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The Top 161 Albums of 2007

Matt LukinMatt Lukin Posts: 647
edited December 2007 in Other Music
Chosen by a select committee (aka, myself) I present the Top 161 Albums of 2007, a project that took way too much time and way too much of my hard drive. Most of the order isn't necissarily exact, except for the last twenty or so, but it's a good representation of music this year and my opinion on it. Without further ado...

161. Kathy Diamond - Miss Diamond to You
160. Tegan and Sara - The Con
159. XBXRX - Wars
158. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
157. Minus the Bear - Interpretaciones del Oso
156. Tiger Force - Wasp in a Jar
155. Fridge - The Sun
154. Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque
153. Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures
152. The Holy See - Fucking Physics
151. The Dirty Projectors - Rise Above

150. Client - Heartland
149. Titan - A Raining Sun of Light and Love for You and You and You
148. People Press Play - People Press Play
147. Dungen - Tio Bitar
146. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight
145. UNKLE - War Stories
144. Adult. - Why Bother?
143. Bracken - We Know About the Need
142. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
141. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City

140. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses
139. White Williams - Smoke
138. The Sea and Cake - Everybody
137. The Concretes - Hey Trouble
136. Feist - The Reminder
135. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
134. Digitalism - Idealism
133. Alex Delivery - Star Destroyer
132. The Six Parts Seven - Casually Smashed to Pieces
131. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

130. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
129. Talib Kweli - Eardrum
128. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
127. Pelican - City of Echoes
126. Fields - Everything Last Winter
125. Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
124. T.I. - T.I. vs T.I.P.
123. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
122. Grinderman - Grinderman
121. Dinosaur Jr - Beyond

120. Deerhinter - Cryptograms
119. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - Security
118. The Zincs - Black Pompadour
117. Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs - You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying
116. The Book of Knots - Traineater
115. The Brunettes - Structure and Cosmetics
114. Page France - ...and the Family Telephone
113. 1990s - Cookies
112. Githead - Art Pop
111. The Go Find - Stars on the Wall

110. Young Galaxy - Young Galaxy
109. Pole - Steingarten
108. Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
107. The Tough Alliance - A New Chance
106. Apostle of Hustle - National Anthem of Nowhere
105. White Rabbits - Fort Nightly
104. No Age - Weirdo Rippers
103. The New Pornographers - Challengers
102. Kevin Drew - Spirit If...
101. The Good, the Bad, and the Queen - The Good, the Bad, and the Queen

100. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
99. Georgie James - Places
98. Junior Senior - Hey Hey My My Yo Yo
97. Taken By Trees - Open Field
96. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
95. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
94. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Scribble Mural Comic Journal
93. Maps - We Can Create
92. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
91. Blonde Redhead - 23

90. Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
89. Aa - gAame
88. !!! - Myth takes
87. Low - Drums and Guns
86. Kanye West - Graduation
85. Andrew Bird - Armchair - Apocrypha
84. Stars - Do You Trust Your Friends?
83. Piano Magic - Part Monster
82. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
81. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara

80. The National Lights - The Dead Will Walk, Dear
79. The Ponys - Turn the Lights Out
78. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
77. The Hives - The Black and White Album
76. Moonbabies - Moonbabies at the Ballroom
75. Working for a Nuclear Free City - Businessmen & Ghosts
74. The Fall of Troy - Manipulator
73. Raccoo-oo-oon - Behold Secret Kingdom
72. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
71. Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valedictorian

70. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation
69. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
68. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
67. Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
66. Holy Fuck - LP
65. Air - Pocket Symphony
64. Gruff Rhys - Candylion
63. Jay-Z - American Gangster
62. Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
61. PJ Harvey - White Chalk

60. Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated
59. Eluvium - Copia
58. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
57. M.I.A. - Kala
56. Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!
55. Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions
54. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
53. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
52. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
51. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

50. Wooden Stars - People Are Different
49. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
48. Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
47. Field Music - Tones of Town
46. Sigur Ros - Hvarf-Heim
45. Caribou - Andorra
44. The Austerity Program - Black Madonna
43. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
42. Dizzee Rascal - Maths and English
41. Lucky Soul - The Great Unwanted

40. HEALTH - HEALTH
39. Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills
38. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
37. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
36. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
35. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
34. Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust
33. Caspian - The Four Trees
32. King Khan & the Shrines - What Is?!
31. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights

