At least it means most of the usual subjects of lists like this are left out.
Wonder who here has heard most of these?
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/the-100-best-albums-of-the-2020s-so-far
Musings on the byways of popular culture
by dai 29 Comments
At least it means most of the usual subjects of lists like this are left out.
Wonder who here has heard most of these?
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/the-100-best-albums-of-the-2020s-so-far
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I have seen 4 of these acts live including two that are in the top 10.
I’m familiar with more than half of these. Many of them are pretty good..
That’s a very interesting list. There are several solid entries that may well stand the test of time, plus a few that I wouldn’t give shelf/disc space and quite a lot that I have never heard (of). Much more entertaining than that nonsense from Classic Wank magazine. And if all else fails, there’s enough copy there to keep the Eye’s ‘Pseuds Corner’ busy for the next couple of years.
Interesting list but I’m surprised there is no Gabriels nor Sault. They’ve chosen the wrong Lana Del Ray album, too (😉). Great to see Fiona Apple so high but Promises should be much, much higher.
Which LDR? I was looking for NFR, seems that was 2019 though, how time flies when you are having fun!
Jesus! Really?
Not heard any of them.
I have chosen some of these for end of year Afterword best of lists. I congratulate myself on my prescience which I am always touched by.
Unusually for me when it comes to these lists, I actually own three of these albums: Lana Del Rey, Lankum, and Charli XCX. Clearly I’m not completely out of touch with the hip young groovers.
However, I haven’t heard of (let alone heard music by) at least 80% of the acts on this list, so I may have some work to do before I’m allowed into the in crowd.
Sadly, none of the decade’s best albums as far as I’m concerned – including I/O from Peter Gabriel, Marillion’s An Hour Before It’s Dark, Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori, Faun’s Pagan – are on the list. C’mon Paste, sort yourselves out.
Marillion? Huh?
good list, I reckon. In lieu of an exhaustive breakdown of what I like / have heard, may I just say that the closing track on that Jeff Rosenstock albums features a brilliant build and release section? Absolutely euphoric stuff
Reckon I’ve heard around 20 of these and some are indeed excellent – Fiona Apple, Angel Olsen and boygenius are cases in point. Hurray for the Riff Raff and Waxahatchee are ones I’ve enjoyed this year and will likely make my end
of year list (though it may not be a long one this year)..
Thanks Dai! A list which makes me curious to discover more about several of the artists.
I think I’ve seen about 8 of the acts live and heard of several of the others. Paste have made some interesting choices.
Paste Magazine do enjoy making Spotify playlists. For example…..
And they seem to do some quite interesting ones. They’ll prevent you from betting stuck in a rut.
Dreadful list. Lankum and Anohni would be my only keepers. I have bought maybe about 10 of the others, based on effusive reviews, only to be underwhelmed and disappointed by most of those. A list for 40 year old American hipsters.
I don’t know enough of the acts to claim it’s “dreadful”, lack of Wilco annoys me slightly, but they are probably considered old hat these days. I saw Japanese Breakfast live and they were wonderful, so that’s a plus from me
Played 5 albums, heard of 20. That’s 75 I didn’t know existed (including No1) Some nice writing in there so thanks Dai for posting.
I have thousands of records taking up room and disc space. None, unsurpringly for a bloke my age, are on this list.
I’m a bit surprised by the choice of Caroline Rose album, I think the latest one is vastly superior. Otherwise, I’ll investigate further in case I missed something. I often look at Paste weekly lists and potted reviews for recommendations and don’t see why this list should be any different. I’m slightly baffled how there’s nothing by Esther Rose on the list though.
I’ve listened to quite a few and own hard copies of three of them. It’s a pretty safe list, a couple of nods towards jazz and folk leaning releases which feels cursory. I guess they are leaning into their demographic overall which is fair enough. It’s like any list of this type completely subjective. Predictably it immediately raises cries of why isn’t …… on the list and why isn’t …… rated higher? The answer being that this isn’t a list made by you it’s a list made by someone other than you and their taste is not your taste. I agree about Japanese House btw but it isn’t one of the three I’ve liked enough to purchase.
I have the albums by Cassandra Jenkins, Bonny Light Horseman, Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders, Jeff Parker, Arooj Aftab, The Weather Station, Lankum, Sufjan Stevens, Jessica Pratt, Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief. So that’s eleven out of 100. The Weather Station album was a big disappointment to me, but the other ten I like a lot. Still, I rate this year’s albums by Bonny Light Horseman and Arooj Aftab higher than their albums which made the Paste Magazine list.
I bought Vulture Prince by Arooj Aftab but none of the others you list. I like them well enough but not enough to buy them. Arooj Aftab’s latest Night Reign will figure in my end of year list in all probability. I’ve purchased that too. The other two I have liked enough to obtain copies of are Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn’s Pigments and Hey What from Low. Dawn Richard & Spencer Zhan’s latest collaboration Quiet In A World Full Of Noise will also be included in my end of year list.
Cassandra Jenkins, boygenius, Bonny Light Horseman, Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders, Arooj Aftab, The Weather Station and Adrianne Lenker/Big Thief all disappointed me, and had me cursing those 4+ star and 8+/10 reviews they received. I now make damn sure I listen first, especially if they come from USAland.
Having said, the boygenius/Ye Vagabonds Sinead commemorative version of The Parting Glass may well be the best song I have heard in the 202s.
I own – and like/love – twelve of the albums on the list (familiar with most of the others but not interested enough to buy), and only four of them in common with you, only a couple in common with others on this thread – I’d say it’s possible that all of us together may own/have heard all of these 100 albums.
And if we’re complaining about the list, let me add to the list of complaints that there are not enough Swedish albums on this list… 😉
Not much fun is it? I think I’d rather have either of the Olivia Rodrigo albums than most of those.
The fact that this list raises those cries of why is/isn’t … … on the list and why is/isn’t … … rated higher/lower is a sign that it’s done it’s intended job.
There are a few in there that I really like. A few more I’m pretty indifferent to. A few I actually dislike and a hell of a lot I’ve never heard/heard of.
I’ll survive (probably).
Yep. I rarely find much on these lists that I haven’t already heard to pique my interest.
Thanks for that … this is what Spotify was made for … heard of very few but I shall give the top ten a go today
27 v 77.
I win!
The secret is to know your audience.
Good luck next time.
Not that we be one.