues
Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin’ Better: A Decade of Hits
Kevin Ayers - Songs for Insane Times: Anthology 1969-1980
Bobby Bare - Bare/Sleeper Wherever I Fall
Belle & Sebastian - The BBC Sessions
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode: His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings
Big Dipper - Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology
Blue Ash - No More No Less
David Bowie - Live in Santa Monica ‘72
Anthony Braxton - The Complete Arista Recordings of Anthony Braxton
James Brown - Singles, Vol. 5: 1967-1969
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (Legacy Edition 2CD/DVD)
The Coasters - There’s a Riot Goin’ On: The Coasters on Atco
Bo Diddley - Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960
Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006
The Flamin’ Groovies - This Band Is Red Hot 1969-1979
Jim Ford - Point of No Return
Dallas Frazier - The R&B Sessions: Elvira/Tell It Like It Is!
Gas - Nah und Fern
Genesis - Genesis 1970-1975
Merle Haggard - Hag: Concepts, Live & the Strangers — The Capitol Recordings 1968-1976
Happy Mondays - Bummed (Deluxe Edition)
Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer
Jan & Dean - The Complete Liberty Singles
The Jesus and Mary Chain - The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities
Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th Anniversary Legacy Edition)
Kid Creole - Going Places: The August Darnell Years 1976-1983
The Lines - Flood Bank
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool (Bonus Tracks)
Manfred Mann - Hit Mann! The Essential Singles 1963-1969
Martha & the Muffins - Danseparc (Bonus Tracks)
Mott the Hoople - Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology
The Move - Anthology 1966-1972
Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff (Deluxe Edition)
Willie Nelson - One Hell of a Ride (Box Set)
Roy Orbison - The Soul of Rock and Roll
Buck Owens - Act Naturally: The Buck Owens Recordings 1953-1964
Pavement - Brighten the Corners (Nicene Creedence Edition)
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (Deluxe Edition)
Portastatic - Some Small History
Tito Puente - The Complete 78s, Vol. 1
Otis Redding - Live in London and Paris
R.E.M. - Murmur (Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition)
The Replacements - Hootenanny (Deluxe Edition)
The Replacements - Let It Be (Deluxe Edition)
The Replacements - Tim (Expanded Edition)
Arthur Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
The Smiths - The Sound of the Smiths (Deluxe Edition)
Squeeze - The Complete BBC Sessions
Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective
Victor Uwaifo - Guitar Boy Superstar 1970-1976
Hank Williams - The Unreleased Recordings
Al Wilson - Searching for the Dolphins (Kent Soul)
Neil Young - Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (Collector’s Edition)
Various Artists - A-Square (Of Course): The Story of Michigan’s Legendary A-Square Records
Various Artists - The Bert Berns Story, Vol. 1: Twist and Shout 1960-1964
Various Artists - Black Orpheus (2008 Verve Bonus Tracks)
Various Artists - Break-A-Way: The Songs of Jackie DeShannon
Various Artists - The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 10: 1970
Various Artists - Don’t Stop: Recording Tap
Various Artists - Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986
Various Artists - The House That Al Built: The Alegre Records Story 1957-1977
Various Artists - Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia
Various Artists - On Vine Street: The Early Songs of Randy Newman
Various Artists - Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story
Various Artists - Titan: It’s All Pop!
Classical
John Adams - Adams: A Flowering Tree
The Azure Ensemble - The Azure Ensemble: Invisible Curve
Bertrand de Billy - Puccini: La Boheme (Villazon, Netrebko)
Julia Breuer - Morton Feldman: For Philip Guston
John Butt - Bach: Matthew Passion
Cantillation - Fauré: Requiem; La Naissance de Vénus; Cantique de Jean Racine
Gloria Cheng - Gloria Cheng: Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky & Lutoslawski
Harry Christophers - Handel: Messiah (Includes Bonus CD)
Kristina Reiko Cooper - Kristina Reiko Cooper: Stone and Steel
Ensemble Belladonna - Ensemble Belladonna: Melodious Melancholye
Isabelle Faust - Brahms Horn Trio
Valery Gergiev - Mahler: Symphony No. 6 (Hybrid SACD)
Valery Gergiev - Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (Hybrid SACD)
Hilary Hahn - Schoenberg, Sibelius: Violin Concertos
Kristjan Järvi - Franz Schmidt: Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln (Hybrid SACD)
Paavo Järvi - Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Hybrid SACD)
Alan Johnson - Cuomo: Arjuna’s Dilemma
Jennifer Koh - String Poetic
Anne-Marie McDermott - Gershwin: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
moderntimes_1800 - Sinfonias from the Enlightenment
NOW Ensemble - Now Ensemble
Ursula Oppens - Oppens Plays Carter
Anne Sofie von Otter - Boldemann, Gefors, Hillborg: Orchestral Songs
Prazák Quartet / Beethoven String Quartet of London - Schubert: String Quartet D 887; String Trios D 471, D 581 (Hybrid SACD)
Quatuor Ebène - Quatuor Ebène performs Ravel Debussy Fauré String Quartets
Andrew Russo - Mixtape
John Salmon - Nikolai Kapustin: Piano Sonata No. 15; Preludes; Etudes; Bagatelles
Christine Schäfer - Apparition: Henry Purcell and George Crumb
Matthew Schellhorn - Messiaen: Chamber Works
Howard Shelley - Clementi: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Arturo Tamayo - Xenakis: Orchestral Works, Vol. 5
Various Artists - Lully: Psyche
Surprised to see that the albums released by Shearwater, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Sun Kil Moon are not on the list.
yes what about Shearwater !!!
Emmylou Harris’ “All That I Intended to Be”, Buddy Guy’s “Skin Deep”, and Patty Loveless’ “Sleepless Nights” are among the best non-jazz releases of 2008. They deserve to be on this list.
so … not big rap fans huh
No best of list this year is complete without the inclusion of Distortion by the Magnetic Fields. Fail.
Also, Rattlin’ Bones by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson was pretty boner-ific. Even you guys gave it mad props. Don’t diss it now.
Bon Iver?
Hercules & Love Affair?
you guys must be ill. hope you feel better soon.
My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges remains my favourite this year.
