Best of the Best
This is my favorite time of the music calendar. And not just because of the ever-present holiday music. It’s “Best of” List Time!
Everybody has their own definition of “best”, and as a result, two lists will hardly ever look alike. Unless, of course, you’re comparing vertically, from one year to the next. Then patterns begin to emerge, sometimes drastically so. Comparing Spin’s 2006 list with Rolling Stone’s from the same year probably will only reveal some obvious similarities. However, when comparing Spin’s 2002 list with Spin’s 2003 list, you find that they are systematically similar. For instance, both have albums by the White Stripes at #1. (Kanye went back-to-back in ’04-’05.) I guess people’s individual tastes don’t change too drastically form year to year, so neither do magazines’.
That is why the Rolling Stones will always chart well in Rolling Stone. It’s why Pitchfork will always continue to hype bands they “broke”. And it’s why New Music Express finds the Best! Band! Ever! every single year. Year-to-year change isn’t that big of a deal. But that doesn’t make the listing season any less fun, so in the spirit of this – what the heck – holiday, let me present to you the First Annual Merry Swankster “Best of” List Time! Preview. Remember kids, this is for entertainment purposes only. MerrySwankster.com is not responsible for any losses incurred by gambling based on these predictions.
So how’d I do it? Well, I chose ten different magazines and websites, based primarily on the frequency that I read them. Each media outlet is graded, so to speak, using the following rubric:
Will Be: This is what I predict the particular website or magazine will name the best album of 2007.
Should Be: Contrary to what they will pick, this is the album that each source should pick, if all were fair and right in the world.
Sleeper: This pick might not seem logical, but don’t count it out. This space isn’t necessarily for something that will be #1, but the named album will chart higher than you probably expect.
Where’s?: At first, this would seem like a no-brainer inclusion, but it probably got over-thought, over-analyzed and, ultimately, left out.
O-VER-RAY-TED: This site or mag loves it, but most others don’t, and likely neither do I. In any event, this album will place higher than it really deserves.
Remember, these are not my selections, per say, rather what I think each of the following sources should and will name based on the tendencies, readerships and mission statements. Let’s start with a familiar one:
Pitchforkmedia
Will Be: Deerhunter, Cryptograms – There was a rumor goin’ ‘round the internets back in 2004 that the actual writer’s poll over at P4K voted Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs as the year’s best, but site creator/owner Ryan Schreiber wanted a more traditional indie rock album to take the top spot and used executive privilege to put Arcade Fire’s Funeral at number one. I have no idea if there is even an ounce of truth to that, but operating under the assumption that it’s legit, I can see a similar switch-a-roo taking place this year. Conspiracy theories aside, the selection of Deerhunter would follow suit for Pitchfork, which has three other times this decade picked a rock band’s debut album as number one (the Rapture, Arcade Fire and Interpol).
Should Be: M.I.A., Kala – The above selection would drop what is, in my mind, a quintessential Pitchfork album, into the number two slot. The same sort of thing happened last year, I think, when TV on the Radio, which was probably the more indicative pick, ended up at number two behind the Knife.
Sleeper: Jay-Z, American Gangster – The folks over at Pitchfork loves them some H.O.V.A., as evidenced by his albums occupying two spots in their top 35 of this decade (so far). After absolutely panning Kingdom Come, the two sides bounce back with a much better album and a greater, rightly placed appreciation.
Where’s?: Pig Destroyer, Phantom Limb – In their review of this album, Pitchfork suggested that this might be the metal album of the year. Even though it’s technically classified as grindcore, I wonder if the website will hold serve on this one, and at least give it a 41-50 spot as a nod to the genre.
O-VER-RAY-TED: James Blackshaw, The Cloud of Unknowing – Pitchfork frequently has some very nice things to say about experimental instrumentalists, I don’t really have much opinions on the matter, but this album was far too much of an outlier to warrant serious consideration.
This is my favorite time of the music calendar. And not just because of the ever-present holiday music. It’s “Best of” List Time!
Everybody has their own definition of “best”, and as a result, two lists will hardly ever look alike. Unless, of course, you’re comparing vertically, from one year to the next. Then patterns begin to emerge, sometimes drastically so. Comparing Spin’s 2006 list with Rolling Stone’s from the same year probably will only reveal some obvious similarities. However, when comparing Spin’s 2002 list with Spin’s 2003 list, you find that they are systematically similar. For instance, both have albums by the White Stripes at #1. (Kanye went back-to-back in ’04-’05.) I guess people’s individual tastes don’t change too drastically form year to year, so neither do magazines’.
That is why the Rolling Stones will always chart well in Rolling Stone. It’s why Pitchfork will always continue to hype bands they “broke”. And it’s why New Music Express finds the Best! Band! Ever! every single year. Year-to-year change isn’t that big of a deal. But that doesn’t make the listing season any less fun, so in the spirit of this – what the heck – holiday, let me present to you the First Annual Merry Swankster “Best of” List Time! Preview. Remember kids, this is for entertainment purposes only. MerrySwankster.com is not responsible for any losses incurred by gambling based on these predictions.
So how’d I do it? Well, I chose ten different magazines and websites, based primarily on the frequency that I read them. Each media outlet is graded, so to speak, using the following rubric:
Will Be: This is what I predict the particular website or magazine will name the best album of 2007.
Should Be: Contrary to what they will pick, this is the album that each source should pick, if all were fair and right in the world.
Sleeper: This pick might not seem logical, but don’t count it out. This space isn’t necessarily for something that will be #1, but the named album will chart higher than you probably expect.
Where’s?: At first, this would seem like a no-brainer inclusion, but it probably got over-thought, over-analyzed and, ultimately, left out.
O-VER-RAY-TED: This site or mag loves it, but most others don’t, and likely neither do I. In any event, this album will place higher than it really deserves.
Remember, these are not my selections, per say, rather what I think each of the following sources should and will name based on the tendencies, readerships and mission statements. Let’s start with a familiar one:
Pitchforkmedia
Will Be: Deerhunter, Cryptograms – There was a rumor goin’ ‘round the internets back in 2004 that the actual writer’s poll over at P4K voted Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs as the year’s best, but site creator/owner Ryan Schreiber wanted a more traditional indie rock album to take the top spot and used executive privilege to put Arcade Fire’s Funeral at number one. I have no idea if there is even an ounce of truth to that, but operating under the assumption that it’s legit, I can see a similar switch-a-roo taking place this year. Conspiracy theories aside, the selection of Deerhunter would follow suit for Pitchfork, which has three other times this decade picked a rock band’s debut album as number one (the Rapture, Arcade Fire and Interpol).
Should Be: M.I.A., Kala – The above selection would drop what is, in my mind, a quintessential Pitchfork album, into the number two slot. The same sort of thing happened last year, I think, when TV on the Radio, which was probably the more indicative pick, ended up at number two behind the Knife.
Sleeper: Jay-Z, American Gangster – The folks over at Pitchfork loves them some H.O.V.A., as evidenced by his albums occupying two spots in their top 35 of this decade (so far). After absolutely panning Kingdom Come, the two sides bounce back with a much better album and a greater, rightly placed appreciation.
Where’s?: Pig Destroyer, Phantom Limb – In their review of this album, Pitchfork suggested that this might be the metal album of the year. Even though it’s technically classified as grindcore, I wonder if the website will hold serve on this one, and at least give it a 41-50 spot as a nod to the genre.
O-VER-RAY-TED: James Blackshaw, The Cloud of Unknowing – Pitchfork frequently has some very nice things to say about experimental instrumentalists, I don’t really have much opinions on the matter, but this album was far too much of an outlier to warrant serious consideration.