Showing posts with label The Album List. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Album List. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Best of 2023 - The Album List

Absolutely thrilled to share our favorite releases from this remarkable year in music. It's a joy to witness the triumphant return of seasoned veterans who have graced the industry for decades, alongside the exciting emergence of new talents. What unites these diverse artists is their remarkable ability, each within their own genre, to reinvent themselves with their recent releases. Here are the ten albums that collectively represent the artistic evolution and enduring brilliance of musicians, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape of 2023.


Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Best of 2021 - Albums / EPs

Year two of Covid ups and downs and a quiet year for us here. Following the songs list here comes the favorite albums and EP list for the first time together. If not for more, than certainly a great Duran Duran return and anniversary celebrating 40 years in the music business.


Sunday, May 31, 2020

Best of 1990 - The Album List - Top 50


The world is currently facing its biggest crisis since the World War II where the Coronavirus has spread worldwide to almost every country causing a mass pandemic in the world. Authorities from most of the countries have introduced the national lock-downs in order to prevent the virus from spreading further and are urging the people to stay at home

During the past decade, this time of the year always meant a flashback to a certain year in the 80's decade and paying a 30 years anniversary tribute to the some of the biggest albums and songs that were released back then, and also to see how they have stood the test of time. 

This year it does not mean only returning to one specific year but also celebrating the shift of decades as we are entering the 90's terrain.

In the history 1990 is mostly remembered for the start of reunification of Germany and demise of the Soviet Union and collapsing of the socialist governments in Easter European countries. While the Wind of changes was flowing through out Europe, George Michael released his biggest hit "Freedom" and for Madonna it was her most scandalous year ever. As some of her live shows were condemned and the music video for "Justify My Love" banned from daily airplay on MTV. Apart from this despite the previous success of SAW production in the previous years, it saw a sharp decline in popularity where new dance forms were emerging, including Euro dance, house and acid jazz as well as Baggy / Madchester and the rise of Brit pop. Among the winning artist at the Brit awards were Phil Collins, Neneh Cherry, Annie Lennox and Fine Young Cannibals.

Based on the poll results in April the following Top50 Album list was established.


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Best of 2010's - Top 100 Album List

2010's is the first decade that we manage to completely cover with our blog. Every year we published our year end Album list and this certainly helped in building our end of decade list. Some albums even if released in the early 2010's have stood well against the test of time and are still part of every day radio airwaves while some albums' glory vanished and reminders were needed to catch up with them. The Horrors, MGMT, Tame Impala and Lana Del Rey clearly dominated this decade while there were some exciting come backs which included Duran Duran and Slowdive and David Bowie. We are also very grateful for all great new artist which have emerged during this decade with whom we have collaborated on different matters. Our Top 100 Album list is below and The Horrors' album 'V' takes the title as the best album from the Decade.


Saturday, December 21, 2019

Best of 2019 - The Album List

It's time for a debrief on 2019, and as per tradition, we are excited to unveil our favorite albums of the year. Moreover, with 2019 being the conclusion of the decade, we've had the opportunity to draw comparisons with previous years, setting the stage for our upcoming Top 100 singles and albums of the 10's.
This year has been a showcase of musical artistry, genre fusions, and influences from the past decade, evident in many of the albums on our list. Notably, female artists took center stage, with Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs, and Weyes Blood paving the way with their distinct styles. Surprising comebacks were also witnessed, including the unexpected reunion and new material release from Shakespeare Sister. On a somber note, the music world bid farewell to Mark Hollis of Talk Talk, Keith Flint of the Prodigy, and most recently, Marie Fredriksson of Roxette.
Our album presentation for this year features 40 albums spanning various genres and sub-genres, exploring diverse musical forms and venturing into new territories.



Monday, April 1, 2019

Best of 1989- The Album List

Let's step back into 1989 and celebrate its 30th anniversary, a year that served as both the culmination of the '80s decade and a precursor to the changes that would define the '90s. It's renowned as a year of revolutions, witnessing sweeping changes in Eastern Bloc countries in Europe, and a year of technological innovations with the introduction of the first commercial internet services.

