Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour won a close one for 2018. Let's see who wins 2019. Billboard chart-topping albums of 2019: 21 Savage - I Am > I Was (cont. from 2018) A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Hoodie SZN (cont. from 2018) Future - The Wizrd Backstreet Boys - DNA Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born (cont. from 2018) Hozier - Wasteland, Baby! Juice Wrld - Death Race for Love Nav - Bad Habits Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Khalid - Free Spirit BTS - Map of the Soul: Persona P!nk - Hurts 2B Human Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride Logic - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Tyler, the Creator - Igor Thomas Rhett - Center Point Road Jonas Brothers - Happiness Begins Madonna - Madame X The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger Chris Brown - Indigo Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers III Ed Sheeran - No. 6 Collaborations Project NF - The Search Drake - Care Package Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind Young Thug - So Much Fun Taylor Swift - Lover Tool - Fear Inoculum Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding Dababy - Kirk SuperM - SuperM YoungBoy Never Broke Again - AI YongBoy 2 Kanye West - Jesus is King Luke Combs - What You See is What You Get Celine Dion - Courage Trippie Redd - A Love Letter to You 4 Soundtrack - Frozen II Roddy Richh - Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial Harry Styles - Fine Line Billboard chart-topping singles of 2019: Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next (cont. from 2018) Halsey - Without Me (cont. from 2018) Post Malone - Sunflower (cont. from 2018) Ariana Grande - 7 Rings Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - Shallow (cont. from 2018) Jonas Brothers - Sucker Lil Nas X - Old Town Road Billie Eilish - Bad Guy Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello - Senorita Lizzo - Truth Hurts (cont. from 2017) Travis Scott - Highest Room Lewis Capaldi - Someone You Loved Selena Gomez - Lose You to Love Me Post Malone - Circles The Weeknd - Heartless Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You (cont. from 1994 lol) What are your top three albums for 2019? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury 2. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains 3. Greet Death - New Hell What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
remainder of the top 12: 4. Bon Iver - I, I 5. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell 6. Danny Brown - U Know What I’m Sayin? 7. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors 8. Gary Clark Jr. - This Land 9. Blood Incantation - Hidden History of the Human Race 10. Jenny Lewis - On the Line 11. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow 12. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats’ Nest honorable mentions: 2 Chains - Rap or Go to the League American Football - LP3 Anderson Paak - Ventura Baroness - Gold & Grey Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center Big Thief - UFOF Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Brittany Howard - Jaime Cave In - Final Transmission Chris Shiflett - Hard Lessons Clairo - Immunity Clipping. - There Existed an Addiction to Blood Coldplay - Everyday Life DIIV - Deceiver Earth - Full Upon Her Burning Lips Harry Styles - Fine Line The Highwomen - The Highwomen Hovvdy - Heavy Lifter Jimmy Eat World - Surviving Jimmy Montague - The Light of the Afternoon Kevin Morby - Oh My God Khruangbin - Hasta El Cielo Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not. Maggie Rogers - Heard it in a Past Life Maren Morris - Girl Mdou Moctar - Ilana: The Creator Nick Cave - Ghosteen Numenorean - Adore Oso Oso - Basking in the Glow Pedro the Lion - Phoenix Pile - Green and Gray PUP - Morbid Stuff The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger Ride - This is Not a Safe Place Russian Circles - Blood Year Sam Fender - Hypersonic Missiles Sebadoh - Act Surprised Schoolboy Q - Crash Talk Skepta - Ignorance is Bliss Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind Solange - When I Get Home Steve Gunn - The Unseen in Between Strand of Oaks - Eraserland Swervedriver - Future Ruins Thom Yorke - Anima Titus Andronicus - An Obelisk Tool - Fear Incolum (fuck this band but the album regrettably is good) Torche - Admission Tyler Childers - Country Squire Tyler, the Creator - Igor Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride White Reaper - You Deserve Love Wilco - Ode to Joy William Tyler - Goes West Yola - Walk Through Fire stuff to check out: Aldous Harding - Designer Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next Cate Le Bon - Reward Chelsea Wolfe - Birth of Violence Darkthrone - Old Star Defeater - Defeater Faye Webster - Atlanta Millionaires Club Laura Stevenson - The Big Freeze Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka Opeth - In Cauda Venenum The Tallest Man on Earth - I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream. Tegan and Sara - Hey, I’m Just Like You Toro Y Moi - Outer Peace