Missing from my top list are:
Spiritualized - Songs in A & E
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Tricky - Knowle West Boy
Sparks - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
Cheers!
in my opinion, one of the best albuns released in 2008 is “micah hinson and the red empire orchestra”… it seems it was not listed, unfortunately…
What happened to the Drive by Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”????!!! Your own review said it might well turn out to be the best album of the year. While you still may not think so 9 months later, certainly it’s gotta be in any list longer than 3 or 10 or 20 albums!
Others missing, though less painfully/controversially: The Hold Steady, Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere (sadly ignored by pretty much everyone), Howard Tate (id), James Hunter and Cat Power. Ray Davies and Susan Tedeschi are on the genre lists, but belong here, I think.
the walkmen - you and me
no chris knight “heart of stone”
or t bone burnett the tooth of crime
no juana molina
seem to be worthy…….
Todd Rundgren! Arena!
Where is the new Neil Diamond album (Home Before Dark) that Allmusic loved so much just a few months back?
Someone please tell why is Lykke Li’s ‘Youth Novels’ is absent?
‘Cause Lykke Li is terrible?
…Nick Cave?
What about Nick Cave?
Todd Rundgren’s amazing cd ‘Arena’ should be on this list! Thank You!
Cool to see Jenny Lewis, TV on the Radio & Portishead on the list. REM’s Accelerate didn’t keep my attention very long. Sad to see Kings of Leon, The Breeders & Tricky didn’t make the cut.
The Breeders album was frankly terrible!
the new lila downs was atrocious, as was the new black milk, breeders, and lindsay buckingham. what kind of crack are you smoking?
starflyer 59 and bon iver should have definitely been on here. that’s all.
where’s beck’s modern guilt?
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Built to Spill - You in Reverse
Stephan Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash.
Omissions:
Alejandro Escovedo, “Real Animal”
Old 97s, Blame It on Gravity”
Drive-By Truckers, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”
Black Keys, “Attack and Release”
Just the important ones that are missing:
Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
Drive-by Truckers - Brighter than Creation’s Dark
The Knux - Remind me in 3 days
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
The only 5-star Pop album seems to be Buena Vista.
Is there other 5-star album in New Releases Pop issues?
Let me know.
My favorites ones are:
*TV on the Radiio
*Vampire Weekend
*Bon Iver (terribly missing!)
*Christophe (the Frenche one)
Shearwater and Black Mountain were definitely the best albums of the year… I expected something more from AMG…
DriveBy Truckers, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is serious omission.
Elvis Costello was great in the King of America days, and remains a fantastic, passionate live performer but outside of “Painted from Memory” he has been unable to keep his newer work from slipping into irrelevance, each album seems OK on first listen but is quickly forgettable.
Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony
Black Stone Cherry - Folklore and Superstition
Opeth - Watershed
Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
Trivium - Shogun
Widespresd Panic - Free Somehow
Oasis’ Dig Out Your Soul has to be the best album of the year.
not a big surprise that it made your list.
Seems to back up my opinion that this wasn’t the best year for new music.
What about Warpaint- The Black Crowes and Mudcrutch??
The best of the year: Steve Cropper & Felix Cavelierre’s Nudge It Up A Notch.
Oh it’s silly of you to have missed a new Bobby Charles.
The biggest missing piece is Beck’s Modern Guilt, which was his best in years.
My top 5:
1) Beck- Modern Guilt
2) Son Kill Moon- April
3) The Broken West- Now or Heaven
4) She and Him- Volume one
5) Calexico- Carried to Dust
WHAT?! No Wolf Parade?! Y’all gave it 4.5 stars. Where are your balls?
Missing items:
Beck - Modern Guilt
The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Brazilian Girls - New York City
Cat Power - Jukebox
Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
The Kooks - Konk
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion EP
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
The Walkmen - You & Me
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
TMV was snubbed, allmusic gave it 4 stars if i recall, and the review mentioned that it was better than their last 2 albums. not my favorite album of theirs, but they should be on this list.
TVOTR should be album of the year. Props to Los Campesinos! for making this list, because they failed to make it on the top 25 of pitchfork’s reader’s poll. they’ll probably make it on the actual year-end list.
my top albums of the year:
TVOTR - Dear Science,
Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster…
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak (yes, let the hating come)
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
Deerhunter - Microcastle
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Elzhi the preface? Surely Tronic couldn’t of taken down that beast of an album… not marked yet… :(
Erykah Badu is pretty good this year.
I also miss drive-by truckers in the list.
Thriller 25 is the best reissue of the 2008.
Best CD of 2008 in my opinion is Kings of Leon “Only by the night”
I never really understand the end of year lists by AMG, given that its such a rich source for everything in music. Always keep coming to you guys, but you might need more work on arranging this list or writing something about how you came up with it, i guess you have the reviews written but that’s a cop out.. c’mon work harder!
People, the list consists of AMG’s “favorite” albums of the year, not the “best” albums of the year, so stop being silly and angry that some really great albums did not make it onto the list.
I do want to make comment though; I am very surprised/happy that Kelley Polar and Leila made the list. Good choices there AMG ;)
Where’s Conor Oberst’s self titled release? Unfortunately it was sadly overlooked by many others as well.
Walter Becker - Circus Money
Marco Benevento - Invisible Baby
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - Lil Tae Rides Again
what about blitzen trapper’s furr? an ammazing album and a hugh omission
From AMG’s own review of Drive By Truckers ‘brighter than creations dark’…
“It’s one of several brilliant moments on Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, and less than three weeks into 2008 it’s hard not to escape the feeling that with this disc we may already have the best album of the year.”
I was happy to see B.B. King and Rodney Crowell on the list, but what about Alejandro Escovedo’s “Real Animal”, an amazing album that has helped him reach a wider audience (opening for Dave Mathews, more media attention…). He didn’t sacrifice any integrity, either.
I was happy to see Rodney Crowell and B.B. King on the list, but what about Alejandro Escovedo’s “Real Animal”, an amazing album that has helped him reach a wider audience (opening for Dave Mathews, more media attention…). He didn’t sacrifice any integrity, either.
