Clarke's Favourite Music '18

Well, 2018 was certainly…something, wasn’t it? 

Calling the year interesting is not only an exercise in understatement, but also fails to even hint at the tumult that engulfed most of the year. It was difficult to feel confident about many of the things that we’ve all taken for granted and finding reasons to celebrate could be more than a little tricky at times. 

I’m not particularly interested in delving too much into all this - you read the news, so you know. The main theme can most easily be summed up thusly: Fuck Donald Trump. 

I will only post a few reminders for 2019, in case you need them: setting up camps for children is absolutely abhorrent (help here), the planet is hurtling toward some dire, dire times unless we do something and believe women. 

As is always the case, the arts world reflected the upheaval in society. Which might be why for me, the year in music was good, not great. 

(I have to add a quick disclaimer here – all of this is my opinion. Much of the music and other works that failed to do much for me bowled many others over. I’m aware of this, but can only provide you with my thoughts. The only medium I really think had a great 2018 was television – if you haven’t watched “Pose,” “Killing Eve,” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” among many others, you absolutely should.)

There was a lot of music in 2018 that didn’t quite connect or live up to the aims of its creator – Kanye (whose personal life became nigh unbearable this year) made his first mid album, while musicians like Drake, A$AP Rocky, Eric Church, Jack White, Janelle Monae and many others failed to impress me as much as their previous efforts. Looking over my list of favourite albums, this year has perhaps the most debuts or albums from new artists of any list I've made. This gives me a lot of hope for what’s ahead for listeners. Or, maybe I'm just getting grumpy as I get older.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the musical future because of how much I’ve been revisiting the past. This is my tenth year of doing these lists and its fair to say a lot has changed in the decade since I posted my first one on Livejournal. 

My tastes have certainly evolved over the years, from a list that was pretty straight white guy rocker-heavy to one that better represents the diversity of the modern world. 

Looking at my previous lists, I’m appalled at how often I got things wrong (in raking or by inclusion or exclusion). In an effort to address a few of the most egregious mistakes, and to provide you links if you fancy taking a look at these lists, here are some changes I would make in each year:

·         2008: The Hold Steady, Bon Iver, Helio Sequence and the damn Flight of the Conchords should be in the top 10, for sure. 

·         2009: Some great artists made their big albums in 2009. The releases by Passion Pit, Japandroids and Phoenix should all be closer to the top of the list. 

·         2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy at No. 1 is right and proper, but no “Devil in a New Dress” on the songs list? Shit, man. 

·         2011: This might be the year I cocked up most. Best album should’ve been Watch the Throne, followed by Arctic Monkeys' Suck It And See. Also, look where I put Bon Iver and Take Care. Sheesh. 

·         2012: Lord Huron’s debut full-length should have been ranked higher. 

·         2013: No Blues by Los Campesinos! is an underrated alt-rock gem, and should have been recognized as such.

·         2014: Run the Jewels 2 is a bulletproof classic and absolutely should’ve been the best album of the year. 1989 is also my favorite Taylor Swift album, and I would put that much higher, as well as switching out “Out of the Woods” with “Style.”

·         2015: Eric Church’s “Record Year” and “Round Here Buzz” should have been significantly higher on the best songs list. 

·         2016: The 1975 album should be higher, probably No. 5, followed by Gallant. Then The Hotelier.

·         2017: This list is pretty fresh, so as of now I don’t see a lot I’d change, except for one thing – the song of the year should’ve been Frank Ocean’s “Provider.”  

Making these lists is a different challenge every year, but always illuminating and worthwhile, if for no other reason than it shines a light on where I’ve been over the past 12 months. I hope you’ve found music in these lists that has moved, inspired or helped you in some way. 

Part of me wants this to be my Bilbo Baggins speech at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, where he thanks everyone (even the “less than half” of people he likes “half as well as they deserve”) and then vanishes off into the blue. But that is most likely not this year.

