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.
wow what a list.