best albums of 2008!
Today we began unveiling our choices for the best albums of 2008. As I’ve repeated numerous times, it’s a weird list. And not really on purpose, either. As I explained to flamgirlant in one of the comment strings, we — we meaning myself, Alex, Anna, Jayson, Joe and Maris — each came up with our list of albums that we loved from this year as well as records we thought should place. We wrote them all down on a gigantic whiteboard — picture to come later! — and then began breaking them down into different groups (“Is this high on the list?” “Is this top ten?” etc).
Some attention was paid to making sure all genres were covered, but not too much. The large amount of classical on this year’s list is the product of Jayson, for example. And in a few instances we elected to pick only one of a certain kind of record, just because there was so much to fit. And it’s also nontraditional in its numbering: in the US and Canada we have 88 albums each, and in the UK and EU we have 64 albums (those lists will begin on Friday). It just kind of worked out that way.
Anyway, we’ll be unveiling ten per day over the next week-plus, with the final top five going live a week from Thursday. This so you’ll have plenty of time to check out each title, and decide how full of shit we are. And we absolutely are! But still, we genuinely love these albums. We weren’t trying to make any grand statements, it was really just: here’s a whole bunch of shit we like in an order that made sense at the time. Hope you dig it!
One more thing: the user poll results will go live December 12. That’s what we’re shooting for. And in terms of those results, I will say that it appears one record won in a massive landslide. Can you guess which?
The list looks exciting; I’ll definetely be following it each day. A few of your selections were available in ’07; are you counting some reissues or does your year start in late ’07? Just curious about process.
A record winning by a landslide – I haven’t the foggiest. I’m sure it’s not Red of Tooth and Claw, and I doubt it’s The Stand-Ins.
I would like to see the irony of Vampire Weekend winning both Best Album and Most Overrated.
Very excited about the lists, though this first edition has me flabbergasted.
You guys are full of a lot of things — good, informed suggestions first among them, & shit so far down on the list the phrase “full of” doesn’t even apply. Thanks for everything all of you have done to help me wring every possible bit of enjoyment out of eMusic in 2008.
Eric, which one do you mean for being an 07 release? We tried to avoid that when we could, but undoubtedly some stuff slipped through.
top record guess? Does it rhyme with Van Tire Geek Bend?
Oh, are you referring to Bran Mire Squeak Mend? You got it!
Out of the first section I haven’t dowloaded any of them yet – which I love, because it means lots of new discoveries, and hate, because it means less downloads to spend on Black Saint/Soul Note.
As for the landslide winner, I’m not sure, but I do hope that some Selects artists rank in both polls, and wouldn’t be surprised if Deastro in particular landed pretty high.
Of course, it’s gonna be the new Radiohead
I agree with Adammm’s statement of Loving these lists because of the discoveries
Ramp Fire Reak Send, really
Oh well there’s still 87 more things to check out (no just kidding I’ll probably give it another preview to LOL )
“it appears one record won in a massive landslide. Can you guess which?”
In the US: Deerhunter. (Dark horse choice, at least for top five: Vivian Girls).
(I can sort of see Bon Iver winning, but not really. I’m really hoping for The Bug, but I don’t think it’s likely.)
I think John would be right … if that counts as a 2008 release. I totally forgot to vote for that because I thought of it as 2007.
I also totally forgot to vote for Brightblack Morning Light which I love love love. Oh well.
This will sure be on the finals.
Anyhow my album of the year is the new Jackson Browne album.
“In Rainbows” can’t win. It’s a 2007 release, no matter when it appeared on eMusic. If it were otherwise, every Black Saint/Soul Note release could win best disc of 2008 (and if it were otherwise, I would have voted for “In Rainbows,” easily).
OTOH, the Jason Isbell disc — released in 2007 — was No. 82 on eMusic’s list.
Oh no! I didn’t realize Isbell was 2007. Fooled by our own bad metadata.
In Rainbows won’t appear on our list. I think it will appear on the user list.
Disappointed the DJ/rupture album isn’t higher on your list, one of, if not the best electronic albums of the year for me.
Looking forward to seeing that UK list…
Oh we really like the Rupture a lot! A whole lot. But there were other electronic titles that we dug more.
Digging the list so far, definitely saw a few things that I had missed, such as the Jenny Scheinman who I had never heard of but the name Bill Frisell certainly caught my attention.
i can’t access the emusic site from my work pc, but would like to have a look at the ‘best of 2008 list’… is anyone blogging it?
dpotta, i’ll post the list to date later today.
and eric, we’ve elected to remove jason isbell from the list. gonna replace him with that zomby album we’re all obsessed with later today.
Really liking the list this year. I’m thinking this one will be a lot further removed from Pitchfork than years past. And again today a lot of stuff I missed.
Also happy to see the other half of the new Deerhunter. I don’t have to go brick and mortar after all.
http://17dots.com/2008/12/02/best-albums-of-2008/#comment-37010