I'm a big fan of lists.
I have a list for just about everything; I have a list that keeps me on track at the office. I have per-project lists, and long-term goal lists for my work in the shop. Bonnie gives me her priority lists, and they end up rearranging mine.
I keep running lists of things I hope to accomplish one day, places I want to visit and the things I'm eager to learn. I also have a few listing rituals that I indulge in yearly; The Top Ten Albums List is one of those rituals.
I've been a fan of music for as long as I can remember, but I started making lists of my favorite artists back in high school in the mid-90s. I never had any set frequency or method; they would just randomly appear in my journals from time to time.
I joined the top ten list bandwagon in 2004, with Arcade Fire's Funeral at the top of the list, and I've documented my favorites in every December since.
I'm not a music critic or a musician, so I'm not claiming this list has any authority—it's simply the music I enjoyed throughout the year ranked by how much affinity I have with it.
So here's the 2016 list:
10: Pool – Porches
09: Light Upon the Lake – Whitney
08: A Moon Shaped Pool – Radiohead
07: Oh No – Jessy Lanza
06: My Woman – Angel Olsen
05: Human Performance – Parquet Courts
04: Teens of Denial – Car Seat Headrest
03: Yoncalla – Yumi Zouma
02: 22, A Million – Bon Iver
01: I Had a Dream That You Were Mine – Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used in this post. I may make a small commission if you click and purchase. Thank you for your support!