30. Prinzhorn Dance School - Prinzhorn Dance School
29. Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
28. Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
27. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
26. Justice - Cross
25. White Stripes - Icky Thump
24. St. Vincent - Marry Me
23. Pharoahe Monch - Desire
22. A Place to Bury Strangers - A Place to Bury Strangers
21. UGK - Underground Kingz

20. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
19. Elliott Smith - New Moon
18. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends
17. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
16. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
15. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
14. Battles - Mirrored
13. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
12. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
11. Akron/Family - Love Is Simple

10. Burial - Untrue
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows
8. Nina Nastasia & Jim White - You Follow Me
7. Menomena - Friend and Foe
6. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
5. Liars - Liars
4. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
3. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
1. The National - Boxer

(In addition, here's a link to a lot of great songs from this year: http://www.imeem.com/dialogs/standaloneplaylist/?p=b-qjiBCX)
The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • audiodaveaudiodave Posts: 1,623
    Why 161?
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • AzwethinkweizAzwethinkweiz Posts: 547
    Who the hell is The National?

    That's a crappy top 10. Except for Spoon.
  • Todd76Todd76 Posts: 1,469
    Very nice list!!!!!

    I have actually been looking forward to your list since ya mentioned it in one of the top albums of '07 threads awhile back

    .......my entire top 40 albums is basically covered (although some of em rank a little too low in my opinion - especially Feist, Kevin Drew, New Pornographers, Beirut and Great Lake Swimmers ;))

    .......I have been debating on what album to pick up to end my eMusic contract. I am torn b/w: of Montreal, Andrew Bird, Blonde Redhead and Okkervil River. Based on your opinion I think i'll go with Okkervil River - thanks for sorting that out for me :)

    My list (for interests sake)

    1) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
    2) the National - Boxer
    3) Beirut - Flying Club Cup
    4) Radiohead - In Rainbows
    5) Feist - the Reminder
    6) Handsome Furs - Plague Park
    7) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
    8) Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
    9) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
    10) Sigur Ros - Hvarf Heim
    11) Kevin Drew - Spirit If....
    12) Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
    13) Menomena - Friend and Foe
    14) Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
    15) Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
    16) Apostle Of Hustle - National Anthem Of Nowhere
    17) the New Pornographers - Challengers
    18) Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
    19) Iron & Wine - The Shepard's Dog
    20) Interpol - Our Love To Admire
    21) Ween - La Cucaracha
    22) Dinosaur jr. - Beyond
    23) Editors - An End Has A Start
    24) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
    25) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
    26) Tegan and Sara - The Con
    27) Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up
    28) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
    29) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
    30) Metric - Grow Up And Blow Away
    31) Sonic Youth - The Destroyed Room
    32) Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
    33) Frog Eyes - Tears Of The Valedictorian
    34) the Shins - Wincing the Night Away
    35) Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
    36) Emma Pollock - Watch The Fireworks
    37) Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild
    38) Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
    39) Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall
    40) Stars - Do You Trust Your Friends?
    In my world everyone is a pony,
    and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    No blood brothers :(
    Paul
    '06 - London, Dublin, Reading
    '07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    '09 - London, Manchester, London
    '12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
  • soclosesoclose Posts: 628
    Wow! I've listened to around 20 new releases this year, and that's surely a record for me (though I intend to keep working at it - there are two in the mail to me right now). Nice job!

    I too put The National at the top of my puny little list. They're one of my favorite discoveries this year. So sad I'd never heard of them previously.
  • Matt LukinMatt Lukin Posts: 647
    audiodave wrote:
    Why 161?

    That just ended up being the final number, I didn't set out for any specific amount.
    The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
    And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides
  • Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,567
    interesting..
  • JSBEJSBE Posts: 1,078
    damn impressive list. just curious, did you buy all these or download a large majority of them?

    i agree with most of your top 20, but for MY tastes lcd soundsystem, band of horses and m.i.a. should be much higher than what you have them at...then again i could just make my own massive list...

    fyi - #120 should be deerhUnter, not deerhInter.

    edit - i thought the new bloc party album was downright horrible. i just noticed that todd76 has it in his list too.
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    Dont like this list at all
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • Todd76Todd76 Posts: 1,469
    pjoasisrule wrote:
    Dont like this list at all


