Our Writers' Top 50 Best Albums Of 2008

It's that time of year again, when everybody starts making lists of everything.

Our first list for the closing out of the year, voted on by musicOMH's writers from a longlist of 110 albums, is

musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2008.

Every day this week we'll be publishing 10 albums that made the list. Today (Monday) is the turn of numbers 50-41.

Have we included something you would rather was never released? Have we missed your favourite?  Can you guess who's made it to Number 1?  Tell us here.

I'm quite happy to say I find some of the inclusions - and exclusions - bizarre.  Hence the picture here.  It's the nature of such lists that they can't be all inclusive of everyone's tastes.  We'll publish the longlist at the end of the week along with the Number 1.

Comments

[Nic Oliver]

Dang, I completely forgot about Lindsey Buckingham and Robert Forster, great albums both. Such is the problem with listening to too much music ...

[Michael Hubbard]

There were quite a few I didn't forget; it's just that nobody voted for them so they didn't make it. Miffsome.

[Rob Watson]

I see Ladyhawke got up the charts. Tim Lee, J'accuse.

[David Kerr]

Martha Wainwright got into the top 30, great record and thought it may have deserved higher placing. I think Fleet Foxes will be up there somewhere, in the top 10. I have enjoyed, Brightblack Morning Light, Last Shadow Puppets, Liam Finn, Deerhunter, Portishead, Spiritualized, Tricky and MGMT this year. Glasvegas will be up there near the top I would presume.

[Michael]

Yeah, some of it you can guess, can't you.

Looks like quite a few of your picks are in there, though not The Last Shadow Puppets. Dunno why but our writers didn't seem to go for it. Maybe when they want a Scott Walker record they prefer to put one from the man himself on?

[David Kerr]

I am really surprised at the number 1. Elbow's record is really very average in a great year for independent and alternative releases. They are not big here in Australia yet, so were not really on my radar. I have had a listen to the album, which was a task in itself. It's just not the sort of record I would ever put on to listen to. ie; the dullest time you could think of.
They remind me of an Australian band, Something for Kate.. maybe you UK people should have a listen to their records if you are into the Elbow sound.

My top 15 for the year:

1. Fleet Foxes
2. Martha Wainwright
3. MGMT
4. Last Shadow Puppets
5. Glasvegas
6. Cutcopy
7. REM
8. Deerhunter
9. Spiritualized
10. Tricky
11. Portishead
12. Brightback Morning Light
13. Liam Finn
14. Kings of Leon
15. Alpinisms

Moby just misses out, but was a great record also.

[Graeme]

I live in Australia and quite like Elbow, although I don't think "Seldom Seen Kid" is their best album, and won't quite make it in my top 10 of the year, which might go something like:

1. Fleet Foxes
2. Vampire Weekend
3. The Kills
4. Frightened Rabbit
5. Los Campesinos ("Hold On Now, Youngster")
6. Wolf Parade
7. Glasvegas
8. Okkervil River
9. Love Is All
10. Foals

[michelehubbardo]

Elbow were only picked by one of our writers as the best album of the year, but most of 'em placed it somewhere in their list, so it accumulated points like a drunk at the wheel.

And in no way did Kings Of Leon deserve to be in that list. At all. Let alone in the Top 20. No Rokia Traoré, Toumani Diabaté, Kelli Ali, Camille... the list goes on. Ah well.

[hagan]

How wasn't Modern Guilt by Beck on your list? I think it was one of the top 5 albums this year

[michelehubbardo]

Beck's album (like Kings Of Leon's, it must be noted) was slapped with 2.5 stars only, here:

http://www.musicomh.com/albums/beck-4_0708.htm