These aren’t all great albums, necessarily, although some of them are terrific. They’re the albums that were significant to me and my friends: the ones that scored the year that was.
We don’t believe in assessing a year in music until it’s over. Starting on Wednesday, we’ll listen carefully to two albums every day. These won’t be the only sets we’ll hear to that day, but they’ll be ones that receive special attention. Then, on January 23, we’ll get together (likely not in person, alas), and, for the thirty-first time, we will have our annual discussion about the best albums, the worst albums, the best singles, the most moving songs, the most promising artists, and where we think this thing called pop is headed. The results of our Poll will then be posted to this site.
For the first time in many years, you’re invited to participate. Yes: the public option is back. I’ll be posting the Poll form to this site soon, full of lists and silly categories, and you can fill it out if that seems to you like a fun thing to do. I will also post a Pop Music Abstract, which consists of my irresponsible, off-the-cuff ravings about all of these albums and many others. As always, the Abstract will only be on the Internet for a short time. You must read it before my guilt and shame compel me to pull it down.
Okay, away we go:
Wednesday, December 9
- Lupe Fiasco & Kaelin Ellis – House
- 2nd Grade – Hit To Hit
Thursday, December 10
- 070 Shake – Modus Vivendi
- Ingrid Andress – Lady Like
Friday, December 11
- Taylor Swift – Folklore
- Troye Sivan – In A Dream
Saturday, December 12
- Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2
- Open Mike Eagle – Anime, Trauma And Divorce
Sunday, December 13
- Elizabeth Cook – Aftermath
- Gus Dapperton – Orca
Monday, December 14
- Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
- The Streets – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive
Tuesday, December 15
- Hayley Williams – Petals For Armor
- Angela Aguilar – Baila Esta Cumbia
Wednesday, December 16
- Megan Thee Stallion – Good News
- Morrissey – I Am Not A Dog On A Chain
Thursday, December 17
- Vanessa Carlton – Love Is An Art
- Caroline Rose – Superstar
Friday, December 18
- Nas – King’s Disease
- Sarah Walk – Another Me
Saturday, December 19
- The Proper Ornaments – Mission Bells
- The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers
Sunday, December 20
- Roisin Murphy – Roisin Machine
- Mildlife – Automatic
Monday, December 21
- Poppy – I Disagree
- Peter Oren – The Greener Pasture
Tuesday, December 22
- Soccer Mommy – Color Theory
- Kiwi Jr. – Football Money
Wednesday, December 23
- Silvana Estrada – Lo Sagrado
- Devon Williams – A Tear In The Fabric
Thursday, December 24
- Lana Del Rey – Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass
- Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedication Side B
Friday, December 25
- The Strokes – The New Abnormal
- Skyler Gudasz – Cinema
Saturday, December 26
- Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
- Jenny O. – New Truth
Sunday, December 27
- Drake – Dark Lane Demo Tapes
- Elvis Costello – Hey Clockface
Monday, December 28
- Margaret Glaspy – Devotion
- Elzhi – Seven Times Down Eight Times Up
Tuesday, December 29
- The Weeknd – After Hours
- Car Seat Headrest – Making A Door Less Open
Wednesday, December 30
- Serengeti – Ajai
- Bartees Strange – Live Forever
Thursday, December 31
- Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
- Sotomayor — Origenes
Friday, January 1
- Lawn – Johnny
- Fleet Foxes – Shore
Saturday, January 2
- Norah Jones – Pick Me Up Off The Floor
- Beach Bunny – Honeymoon
Sunday, January 3
- Tyson Motsenbocker – Someday I’ll Make It All Up To You
- Kacy Hill – Is It Selfish If We Talk About Me Again
Monday, January 4
- Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
- Basia Bulat – Are You In Love?
Tuesday, January 5
- Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline
- Maria McKee – La Vita Nuova
Wednesday, January 6
- Haim – Women In Music Pt. 3
- Hazel English – Wake Up!
Thursday, January 7
- Isobel Campbell – There Is No Other…
- Skinshape – Umoja
Friday, January 8
- Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
- Sevdaliza – Shabrang
Saturday, January 9
- Widowspeak – Plum
- The Rentals – Q36
Sunday, January 10
- Sarah Harmer – Are You Gone
- The Reds, Pinks & Purples – You Might Be Happy Someday
Monday, January 11
- Hot Country Knights – The K Is Silent
- Bruce Hornsby – Non-Secure Connection
Tuesday, January 12
- Homeboy Sandman – Don’t Feed The Monster
- Of Montreal – UR FUN
Wednesday, January 13
- Pet Shop Boys – Hotspot
- Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Thursday, January 14
- The Front Bottoms – In Sickness And In Flames
- Frances Quinlan – Likewise
Friday, January 15
- Samia – The Baby
- J Balvin – Colores
Saturday, January 16
- Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto Por Mexico, Vol. 1
- Squirrel Flower – I Was Born Swimming
Sunday, January 17
- Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You
- Run The Jewels – RTJ4
Monday, January 18
- Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony
- Kali Uchis – Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios)
Tuesday, January 19
- Bright Eyes – Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was
- Armand Hammer – Shrines
Wednesday, January 20
- Teyana Taylor – The Album
- Serengeti – The Gentle Fall
Thursday, January 21
- Lady Gaga – Chromatica
- The Buttertones – Jazzhound
Friday, January 22
- Willie The Kid – Capital Gains
- Francisca Valenzuela – La Fortaleza
Saturday, January 23
Poll XXXI