1. Charli XCX - Charli 2. Muna - Saves the World 3. Caroline Polachek - Pang 4. Grayscale - Nella Vita 5. Clipping - There Existed an Addiction to Blood 6. Babymetal - Metal Galaxy 7. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs 8. Copeland - Blushing 9. Little Simz - Grey Area 10. Busted - Half Way There 11. Hannah Diamond - Reflections 12. McFly - The Lost Songs 13. Passcode - Clarity 14. Say Anything - Oliver Appropriate 15. Glass Beach - The First Glass Beach Album 16. The Maine - You Are OK 17. Jai Paul - Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) 18. Taylor Swift - Lover 19. The Early November - Lilac 20. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated 21. Mannequin Pussy - Patience 22. Otoboke Beaver - Itekoma Hits 23. Jenny Hval - The Practice of Love 24. Noah Gundersen - Lover 25. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Really great year!
1. Hovvdy - Heavy Lifter 2. Charly Bliss - Young Enough 3. Arrange - Blood Dust Big Thief - Two Hands/UFOF Bravely - Seeking Caracara - Better TR/ST - Destroyer 1+2 Tenci - My Heart Is an Open Field Strange Ranger - Remembering the Rockets oso oso - Basking in the Glow Prince Daddy - Cosmic Thrill Seekers German Error Message - Mend Club Night - What Life
This year was incredible. I moved to Austin (which I have since left) and I'd just drive around listening to these albums over and over again. Definitely the last year so far in which I connected so deeply with music. Hoping to get some of that back once we've gained some distance between now and 2020. Leaving a lot of releases I liked or don't have strong opinions of off of this week so this post isn't a mile long. 1. The Dangerous Summer - Mother Nature This album hit at the right time. I remember Jason and Craig hyping it up and then it leaking like 3 days before I got to see the band live and meet AJ and tell him how much I liked the album. I think this is the perfect blend of their more aggressive and poppy sides with enough experimentation to push their sound in unexpected directions. 2. Charly Bliss - Young Enough A sonic pivot from their first album, but executed very well and containing some of the band's best songs. Once again, got to see them live in support of this album and it was such a fun show. 3. PUP - Morbid Stuff My favorite PUP album by a pretty significant margin at this point. I think it's their best sounding album, I think Scorpion Hill is their best song, and I think it's their only album where I like every song. Honorable Mentions Bad Religion - Age of Unreason Another solid entry into the Bad Religion catalog. About half full of bangers, half full of decent material. FIDLAR - Almost Free Another half and half album. Some killer, some filler. Saw them play live in-store at Amoeba though and got my vinyl signed, so I think that probably affects how I feel about this album. Charli XCX - Charli Solid album from the pop provocateur. Vampire Weekend - The Father of the Bride Vampire Weekend both delights and surprises with this slightly-too-long-but-not-really album. We were all so worried about losing Rostam, but this album rules. BROCKHAMPTON - GINGER Easily the band's most cohesive work, if not their most exciting album. The Japanese House - Good At Falling Love love love this album. Can't wait for the follow-up. The Menzingers - Hello Exile Took me a while to come around on this album, but I'm glad I did. Production quibbles aside, the songwriting is generally strong. I would really love the band to return to some Rented World-esque 90s worship for the next album though. Bayside - Interrobang Bayside puts out their strongest album in years. The Maine - You Are OK Love the front half of this album! Others Bad Suns - Mystic Truth A left turn from the band's trajectory, I neither love nor hate this album. Blink-182 - Nine Some surprisingly good songs on here. Marianas Trench - Phantoms Overall a very disappointing album with only 2-3 tracks I revisit. Something about the production irks me as well. It sounds pretty empty for a maximalist pop band. Red Hearse - Red Hearse Fun little Antonoff side project. The Regrettes - How Do You Love? Love a few tracks on here, like the rest. Kevin Abstract - ARIZONA BABY Some unique stuff on here, though the things that sound like BROCKHAMPTON are my favorite (ie "Peach.") Betty Who - Betty Solid pop bangers from the star down under. Dinosaur Pile-Up - Celebrity Mansions The first three tracks of this absolutely rip. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Underwhelming, but not bad!