Musically, the charts were still under the influence of Stock-Aitken-Waterman hits, which also welcomed Donna Summer into their hits factory. However, the latter part of 1989 saw the emergence of new sounds. House music, spearheaded by acts like Inner City and S'Express, gained prominence, while Italo disco evolved into the Eurodance genre. While 1989 may be chronologically associated with the '80s, it undeniably encapsulated the spirit of the impending '90s, with music styles that would reach their peaks in the following decade and beyond.

 The following Top 20 represents the result of the 'Best of 1989 - The Album list' from 2019 together with our in-house votes.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Best of 2018- The Album List


2018 has been quite silent and not such active year with news and updates from our end. Musically there were some interesting releases but much weaker with offer (hardly any synthpop) than the previous years in this decade. Regardless to this, every year comes with certain charm and some records still manage to impress and leave long lasting memory.
What was evident, especially in the top albums pool, is that top four albums, in direct or in indirect way link to the LA music scene, and at least two of them feature collaboration with Ariel Pink which means that we have a thematic top five for the first time.
This year on our menu we have top ten favorite albums plus additional ones worth mentioning, also great but did not make such impact like the first ten. Of course there are always other good ones that we missed who might be considered in the years to come along the new releases.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Best of 1988- The Album List

In the 20th Century, the year 1988 was the year with the most Roman numeral digits, but more important, in science and technology, it was a year of the first Internet-based chat protocol between USA and Europe.
On the music level, the charts was still dominated by the Stock- Aitken-Waterman hits who received the Brit Award for their music production skills. On the different floors, House music was slowly emerging, while Alternative and indie rock were even more diversified into various other musical sub genres.


Sunday, December 3, 2017

Best of 2017 - The Album List

December always means fun time with the favorite albums and like every year, this year we have also been working hard to review what was best in terms of creativity, sound, visuals and what we enjoyed the most. If you only look at the top 10 out of this top 30 Albums, you will see a real illustration of music styles we appreciate the most on our site. We have a another high point with the Horrors again this year. What else was on for us and offered a musical delight, please find in the least below.


Monday, February 13, 2017

Best of 1987- The Album List


Let's dive into the 1987 Albums campaign! This year marked an interesting crossover period where music styles from the first half of the decade began transforming into new genres, creating fresh musical opportunities and providing stages for new talents.

In terms of innovation, MTV Europe was launched, and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" became the first single released on CD, while the cassette tape continued to rise in popularity.

Synthpop was still prominent in the mainstream, with Erasure and Pet Shop Boys maintaining its presence. The pop hits from the emerging Stock Aitken Waterman pop factory, including Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up," became chart-toppers and contributed to making it the best-selling single of the year.

On the other hand, House music was slowly growing and taking over dance floors, providing a fresh and dynamic sound. Simultaneously, indie pop/rock was flourishing, offering more diverse and alternative forms of music.

At the Brit Awards, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel received honors for Best Female and Best Male, respectively, showcasing the diversity and richness of the musical landscape in 1987.



Monday, December 26, 2016

Best of 2016- The Album List

Time to sum up everything from 2016, as this is usual in this time of the year. It has been our 10th  anniversary year and therefore a very important year for us. In general, it has been a crazy year and a very sad one, as the music world lost some of their top artists and pop icons who helped shape the sound and vision of the previous four decades. 
In terms of quality and what 2016 offered, and based on what is in our charts, we could say that pop went retro, post punk turned groovy and we found some new formulas of R'n'B and Soul. As you can see our top company were Preoccupations (formerly Viet Cong) Shura and Blood Orange. What else was hot, see below..


