And so it begins, at least for 2018. (I figured it might be easier to have a forum specifically for these lists across the years rather than having them scattered elsewhere).
Here is an early "best jazz" list to kick things off...
Their list is quite respectable, if a little bit predictably skewed towards major-affiliated labels. Still, they have some definite good stuff on their list, and a few legit indie entries.
Time was, upto a couple of years ago, when I could look at such a jazz list and get many if not most at eMusic. It is not even worth looking now!
I had that same thought. I think the two ACT Music entries on the list + the Nat Birchall are possibly the only ones still available on eMusic, whereas even six months ago, about half of the list was available. This list is pretty major-heavy, though, so the other half were never going to be a good fit for eMusic shoppers... but you won't find those major-related releases on Bandcamp, either.
I like the looks of that Jazzwise list. A couple of my personal favorites highly ranked (Nicole Mitchell, Nat Birchall) plus some new things to check out. Not sure when/how I'm going to get the chance to hear the Wayne Shorter opus, though.
The Jazz Journalists Association site has a repository where its members can post their lists. The list of lists there is constantly growing, so I'll just post the link here and you can periodically check for additional submissions there... They have lots of contributors, including from all the major magazines, a lot of newspapers, sites like AAJ, etc.
I always enjoy Ted's year-end list, but I'm not such a fan of the alphabetical order with no ranking this year. I understand that ranking can be tough and a bit arbitrary, but if you are going to list 100 it seems to me you need to make at least SOME differentiation between the top few and number 97. If you are only listing 10 or even 20 and don't want to rank - fine. It's clear that all in that relatively small group were favorites. But 100? I could list 100 favorites, too, but how would that help anyone decide what new to listen to? And then he lists 100 honorable mentions.
Let's be honest. If you listen to music 3 hours a day every single day of the year, you'd be listening to each of those 200 albums no more than about five times each on average. Does an album you've only listened to only a few times really count as a "best" or "favorite"? Just wondering if these lists don't get carried away at times. I'd rather see a list of 10-25 that meant something to the listener than a survey of everything they listened to more than twice in a year...
Stereogum and NPR weigh in with their Top 50, and the UK-based Independent drops a Top 40 albums list. Janelle Monae and Kacey Musgraves are getting some serious critic love, it appears...
I am starting to think this must be the year I definitively became old. Not only do I have nothing from the Pitchfork list (or most of the other lists outside a handful of jazz titles), I have almost no connection to anything on it (I think Low are the only band on the list I own an album by) and no real urge to make any connection. I mean, the pop lists are not usually my thing anyway but it all seems really distant this time. (Maybe it's not having @cafreema around to make me listen to some rap every now and then.) I think the Gioia list is the only one posted here so far that overlaps much with what I liked this year. (According to iTunes, I purchased 103 albums with a 2018 release date).
Surprised on the jazz lists not to see Tord Gustavsen or Marcin Wasilewski get any attention.
I've also got very little on any list so far. Mainly I put it down to the fact that I've bought very little from eMusic, especially jazz, given the lack of the main jazz labels there. I also used to buy a few indie albums there too, particularly those with good reviews.
I've actually got two on that list. I bought Kamasi Washington's Heaven and Earth on CD, and downloaded the We Out Here compilation from eMusic - I think it is actually still there. I will probably follow up some more on Spotify!
I contributed three write-ups for Bandcamp's Best Albums of 2018 list. All three were in the top twenty (of the top 100), for Makaya McCraven, Ryan Porter and Alan Braufman/Valley of Search...
A comprehensive list and, if you want, you can look at the top albums for any year back to the beginning of Prog Rock in the '60s!
P.S. Around 30% of last year's list was available on eMusic. A bit different this year I'm afraid with only 4 on the list (see below). However, 7 of the bands listed have other albums on eMusic.
The bands with other albums on eMusic include Frequency Drift, Oceans of Slumber, Spiral Key, The Eternal Chord, Tony Banks, Armonite and Soft Machine.
Comments
Here is an early "best jazz" list to kick things off...
Top 20 Jazz Albums of 2018 (Jazzwise magazine)
Nate Chinen has a year-end summary/podcast...Good set of pretty easy choices: http://www.wbgo.org/post/reflecting-year-jazz-our-own-nate-chinen-author-playing-changes?
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dan-bilawskys-best-releases-of-2018-by-dan-bilawsky.php
Finders Keepers best of 2018 playlist:
Chicago Tribune: Best Jazz Recordings of 2018
Best thing about these lists is when they come up with something I completely missed. Dave Holland and who now...!?
The Bancamp list is always an interesting one.
Fred Kaplan of Slate has also put forth his favorite jazz albums of 2018:
Now that's a list. I've purchased 6 or 9 of these, discovered several other intriguing things at first glance
https://open.spotify.com/user/aquariumdrunkard/playlist/1CWaZAAIjWY0eJcNTD6Adj
The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2018
http://www.progarchives.com/top-prog-albums.asp?ssubgenres=&syears=2018&scountries=&sminratings=0&smaxratings=0&sminavgratings=0&smaxresults=100&x=67&y=8
A comprehensive list and, if you want, you can look at the top albums for any year back to the beginning of Prog Rock in the '60s!
P.S. Around 30% of last year's list was available on eMusic. A bit different this year I'm afraid with only 4 on the list (see below). However, 7 of the bands listed have other albums on eMusic.
"L'Albatros" by Seven Reizh (No. 16)
https://www.emusic.com/album/169098491/Seven-Reizh/LAlbatros?album_ref=Artist Albums
"Lies and Butterflies" by Mystery (No. 28)
https://www.emusic.com/album/168235748/Mystery/Lies-and-Butterflies?album_ref=Artist Albums
"Message from Afar: The Division and Illusion of Time" by Sunchild (No. 52)
https://www.emusic.com/album/165341660/Sunchild/Messages-from-Afar-The-Division-and-Illusion-of-Time?album_ref=Artist Albums
"They are the Shield" by Toby Driver (No. 59)
https://www.emusic.com/album/186140153/Toby-Driver/They-Are-the-Shield?album_ref=Serach
The bands with other albums on eMusic include Frequency Drift, Oceans of Slumber, Spiral Key, The Eternal Chord, Tony Banks, Armonite and Soft Machine.