The Best of 2012 in Music: Albums, Songs, Shows, Lists, Discussions, Fun!

[PhilsFan]

With the blessing of Scumbo, we embark on our Best of the Year 2012 Thread on this day. Let's roll, you guys.

[Danny Boy]

Originally Posted by PhilsFan

With the blessing of Scumbo, we embark on our Best of the Year 2012 Thread on this day. Let's roll, you guys.

Are we going to have the same rules as last year, assigning points and stuff, or is this just the preliminary discussion?

[u2popmofo]

I wan't you to assign points to your favorite lesser known music mediums. How many points will SACD get? How many?!!!!!!!

[LemonMelon]

I have a lot of new music to listen to before I can be fully confident in it, but I definitely have a list of 25 awesome albums ready to go. It's been a great year for music.

[cobl04]

Originally Posted by Danny Boy

Are we going to have the same rules as last year, assigning points and stuff, or is this just the preliminary discussion?

I'd say discussion for now. I'm not ready to do a formal list yet. Will hit back later today with the contenders.

[Danny Boy]

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

I wan't you to assign points to your favorite lesser known music mediums. How many points will SACD get? How many?!!!!!!!

A lot. It's super.

[u2popmofo]

Only including 2012 releases, these are my most listened to songs according to Last FM in the order of frequency (there were so many ties that I didn't bother including numbers):

The Shins - Simple Song
Shearwater - Animal Life
Shearwater - Breaking the Yearlings
Why? - Strawberries
Bat For Lashes - Laura
Japandroids - House That Heaven Built
Why? - Sod In The Seed
Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
Purity Ring - Obedear
DIIV - Follow
Tame Impala - Elephant
Grimes - Genesis
Beach House - Myth
Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute
Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms
Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
Pinback - Proceed To Memory
Atoms For Peace - Default
Cursive - The Cat And Mouse
The Shins - It's Only Life
Father John Misty - Only Son of a Ladies Man
The Walkmen - Heaven

[LemonMelon]

I've got to get around to that Pinback album.

[u2popmofo]

I like it a lot more than their last album. There are two or three songs I'm listening to quite regularly at the moment.

[nielsgov]

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

Only including 2012 releases, these are my most listened to songs according to Last FM in the order of frequency (there were so many ties that I didn't bother including numbers):

My first 2012 track on that list is at n°14 I barely listen to separate songs though, only if I really like them so that's why I listen to older songs more often.

[cobl04]

How many plays for the top five? I'd like an idea of how often you played these songs, scumbo.

[u2popmofo]

Probably not super high in the grand scheme of things. Everything was quite close after the first 4.


1. The Shins – Simple Song - 30
2. Shearwater – Animal Life - 26
3. Shearwater – Breaking The Yearlings - 24
4. Why? – Strawberries - 21
5. Bat for Lashes – Laura - 18

[nielsgov]

That's about the same as my top tracks.

I can get behind most of those songs.

[u2popmofo]

I like Animal Life far more than Breaking the Yearlings, but since they come in that order in the album, I can't stop listening after Animal Life. Plus, the guitar at the opening of Breaking the Yearlings is awesome.

There are a lot of 1, 2 combo songs I have to listen to together like that. Sometimes they aren't even placed by each other on albums, I just find myself wanting to hear them together for some reason.

[LemonMelon]

Shearwater will be high on my list. Out of 166 albums and EPs, Animal Joy is #9 right now. I went a while without hearing it, but I listened to it recently before seeing them and remembered how great it is. Great guitars on this album.