Well… with these top-lists, there are always titles missing: Thank heaven for taste!!! I can name a few releases that I thought are so damn great, that they deserve to be on these list, but well…
I just want to make the comment that I am very much suprised that DENNIS WILSON - OCEAN PACIFIC BLUE isn’t on the reissue list. It was hailed as the holy grail of 70s rock this summer, but it is nowhere to be found on this list or am I blind?
And thus the distinction between favorite and best is ignored again.
No Yeasayer- All Hour Cymbals?
Like the list!
MIA LIST
Here’s my list of overlooked albums in many year-end lists. I spent about half the year in Europe so I’m not certain that all these titles are currently in issue in the USA. My personal favorites for the year were Fleet Foxes, Santogold, and the Future Sound of Russia, which is a collection of vodka-mad underground club music from Moscow and St. Petersburg
17 Hippies- Heimlich
Al Green- Lay It Down
Bon Iver- For Emma, Ever Ago
Boz Skaggs- Speak Low
Brisa Roche- Takes
Dido- Safe Trip Home
Dodos- Visiter
Cabriolets- Demo
Camille- Music Hole
Charlie Haden & Family- Rambling Boy
City and Colour- Bring Me Your Love
Daniel Lanois- Here Is What Is
Culture- Culture and Deejays at Joe Gibbs: 1977-1979 (Reissue)
Devotchka- A Mad and Faithful Telling
Dion- Hero: Giants of Early Rock Guitar
Electric Owls- Magic Show (EP)
El Paro Del Mar- From the Valley to the Stars
Estelle- Shine
International Noise Conspiracy- Cross of My Calling
Joan As A Police Woman- To Survive
Juana Molina- Un Dia
Kasey Chambers- Rattlin’ Bones
Koushik- Out My Window
Last Shadow Puppets- Age of the Understatment
Love Is All- A Hundred Things that Keep Me Up At Night
Minature Tigers- Tell It To the Volcano
Morley- Seen
Patti Loveless- Sleepless Nights
Pretenders- Break Up the Concrete
Ruby Suns- Sea Lions
Ry Cooder- The UFO Has Landed (Reissue)
Sam Phillips- Didn’t Do Anything
School of Seven Bells- Alpinisms
Soweto Gospel Choir- Live at Nelson Mandela Theater
Stereophonics-A Decade In the Sun:The Best of Stereophonics(Reissue)
Steve Wynn- Crossing the Dragon Bridge
Tiken Jah Farkoley- Live a Paris
Wild Swans- Bringing Home the Ashes
Wolf Parade- At Mount Zoomer
Various Artists- The Future Sound of Russia
Various Artists- Juno Soundtrack
Bjork!
I am in a bit of disbelief that the staff at All Music has no one with an interest in Metal or Alternative Rock. Hardly any of the albums mentioned are in these genres.
Damien Jurado - Caught in the Trees
Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue
Firewater - The Golden Hour
She & Him - Volume 1
I am surprised that your list does not contain most of my top 10, such as:
Bon Iver
Hercules & Love Affair
Walkmen
Dodos
Shearwater
Girl Talk
Throw Me a Statue
Devotchka
i’ve listened most of the listing, i know lists can upset a lot of people but it’s really -i mean really- unbelievable walkmen’s you and me isn’t on the list. that should have been the album of the year.
As much as I like Christina Aguilera… maybe Dennis Wilson was more deserving of a place on the reissue list…!
And I think Kings Of Leon’s latest was perhaps a tad more interesting than REM’s…
Glad to see M83 made it, but Sebastien Tellier should also be there.
I thought Plantlife’s album was pretty good, better than Kelley Polar
Previously mentioned but not on the list that get my vote:
Alejandro Escovedo — “Real Animal”
Emmylou Harris — “All I Intended to Be”
Justin Townes Earle — “The Good Life”
Plantlife — “Time Traveller”
Not yet mentioned, but worthy are:
Ringo Starr — “Liverpool 8″
Salvador Santana Band — “SSB”
However, my personal favorite album of the year in 2008 is:
Hucknall “Tribute to Bobby” (Bobby Blue Bland)
I’d really like to see a list of all the new releases that got 4,5 or 5 stars this year (not available through advanced search, unless you search per genre - which is a tiresome undertaking). Would you please provide this? Thanks a lot!
The best list I’ve seen was over here: http://livingears.blogspot.com
Titus Andronicus, Hold Steady, Dodos and some other greats. I really liked their list!
Missing my favorite and best album of 08…Raphael Saadiq “The Way I See It”. Great album!!
Guapo - Elixirs
Genghis Tron - Board Up the House
ASVA - What You Don’t Know is Frontier
Torche - Meanderthal
Secret Chiefs 3 - Xaphan
Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying
Meshuggah - Obzen
Mike Patton - A Perfect Place
Jesu - Are We Not Perfect
Scott Hull - Requiem
It is truly amazing that Guapo continues to fly under the radar despite recordings like Elixirs.
Counting Crows by FAR. Great alb
John Zorn’s Bar Kokhba Septet disc Lucifer and Bill Frisell’s History/Mystery are essential music
BLAH BLAH BLAH. lol.
Your Comments DO NOT MEAN JACK. Bitches. haha.
People seem to be getting this list confused for something it isn’t. It’s just their favorites, not the year’s best.
And one’s view of “best” can widely different from the next. Some people might like SouljaBoyTellem, I personally believe it’s proof there is no God.
As for my favorites this year:
- Raphael Saadiq: “The Way I See It”
- Alejandro Escovedo: “Real Animal”
- Steve Winwood: “Nine Lives”
- Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis: “Two Men With The Blues”
It’s also tempting to put The Fireman’s “Electric Arguments” up there, but I have only heard it like 3-4 times so far and it’s too soon to make a good call. Pretty good though so far.
Honorable mention to Armin van Buuren’s “Universal Religion 2008″.
I don’t have to play the Midnight Boom album anymore.God burned a copy to my brain.
Spiritualized Songs in A&E
Nick Cave & the bad seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Portishead Third
MGMT Oracular Spectacular
Barry Adamson Back to the cat
The Brian Jonestown Massacre My bloody Underground
God is an Astronaut God is an Astronaut
Tindersticks The Hungry Saw
Gallon Drunk The Rotten Mile
Primal Scream Beautiful Future
Cycledelic
A good list but I’ve also enjoyed these…
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead
John Hiatt - Same Old Man
Emmylou Harris - All That I Intended To Be
Great list!