01. Preoccupations- Preoccupations [Jagjaguwar]
02. Shura- Nothing's Real [Polydor]
03. Blood Orange- Freetown Sound [Domino]
04. Villa Nah- Ultima [Solina]
05. Michelle Gurevich- New Decadence [self released]
06. Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool [XL]
07. Bat for Lashes- The Bride [Parlophone]
08. PJ Harvey- The Hope Six Demolition Project [Island]
09. Geneva Jacuzzi- Technophelia [Medical Records LLC]
10. David Bowie- Blackstar [ISO]
11. Cat's Eyes- Treasure House [Raf Records]
12. Suede- Night Thoughts [Warner]
13. Get Well Soon- Love [Caroline]
14. Angel Olsen- MY WOMAN [Jagjaguwar]
15. Michael Kiwanuka- Love & Hate [Polydor]
16. Xeno & Oaklander- Topiary [Ghostly]
17. The Last Shadow Puppets- Everything You've Come to Expect[Domino]
18. The Radio Dept.- Running Out of Love [Labrador]
19. Still Corners- Dead Blue [Wrecking Light]
20. Yeasayer- Amen & Goodbye [Mute]
21. Wrangler- White Glue [Meme Tune]
22. Lust for Youth- Compassion [Sacred Bones]
23. Hante.- This Fog That Never Ends [Synth Religion]
24. Cult Club- Play with Lies [Domestica]
25. Black Arcade- Transhuman [digital file]
26. Perfect Human- Erste [Perfect Aesthetics]
27. Liste Noire- Brace [No Emb Blanc]
28. DIIV- Is the Is Are [Captured Tracks]
29. Boy Harsher- Yr Body is Nothing [digital file]
30. School of Seven Bells-SVIIB [Vargant]


Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Best of 1986- The Album List

n the early months of 1985, the Pet Shop Boys made a significant impact on the UK charts with "West End Girls," a track that would go on to become their signature tune and biggest hit. Alongside Erasure, they played a pivotal role in transforming synth-pop into electro-dance, giving the genre a fresh and contemporary sound. The Communards also contributed to this evolving trend, as their cover of the disco classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" emerged as the best-selling single of the year.

Meanwhile, established artists like Madonna and George Michael continued to be among the best-selling acts, further shaping the pop genre. Madonna's third studio album, "True Blue," stood out as the best-selling album in the UK during this period, solidifying her status as a pop icon. The musical landscape of 1985 reflected a dynamic fusion of synth-pop, electro-dance, and enduring pop influences.


Friday, December 25, 2015

Best of 2015- The Album List

Time to round up the best from the year 2015! Not so packed as 2014, but still, it gave birth to some interesting releases. Worth a very special mention to Martin Phillipps' The Chills and The Apartments who returned with first new albums in almost twenty years, both reaching the Top ten on our charts, proving they still got the beat going. Our favorites by far and most listened would be Susanne Sundførs' 'Ten Love Songs' and Tame Impala's 'Currents'. What else was hot? See below...


01. Tame Impala- Currents [Modular/ Interscope]
02. Susanne Sundfør- Ten Love Songs [Kobalt]
03. Viet Cong- Viet Cong [Jagjaguwar/ Flemish Eye]
04. The Apartments- No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal [Microcultures]
05. Belle and Sebastian- Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance [Matador]
06. Julia Holter- Have You in My Wilderness [Domino]
07. The Chills- Silver Bullets [Fire]
08. Dave Gahan & Soulsavers- Angels & Ghosts [Columbia]
09. Lusts- Illuminations [1965]
10. U.S. Girls- Half Free [4AD]

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Best of 1985- The Album List

The year 1985 was the year of big charity concerts and records. Following up on the release of "Do They Know It’s Christmas Time" from 1984, the big Live Aid concert was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. The event was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US. Also inspired by Band Aid, USA for Africa band project released "We Are the World", a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. 
Among the best selling albums this year was Dire Straits’ album Brothers in Arms which at the same time was the first ever album to be released on CD. Jennifer Rush had the best selling single in the UK with "The Power of Love" while in the USA, Madonna and George Michael both solo and with Wham! ruled the charts. 
With 1985 New Wave completely faded, knocked out by guitar-driven rock most notably by the Jangle rock which in this period of time was popularized as College rock with R.E.M. and The Smiths paving the way. On the other hand, Electronic music was transforming into new rhythms with the emerging Chicago house and Detroit techno that would give hits in the years to come.


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Best of 2014 - The Album List

It's less than ten days before we send off another music year into history. From this perspective it was great, but the years that come will tell. We almost gave up blogging, but came back. It was great to hear the Horrors returning with another great album which somehow went unnoticed. Lust for Youth proved that they can also be pop and even more. Ronika's electro dance got us on our feet. We meet the People at Parties which are our new comers of the year and lots more.
This is the official album list of 2014.


