Support NeoGAF

[CoolOff]

- no Florence + The Machine

Travesty.

 

[rocketskates]

I like Deafheaven at #10. Out of a list of 50 albums that's an awesome ranking.

 

[timetokill]

No My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall at #1

List invalidated

 

[Tunin]

New Bermuda is really good but I am super curious how it (and Sunbather before it) managed to gain so much momentum outside of the metal scene.

Hype and extra tolerance towards Deafheaven. Besides, the album is really good, it does a great job turning the spotlight towards the extreme metal scene, which is very nice.

 

[overcast]

Chelsea Wolfe is definitely missing too.

 

[GamerJM]

Acceptable list but I don't agree. It's a lot of artists I like with albums from them that aren't my favorites.

 

[nortonff]

Where is the Weeknd?!

 

[Servbot24]

Where is the Weeknd?!

Their worst albums of the year list is coming later.

 

[Prototype Viktor]

The Internet got robbed

 

[kitchenmotors]

Love the exposure that Carly Rae is getting. Truly the best pop album of the year.

Also, not a fan of Kendrick really so I may be biased, but people get so damn upset if he doesn't get recognition of #1 in any of these lists.

I really really disagree but hey. There's more to love with Art Angels compared to Visions - which was very good once you finished with nuanced listens, but still lacked the heart and substance the several Art Angels standouts have. Critics seem to agree.

If anything people blowing off Art Angels as some accessible pop album are missing the point and not giving it enough attention that it's worth.

Art Angels is so good. I don't know if it would be my #1, but it's up there in my top 5. Live the songs are even better. Gotta hand it to Claire, she crafts excellent songs no matter what direction she goes. Lyrically it's great as wel.

 

[stump sock]

somehow wasn't expecting Jim O'Rourke to be in the top 10, but that's alright by me

 

[MeshuggahMan]

Ha, this kinda blew my mind as well. I loved Freshmen Year when it came out and had no idea she was still making music under that name.

Honestly the only person I was friends with is the guitarist Joe. Great dude but barely see him anymore. I'm so out of touch with the philly scene these days that I saw them posting things and didn't think anything of it till I saw this list. Good for them though!

 

[Vorg]

Lol at chvrches being there at all. That album was a huge disappointment. Fortunately Gunship's album delivered bigtime (and isn't listed of course) .

 

[Mikeside]

WHY THE FUCK IS MAGIC WHIP ON THIS LIST???


Terrible album

Lol at chvrches being there at all. That album was a huge disappointment. Fortunately Gunship's album delivered bigtime (and isn't listed of course) .

I disagree, the new CHVRCHES album sounds great to me. A real grower.

 

[nortonff]

Their worst albums of the year list is coming later.

the hills, loosers, tell your friends, dark times, can't feel my face....what are you talking about?

 

[see5harp]

New Bermuda is really good but I am super curious how it (and Sunbather before it) managed to gain so much momentum outside of the metal scene.

Mostly because of post rock elements and dressing like normal human beings. Also decent album art with reasonable font selection.

 

[Psychological Intellect]

art angels was baad

TPAB #1

 

[kitchenmotors]

And for good reason. Have you listened to TPAB in full?

Yeah, I just didn't enjoy it. On par with the new Chvrches album for most disappointing considering the hype.

Which is fine, I had plenty of other things that exceeded my expectations this year.

HEALTH should be on the list in the top 10 tbqh.

 

[WaffleTaco]

I have heard of two of those top ten...also Emotion was not very good in my opinion, Adele's 25 was better than that.

 

[Pryce]

I have listened to three of those.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Mostly because of post rock elements and dressing like normal human beings. Also decent album art with reasonable font selection.

The image stuff I'll agree with for sure, especially their interesting album art. Deafheaven's post rock/shoegaze elements aren't really unique though, lots of black metal acts have been doing that kind of thing for a while with often fantastic results. Vatnett Viskar, for example had a great album this year in my opinion that also had non-traditional oh-so-kvlt presentation that I haven't seen any buzz about outside metal blogs. Not a complaint; I'm glad at least some extreme metal bands are getting wider appreciation.

Funny thing is aside from the less esoteric presentation, Deafheaven still has some gnarly as hell harsh vocals, which usually seems to be the thing that pushes audiences and mainstream critics away.

 

[PeskyToaster]

I have to say as someone who doesn't really listen to pop music, I liked that Emotion album.