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals!!
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping!!
I know you guys didn’t like this one, and I didn’t either at first. Now I can’t stop listening.
Wow, no Okkervil River by you or anyone else.
My personal list would be:
Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver
Okkervil River
Calexico
Conor Oberst
Oasis
The Knux
Vampire Weekend
Blitzen Trapper
MGMT
I like the dodos, will you release a best songs list?
There is a cool song list that has the dodos on it here: http://livingears.blogspot.com
They have jodi available for download and some others.
Favorite albums of 2008: 1. Earfood (Roy Hargrove) 2. You are There (Roberta Gambarini/Hank Jones) 3. The Standard (Take 6) 4. The Orchard (Lizz Wright) 5. All That I Intended to Be (Emmylou Harris) 6. DeLoverly (Cassandra Wilson) 7. Two Men with the Blues (Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis) 8. Simply Grand (Irma Thomas) 9. Rainbow People (Steve Turre) 10. Lay it Down (Al Green)…Still played these 2007 releases ALOT in 2008: Abbey Sings Abbey (Abbey Lincoln), Children Running Through (Patty Griffin), The Calling (Mary Chapin Carpenter), State of Grace (The Holmes Brothers), and Long Road out of Eden (The Eagles). Releases from this year that I have not yet heard, but very much look forward to hearing:
Hemispheres (Jim Hall/Bill Frisell), The Point of it all (Anthony Hamilton), A Moment in Time (Beres Hammond), Silence (David Murray/Mal Waldron), Double Sunrise over Neptune (William Parker).
No Name Band that only I and three other people listen to isn’t on the list.
Whoever complied this list has no taste.
no love for david byrne and brian eno?
Somebody forgot about Barry Adamson’s “Back to the cat”, and Shearwater’s “Rook”
My top albums of 2008:
1. Neal Morse - Lifeline
2. Metallica - Death Magnetic
3. Opeth - Watershed
4. Frost* - Experiments in Mass Appeal
5. Cynic - Traced in Air
Yeah, not the best year for music ever. :P These are all great albums though.
Lists like this will always be a matter of personal taste. So to the list of the best releases of the year, I would like to add:
Drive-By Truckers: Darker than creation’s dark
Black Crowes: Warpaint
Barry Adamson: Back to the cat
Phoebe Snow: Live
Antidepressive Delivery: Chain of foods
thanks to allmusic i found the KILLS, just bought just fell in love thanks to all writers who made it top 2008! i am forever in thanks
what about fleet foxes?
never mind it’s on there
WTF guys? Jenny Lewis’ crappy follow-up makes it and probably the second best album of the year, The Walkmen - You & Me, does not?
And who the hell suggested Conor Oberst should have made it? Are you serious? Did you listen to it? It was godawful.
Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On
Bobby Digital - Digi Snacks
Everyone should own these two albums.
AMG, of course your new releases choice is as subjective as any other, but I just can’t understand the discrepancies between this list and your own reviews of the albums listed!! How come there’s so many 4 star albums and so many 4.5 star missing? Notably The kooks, Eliza Gylkinson, The Old 97’s, Sheryl Crow, Drive By Truckers… just to mention a few!(all with 4.5 star and good reviews) I’m not talking about my own choices (also obviously subjective), but that you should made this list based on your own reviews (with which, in it’s majority, I agree)
BRIAN WILSON/”That Lucky Old Sun”???????!!!!!!!????????
Just wondering….
Guns N’ Roses? Where in the blue —- is Guns N’ Roses’ new album? Come on, people! Oasis? Willie Nelson? —-in’ Christina Agu-whatever? Are you serious? Listen to some REAL music, then remake the list!
Lil Wayne? Just because an album sells doesn’t mean it’s good…
The Walkmen - You & Me
Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty (annoyingly underappreciated)
Beck - Modern Guilt
How does Viva la Vida make the list? It’s almost as insipid as X&Y.
I agree it’s a lame middle of the road populist list. Granted, GNR is populist, but at least Rose stretches and confronts big issues. Christina Aguelera, Oasis, and other music such as, is pap and should be appreciated for that by critics.
Whatever happened to challenging your mind and the status quo?
Oh, and my biggest peeve is how so few appreciate the Kaiser Chiefs. They rock and they’ve got a lot of things to say. It’s cool to know nothing, I guess. Better to know you don’t know anything.
My favourites were :
Walkmen - You and Me
Hercules and Love Affair - S/T
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
Black Milk - Tronic
Air France - No Way Down
TV On The Radio - Dear Science,
Fleet Foxes - S/T
Black Milk - Tronic
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
I’m assuming the original marks given to the album were from just one critic/writer. The final list is a combined effort. This would explain why certain highly rated albums are left out of this list. Who cares anyway? If you like an album just enjoy it, tell your friends about it…Music websites are there to make you aware of new releases and point you in the direction, It’s upto you whether you trust their judgement.
The Stills - Oceans Will Rise - SOOOOOO underrated. What a heavy and moving and poetic record.
The Walkmen - You & Me - Best record of the year. Too much vibe.
There are some essentials missing!
I liked your comment, jubair, and agree with it. After all the AMG staff differ in opinion with each other and the final list must be a mix of their judgments. We should not be biased with their reviews but rather listen the albums for ourselves. Not so may times I liked an album underrated (Pink’s funhouse, for instance), though I tend to be almost the same opinion of Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Great list but Fall Out Boy deserved to be there, same The Academy Is. Both released amazing albums this year. Deffinitely one of the best releases of the year.
**The Uglysuit-S/T- This is an overlooked gem of 2008. Amazing!**
Blitzen Trapper- Furr
The Walkmen- You and Me
Ratatat- LP3
The Sea and Cake- Car Alarm
All these made my top albums of 2008.
Many of my fave’s did make the list though so Very nice!
Cheers to looking forward to 2009!
Yet another list which omits the mighty Bonnie ‘price’ Billy offering ‘Lie Down in the Light’.