On the other side of things, I'd say that album, regrettably, is dross. Turgid, retrograde versions of songs they'd done far better two decades earlier. I saw them live last month and half of it was a great show and half of it was Fear Inoculum material.
1. Lana Del Rey: Norman Fucking Rockwell! (Top 3 album of all time for me) 2. Harry Styles: Fine Line 3. Mannequin Pussy: Patience 4. Tove Lo: Sunshine Kitty 5. Turnover: Altogether 6. Pup: Morbid Stuff 7. The Menzingers: Hello Exile 8. The Maine: You Are OK 9. Taylor Swift: Lover 10. Ariana Grande: thank u, next Others: The Maine: You Are OK Billie Eilish: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go Kevin Abstract: ARIZONA BABY Anderson .Paak: Ventura Miley Cyrus: She Is Coming - EP Charli XCX: Charli Flume: Hi This Is Flume Party Favor: Layers Bayside: Interrobang Red Hearse: Red Hearse Miranda Lambert: Wildcard Oso Oso: basking in the glow Post Malone: Hollywood's Bleeding Vampire Weekend: Father of the Bride Brittany Howard: Jamie Lizzo: Cuz I Love You Wallows: Nothing Happens Jenny Lewis: On the Line Tyler, the Creator: IGOR Danny Brown: uknowhatimsayin Whitney: Forever Turned Around Kehlani: While We Wait Doja Cat: Hot Pink Caroline Polachek: Pang Origami Angel: Somewhere City And I also have to shout out the singles Tierra Whack put out that year
Interesting year, feels like I wasn’t keeping up with new releases as much. 1. Bon Iver - I, I 2. Denzel Curry - Zuu 3. The National - I Am Easy to Find Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center Billie Eilish- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Julia Jacklin - Crushing Kevin Abstract - Arizona Baby Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell Microwave - Death is a Warm Blanket Norma Jean - All Hail Orville Peck - Pony Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury Turnover - Altogether Tyler, the Creator - Igor
Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains John Roberts – Can Thought Exist Without The Body? Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising Super good year. The self-titled Purple Mountains album is probably a top five of the 21st century for me. John Roberts's CTEWTB is my favourite ambient record of the last few years. The Weyes Blood album is a lush, beautiful record, bordering on masterpiece. A ton of great stuff to put on my honourable mentions too. Honourable Mentions: HTRK – Venus In Leo Her Name Is Calla – Animal Choir clipping. - There Existed An Addiction To Blood CFCF - Liquid Colours Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear Telefon Tel Aviv - Dreams Are Not Enough Microwave - Death Is A Warm Blanket Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen Nils Frahm - All Encores And while I haven't really listened to the album post-2019, this track is one of the best pop songs I've heard in the last few years.