 

[RunTheBrules]

Grimes was great and all, as were many other efforts that were on this list, but this list (and any other future 2015 lists) loses all credibility by having anything other than TPAB at number one. No such album of this year articulates our current state of affairs and thought processes such as Kendrick's album. It is the album for the times and one that will be dissected for years to come.

I'd even go so far as to say that it is the album of the decade thus far.

 

[kitchenmotors]

Grimes was great and all, as were many other efforts that were on this list, but this list (and any other future 2015 lists) loses all credibility by having anything other than TPAB at number one. No such album of this year articulates our current state of affairs and thought processes such as Kendrick's album. It is the album for the times and one that will be dissected for years to come.

I'd even go so far as to say that it is the album of the decade thus far.

I think it's ridiculous to say every list losses credibility because of this. This is the type of thing I'm talking about, it's very elitist.

I don't care for albums that teeter or are full blown on political messages. There have been quite a few that have done so that I've enjoyed, but I much prefer a concept album that is a form of escape rather than grounded in the shitty reality we live in.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

Grimes was great and all, as were many other efforts that were on this list, but this list (and any other future 2015 lists) loses all credibility by having anything other than TPAB at number one. No such album of this year articulates our current state of affairs and thought processes such as Kendrick's album. It is the album for the times and one that will be dissected for years to come.

I'd even go so far as to say that it is the album of the decade thus far.

Funny, I would say the same things about Grimes on all points. Both are great albums though, so I guess it comes down to what you like about music. I'm really high on Grimes right now, even after not liking it immediately on release, so I'd even suggest that it is the best album of the past three and a half decades, although I'm prone to hyperbolic gushing.

Art Angels is the most important album since 1979's Unknown Pleasures (possibly more so), and will be dissected by aliens when they visit our planet a million years from now and want a single example to stand in for all of human-recorded music.

Grimes has evolved music so much that I think we need to define it as something else completely. This will be the year from which we will compare all other sonic entertainment. We are living in 1 Anno Art Angelus.

 

[Ekai]

No The Mountain Goats or Modest Mouse or Jeff Rosenstock? Talk about a pretty bad list.
The lack of The Mountain Goats in particular is quite a crime.

 

[Fjordson]

Grimes was great and all, as were many other efforts that were on this list, but this list (and any other future 2015 lists) loses all credibility by having anything other than TPAB at number one. No such album of this year articulates our current state of affairs and thought processes such as Kendrick's album. It is the album for the times and one that will be dissected for years to come.

I'd even go so far as to say that it is the album of the decade thus far.

Eh, these lists are just opinions. I don't really think there's any credibility to be gained or lost with these things.

Spoiler

and TPAB is like a 7/10 for me on its best days.

 

[Mdot]

Wilco in the top 15... as it should be with Star Wars

Agreed. Surprised it wasn't on Stereogum at all

 

[Ekai]

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. Same goes for Kendrick's album. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely ever falls into something I end up enjoying.

I don't think it's too high of praise to suggest that one day, future saints will wear little statues of Grimes around their neck, preferably holding a flaming sword.

 

[Steamlord]

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

Yeah that's why I still haven't had sex tbh

 

[vulva]

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. Same goes for Kendrick's album. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

It's a good album. You might not like it, not everyone will, but it's good.

 

[NevaNopa]

Glad to see all the Neon Indian love on here. Criminal omission.

One album that came in under the radar that might be my favorite this year after Neon Indian is "Prom King" by Skylar Spence. It's a really fun 80's-influenced pop album.

Also happy to see critics remembering Courtney Barnett. Her album was another one of the highlights of the year for me.

I'll have to check out some of the others on this list. I haven't heard of half of them. Every time I feel like I'm caught up on new music...

 

[Ekai]

It's a good album. You might not like it, not everyone will, but it's good.

Listening to REALiTi and Flesh Without Blood. And yea, it's alright but not mind-blowing. So exactly what I expected when I saw all the high praise. : /
Honestly her sound isn't anything new. There's endless new-wave and synth pop with a very similar feeling. Like, this is a decades old sound if I'm going to be real here. I like that kind of music, don't get me wrong. But it's not something that's redefining music by any stretch.


That said, I do like what I'm reading about the history of the album. How studios wouldn't let her do anything and let male producers do all of the work so she said fuck that and left to do a solo career. Good on her!

 

[kitchenmotors]

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. Same goes for Kendrick's album. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

Actually the Grimes album has had a lot of backlash from people who say she's sold out or that she went too poppy. The album has a very vocal group that dislike it. But also a vocal group of people who love it. Just listen to it and make your own mind up.