Also missed
Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali (prob not released US side yet)
Calibre - Overflow (fastastic drum and bass double album)
Some great albums from Irish acts
Pony Club - Post Romantic
The Jimmy Cake - Spectre and Crown
David Holmes - The Holy Pictures
Mother Mother - O My Heart
Brian Blade Fellowship - Season Of Changes
Best albums of 2008 Hands Down!
As ever, a fascinating subjective mix of best albums. Sadly, the most intriguing album of the year: Nick Cave’s “Dig Lazarus Dig!” was omitted. Open your minds,open your ears, please ………….
a few people mentioned it but Wolf Parade - At mount zoomer was the best rock album of the year hands down. good to see tv on the radio on the list though, theirs was the second best.
Probably quite a bit less widely played (or appreciated) but Sigur Rós’ 2008 release “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” is my favorite album of the year. How to fit that much elegance and beauty into a single album is beyond me! Highly recommended.
The list contains a lot of indies but releases from the “punk” scene were completely dismissed. It was such a great year for the scene with theses releases:
The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound
Valencia - We All Need a Reason to Believe
Jack’s Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
Lydia - Illuminate
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Do You Like Rock Music? I guess not, anymore. Also, Sigur Ros were pretty good this year, too, as were Spiritualized.
thank you all for my homework
recommendations for so much music I have not yet heard
what better way to discover new music and head into the future
Happy New Years Day
Nick Cave is a serious omission.
Props for getting Oasis’ great new album on the list!
The list is a pop list. With that said, its not hard to see why there is so much ”underground” music missing from it. If you’re looking for good underground music in the vein of bands like: No Age, Times New Viking, Deerhunter and Deerhoof, you may want to check some of these bands who put out excellent albums in 08.
Sic Alps - U.S EZ
The Hospitals - Hairdryer Peace
Wavves - S/T
Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
Fennesz - Black Sea
The Goslings - Occasion
An album I’ve grown to love more and more is the Felice Brothers record. And I found out about it due to a great review on AMG. Not bitching as this album isn’t showing up on anybody’s list. Too bad though.
I think for all women, these albums by Katy Perry “One Of The Boys” or “I Kissed a Girl” must not be overlooked! These albums ran in the summer every day on the radio and always took good moody! At last, I think that Paul Kalkbrenner (German artist) here should also be mentioned. Although he released his albums since 1999 but this year was the best ever.
@mymanfromamsterdam
You’re right, Sic Alps - U.S EZ is really a great album and would really fit into the list
more Information about Sic Alps: http://www.sicalps.com/listen.html
Who? I mean, who the heck are these people? I am referring of course to the “Pop New Releases” list. Isn’t “Pop” supposed to be music and artists that I have actually heard of, like “mainstream” music? That is why they call it “Pop Radio”. Hot Chip? Deerhoof? Benga? Black Milk?!? Yeah, I always hear them on pop radio. I think Benga and Deerhoof were battling for the top spot on the top 8 at 8 countdown at the my local pop radio station. That was scarcasm, if you didn’t notice.
The only reason I am at this site is because Wikipedia often references these Allmusic reviews on their site. And I just had to see what kind of site would give great rock bands, such as Hinder, Buckcherry, Nickelback, and Theory of a Deadman, terrible reviews.
Now I see why. People who make these reviews put way, way, way, too much emphasis on originality. I can be original too. I’m gonna make an album full of songs with me farting into a pan flute. It will never sell, will get no radio play, but it will probably make this list because it was “original”, or “daring”, or “musical genius” or whatever descriptives they used to promote these no-name, never going anywhere, will never be heard of again “artists” on this list. Don’t get me wrong, some of the names, Ne-yo, Oasis, Coldplay, and R.E.M., to name a few, are good. Most are terrible though and will never be heard of again.
I for one think Hinder’s CD “Take it to the Limit” is incredible. It is absolutely better than most of the albums on this list. It is raw, emotional, and I bet almost anyone can relate to it in one way or another. The people here bashed it because it lacked originality and sounded like a new-age ripoff of Bon Jovi, ACDC, and Guns and Roses. So what? What is so wrong with being influenced by and sounding like the bands you grew up idolizing? Unless you make a CD of yourself farting into a pan flute, you are going to sound like someone or some band that is already around. They say Hinder is a new age ripoff of GNR. Well, you can say GNR is a ripoff of the sex pistols, cheap trick, or the Rolling Stones. And you can say that they were all a ripoff of Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry.
They also say it is so unoriginal that most of the titles to their songs are titles of already well-known songs. So Hinder’s hard rock, aggresive song titled “Take it to the Limit” is unoriginal because it shares the same name as the Eagles big hit. Too bad the Eagles song is a slow ballad about lost love and loneliness, while Hinder’s version couldn’t be more not about about lost love and loneliness. If this rule applies I guess one of the greatest songs of my generation, “One” by U2, is actually no good since it shares its song title with about 100 other songs in history.
Sorry about the rant, but this seemed to be the only place where I can voice my opinion about these reviews. Never again will I visit Allmusic for their opinion on an album or band. They do not know good music.
hey just wondering like some other folks commenting: Where is The Black Crowes:Warpaint…great album and certainly there best since Three Snakes and One Charm and also Jakob Dylan’s solo album Seeing Things…very good record and he’s a very underrated songwriter and I think he has proved it by continuing to make solid rock n roll records even if there is no radio stations that recognize anything but whatever is popular…one more thing and i’ve commented before on this subject: just because it’s indie doesn’t mean that it’s good! I’m with the guy who said where is Metal and Alternative Rock…when is someone going to write that a lot of indie music sounds the same and they think if they make it weird that it’s art…Not! By the way Fleet Foxes sound like every other indie band that has come out since Travis and Coldplay and I like those two bands and I do think there is good indie music but lets recognize crap when it’s crap yo! ps- Oasis Dig Out Your Soul very good!
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
great list!
bon iver,nick cave
Drive by truckers, Wovenhand, Mudhoney’s Lucky ones, Cat Power, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Gutter Twins, The Black Angels…Where is your mind?
me veras volver soda
IN RESPONSE TO MATT’S REDICULOUS RANT:
You’re a huge, giant, rediculously annoying DOUCHE!!!!!
