The Official VOTING thread for the Best Albums of 2011

[JohnnyRoyale]

Starting to sweat that the Eddie Vedder ukulele album didn't make the list. Have no idea why if that is so...

[Fourthisto]

This is part of the reason I consider you a cherished friend, old bean.

Is the other part because I'm so god damn good looking (and humble to boot)?

Starting to sweat that the Eddie Vedder ukulele album didn't make the list. Have no idea why if that is so...

You're just now starting to?   

[crewbilly]

PJ Harvey at #12?  Behind The Decemberists?  I really hate you guys.

I would have put it in my top 10.  What would that have been, another 40 points? 

The list is fun to do for people I guess, but it's a pretty crappy representation of what people actually thought was good.

I think people should make their list based on what music they enjoyed during the year not necessarily based on what album was the most critically acclaimed. I subscribe to the euro 60 model

[crewbilly]

I didn't love that Elbow album at first, but after hearing those tracks live it really started to hit home and won me over. That being said, it still didn't break my top ten.

But what, PJ Harvey? She hasn't had anything top 50 worthy in more than a decade. However, a recording of a collection of favorite noises recorded from her toilet would beat out anything put out by the Decemberists. Anyone who would suggest otherwise needs to get their hearing checked.

Happy weekend, all!

Well I am getting a little older just turned 40. Maybe a trip to the audiologist wouldn't be such a bad idea

[Zafer Kaya]

I think people should make their list based on what music they enjoyed during the year not necessarily based on what album was the most critically acclaimed. I subscribe to the euro 60 model

I'm not saying people make lists based on critical acclaim instead of their own personal view.  If you take PJ Harvey as an example, she would have been way up there if we'd gone by critical acclaim.  OTOH, I didn't make a list and Yosh apparently loved it but our votes weren't counted.  If they had been she would have piled up another 90 + points.  Even as it is, Cults is #6 with 0 first place votes while PJ Harvey got 2 and is #12.

A lot of us probably heard songs from at least 50 albums every year, but not all of us BUY 50 albums a year or else can't be arsed to come up with a full 50.  And for me, the difference between #11 and #50 would be fairly marginal.  So in general, the top albums pile up a lot of points simply by making the most lists and an album could gain or drop 20 spots easily as a function of random chance.

If you limited the list to only the top 5 or 10 albums for each person, the final list would look far different.  I'm not saying the way it's done is wrong, just that it massively favors a general consensus of "this was decent" across a small sample size of people.  It's a valid representation of something.  I guess it functions best as a list of WOXY-buzzworthy albums people might want to check out, which might actually more useful.  It's just not what I consider a list of true WOXY/randomville "favorites."

[euro60]

I think people should make their list based on what music they enjoyed during the year not necessarily based on what album was the most critically acclaimed. I subscribe to the euro 60 model

methinks I agree with that 

[euro60]

Any guesses on the top spot?

I've lost hope for Beady Eye, my No. 1 of 2011...

That said, I'm guessing that Cut Copy will be No. 1 here, and that will be very cool in my book (it was my No. 2 for the year)

[mik]

Why all the sniping and grousing about the results folks? It is what it is based on those that submitted a list........ 
Many thanks to Ella Minnow Pea for all the work on compiling the results and posting the list!!!

For fun. It's just the usual good-natured rumbling and grumbling.

I know, I was just grumbling back a little too. The deal is that there is so much music available these days that so many artists get voted for in our lists. However, artists like the Decemberists, even though they might not get a lot of #1 votes, still show up on a lot of lists due to their popularity. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.......

[frizgolf]

PJ Harvey at #12?  Behind The Decemberists?  I really hate you guys.

I would have put it in my top 10.  What would that have been, another 40 points? 

The list is fun to do for people I guess, but it's a pretty crappy representation of what people actually thought was good.

I think people should make their list based on what music they enjoyed during the year not necessarily based on what album was the most critically acclaimed. I subscribe to the euro 60 model

I think a part of it is that some folks seem to rank albums by how they see others ranking them, or at the very least that influences them. "Buzz bands".
While this list is fun every year, I agree with ZK that maybe it should be a hard, fast top 5 or 10. Or it should be blind. Discuss 'em, but don't let anyone see each other's rankings.
I wonder, though, with only 5 or 10 as a list do you run the chance of not even getting to 97 overall?
That said, I've only participated in this once. I posted 'em using the Euro model. My #1 was only mentioned once in anyone else's list.

[luisterpaul]

I always figure everyone was just ranking them by their own preference, not based on what anyone else was saying. Sure, reviews from others may influence a tie-breaker between two albums vying for spot #6. I never imagined it went beyond such small influences.

[frizgolf]

I dunno, I think a few folks like to see their rankings jibe with the overall rankings. The hipster factor. But maybe that's just a small sampling. Some rankings in the past have been dangerously close to looking like they'd been edited every day.

[MissKitty]

I just assumed that everyone was voting based on what they liked. That's what I did anyway. Hardly any of my choices made the top 50 and I'm fine with that.

[Ella Minnow Pea]

With 437 albums voted for, I don't think that anyone is sticking with just the popular choices.

[twentyshots]

Any guesses on the top spot?

while i WANT it to be the joy formidable i'm guessing fleet foxes too. and aren't the black keys stills dangling out there as well?

Not as sad as I would've been if The Decemberists had been #1.

PJ Harvey at #12?  Behind The Decemberists?  I really hate you guys.

I really didn't like that Elbow album.  I am shocked it is #8.

i am not shocked it is number 8, they seem to have broader appeal than pj harvey around here, although i personally agree with everything else you said.....

Wild Flag...stuck behind Elbow, Bon Iver, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. That's a shame.

i was thinking the opposite....i was kind of surprised wild flag made it under #20....

I didn't love that Elbow album at first, but after hearing those tracks live it really started to hit home and won me over. That being said, it still didn't break my top ten.
But what, PJ Harvey? She hasn't had anything top 50 worthy in more than a decade. However, a recording of a collection of favorite noises recorded from her toilet would beat out anything put out by the Decemberists. Anyone who would suggest otherwise needs to get their hearing checked.

HA! i know, right??

Let England Shake was her best since Rid of Me.  

And also yeah, 4's comments regarding The Decemberists are correct.

our voice grows louder....guy fawkes masks cannot be far behind. we will occupy this list.

[Rafe]

I dunno, I think a few folks like to see their rankings jibe with the overall rankings. The hipster factor. But maybe that's just a small sampling. Some rankings in the past have been dangerously close to looking like they'd been edited every day.

With the greatest respect, I think that comment is full of shit. I'm 38. Hipster I most certainly aint.