 

[Dicer]

I am officially out of the loop...

Only thing on there for me is Bjork, and not seeing The Prodigy in a top 50 makes me sad.

Oh well.

 

[Servbot24]

the hills, loosers, tell your friends, dark times, can't feel my face....what are you talking about?

I dunno man, this stuff just makes me cringe. I feel embarrassed when it comes on.

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. Same goes for Kendrick's album. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

No one is saying that about Grimes. It's just a fun, well put together album. That's all it was intended to be.

And even in the case of Kendrick where people gave it a 10 when it's really an 8 - who cares? You still have an 8 out of 10 album to listen to and that's awesome.

 

[ryseing]

Lol at chvrches being there at all. That album was a huge disappointment. Fortunately Gunship's album delivered bigtime (and isn't listed of course) .

U wot m8.

Clearest Blue alone makes the album deserve a top 50 spot.

High Enough to Carry You Over and Afterglow are also excellent.

 

[Ekai]

No one is saying that about Grimes. It's just a fun, well put together album. That's all it was intended to be.

Then you haven't been reading the comments here or in many other places. Loads of people are saying that about Grimes.

 

[Servbot24]

Then you haven't been reading the comments here or in many other places. Loads of people are saying that about Grimes.

Well I'll refer to the edit from my previous post then. Even if people call it the second coming there's nothing to stop you from enjoying it as merely fun.

 

[Az]

Can't believe they didn't wait for Kid Cudi

 

[Ekai]

Well I'll refer to the edit from my previous post then. Even if people call it the second coming there's nothing to stop you from enjoying it as merely fun.

I'm not saying nothing is stopping me from enjoying it. I even said it's alright in a later post.
All I said is whenever I see overwhelming praise like that for something, I often do not agree with it. Depending on the product, like Last of Us, I will quite heavily disagree with the praise people give it. Not because of the praise but because of the content itself. And for this Grimes album, I'd say it's alright. Probably wouldn't put it in a top 10 list by any stretch but it's alright.

 

[teruterubozu]

Grimes will be #1 on GAF's annual album of the year list. It's pretty much guaranteed. Not my cup of tea, but she knows her audience well.

 

[Steamlord]

Walls by New Orleans Swim Team deserves a lot more love too. Shame he's almost completely unknown.

 

[kitchenmotors]

Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz is top 10 for me too. By far the most exciting and creative pop album this year. Flaming Lips production is top notch. The songs were amazing live.

 

[Dandy Crocodile]

Go Carly! I still have to listen to a few of the albums from the list, but I don't think anything can top Emotion for me this year. Just reading the song titles and I can replay them pretty much all the way through in my head. Immaculately crafted stuff.

 

[Servbot24]

Grimes will be #1 on GAF's annual album of the year list. It's pretty much guaranteed. Not my cup of tea, but she knows her audience well.

No way it beats Kendrick

Speaking of which has anyone made the thread yet?

I don't mind starting it if needed but I'm not going to tally anything.

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Has anyone seen a list with Local H's Hey, Killer on it? t didn't get much exposure but it's the best rock album I've heard this year.

 

[Monocle]

Lol at chvrches being there at all. That album was a huge disappointment. Fortunately Gunship's album delivered bigtime (and isn't listed of course) .

Nope, sorry, Every Open Eye is outstanding. Some people just can't handle the fact that they chose not to pointlessly change their sound.

I have not listened to this Grimes album or anything by her at all but with the high praise people are giving it, it's really just turning me off of the album. It's like when something gets hyped up ridiculously and then you finally experience it and it's just "eh". I'll eventually listen to it cause I tend to enjoy most music but the "You must like Grimes or else. She has 'evolved' music. Aliens will dissect her work as the pinnacle of humanity"-esque posts are not doing the album any favors for me. Same goes for Kendrick's album. I always get leery of praise like that. Ie: Last of Us, FF7, etc. etc. It's not wrong to like something, not at all, but praise like that rarely results into said product being something I end up enjoying.

You must hate chocolate and Star Wars.

Sometimes popular consensus is justified, just saying.

 

[equippedwithtowel]

No way it beats Kendrick

Speaking of which has anyone made the thread yet?

I don't mind starting it if needed but I'm not going to tally anything.

We can't make the thread until after the GAF end of year dubtrack sesh. Otherwise I won't be able to pad out a top 50.