1. Charli XCX - Charli 2. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride 3. Jade Bird - Jade Bird 4. Sigrid - Sucker Punch 5. FIDLAR - Almost Free 6. Ariana Grande - thank u, next 7. Taylor Swift - Lover 8. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated 9. blink-182 - Nine 10. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You 11. Mark Ronson - Late Night Feelings 12. Camila Cabello - Romance 13. Shura - Forevher 14. The Early November - Lilac 15. Kim Petras - Clarity 16. Anna of the North - Dream Girl 17. Billie Eilish When - We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go 18. Caroline Polachek - Pang 19. The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger 20. Red Hearse - Red Hearse
1. Tycho - Weather 2. Ioanna Gika - Thalassa 3. Charli XCX - Charli Silversun Pickups - Widows Weed Ariana Grande - Thank You Next Glass Beach - The First Glass Beach Album Local Natives - Violet Street Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kinds Baroness - Gold & Grey Carly Rey Jepsen - Dedicated Betty Who - Betty Thank You Scientist - Terraformer
1. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride 2. Jay Som - Anak Ko 3. The National - I Am Easy to Find HM: Big Thief - UFOF/Two Hands, Taylor Swift - Lover, Clairo - Immunity, Lana - NFR Father of the Bride is too long and it’s still one of my favorite albums of the decade. 2019 was a weird and in many ways bad year headlined by my mom dying but when I think about any good parts of that summer and fall and returning to feeling normal (major lol at the timing there), that album is the one. Jay Som album feels like 1 or 2 songs short of a true classic to me, but I still think it was pretty incredible and she’d be without a doubt the album announcement that would get me most hyped in 2022.
Greet Death - New Hell DIIV - Deciever Slaughter Beach Dog - Safe & Also No Fear Jay Som - Anak Ko Wiki - OOFIE Julia Shapiro - Perfect Version Angel Du$t - Pretty Buff White Denim - Side Effects MIRSY - Permanent for Now Pup - Morbid Stuff JAWS - The Ceiling Teen Body - Dreamo Somos - Prison On A Hill Oso Oso - Basking In The Glow Twin Peaks - Lookout Low The Berries - Berryland Webbed Wing - Bike Ride Across The Moon Danny Brown - uknowhatimsayin? From Indian Lakes - Dimly Lit White Reaper - You Deserve Love
1. The Dangerous Summer - Mother Nature 2. Maggie Rogers - Heard it in a Past Life 3. Charli XCX - Charli 4. Charly Bliss - Young Enough 5. Bon Iver - I, I 6. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center 7. Ariana Grande - thank u, next 8. The Early November - Lilac 9. Coldplay - Everyday Life 10. Doja Cat - Hot Pink 11. Jimmy Eat World - Surviving 12. Sara Bareilles - Amidst the Chaos 13. Sum 41 - Order in Decline 14. Blink 182 - Nine 15. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 16. New Found Glory - From the Screen to Your Stereo 3 17. Taylor Swift - Lover 18. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated 19. The Maine - You Are Ok 20. Pronoun - I'll Show You Stronger
I put Charli in the top three in hopes she'd win this year. Don't think I could put it in the 1-2 slot tho.
Can't believe I accidentally left out Jimmy Eat World. I probably like Surviving the least of their albums since Clarity (maybe tied with Damage), but it's still a good listen!
