Albums of the year

A fluid list

A contemporary list, as though I was selecting at the end of each calendar year, and I was the age I was at the time.

1979

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

By default, and at the age of four, the first album I owned. Ignoring Disco Mickey Mouse.

1983

Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues

A bit hipster for the age of 8, but I loved Burning Down the House.

1984

Soundtrack - Footloose

Stop Making Sense could be more realistic for the Burning Down the House association, but got to get that awful Footloose soundtrack on here.

1985

Big Audio Dynamite - This Is Big Audio Dynamite

BAD given to me by friends of my parents. Honestly changed my world.

1988

R.E.M - Green

Skipping over a couple of years, little black hole, music interest rekindled by my Mum suggesting I get a subscription to Rolling Stone, and so a very Rolling Stone album for this year.

Living Colour’s Vivid worthy of note too because of the Rolling Stone hype and maybe being the only one of mention here that I haven’t bought again.

1989

Faith No More - The Real Thing

A not-so-Rolling Stone album, but I can recall being very chuffed this went to number one in Australia

1990

Pop Will Eat Itself - Cure for Sanity

PWEI beats the strong love of Public Enemy (Fear of a Black Planet) and Doug Anthony Allstars (ICON) with memories of seeing their gig underage in Byron Bay and kind-of hanging out with them on the beach the next day

1991

Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black

Good album, but more of an apology from me to Fear of a Black Planet

1992

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream

Possibly the best year in music, a lot to choose from. Henry's Dream getting the prize for the memory of playing Jack the Ripper on loop.

Ministry's Psalm 69, PWEI's Looks or the Lifestyle and Henry Rollins' End of Silence near things.

1993

Bjork - Debut

Really hard choice between Bjork and PJ Harvey's Rid of Me. Probably skipped PJ because she felt so much more popular at the time.

1994

The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation

Inescapable.

1995

Ruby - Salt Peter

Tough year. Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust, Garbage self-titled, PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love, Tricky Maxinquaye all valid. But oh god, that Tricky gig that just plowed on past two hours.

1996

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

Easy. One of my favourites of all time. Would play it every night whilst reading Watchmen, and I swear they align in a Wizard of Oz / Dark Side of the Moon way.

1997

Death in Vegas - Dead Elvis

Mostly on the strength of "Dirt", hearing it at about 2am on the BBC World Service and chasing it until I owned it. What's That Smell?

1998

UNKLE - Psyence Fiction

Another choice to make between this, Tori Amos' From the Choirgirl Hotel and Beasties' Hello Nasty

1999

DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - Brainfreeze

Now getting proper hipster with an album without a tracklisting nor a release. I think a guy in the USA burnt me a copy and sent it to me in Sydney.

2000

Queens of the Stone Age - R

Quiet year for me with music. But can remember clearly buying this in Clifton in Bristol and being in love with Feel Good Hit of the Summer.

2001

Z-Trip & DJ P - Uneasy Listening, Volume 1

Can't remember how I stumbled onto this, but the direction was great. Beats out White Stripes and The Strokes.

2002

Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights

Classic. Maybe the best album on this list. Even beating out mclusky Do Dallas from the same year.

2003

stellastarr - stellastarr

Another tough one over Kaito's Band Red. The year I met Jane and this got a lot of late-night play.

2004

Arcade Fire - Funeral

Early 2000s an overlooked golden period in music. This, Futureheads, two Interpol albums, and the others I've mentioned from the last few years.

2005

Sons and Daughters - The Repulsion Box

Good but not great. A little lull in 2005. Suprised to learn (the runner-up) This Right Here Is Buck 65 is a compilation.

2006

The Long Blondes - Someone to Drive You Home

Great for dancing to. Tilly and the Wall, Victorian English Gentlemens Club, mcluskyism all worthy of mention too.

2007

Grinderman - Grinderman

Back to some raw music.

2008

Little Boots - Hands

An odd one, can remember enjoying it on the telly whilst taking a rare year off from Glastonbury whilst Jane was pregnant with the boy. Dig, Lazarus, Dig with the prize if I’m manning up.

2009

MF DOOM - Born Like This

RIP DOOM. Awesome, even once you get past the poisonous homophobia.

2010

Sleigh Bells - Treats

Another milestone album. Got a lot of plays whilst I took a bath with baby Victor.

2011

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Underrated, but excellent.

2012

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Coincided with doing a lot of travelling on a plane for work. Love it, but beginning with "A" must have helped its cause.

2013

Speedy Ortiz Major Arcana

This starts a run of years where the Album of the Year matches the one I overplayed whilst camping with Victor.

2014

Honeyblood - Honeyblood

Late nights, campfires, casks of wine, private space at Nethergong in Kent. Can clearly remember the fire spitting and making holes in the blanket and my leg.

2015

Tame Impala - Currents

Falls over the line for the video for "The Less I Know The Better." Otherwise annoyed I can't sneak Kendrick's' To Pimp a Butterfly in there.

2016

Coathangers - Nosebleed Weekend

Another sort of default choice. Drones' Feelin Kinda Free worthy, but don't remember discovering it until the following years.

2017

Methyl Ethel - Everything Is Forgotten

Why'd you have to go and cut your hair? Why'd you cut your hair?

2018

Melody's Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage

Revisiting the camping influence again now. Trippy album.

2019

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Blindsided by this. Seduced by Venice Bitch and then just kept relistening to the whole album until it was under my skin. Then it was somehow all over the year-end charts and who am I to argue? Got me through some tough times in hospital too. Several worthy runners-up: Angel Olsen, Ali Barter, Jenny Lewis, Priests, Tropical Fuck Storm.

2020

Sorry - 925

COVID getting in the way, one of the few on this list I haven't seen live. Finger's crossed.

2021

girl in red - if i could make it go quiet

Not entirely comfortable with this selection, but got a lot of play at various times.