01. The Horrors- Luminous
02. Lust for Youth- International
03. Ronika- Selectadisc
04. People at Parties- People at Parties
05. Sebastien Schuller- Heatwave
06. Future Islands- Singles
07. Lykke Li- I Never Learn
08. Beck- Morning Phase
09. Temples- Sun Structures
10. Manic Street Preachers- Futurology

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Best of 1984- The Album List

The growing popularity of Michael Jackson which started in 1983 also set foot in 1984 especially after the video for "Thriller" was released. Even though the content of the video was controversial at that time, it was also groundbreaking and it revolutionized the music industry and the world of pop by breaking down the racial barriers and transforming the music video into a work of art.
Even at the other end of the Atlantic the 1983 started with a small scandal which involved Frankie Goes To Hollywood who got banned by BBC for almost a year due to the explicit lyrics in the and provocative video for their biggest hit "Relax". Despite this fact, the band managed to have major success around the world with their debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. This was also the first big success for ZTT Records and three times platinum in the UK. Towards the end of the year the Frankie Goes to Hollywood ban was slowly lifted and "Relax" was the ultimate anthem of 1984 introducing the Frankie Says Relax trend. 
With the growing popularity of MTV, in 1984 the first MTV Music Awards were given away at the  Radio City Music Hall in New York. Among the winners were Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, David Bowie, Herbie Hancock. Madonna was not up for awards, but manged to make prominence and shake the pop world with her performance at the VMA's. 
Just ahead of Christmas when 1984 was in the fade out, a group of musicians headed by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure got together for a good cause forming Band Aid. This was a group of musicians who recorded a song to raise awareness and funds for the Ethiopian famine in 1983–1985. It included more than 40 musicians and it sold over two million copies around the globe and raised more than $24 million. 
Towards the end of the year New Gold Dream which could easily be translated as the golden era of new Wave slowly began to vanish and became clear that the new musical term was Pop.

 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Best of 2013- The Album List



01. Austra- Olympia
02. Pet Shop Boys- Electric
03. Arcade Fire- Reflektor
04. Jef Barbara- Soft to the Touch
05. Still Corners- Strange Pleasures
06. James Blake- Overgrown
07. Girls Names- The New Life
08. Prefab Sprout- Crimson/ Red
09. Makina Girgir- Torment
10. Automelodi- Surledemains Acides

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Best of 1983- The Album List

The year 1982 was undeniably dominated by Michael Jackson's groundbreaking album "Thriller," which went on to become the best-selling album of all time. The accompanying music video for the title track presented a significant challenge for MTV airwaves but is now regarded as one of the greatest music videos ever created. Riding on the wave of Michael Jackson's success, other artists achieved notable milestones: David Bowie released "Let's Dance," his most commercially successful album up to that point. On the female front, both Madonna and Cyndi Lauper made their debut appearances, exploring unconventional and unique styles. Kim Wilde received recognition by winning the Brit Award for Best British Female Artist.
Meanwhile, in 1982, Germany produced the first compact discs, which were initially sold in Japan during the third quarter of the same year. These CDs were later introduced to the U.S. market in 1983, revolutionizing the music industry in the years to come.
As New Wave gradually transitioned into Pop, the decade's most significant stars—Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, and George Michael—continued to dominate the charts for the remainder of the '80s and beyond.

 

Monday, December 24, 2012

Best of 2012- The Album List


01. Chromatics-Kill for Love
02. Trust- TRST
03. Lebanon Hanover-The World is Getting Colder
04. Innergaze- Mutual Dreaming
05. Ultraista- Ultraista
06. Tame Impala- Lonerism
07. Grizzly Bear- Shields
08. Twin Shadow- Confess
09. The KVB- Always Then
10. A Place to Burry Strangers- Worship

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Best of 1982 - The Album List

The rise of synthesizers continued to shape the landscape of pop music, gaining dominance and emerging as a potential formula for future success. The Human League maintained their chart-topping presence and received the BRIT Award for Best Breakthrough Act, solidifying their status as pioneers of the synth-pop movement. Inspired by their success, other bands such as Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Soft Cell adopted synthesizers as primary instruments, contributing to the launch of the Second British Invasion in the United States.
This musical invasion introduced new styles, rhythms, and stars to American audiences, with acts like Duran Duran, The Human League, Eurythmics, Billy Idol, and more making a significant impact. However, the era also saw the dissolution of some iconic bands from the late '70s and early '80s, including Blondie, Adam and The Ants, ABBA, and Japan, marking the end of their influential musical journeys.


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