1. The Dangerous Summer - Mother Nature 2. Jimmy Eat World - Surviving 3. Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars Tough cuts: Maggie Rogers - Heard It In a Past Life Taylor Swift - Lover The Menzingers - Hello Exile Noah Gundersen - Lover Also love: Kalie Shorr - Open Book Josh Ritter - Fever Breaks Tyler Hilton - City on Fire Coldplay - Everyday Life Maren Morris - GIRL Old Dominion - Old Dominion The Maine - You Are OK Honorables: Cassadee Pope - Stages Emily Scott Robinson - Traveling Mercies Grace Potter - Daylight The Highwomen - s/t Ian Noe - Between the Country Jade Bird - s/t Jason Hawk Harris - Love and the Dark John Paul Williams - The Hurting Kind Joy Williams - Front Porch Josh Kerr - How Do You Remember Me Keane - Cause and Effect Lauren Jenkins - No Saint Miranda Lambert - Wildcard Sam Fender - Supersonic Missiles Sigrid - Sucker Punch Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury Thomas Rhett - Center Point Road Tyler Childers - Country Squire Wilco - Ode to Joy Yola - Walk Through Fire
1. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains 2. Ian Noe - Between The Country 3. Yazz Ahmed - Polyhymnia 4. Wiki - Oofie 5. Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest 6. Erika de Casier - Essentials 7. Rapsody - Eve 8. Kevin Morby - Oh My God 9. Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy! 10. Modern Nature - How to Live 11. Brittany Howard - Jamie 12. Hiss Golden Messenger - Terms of Surrender 13. Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die II 14. Grace Cummings Refuge Cove 15. Big Thief - Two Hands
Really deep year, so much great stuff 1. Big Thief - UFOF 2. Big Thief - Two Hands 3. Lana del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell 4. Taylor Swift - Lover 5. FKA Twigs - Magdalene 6. Charli XCX - Charli 7. Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains 8. Charly Bliss - Young Enough 9. The National - I Am Easy to Find 10. Bon Iver - i,i 11. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors 12. Caroline Polachek - Pang 13. Orville Peck - Pony 14. Alex G - House of Sugar 15. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride 16. The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru the Passion 17. Sturgill Simpson - Sound and Fury 18. The Menzingers - Hello Exile 19. Jimmy Eat World - Surviving 20. The Mountain Goats - In League With Dragons
1. pronoun - i’ll show you stronger 2. Great Grandpa - Four of Arrows 3. Origami Angel - Somewhere City Lowland Hum - Glyphonic Mannequin Pussy - Patience My Epic - Violence Tony Clark - Dyed in the Wool Pedro The Lion - Phoenix Microwave - Death is a Warm Blanket Copeland - Blushing La Dispute - Panorama Ceres - We Are a Team PUP - Morbid Stuff Watsky - Complaint I Love Your Lifestyle - The Movie Fox Wound - It Could Happen To You Oso Oso - Basking in the Glow The National - I am Easy to Find Bad Books - III American Football - LP3 Big Thief - UFOF & Two Hands Lakes - Constance Jimmy Eat World - Surviving 100 gecs - 1000 gecs Sunsleeper - You Can Miss Something & Not Want it Back Trade Wind - Certain Freedoms As Cities Burn - Scream Through the Walls Somos - Prison on a Hill glass beach - the first glass beach album Short Fictions - Fates Worse than Death EPs Caracara - Better Weatherbox - Halfway Home Sessions Lucy Dacus - 2019 Thrice - Deeper Wells All Get Out - Northport Sessions Death Cab For Cutie - The Blue EP
01. The Menzingers - Helo Exile 02. Dave - Psychodrama 03. Paul Wall & Statik Selektah - Give Thanks Common - Let Love Little Brother - May The Lord Watch Tua - Tua (German Rap) Romeo Santos – Utopia Juju – Bling Bling (German Rap) Bad Religion – Age of Unreason Blu & Damu The Fudgemunk - Ground & Water (Rap) Bun B & Statik Selektah – TrillStatik Mael – Pr1ns (Dutch R&B) Busted – Half Way There Gang Starr - One Of The Best Yet Mahalia - Love And Compromise Latifah – Van Een Meisje Naar Een Vrouw (Dutch Rap/R&B) Kehlani - While We Wait Action Bronson & Alchemist - Lamb Over Rice Anoyd & Statik Selektah - Yuck! Nura – Habibi (German Rap) Jim Jones & The Heatmakerz - El Capo Chance The Rapper - The Big Day Austin Jenckes – If You Grew Up Like I Did Ann Mari – Tripolar 2 Vandoliers – Forever Cam’ron – Purple Haze 2 Sunday Service Choir – Jesus is Born
I listened to that Purple Mountain album once and now it pops up everywhere in my Spotify. It’s annoying.