You listen to your horribly unoriginal awefullness that you call “Good Music” and keep your absurd comments to yourself.
I’d be willing to bet that not one band that you mentioned even writes their own music!!!
And What about:
Dr. Dog — Fate
James Hunter — The Hard Way
Neil Diamond — Home Before Dark
Howlin Rain — Magbificent Fiend
North Mississippi Allstars — Hernando”
My Morning Jacket — Evil Urges
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives — Communion
Tift Merrit — Another Country
The Freewheelin Tornados — Acapulco Gold
musictastesgood, I’ll take that bet. Actually, they all (with the exception of Nickelback on some songs) write their own music. I guarantee it. Maybe you should do some research before you respond with such a comment.
And once again, you use the phrase “horribly unoriginal”. So if something isn’t “original” you are saying it is bad music? Is there even any original rock bands left? Let me rephrase. Is there any original rock bands left that I have actually heard of, excluding the obsolete artists in this list? No, there is not. Rock evolves through time. Everyone in the rock genere is inspired by someone before them, therefore somewhat sounding like their predecesors. If they don’t, it is not rock music.
Like I said, there is NOTHING wrong with being inspired by and sounding like artists you grew up idolizing. Just because you sound like someone else and are deemed as “unoriginal” doesn’t mean you are incapable of putting out a great album.
And why don’t you try responding with something besides insults and false accusations, like saying they don’t write their own music.
Glad to see Mogwai got some love.
WHERE´S KONK BY THE KOOKS?! Good to see several albums like Weller´s, Vampire Weekend´s, Replacements´s and so on.
super duper reviews
If it sounds the exact same as 100 other bands for the past 15 years, then yeah unoriginal=bad. There are however a few groups that write music that is, to a certain extent ripped off, Angels and Airwaves for example, that are decent. But I’m sorry, Nickelback is not only played out, they can’t solo worth crap, their singer sucks, and their lyrics either make Chad Kroeger sound like a prick, or totally insincere or both.
>>It will never sell, will get no radio play, but it will probably make this list because it was “original”, or “daring”, or “musical genius” or whatever descriptives they used to promote these no-name, never going anywhere, will never be heard of again “artists” on this list.
GRRRRR. Why did my post get cut off?
I am absolutely apalled at the lack of recognition Nappy Roots has gotten over the years. They continue to come out with the absolute best rap albums, while Lil Wayne comes out with pathetic feed-the-masses-what-they-want crap, and yet they still get overlooked and Lil Wayne gets nominated for Grammies. Any Best Albums of 2008 list that doesn’t have Nappy Roots’ album “The Humdinger” on it is not a list worth looking at, in my opinion.
I’m not surprised that it’s not on this particular list, however, being that ALLMUSIC STILL HASN’T EVEN DONE A REVIEW OF IT!!! Seriously, this is pathetic and disappointing. Get on top of things, guys.
Torche - Meanderthal needs to be added
Sigur Ros
The Black Keys
Opeth
Hold Steady
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Meshuggah
That rounds out my top 10.
flying lotus, los angeles
flying lotus, los angeles
flying lotus, los angeles
flying lotus, los angeles
flying lotus, los angeles
flying lotus, los angeles
Where is Nick Cave? And Bloc Party?
mymanfromamsterdam - AMG gave underground their own kind of best of 08 list here http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/12/5/rip-it-off-and-start-again-noise-to-enjoy-in-2008/
and matt, I’m sure you’re only playing around and trying to get a rise out of people, but if someone like you truly does exist, you need help. Don’t be so ignorant to what’s going on in the world. Hinder, Nickelback, whatever, are irrelevant bands of a dying music industry. Just bland and boring RAWK to appeal to people not too interested in music in the first place.
Glad to see others note that Drive-By Truckers are missing here. “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is a great record, both musically and lyrically.
Personally, I can’t see what the fuss is over Fleet Foxes. I tried and tried to like it, but it just bored me to tears. Be interesting to see how AMG (and UK mags who jizzed all over the thing) rate their follow-up when it arrives.
Thanks Bob Spitz….
But the problem is I think he’s being serious, which is a very scary thing.
Ten Faves of 2008:
1. The Baseball Project–Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
2. Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed–Roll With You
3. Hans Theessink & Terry Evans–Visions
4. Frank Turner–Love Ire & Song
5. Ben Sollee–Learning To Bend
6. Old 97’s–Blame It On Gravity
7. Mudcrutch–Mudcrutch
8. Steve Cropper & Felixe Cavaliere–Nudge It Up a Notch
9. J.D. Souther–If The World Was You
10. Alejandro Escovedo–Real Animal
The Next Ten:
11. John Hiatt–Same Old Man
12. Gaslight Anthem–The ‘59 Sound
13. Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis–Two Men With the Blues
14. Eddie Floyd–Eddie Loves You So
15. Billy Bragg–Mr. Love & Justice
16. Scottland Barr & The Slow Drags–All The Great Aviators Agree
17. Los Campesinos–Hold On Now, Youngster…
18. Randy Newman–Harps and Angels
19. Larry Jon Wilson–Larry Jon Wilson
20. Adele–Adele 19
Ten More For the Heck Of It (21-30):
21. The Hold Steady–Stay Positive
22. Chris Difford–The Last Temptation of Chris
23. Rodney Crowell–Sex & Gasoline
24. Blind Boys of Alabama–Down in New Orleans
25. Hayes Carll–Trouble in Mind
26. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby–Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby
27. Neil Diamond–Home Before Dark
28. Glen Campbell–Meet Glen Campbell (Expanded Edition)
29. Shelby Lynne–Just a Little Lovin’
30. Willie Nile–Live From the Streets of New York
Some More Honorable Mentions That Should Be In The Top 30:
Hacienda Brothers–Arizona Motel
Malcomb Holcombe–Gamblin’ House
Dry Heathens–Fist Contact with Ground
David Sanborn–Here & Gone
Band of Heathens–The Band of Heathens
Emmylou Harris–All I Intended To Be
Steve Winwood–Nine Lives
Mavis Staples–Live: Hope at the Hideout
James McMurtry–Just Us Kids
JJ Grey & Mofro–Orange Blossom
Elvis Costello–Momofuku
Dr. John–City That Care Forgot
Janiva Magness–What Love Will Do
Jakob Dylan–Seeing Things
Josh Ritter–In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street
Carlene Carter–Stranger
Ry Cooder–I, Flathead
Garnett Mimms–Is Anybody Out There?