    I think your disapproval speaks volumes about the quality of the list
    In my world everyone is a pony,
    and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
  • aNiMaLaNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    No Ben Harper "Lifeline"???
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    Todd76 wrote:
    I think your disapproval speaks volumes about the quality of the list

    Thats fine, I dont let the critics decide whats good......most of the list is just hipster shit.
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • muppetmuppet Posts: 980
    I checked out "Boxer" by The National. The first two songs are amazing but the rest seems to just blur together. I suppose I'll stick with it though because I hear it's a grower.
  • phatuciniphatucini Posts: 399
    Damn listening to 161 albums in a year is kind of heavy shit!! That's a new album every 2.2 days, wow!! I suppose that the one's in the upper ranks get a couple of listens (I hope so) I suppose you work at a record store!
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    Todd76 wrote:
    Very nice list!!!!!

    I have actually been looking forward to your list since ya mentioned it in one of the top albums of '07 threads awhile back

    .......my entire top 40 albums is basically covered (although some of em rank a little too low in my opinion - especially Feist, Kevin Drew, New Pornographers, Beirut and Great Lake Swimmers ;))

    .......I have been debating on what album to pick up to end my eMusic contract. I am torn b/w: of Montreal, Andrew Bird, Blonde Redhead and Okkervil River. Based on your opinion I think i'll go with Okkervil River - thanks for sorting that out for me :)

    My list (for interests sake)

    1) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
    2) the National - Boxer
    3) Beirut - Flying Club Cup
    4) Radiohead - In Rainbows
    5) Feist - the Reminder
    6) Handsome Furs - Plague Park
    7) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
    8) Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
    9) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
    10) Sigur Ros - Hvarf Heim
    11) Kevin Drew - Spirit If....
    12) Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
    13) Menomena - Friend and Foe
    14) Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
    15) Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
    16) Apostle Of Hustle - National Anthem Of Nowhere
    17) the New Pornographers - Challengers
    18) Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
    19) Iron & Wine - The Shepard's Dog
    20) Interpol - Our Love To Admire
    21) Ween - La Cucaracha
    22) Dinosaur jr. - Beyond
    23) Editors - An End Has A Start
    24) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
    25) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
    26) Tegan and Sara - The Con
    27) Julie Doiron - Woke Myself Up
    28) Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
    29) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
    30) Metric - Grow Up And Blow Away
    31) Sonic Youth - The Destroyed Room
    32) Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
    33) Frog Eyes - Tears Of The Valedictorian
    34) the Shins - Wincing the Night Away
    35) Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
    36) Emma Pollock - Watch The Fireworks
    37) Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild
    38) Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
    39) Neil Young - Live At Massey Hall
    40) Stars - Do You Trust Your Friends?

    Do you work in the music industry?
    Or do you just consume music for breakfast lunch and dinner, and every snack in between?

    HOLY SHIT!
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • brainofPJbrainofPJ Posts: 2,361
    pjoasisrule wrote:
    hipster shit.


    i want this as my new screen name...


    Esther's here and she's sick?

    hi Esther, now we are all going to be sick, thanks
  • Todd76Todd76 Posts: 1,469
    DriftingByTheStorm wrote:
    Do you work in the music industry?
    Or do you just consume music for breakfast lunch and dinner, and every snack in between?

    HOLY SHIT!

    nope - don't work in the industry....but I would say I listen to 10 hours of music everyday (I have an iPod with 12,000 songs on it and can listen 8 hours a day at work)

    PS - did you see Mr Lukins list.....mine pales in comparison
    In my world everyone is a pony,
    and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    Todd76 wrote:
    nope - don't work in the industry....but I would say I listen to 10 hours of music everyday (I have an iPod with 12,000 songs on it and can listen 8 hours a day at work)

    PS - did you see Mr Lukins list.....mine pales in comparison

    ROFL.
    I actualy thought i was quoting the OP.
    So, TO LUKIN, THE QUESTION STANDS...
    how the fuck do you listen to so much goddamn music ?!?

    :D:D:D
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • Matt LukinMatt Lukin Posts: 647
    DriftingByTheStorm wrote:
    ROFL.
    I actualy thought i was quoting the OP.
    So, TO LUKIN, THE QUESTION STANDS...
    how the fuck do you listen to so much goddamn music ?!?

