The Best of “the Best of 2008”

The end of the year is a great time to discover music that came out in that year. Every blog and magazine comes out with their lists of the best albums, singles, new artists of the year. I usually go around to each and every site trying to find commonalities between lists to see which are the most popular and critically acclaimed and try to listen to as much as I can. Though 2009 is looking up to be another great year for music with albums by Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, Built to Spill, M. Ward, Wilco and many more, let’s take a look at what made 2008 a great year for music. Most of these have more than 10 album on their lists, we’ve just provided their top 10 because it’s a much more manageable that way. Which list do you agree with the most? Do you think these are the best albums, or just favorite albums? Please discuss in the comments!

Blogs

Stereogum

10. The Walkmen – You & Me
9. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
8.The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
7. Portishead – Third
6. of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
5. Deerhunter – Microcastle
4. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
2. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
1. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Gorilla Vs Bear

10. Paavoharju – Laulu Laakson Kukista
9. Beach House – Devotion
8. The Walkmen – You & Me
7. WAVVES – Wavves
6. Little Joy – Little Joy
5. Q-Tip – The Renaissance
4. Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls
3. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part I (4th World War)
2. Grouper – Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
1. White Denim – Exposion

Said the Gramophone

10. Diamonds – Diamonds
9. Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
8. The Whiskers – Distorted Historian
7. Lykke Li – Youth Novels
6. Hologram – Summer Jammer
5. Wild Beasts – Limbo, Panto
4. Destroyer – Trouble in Dreams
3. Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
2. Ladyhawk – Shots
1. Born Ruffians – Red, Yellow, and Blue

Earfarm

10. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
9. Beach House – Devotion
8. Lykke Li – Youth Novels
7. The Dodos – Visiter
6. Born Ruffians – Red, Yellow, and Blue
5. Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue
4. Kelley Polar – I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling
3. Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era
2. Why? – Alopecia
1. The Walkmen – You & Me

i guess i’m floating

10. Beach House – Devotion
9. Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
8. Ratatat – LP3
7. Arizona – The Glowing Bird
6. Golden Animals – Free Your Mind and Win A Pony
5. Arms – Kids Aflame
4. Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
2. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
1. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Magazines

Rolling Stone

10. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
9. Metallica – Death Magnetic
8. Beck – Modern Guilt
7. Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
6. Santogold – Santogold
5. John Mellencamp – Life, Death, Love and Freedom
4. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
3. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
2. Bob Dylan – Tell Tale Signs:The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
1. TV on the Radio – Dear Science

Uncut

10. Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
9. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
8. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!
7. Neon Neon – Stainless Style
6. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
5. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
4. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
3. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
2. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
1. Portishead – Third

Mojo

10. Neil Diamond – Home Before Dark
9. The Bug – London Zoo
8. The Week That Was – The Week That Was
7. Glasvegas – Glasvegas
6. The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
4. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
3. Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
2. The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age Of The Understatement
1. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Paste

10. Deerhunter – Microcastle
9. Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
8. Sun Kil Moon – April
7. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
6. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
5. Okkervil River – The Stand Ins
4. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
3. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
2. Sigur Rós – Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
1. She & Him – Volume One

NME

10. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
9. Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
8. Mystery Jets – Twenty One
7. Santogold – Santogold
6. Metronomy – Nights Out
5. Foals – Antidotes
4. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
3. Glasvegas – Glasvegas
2. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
1. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

6 thoughts on “The Best of “the Best of 2008”

  1. Pingback: New Artists, NEW Songs: A Year in Versions (aka Countdown Coverfolk: On Genre Fragmentation and the Loss of the Popular) — Cover Lay Down

  2. Well I don’t know which list seems the best to me but I’m glad cause Earfarm put Why? in list! They are the first to do this! Alopecia is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year :).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *