Top 10 Albums of 2008
 

Use this thread to post your Top 10 Albums of 2008.

Please don't use this thread to rant about "no one makes good music anymore". Not interested.

Mine:

10. The Mars Volta - "Bedlam in Goliath"
9. Neil Diamond - "Home Before Dark"
8. The Whigs - "Mission Control"
7. Metallica - "Death Magnetic"
6. Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"
5. Black Keys - "Attack and Release"
4. Conor Oberst - "Conor Oberst"
3. The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely"
2. Secret Machines - "Secret Machines"
1. Drive-By Truckers - "Brighter Than Creation's Dark"

What, no ABBA?

1. Zs - The Hard EP
2. Meshuggah - Obzen
3. Fuck The Facts - Disgorge Mexico
4. Genghis Tron - Board Up The House
5. Gridlink - Amber Grey
6. Immortal Technique - The 3rd World
7. Intronaut - Prehistoricisms
8. Made Out Of Babies - The Ruiner
9. Russian Circles - Station
10. Tone Tank - The Black Six Sessions & The King Of Surf Guitar Rap EPs

What a terrible year for music.

And while I'm not trashing them, I can't help but to ask how anyone can tolerate The Mars Volta? "De-Loused In the Comatorium" would've been perfect if they knew how to boil down the songs a bit but their later works are just plain intolerable. I can understand that they're progressive and all but their albums play like they just got the greatest deal ever on studio time.

Man, I'm still listening to music from 2007. Why do they keep making new stuff?

In no particular order -

Adele - 19 (US Release)
Duffy - Rockferry (US Release)
Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
HoneyHoney - First Rodeo
Jem - Down to Earth
Lady Gaga - The Fame
Morning Musume. - Cover You

I'm still listening to Roy Orbison. Mainly because I can't get Cryin out of my fucking head.

You know I wanted to hate it but I'm digging Chinese Democracy by Axl Rose (I still wont admit it's the real G'n'R though).

I'll admit, Bedlam is my least favorite of their 4 albums, and probably wouldn't have made my top 10 had I bought more music this year. I think they peaked with Frances the Mute, and since then have veered away from song structure into wankery. Here's hoping they get back on track with their 2009 release

Wow, favorite 10 of 2008. Tough one.

10. Portishead - Third
09. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
08. Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
07. Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku
06. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
05. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
04. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
03. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
02. Tricky - Knowle West Boy
01- The Black Crowes - Warpaint

That's how mine run. Make what you will of it. I'll admit, it was damn tough to narrow it down to 10.

I can't name 10 albums that came out this year that were worth a damn.

I think I've only bought one album this year - so that's going to make a top ten tough :(

I don't know if I bought 10 CD's all year or not. I find myself listening to just "the old stuff" that I'm more familiar with. I've finally reached that age where I just can't relate to most of the new stuff coming out. I did buy 3,4,5,7 and 10 on this list. Most of the others listed I've never heard of.

A few years ago, I decided to make it a quest to stay involved in the music scene. I spend one night a month now just checking anything out that seems at all interesting on Allmusic and Last.fm. A lot of it is crap I end up not liking, but some of it is just freakin awesome. Some might see that as a waste of time, but I enjoy it.

I personally like these Best of the year music threads on TFP. I tend to be 5 years behind in my music, and through these threads is how I've heard about bands like the Arctic Monkeys, and the Birthday Massacre. Aside from the Raconteurs I have not heard any of these albums. I can't wait to give them a try and decide if I like them or not.

So, please, keep posting your favorites from the year, and posts like "No good music came out this year" are not necessary or helpful. As for my favorite albums of the year (given I have done a poor job keeping up to date).

Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Flobots - Fight With Tools

There was an arabic album I found in Kuwait by a band called Nia (I believe). Thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't want to spend the $30 they were charging for the album and haven't found it anywhere else. Unfortunately, that is as far as my 2008 music experience has been.

Hmmm.

I got some great things this year.

Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave etc
The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow
Join With Us by The Feeling
Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
Stay Positive by The Hold Steady
Live in Gdansk by David Gilmour
Only By The Night by Kings of Leon
Death Magnetic by Metallica
Keep It Simple by Van Morrison
H.A.R.R.P. by Muse
Consolers of the Lonely by the Raconteurs
London Undersound by Nitin Sawhney
A Hundred Million Suns by Snow Patrol

bonus compilation:

Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan

I just got Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket. It's totally schizo, but pretty cool

See, the album is a great idea, but I now wish I'd been recording the damn shows entirely. The album didn't include much of the patter that really makes the show neat.

I wonder if I can download those all somewhere?

Sorry, I will post my top albums from 2008:

7. What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us
6. Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
5. The Kooks - Konk
5. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
4. One Day as a Lion - EP
3. Connor Oberst - Self Titled
2. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
1. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason

Hmm, I guess there were more albums that came out than I thought. I've also found out two bands that are pretty indie. I haven't bought any of their albums yet but I recommend listening to these albums. And I highly recommend the song Beware of False Prophets by Summerbirds in the Cellar.

Summerbirds in the Cellar - With The Hands Of The Hunter It All Becomes Dead
Summerbirds in the Cellar - Druids (this one hasn't been released yet)
Greycoats - Setting Fire to the Great Unknown

Is Appeal to Reason worth it? I've heard mixed reviews (haven't heard any of the songs). I've been waiting to be able to hear it before I commit to buying it. I thoroughly enjoy all their previous albums.

I really enjoy it, I still think that The Sufferer & the Witness is by far my favorite of their albums but this was a good one. The album is less 'punk' (I guess that's the word I would use to describe it) than their other albums but still enjoyable. There is some political protest in the album but I feel it's done really well. Like I said I like it enough to name it my number 1 album of the year.

Oh as an add on to my list before, I forgot that Bad Religion's new cd, the New Maps of Hell deluxe version, came out this year so I would say that is one of my top albums of the year. I know the original came out last year but the added songs and DVD material are awesome.

i operate with an amorphous notion of new at the moment---mostly because i don't separate what's newly released from what's new to me....my two favorite 2008 releases so far are:

the bug: london zoo
ragga twins: ragga twins step out

i've discovered alot of music that's new to me and that i quite like over the past months, but not much of it was released this year. well, maybe some of it was. i dunno.

what's sure is that i've lost interest in most "alt" pop music for the time being.

I'm glad someone else mentioned this. Great album!
Also, One Day As A Lion's EP sounds like something that could be worth listening to if they happen to throw a proper album together.
Genghis Tron's Board Up The House was very good too.
I also like Arsis' We Are The Nightmare.
I didn't buy much this year I guess.

I will post mine in a minute but I saw this and I had to laugh, your number 7 album, What Made Milwaukee Famous - What Doesn't Kill Us, I bought a trailer from that band about 6 months ago when they upgraded to a bigger one and they gave ma a copy of that album and it is terrific it will be on my list as well.

just heard "Evil Urges" by My Morning Jacket. It's definitely bumping The Mars Volta out of my Top 10

there is only 2 albums that I liked enough to buy:

Coldplay - Viva La Vida
good overall. some great catchy songs but nothing horrible.

The Lost Fingers - Lost in the 80s.
Great album!!!!! this is a mix of 80s classics( like tainted love and pump up the jam ) redone in a gypsy jazz style. [think: Django Reinhardt]

I haven't really broadened my horizons for music this year, but Metallica's Death Magnetic belongs on my list at the #1 spot. So my list would be like Metallica - Death Magnetic all the way down.

here's my picks:

coldplay - viva la vida
goldfrapp - seventh tree
my morning jacket - evil urges
alanis morrissette - flavors of entanglement
portishead - third
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Russian Circles - Station
Woven Hand - Ten Stones
De La Mancha - Atlas

everything else was a pretty major disappointment for me

OK people, I'm not a hip-hop head by any means. I think the majority of it is derivative shit. BUT some of it is worth listening to fellas, and I must say that I am somewhat appalled to not see Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne on anyone's list..........word? Well ok I guess, but hot damn, that was one of the most innovative albums of the past year for sure. But I digress.......I don't think I can name ten either, but I'll list my faves anyway.

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
Theory of a Deadman - Scars and Souvenirs
Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Black Crowes - Warpaint
Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song (if you like real country music and haven't heard this guy yet, do yourself a favor)
T.I. - Paper Trail
Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch

The Carter III didn't make my list because Wayne simply isn't good at full length albums. It's got some great moments but for the most part, Wayne is a mixtape rapper and most of his rhymes and verses are of no real substance. It all sounds great but he really isn't saying anything and since many of the tracks from the Carter III were previously released in mixtapes...it really wasn't even that new.

Fabolous' verse from "Nothin' On Me" is miles ahead of everything Wayne put into that album.

Same thing goes for T.I., who is infintely more talented than Wayne in terms of word play and substance but Paper Trail is far too long and is worsened by tracks that don't seem to belong.

..

Both were great....with Lil Wayne taking a slight lead imo.

Aside from Metallica's Death Magnetic (fucking amazing album), 2008 was a down year for music. Testament released a so-so album. Arch Enemy released a great live album but those don't really count. I'm looking forward to 2009 with releases scheduled for Sepultura, Slayer, Napalm Death, and Down.

if you're going to narrow your listening to one genre, then yeah, it was a down year. I thought it was a great year for music, personally

I have to agree. I like a lot of songs by Lil Wayne, but I never feel the need to pick up an entire album by him. I just listen to it once, and buy the songs I like. And I'm mostly an album buying guy.

Not sure if it will count as the original release date was in '07, but since it re-released in '08 I'm going to say it does. The Flobots Fight With Tools album was brilliant.

I didn't realize it was originally released in '07. But I completely agree! Great album.

In no particular order, mainly because depending on the day I'll like some more than others. Everyone is making good picks though!

Flobots- Fight with Tools
Disturbed- Indestructable
Rise Against- Appeal to Reason
Kings of Leon- Only By the Night
Within Tempation- The Silent Force
Scars on Broadway- Self Titled
Eagles of Death Metal- Heart On
Matthew Good- Hospital Music
Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs

What? No love for Santogold?

I think her self-titled CD is the most original album I've heard all year.

I think I have a taste in music not yet presented. I thought it was a pretty good year for music, towards the end of the year. Here's the list:

36 Crazyfists - The Tide and It's Takers
All That Remains - Overcome
The Butterfly Effect - Final Conversation of Kings
Disturbed - Indestructible
Slipknot - All Hope is Gone
Destroy the Runner - I, Lucifer
Mudvayne - The New Game

Personally, I wasn't that impressed by King's of Leon's Only by the Night, which a couple people listed. I think their previous offerings were much better. And Metallica and Trivium made albums that at least didn't suck like their last ones, thank goodness. But those are just my opinions.