    :D:D:D

    Well, as someone else already noted, it amounts to about 1 album every 2 days or so, and it didn't prove too difficult to take an hour every couple days to listen to something. Most of it was on my computer for basically the time it took to listen to it, then I deleted it.
    The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
    And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides
  • Todd76Todd76 Posts: 1,469
    Matt Lukin wrote:
    then I deleted it.

    :( (i wanted to do the shocked face emoticon - but dont know how)

    you need to get a MASSIVE backup external hardrive so you can keep all this quality music - it pains me to think of all those albums being deleted
    In my world everyone is a pony,
    and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
  • Matt LukinMatt Lukin Posts: 647
    Todd76 wrote:
    :( (i wanted to do the shocked face emoticon - but dont know how)

    you need to get a MASSIVE backup external hardrive so you can keep all this quality music - it pains me to think of all those albums being deleted

    Not all of them, just the crap ones.
    The car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel
    And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides
  • xSmackSoundxxSmackSoundx Posts: 479
    Dang now I gotta check out the national CD again... I didn't like it the first time... but that was a while ago...
  • xSmackSoundxxSmackSoundx Posts: 479
    Todd76 wrote:
    :( (i wanted to do the shocked face emoticon - but dont know how)

    you need to get a MASSIVE backup external hardrive so you can keep all this quality music - it pains me to think of all those albums being deleted

    I'm so happy... I got me a 320 gig external... I've been DLing albums like crazy
  • Todd76Todd76 Posts: 1,469
    Matt Lukin wrote:
    Not all of them, just the crap ones.


    .....so at what range/point in your top 161 do you start listing "crap ones" ????

    EDIT: obviously I didnt expect that you loved all 161 albums......just wondering what range of albums you kept (ie. top 50???)
    In my world everyone is a pony,
    and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
  • audiodaveaudiodave Posts: 1,623
    How the hell can you judge an album on one listen?
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • Strangest TribeStrangest Tribe Posts: 2,502
    why do we feel the need to post "lists" at the end of every year?
    the Minions
  • JSBEJSBE Posts: 1,078
    audiodave wrote:
    How the hell can you judge an album on one listen?

    after a couple songs i can usually tell if i am going to like an album or not. the way i listen to music is as an album, so if after 1, 2 or 3 songs i'm not feeling it at all - see you later.

    if i make it through the whole album it typically has a chance for a second listen because there was obviously something there that grabbed my interest enough to want to listen to it again and that will be picked up on (and then some) in the second listen.

    obviously there are some albums that after 2-3 songs it just blows you away and you know that it is a great album you want to listen to over and over and over...
  • audiodaveaudiodave Posts: 1,623
    JSBE wrote:
    after a couple songs i can usually tell if i am going to like an album or not. the way i listen to music is as an album, so if after 1, 2 or 3 songs i'm not feeling it at all - see you later.

    if i make it through the whole album it typically has a chance for a second listen because there was obviously something there that grabbed my interest enough to want to listen to it again and that will be picked up on (and then some) in the second listen.

    obviously there are some albums that after 2-3 songs it just blows you away and you know that it is a great album you want to listen to over and over and over...

    Well whatever works for you. :)

    Not the way I do it. A lot of my favourite albums are ones I wasn't initially impressed with.
    ~AKA Dave-of-the-dead~

    I don't wanna think, I wanna feel

    Dublin 23/08/06 Lisbon I 04/09/06 Lisbon II 05/09/06 Paris 11/09/06 Verona 16/09/06

    London 18/06/07 Dusseldorf 21/06/07 Copenhagen 26/06/07 Nijmegen 28/06/07
  • dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
    audiodave wrote:
    A lot of my favourite albums are ones I wasn't initially impressed with.
    I completely agree. I don't feel you can really take an entire album in without at least 3 or 4 listens. Even then there will be things you'll notice on the 10th and 20th listen. Listening to an album once and giving it a rating just doesn't seem accurate to me...but that's just me.

    That being said, I've got about 30 albums of 2007 that need at least 2 more listens before I feel I'll actually be able to rank them.
    "I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

    "Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

    "I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
  • trappedinmyradiotrappedinmyradio Posts: 1,189
    any list that fails to have the Ryan Adams record and the Wilco record in the top 25 is totally full of BS.
    I'll dig a tunnel
    from my window to yours
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