Frank Carillo & Bandoleros–Someday
Pretenders–Break Up Concrete
Ray LaMontagne–Gossip In The Grain
Justin Townes Earle–The Good Life
Solomon Burke–Like a Fire
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson–Rattlin’ Bones
Bobby Charles–Homemade Songs
Donnie Fritts–One Foot In The Groove
Amos Lee–Last Days at the Lodge
The Whistlestop–The Whistlestop
Marc Broussard–Keep Coming Back
Counting Crows–Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Loudon Wainright–Recovery
Susan Tedeschi–Back To The River
Duffy–Rockferry
Felice Brothers–The Felice Brothers
Joe Jackson–Rain
Southside Johnny–Grapefruit Moon (Songs of Tom Waits)
Reverend Organdrum–Rev Organdrum
Eric Lindell–Low on Cash, Rich In Love
Jamie Lidell–Jim
There are probably others I’m forgetting, but the point is that there were a ton of good CDs out there to be found, if you had the patience and determination to seek them out.
Perhaps the most rewarding stuff to come out in 2008 falls under the Historical Releases, Compilations and Reissues category. Perhaps the best thing I heard all year was Bob Dylan’s ‘Tell Tale Signs’ release which was the eighth installment of his ongoing Bootleg Series. It was tops of a whole slew of similarly rewarding releases throughout the year. Here is my list of some that come to mind.
My Five Favorite Historical, Compilation and Reissue Releases of the Year in Order:
1. Bob Dylan–Tell Tale Signs: The bootleg Series Vol. 8
2. Rodriquez–Cold Fact
3. Porter Wagoner–The Cold Hard Facts of Life (Bear Family Edition)
4. Jim Ford–Point of No Return
5. Otis Redding–Otis Redding Sings Soul (Collectors Edition)
Other worthwhile and Rewarding Compilations, Historical Releases and Reissues include:
Jorge Ben–Forca Bruta
Jorge Ben–Jorge Ben (1969)
Shades of Brown–S.O.B.
Big Dipper==Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology
The Replacement Reissues
Daniela und Ann–Samba Soul Beat in Black & White
Buena Vista Social Club–At Carnegie Hall
Charles Wright & Watts 103rd St. Band–Live at the Haunted House
Tim Maia–The Soul of Brazil
Johnny Pate–Outrageous
Gene Shaw Quintet–Breakthrough
Reuben Wilson–Got To Get Your Own
Roy Ayers–You Send Me
Warren Zevon–Warren Zevon (Expanded 2-disc reissue)
Van Morrison–Still On Top: The Greatest Hits ( Three Disc version)
Nick Lowe–Jesus of Cool
Josh Rouse–The Best of the Rykodisc Years
Whiskeytown–Strangers Almanac (Deluxe Edition)
Mitty Collier–The Shades of Mitty Collier: The Chess Singles 61-68
Mary Gresham–Voice From the Shadows: Story of a Muscle Shoals Soul Sister
Mink Deville–Le Chat Bleu (Expanded Edition)
Ty Karim–The Complete Ty Karim: Los Angeles Soul Goddess
Chris Farlowe–14 Things To Think About
Georgie Fame–Seventh Son/ Going Home
Doris Allen–The Shell of a Woman :Legendary Playground Sessions
Ry Cooder–The UFO Has Landed: Ry Cooder Anthology
Manfred Mann–Hit Mann! The Essential Singles 1963-1968
The Nerves–One Way Ticket
Swamp Dogg–Blame It On the Dogg: The Swamp Dogg Anthology
Neil Young–Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968
Como Now: The Voices of Panola County Mississippi
Brother Jack McDuff–Gin and Orange
Notables I Wish I had Heard:
The Lost Crusaders–Have You Heard About The World?
Gentleman Jesse–Gentleman Jesse
Chris Knight–Heart of Stone
Matthew Ryan–Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State
The Reducers–Guitar, Drum and Bass
Otis Gibbs–Grandpa Walked a Pickett Line
Arthur Russell–Love is Overtaking Me
Sonny Rollins–Road Shows
Joseph Arthur–Temporary People
all three of my favourite records for 2008 weren’t in any list- i wonder why ? has the world forgotten these artistes ?
counting crowes - saturday night & sunday morning
sheryl crow - detours
black crowes - war paint
…also like in rainbows (radiohead) & rockferry (duffy)
Did I just hallucinate, or is Nick Cave NOT on the list? Does not compute.
Frankly can’t understand why tv on the radio was so hyped this year, i mean 2 last ones was great, this one just sounded like fil in tracks from the last one that didn’t cut it
what about kings of leon? and the killers??
TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2008 (in order)
Cut Copy In Ghost Colours (AUS)
Drive-By Truckers Brighter Than Creations Dark (USA)
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Dig Lazarus Dig!!! (AUS)
Bon Iver Emma Forever Ago (USA)
Bonnie “Prince” Billy Lie Down In The Light (USA)
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant EP (USA)
Blitzen Trapper Furr (USA)
Portishead Third (ENG)
Deerhunter Microcastle (USA)
Dungen 4 (SWE)
Frightened Rabbit Midnight Organ Fight (SCO)
Poni Hoax Images Of Sigrid (FRA)
The Walkmen You And Me (USA)
TV On The Radio Dear Science (USA)
Sons And Daughters This Gift (SCO)
Metronomy Nights Out (ENG)
Hercules And Love Affair Hercules And Love Affair (USA)
Fuck Buttons Street Horrsing (ENG)
Port O’Brien All We Could Do Was Sing (USA)
Lambchop OH (ohio) (USA)
M83 Saturdays=Youth (FRA)
Shearwater Rook (USA)
Kleerup Kleerup (SWE)
Beck Modern Guilt (USA)
Love Is All A Hundred Things To Keep Me Up All Night (SWE)
The Dodos Visiter (USA)
Why? Alopecia (USA)
Stereolab Chemical Chords (USA)
Department of Eagles In Ear Park (USA)
Plants And Animals Parc Avenue (CAN)
Honourable Mentions
El Guincho Alegranza (SPA)
Calexico Carried To Dust (USA)
The Hold Steady Stay Positive (USA)
The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride (USA)
The Sea And Cake Car Alarm (USA)
Sun Kil Moon April (USA)
Wild Beasts Limbo Panto (ENG)Xiu Xiu Women As Lovers (USA)
Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer (CAN)
Sorry that should read
Stereolab Chemical Chords (ENG/FRA)
stunning ommisions in my mind:
Kaiser Chiefs Off With Their Heads
The Killers Day & Age
Kings of Leon Only By the Night
Amos Lee Last Days at the Lodge
Glasvegas
My Morning Jacket Evil Urges
The Kooks Konk
British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?
