1- Crawler - Idles*****: This is the first Idles album I've listened to, and I was blown away. I honestly think there was little competition from the other albums in the top five, against this. Only once has a band that was totally new to me, grabbed the top slot before (Parquet Courts-2018).
2- Flying Dream 1 - Elbow****1/2: Elbow first hit my top 20 with "The take off and landing of everything" (2014 - no.13, it gave me my favourite song from that year, "New York Morning"), but missed out the top 20 with "Build a rocket boys" (2011), and "Little Fictions" (2017). They've now succeeded in two back to back runner-up albums (giants of all sizes - 2019). Elbow seems to be a band I am settling into over the years, with their new music (I've no particularly listened to their older stuff much, although I even have 2-3 of the albums on CD)
3- Hushed and Grim - Mastadon****1/2: I clearly remember listening to their 2017 album, Emperor of Sand, and it didn't have enough effect on me to break the top 20. But this album clearly is rich with some great tunes, and clearly one of the best albums of the year.
4- Carnage - Nick Cave/Warren Ellis****: I listened to Mr. Cave rather late ( Ghosteen, No.10, 2019), and have been listening to his rich earlier work. Carnage has the usual Cave effect, although it shifts between his near spoken word baritone, and some melody, with a little brutality in the middle.
5- As the Love Continues - Mogwai****: The closest reason I started listening to Mogwai, is a friend with wide musical tastes from Scotland, recommending them. My first attempt with them, and the largely instrumental album is awesome.
6- Queens of the Summer Hotel - Aimee Mann****:"Mental Illness"(2017, no.10), easily converted me to an Aimee fan, and she delivers another stellar album, so good that it is knocking on the top 5.
7- Uneasy - Vijay Iyer Trio****1/2: Back in 2017,"Far from over" just missed the top 10, but this time around they are clearly in top 10 album. I think it is my listening maturity ( a work in progress, no doubt), which brings them in to the top 10, and possibly the album from 2017 equally warranted a similar position.
8- Fat Pop I - Paul Weller****: The Modfather has been an artiste I've listened to, over a long time, and he's made appearances over the last 7 years in the top 20, and just outside ( Saturn's Patterns No.26- 2015; A kind of revolution No.20-2017; True Meanings No.6-2018; On Sunset No.22-2020), and this year he notches up his second top 10 with a rather accessible collection of songs.
9- Sympathy for Life - Parquet Courts****: Their 2018 album, "wide awake!" was an Indie favourite, and I truly was glad that I listened to it - it was my no.1 album for the year. Four years later, they have a second top 10 in my preferences.
10- Brighten - Jerry Cantrell****: Mr Cantrell can brighten up and sound hopeful, and delivers a solid album. Compare this to his previous albums Bogey depot (1998), and Degradation Trip(2002) (and all Alice in Chains albums), and the difference of the tone, while sticking to his signature is something that needs some contemplation.
11- Fortitude - Gojira****: My first outing with the French rockers, and there's enough variety within their heavy metal signature to make me give them a top 20 slot.
12- Senjutsu - Iron Maiden****: I had not considered The Book of Souls (2015) back then, so this was the first album that I had considered of Ed and co. While this is the closest to we have to classic heavy metal, it has to be given that the sounds of Iron Maiden has evolved somehow from the time of the number of the beast.
13. The nearer the fountain... - Damon Albarn****: The Blur front man missed out on the top 20 with everyday robots back in 2014. Seven years later his effort is a beautiful ambient journey of clearer atmospheres, and the ode to his adopted homeland, works.
14. Imposter - Dave Gahan****: The Depeche Mode front man's record of covers work for me, particularly Cat Power's Metal Heart, Neil Young's a man needs a maid, Bob Dylan's Not Dark Yet, giving him and his Soul Savers a second top 20 album (2015, no.15, Angels and Ghosts)
15. Ocean to ocean - Tori Amos****: A frequent visitor to my charts, and sultry Tori has impressed me from her "Under the Pink days". She had the runner up album in 2011 (night of hunters), but missed the top 20 with Unrepentant Geraldines (2014) and Native Invaders (2017).
16. Dark Matters - The Stranglers****: I suspect that this is an album that most didn't notice, but there's good new wave music that listener's shouldn't missed out on, here.
17. The Future Bites - Steven Wilson****: Another frequent artiste whom I have enjoyed listening over the years, from his "Porcupine Tree" days work, and one of the two artistes who has two number 1's over the years ( 2013:The Raven that refused to sing, no.1; 2015:Hand.Cannot.Erase, no.1; 2016:4 1/2, no.5; 2017:To the bone, no.13), has his fifth top 20 album.
18. Heavy load blues - Gov't Mule****: A steady album by the Mule, but their first top 20 in my charts. I have enjoyed their blues reworking of the dark side of the moon (2013: The dark side of the mule), but I reckon that I learned of it some years after its release.
19. Medicine at midnight - Foo Fighters****: Probably their most pop sounding album in their career. It has enough vibes to earn a top 20 nod, although it mayn't be one of my favourite records of theirs ( i.e. 2011:Wasting Light, no.8; 2014:Sonic Highways, no.6; 2017:Concrete and Gold, no.12). Given that from here till about position 27 or so, we have consistent records but with no marked significance to make them stand out, probably allowed the Foo Fighters this slot.
20. Skellig - David Gray****: An artiste whom I have tried not to miss a single album of, since White Ladder, makes a atmospheric, quiet, meditative effort. The album may have just enough power to hang on to the top 20, against lots of similar standard, but consistent records from position 19 or so, but personally am glad that Mr. Gray is in there, especially since his efforts from 2014 (Mutineers), and 2019 (Gold in a Brass age), failed to break the top 20 after consideration.
21. Downhill from everywhere - Jackson Browne****
22. The Quest - Yes****
23. No Gods No Masters - Garbage****
24. Georgia Blue - Jason Isbell & the 400 unit****
25. Dreams are Waiting - Crowded House****
26. Stand for yourself - Yola****
27. Raise the roof - Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss****
28. Future Past - Duran Duran****
29. For Free - David Crosby****
30. Traveler's Blues - Blues Traveler****
( All these artistes are have been around for sometime, and some have even recorded no.1's - Duran Duran, 2011, and these 10 albums are good listens any day. What they lack is sounding fresh, with the exception of Garbage, and possibly Isbell's tribute to Georgia. I would've liked to have seen Mr. Browne in the top 20, but I don't think I can rank him above the Foo Fighters and David Gray. Crowded House has come up with a good album which brings to mind Neil's Finn's atmospheric stellar solo work. The album by Yes to has largely been ignored, but I do think its a solid record.)
31: When god was great/Mighty Mighty Bosstones;
32: Deltra Kream - The Black Keys;
33: Soberish - Liz Phair
34: Wolves - Candlebox
35: Daddy's home - St. Vincent
36: Gold - Marcella Detroit
37: Chemtrails over the Country Club - Lana Del Rey
38: happier than ever - Billy Eilish
39: Working with God - Melvins
40: Music of the Spheres - Coldplay
41: Exit wounds - Wallflowers
42: We are - Jon Batiste,
form the tail, while Santana, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Lindsay Buckingham, Weezer, and Juliana Hetfield end it with a tally of 47 albums in total.
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