AllMusic’s Favorite Rock Albums of 2008
December 9th, 2008 | 4:00 pm est |
The Baseball Project – The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Beck – Modern Guilt
Walter Becker – Circus Money
The Black Crowes – Warpaint
Lindsey Buckingham – Gift of Screws
David Byrne/Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
Elvis Costello & the Imposters – Momofuku
Counting Crows – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Sheryl Crow – Detours
Ray Davies – Working Man’s Cafe
The Fireman – Electric Arguments
Foxboro Hot Tubs – Stop Drop and Roll!!!
Juliana Hatfield – How to Walk Away
Bob Mould – District Line
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch
Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
The Pretenders – Break Up the Concrete
The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
R.E.M. – Accelerate
Todd Rundgren – Arena
Butch Walker – Sycamore Meadows
Weezer – Weezer (Red Album)
Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
Yay! Great list. Thanks for including Todd Rundgren and The Pretenders: Both on my best of the year list. Also glad to see Lindsey Buckingham and Ray Davies. I only disagree with the inclusion of Metallic – that album cover looks like an absolut vodka advertisement and the music within sucked dog balls. But otherwise – great list!!!
I only pray there will be an Indie or Alternative list where Stephen Malkmus, Portishead, Jenny Lewis, Fleet Foxes, and Nick Cave have a home…
Shalom, y’all!
L. Bangs
Glad to see Juliana on the list. ‘Twas a great, great album.
That list sucks. There is nothing interesting on there. If that is the year in rock then 2008 sucked (which it did not).
nice music, but….Nearly only oldies of rock in the list???!
Where are:
“Tv On the Radio”, “Death Cab For Cutie”, “Fleet Foxes” etc.
look for Metallica on the upcoming Metal list and look for more “indie” rock on the forthcoming “indie” rock list!
Great list! Bob Mould, Juliana, Pretenders, REM, Sheryl and Butch all put out great records this year. It’s sad because if these had been the exact same records by a new group they would be on the indie list and every critic would be shouting from the rooftops over them.
Don’t hate people. This list is largely influenced by how many records were sold at Best Buy.
I’m glad Paul Weller 22 dream is on the list as its just an ambitious yet amazing album. Fleet Foxes album should be there.
Good list! I hope you include Cynic’s album in the metal list!
Booring..come on guys that list is seriously lacking in any musical risk taking whatsoever..
Dissapointing.
Mogwai?
Eagles Of Death Metal a bit stiff
No mention of The Black Keys’ “Attack & Release”? That renders this list meaningless.
Todd Todd Todd! Arena. I am so happy this album was included.
It is sooooooo great.
Um, no love for The Hold Steady’s “Stay Positive”? It’s infinitely more rocking than the Weezer record, and Oasis, and… well, everything here, really.
the nail in the coffin
To back up my esteemed colleague Tim a few posts up — this is our ROCK list. We have more lists coming including INDIE ROCK which will most likely have all the “cool”, not “booring” stuff. Thank you for your time.
Hey i am a big fan of Steely Dan, but Mr Walter Becker has a new album called Circus Money, What a great album it is, just had to share that with all the Steely Dan Fans.
From the Legendary Steely Dan Man WALTER BECKER NEW ALBUM ‘Circus Money’ OUT NOW
Unrepentantly and delightfully steely Dan-esque An understated gem.
“ Q “Melodic funky, and as smart as you like.”
The Times **** Uncut ****
Daily Express **** Record Collector
http://www.sonic360.com/walterbecker
This is not a rock list, it is a geriatric convention.
I like how some of these albums were reviewed as the most disappointing albums of the year on other websites. oh well …
Where are the Drive-By Truckers? Seriously, WHERE ARE THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS? “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is one of the very best rock albums of 2008 — tough, hard-rocking, eclectic, smart and full of heart and soul. I assure you, it’s a better album than at least half of the titles you have mentioned above.
Oh, and you should have mentioned Alejandro Escovedo’s “Real Animal,” too.
I’m sure there’ll be an indie list.
Although a bunch of indie records adhering to the cliches of THAT subgenre rather than these dad rock records isn’t necessarily better. Just noisier and stuck with fans in willfully ugly haircut instead of accidentaly ugly comb-overs.
As happy as I am that Oasis made this list, I do have to admit that this is basically a list of the biggest budget releases or old artists past their prime still churning out decent work. I find it hard to believe that this really is the best of 2008, and I pretty much believe everything allmusic tells me.
Just beceause you’re releasing a separate “indie” list, there’s no excuse for this. Don’t tell us to hold back our disgust just because the “real” list is forthcoming. There are a lot of great bands mistakenly considered “indie” who are actually with major labels, and none of them are Coldplay and Weezer. We all read allmusic because we expect it to be different from all those publications that produce worthless lists like this. Honestly, I’ve been frequenting your site almost daily for several years now and I’m ashamed of you guys. If Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes don’t make the “real/indie” list, I’m afraid I may lose all hope.
I hope there is to be a metal and/or indie list because I can’t fathom how Meshuggah’s Obzen and Mike Patton’s A Perfect Place soundtrack missed the cut here.
Excellent job putting Todd Rundgren’s ARENA on this list and any other list of positive review of albums. Rock on Todd!
Is this a joke? Lot of Oldies on this list.
I’m with Lester–SM’s REAL EMOTIONAL TRASH was my favourite this year.
I was going to buy the Costello and Randy Newman albums,but then I heard them…..
Agree with Jason that the new Hold Steadys album is a lot better than some of the albums listed. Best album for me on the list is Paul Weller’s 22 dreams. Rock, soul, jazz you name it. A great discovery.
where’s “in rainbows” ?
or “Narrow Stairs”, Vampire weekend ?,
Mine would have been totally different.
Where is Robert Forster’s “The Evangelist”?
this just proves “indie” kids are more “emo” than “emo” kids go cry somewhere else you pumpkin heads
d
Where the hell is Along Came A Spider by Alice Cooper?!?!
Good list. But Death Cab For Cutie’s Narrow Staris, Metallica’s Death Magnetic and GNR’s Chinese Democracy are missing. Good to find Todd Rundgren – am a huge fan – though I haven’t heard this particular album
Again, the list is titled “AllMusic’s Favorite Rock Albums of 2008″. It is not titled “Hands Down Non Debatable BEST Albums of 2008″. If it were, then all your bitching and moaning would be justified. Sadly, however, it is not. Any true music fan should know that personal preference is wide and varied.