Monday, December 17, 2018

Top Albums of 2018

As this year is coming to a close, it's time for one of my favorite posts - my top albums of the year. I always find really entertaining to go through and rank the albums that were released throughout the year, and this year is no exception.

However, I've decided to approach it a bit differently, mostly due to the inspiration I got from all the Spotify posts I saw recently (I use Apple Music, so no year end totals for me). In past years, I've just ordered them based on how I liked them and their impact on me. While I will include those factors, I've decided to do a few different lists based on different factors - primarily play counts and averages. I'll show the lists, and then go into further detail after each one. 

I took all the numbers down on December 7th, and haven't counted plays or releases after that date.

For albums with the most total play counts (play count in parenthesis, for all songs combined):
  1. Post Traumatic - Mike Shinoda (589)
  2. Mania - Fall Out Boy (478)
  3. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys (475)
  4. Chrome Neon Jesus - Teenage Wrist (464)
  5. Nearsighted - Speak Low If You Speak Love (390)
  6. Swimming - Mac Miller (362)
  7. Trench - Twenty One Pilots (329)
  8. Beerbongs & Bentleys - Post Malone (299)
  9. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (ABIIOR) - The 1975 (293)
  10. Delta - Mumford & Sons (218)
This, to me, feels like the popularity rankings. It's not based on merit, but instead just the numbers - how many times did I listen to the tracks for each album. The top four were unsurprising; those albums have been vying for best album all year. The biggest surprises were Beerbongs & Bentleys and ABIIOR - the former because it was NOT in my top album contention (unlike the Grammy's, apparently), and the later because of it's late release (only 8 days before I did my counts). Some of the numbers are a bit skewed, however, due to factors such as singles, release dates, and others (specifically for Mania, with it's postponed release date from last year and the length of time some of the singles had been out). 

So I also decided to also figure out the average play count, based on the totals I got above and the number of songs on each release. 
  1. Mania - Fall Out Boy 
    • (47.8 average, 10 tracks)
  2. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys 
    • (43.2 average, 11 tracks)
  3. Chrome Neon Jesus - Teenage Wrist 
    • (42.2 average, 11 tracks)
  4. To Imagine (EP) - The Neighbourhood 
    • (39.6 average, 5 tracks)
  5. Post Traumatic - Mike Shinoda 
    • (36.8 average, 16 tracks)
  6. Nearsighted - Speak Low If You Speak Love 
    • (32.5 average, 12 tracks)
  7. A Modern Tragedy, Vol. 1 (EP) - grandson 
    • (31.2 average, 5 tracks)
  8. This Place Is A Movie (EP) - First Ghost 
    • (29.8 average, 6 tracks)
  9. Swimming - Mac Miller 
    • (27.8 average, 13 tracks)
  10. Trench - Twenty One Pilots 
    • (23.5 average, 14 tracks)
This one felt like it was a little more balanced, because it was less of a popularity based on individual track plays and boosted the albums that I listened to frequently from start to finish. However, it also was more partial to shorter releases, especially EP's that only contain five or six songs (like To Imagine, A Modern Tragedy, and This Place Is A Movie).

I found that going through and figuring out the numbers and averages was actually really fun. It gave me a different perspective on the releases, showing me how I favored some albums more than I originally thought, while reaffirming others as being my favorite and the numbers reflecting that. I decided to finish the post with my original list of how I rank the albums and a few sentences about why. I've also linked each title to it's original review for more in-depth info as well (if I reviewed it).

Top Albums of 2018:
  1. Post Traumatic - Mike Shinoda
    • I had a feeling this album would top the list, but regardless of my love and admiration for Linkin Park - what a release. Coming from such a loss and creating such a piece of art, Mike Shinoda shows his versatility, his songwriting skills, and, most importantly, his ability to be raw and vulnerable in his walk through life. 
  2. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino - Arctic Monkeys
    • If Mike Shinoda hadn't put out such a stellar album, this would have taken the cake. An album that immerses you from beginning to end, that demands to be listened to as a whole, an entire unit - a bold, yet well played move. Definitely an album I will continue to revisit.
  3. Chrome Neon Jesus - Teenage Wrist
    • Teenage Wrist was band I did not know of before this year, but I've grown to love the gritty nature of the group that combines sound influences from my childhood (emo/mid 00's alternative) and just before my time (90's alternative). Another solid album of guitar-based music, a blaring middle finger to the critics and naysayers who claim that music with guitars is "dead".
  4. Swimming - Mac Miller
    • An incredible album that's tragically marred by the loss of a blossoming artist. Mac Miller's latest and final release reveals a man who was finally hitting his stride, who was breaking into a place of authentic and vulnerable creativity. The demons were lurking in the album, but the staying power and message was hope - striving towards the light and the dawning despite those dark places.
  5. Delta - Mumford & Sons
    • A late entry but an easily identifiable masterpiece. Mumford & Sons have broken their own molds in spectacular fashion, and this album sets new standards for the "banjo band". Sweeping epics, quiet crooning, and a sense of honesty and being true to oneself that's really inspiring.
  6. A Modern Tragedy, Vol. 1 - grandson 
    • A fiery debut from a fiery artist - one that I had the pleasure of seeing in concert this fall. What rage, what energy - this is the political rock of our day and age. Channeling Rage Against The Machine, grandson flies through this five song EP as he covers a span of topics; police brutality, political corruption, depression, and drug abuse and addiction. Not a name to be missed, and one whose star is most definitely on the rise.
  7. Trench - Twenty One Pilots 
    • With the way that anticipation was building for the follow up to Blurryface, I wasn't sure how Twenty One Pilots was going to approach their latest album. The result was more than I could have hoped for - possibly their darkest album yet, but filled with moments of glittering, gleaming hope - light and darkness ever warring.
  8. Mania - Fall Out Boy
    • This album was one I was expecting to be on last year's list, but due to some delays, we got the album just after the start of this year - and was it worth the wait. One of the strongest FOB albums to date, showcasing their ability to continually adapt and build their sound in new and intriguing directions. It wasn't the most consistent album, but still a thrill ride from start to finish.
  9. Nearsighted - Speak Low If You Speak Love 
    • An album that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did, Nearsighted really highlights the songwriting skills and thoughtful music of Ryan Scott Graham. It's a layered release, full of raw and tender moments throughout - all with easy, sweet melodies to accompany.
  10. KOD - J. Cole
    • While I didn't listen to this album as consistently as some of the others on this list, I was still very impressed with the latest effort from J. Cole. Covering a variety of topics over some slick beats and fantastic production, Cole opened up about many things while calling out and rejecting stereotypes in rap. 

No comments:

Post a Comment