I am probably missing some but those omissions were the most obvious.
Ok whiny babies, try to remember that this is the list of their FAVORITE albums. They did not say this was going to be a list of THE BEST albums of 2008. If so, Goldfrapp’s name wouldn’t have appeared on it. I’d hate to see what would happen if they posted a list of their favorite foods. Everyone would be arguing over what food should have been on their list.
Cheese Product. . . definitely the best food of 2008. Haha.
No Liejacker = this list is WRONG.
The Kooks “Konk” was not only the best album of the year but one of the best of the last decade…why has everyone missed this album?
OPETH- WATERSHED. Where is it? Can’t stand the way all this shit common music always makes it to these lists even though they are devoid of skill.
my favorite is Kaiser Chiefs - alltime favorites!
Where is the Hold Steady’s brilliant “Stay Positive”, my number one of the year. And I don’t see My Morning Jacket’s “Evil Urges”. They had a hell of a year…
Hey you guys, you forgot ________ by ________! That album was amazing! Shame on you for giving us an utterly subjective list based on your personal tastes, while forgetting ___________!
Adele “19″
Anberlin “New Surrender”
Black Crowes “Warpaint”
Alejandro Escovedo “Real Animal”
Extreme “Saudades De Rock”
Paul Gilbert “Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar”
Guillemots “Red”
Glenn Hughes “F.U.N.K.”
In Flames “A Sense Of Purpose”
Ladyhawke “Ladyhawke”
The Mars Volta “The Bedlam In Goliath”
Pat Metheny “Day Trip”
Mint Condition “E-Life”
The Old 97’s “Blame It On Gravity”
Protest The Hero “Fortress”
Raphael Saadiq “The Way I See It”
Safetysuit “Life Left To Go”
Shearwater “Rook”
Slipknot “All Hope Is Gone”
Robin Thicke “Something Else”
Trivium “Shogun”
Victor Wooten “Palmystery”
To name but a few…….
How about a pair of guitar geniuses?
Sonny Landreth - From the Reach
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
These are a pair of must-haves for any blues fan.
I don’t know where these albums are but you’d better think of them especially if you trust your 5 star rating system at all… Robert Plant’s new album is terrific. I also really enjoyed Radiohead, snow patrol, the killers, the kooks, Shiny toy guns, pendulum’s ‘In Silico’, and the new death cab which is severely underrated.
Pendulum is the best electronica out there as of now so I think they deserve a mention. Also this site’s review of their album seems to agree with me that ‘visions’ is one of the best songs of the year so whats the deal.
And I hate taylor swift.
Wow. Where’s Robert Plant & Alison Kraus? Grammy seems to have liked them. I like them. Not on the list.
*scratches head.
Hint - Driven From Distraction
Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking
Mr. Scuff - Ninja Tuna
TM Juke and The Jack Baker Trio Present… - Boto and The Second Liners
Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - Death Of The Revolution
Natural-Self - The Art Of Vibration
Stee Downes - All In A Day
Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson - Drum Lesson Vol. 1
etc……
insert \”fan\” between country and either and I might not sound like a moron :)
WHERE IS “IN RAINBOWS”?
WHAT A JOKE
Wow - Gas - Nah und Fern - for me they make amazing music
My Playlist of 2008 divides itself as follows
Skindred - Rude Boy for Life
Black Tide - Shockwave
Crystal Castles - Untrust US
Dragonforce - The Fire quietly Burn
Guillemots “Red”
Glenn Hughes “F.U.N.K.”
In Flames “A Sense Of Purpose”
Ladyhawke “Ladyhawke”
The Mars Volta “The Bedlam In Goliath”
Pat Metheny “Day Trip”
Mint Condition “E-Life”
The Old 97’s “Blame It On Gravity”
Paul Gilbert “Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar”
stunning ommisions in my mind:
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
Black Tide - Shockwave
Crystal Castles - Untrust US
Amos Lee - Last Days at the Lodge
Very nice blog:-)
Jetho Tull “Lokomotiv Breath”
Yeah cool topic, I love music like the Jethro Tull Albums. Good works and thanks !
I was happy to see B.B. King and Rodney Crowell on the list, but what about Alejandro Escovedo’s “Real Animal”, an amazing album that has helped him reach a wider audience (opening for Dave Mathews, more media attention…). He didn’t sacrifice any integrity, either.
Paint it Black
Uriah Hip
Personally, I can’t see what the fuss is over Fleet Foxes. I tried and tried to like it, but it just bored me to tears. Be interesting to see how AMG (and UK mags who jizzed all over the thing) rate their follow-up when it arrives.
cool to see some old songwriters like Rodney Crowell here.
In my opinion we have a typical difference of varieties. There are the charms and beats to those bands which are in the press. And there are also charms to those bands which play underground, proud and free music.
WHERE´S KONK BY THE KOOKS?! Good to see several albums like Weller´s, Vampire Weekend´s, Replacements´s and so on.
Great list but Fall Out Boy deserved to be there, same The Academy Is. Both released amazing albums this year. Deffinitely one of the best releases of the year.
tnx! Where i can find a best songs list?
Thank you for this List! My Top3-Favs are:
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
R.E.M. - Murmur (Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition)
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Greetz from Germany :)
Skindred - Rude Boy for Life
Black Tide - Shockwave
Crystal Castles - Untrust US
Dragonforce - The Fire quietly Burn
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