So, instead, here’s to another 10 years and to a 2019 that actually makes some damn sense every now and then.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE - Throughout the page you'll find three Spotify links - one with all the albums and the songs I selected (minus one).

And, in honor of my tenth year of lists, I made a special mixtape featuring the top 10 songs from each year.

Happy listening**

Top 50 Albums

1. Black Panther The Album – Various Artists

2. Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves

3. DAYTONA – Pusha T

4. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975

5. Good Thing – Leon Bridges 

6. LP5000 – Restorations 

7. Some Rap Songs – Earl Sweatshirt

8. Hive Mind – The Internet

9. Harlan and Alondra – Buddy

10. Girl Going Nowhere – Ashley McBryde

11. Jazz Cat – The Deli

12. Forever – Popcaan

13. Swimming – Mac Miller 

14. Spaceman – Octavian

15. Yolk in the Fur – Wild Pink

16. Orpheus Vs. The Sirens – Hermit and The Recluse

17. Come Tomorrow – Dave Matthews Band

18. Sleepwalkers – Brian Fallon

19. Sway – Tove Stryke

20. Lovers Rock – Estelle

21. Lush – Snail Mail

22. boygenius EP – boygenius

23. Camila – Camila Cabello

24. Sweetener – Ariana Grande

25. On the Train Ride Home/On the Corner Where You Live – The Paper Kites

26. Between Two Shores – Glen Hansard

27. Redemption – Jay Rock

28. FM! – Vince Staples

29. Crop Circle – Nines 

30. Letters of Irrelevance – Patrick Paige II

31. Everything Is Recorded by Richard Russell – Everything Is Recorded

32. CARE FOR ME – Saba

33. Hollow Ground – Cut Worms

34. Wanderer – Cat Power 

35. Thank You for Today – Death Cab for Cutie

36. MTV Unplugged (Live In Melbourne) – Gang of Youths

37. 7 – Beach House

38. Us – Empress Of

39. Drip Harder – Lil Baby/Gunna

40. The Bluest Star – Free Cake For Every Creature

41. Future Me Hates Me – The Beths

42. November – SiR

43. Die Lit – Playboi Carti

44. How to Socialise and Make Friends – Camp Cope

45. Ménage à Trois: Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3 – The-Dream

46. Cheyenne – Conner Youngblood 

47. Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino – Arctic Monkeys

48. iridescence – BROCKHAMPTON

49. KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS

50. ye – Kanye West 

Top 100 Songs

1. "Star Treatment" – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino – Arctic Monkeys

(Favourite lyrics of the year/decent year-end recap: “But golden boy's in bad shape/I found out the hard way that/Here ain't no place for dolls like you and me.”)

2. "The Games We Play" – DAYTONA – Pusha T 

3. "King's Dead" – Black Panther The Album – Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake

4. “Love It If We Made It” – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975

5. "Doesn't Matter" – Single – Gallant (Second best love song of 2018)

6. “Sunflower” – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Swae Lee and Post Malone

7. “St.” – LP5000 – Restorations (Year's best album opener)

8. "Golden Hour" – Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (Best love song of 2018)

9. "The Middle" – Single – Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey

10. "Never Be The Same" – Camila – Camila Cabello

11. “Weekend” – Experiment – Kane Brown

12. "You Don't Know" – Good Thing – Leon Bridges 

13. “Grace” – High As Hope – Florence + The Machine

14. "Feels Like Summer" – Single – Childish Gambino

15. "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" – The Continuum Project – Lindsay Ell

16. “Gratitude” – Big Red Machine – Big Red Machine

17. "60 and Punk" – Thank You For Today – Death Cab for Cutie

18. “Almost Morning (Demo)” – Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Deluxe Edition) – The Helio Sequence

19. "Lucky Man" – Between Two Shores – Glen Hansard

20. "Fallingwater" – Single – Maggie Rogers

21. "Musta Been Something" – Free Yourself Up – Lake Street Dive

22. "My My My! " – Bloom – Troye Sivan

23. "Call Out My Name" – My Dear Melancholy, – The Weeknd

24. "Bloody Waters" – Black Panther The Album – Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake

25. "New Light" – Single – John Mayer

26. "Fake Like" – Music for the Long Emergency – POLIÇA and s t a r g a z e

27. "Give Yourself a Try" – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975

28. "The Story of Adidon" – Single – Pusha T 

29. “by any means” feat. Maxo – ensley – Pink Siifu

30. "Burger Hill" – Yolk in the Fur – Wild Pink

31. "Sway" – Sway – Tove Stryke 

32. "The Blue" feat. Snoop Dogg – Harlan and Alondra – Buddy

33. "Touchscreen Navigation" – SR3MM – Rae Sremmurd

34. "Once in My Life" – I'll Be Your Girl – The Decemberists

35. "I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)" – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975

36. “Such a Simple Thing” – Part of the Light – Ray LaMontagne 

37. “If You See Her” – Malibu Nights – LANY

38. “thank u, next” – Single – Ariana Grande

39. “Next Time / Humble Pie” – Hive Mind – The Internet 

40. "All the Stars" – Black Panther The Album – Kendrick Lamar and SZA

(Gospel for 2019, pt. 1: “Oh, you important?/You the moral to the story? You endorsin'?/Mothafucker, I don't even like you.”)

 

41. "Friday Morning" – Con Todo El Mundo – Khruangbin

42. "Trouble on Central” – Harlan and Alondra – Buddy

43. “Night Herding Song” – Songs of the Plains – Colter Wall

44. “Watson" – Sleepwalkers – Brian Fallon

45. "Nice for What" – Scorpion – Drake

46. “My Own Thing” feat. Joey Purp – Single – Chance The Rapper

47. "Ladders" – Swimming – Mac Miller

48. "Heat Wave" – Lush – Snail Mail

49. “Permanent Scar” feat. Young Thug and Quando Rondo – 4Respect 4Freedom 4Loyalty 4WhatImportant – Youngboy Never Broke Again

50. “Wrestlemania 20” feat. Anderson .Paak – Supreme Blientele – Westside Gunn

51. “Trip” – Ella Mai – Ella Mai

52. “Shallow Water” – Indigo – Wild Nothing

53. “something about your love.” – mo’za-ik. – Phony Ppl

54. “NOTHIN LIKE U” – NOTHIN LIKE U / CHANCES-EP – KAYTRANADA and Ty Dolla $ign

55. "'Til It's Over" – Single – Anderson .Paak

56. "2006" – Tracyanne and Danny – Tracyanne and Danny

57. "No Shame" feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR – SUPERFLY – Future

58. "Anywhere" feat. Snoop Dogg and The Last Artful, Dodgr – Oxnard – Anderson .Paak

59. "What Would Meek Do?" feat. Kanye West – DAYTONA – Pusha T

(“Angel on my shoulder, ‘What should we do?’
Devil on the other, ‘What would Meek do?’
Pop a wheelie, tell the judge to Akinyele
Middle fingers out the Ghost, screamin' ‘Makaveli’” 
- I mean, Jesus)

60. “Graffiti” – Love Is Dead – CHVRCHES 

61. "Morning View" feat. SZA – WWW. – Towkio

62. "Honey" – Three/Three – Dabrye

63. "Reborn" – KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
(Gospel for 2019, pt.2: "I want all the rain, I want all the pain/I want all the smoke, I want all the blame.")

64. "Here On Out" – Come Tomorrow – Dave Matthews Band

65. "Move Me" feat. Octavian – Single – Mura Masa

66. "Short Court Style" – The Future and The Past – Natalie Prass

67. “Shattered Dreams” – Some Rap Songs – Earl Sweatshirt

68. “Autumn Town Leaves” – Weed Garden EP – Iron and Wine

69. “Baby I Don’t Mind” – Satin Psicodelic – Sunni Colón

70. “Now or Never Now” – Art of Doubt - Metric

71. "When I'm With Him" – Us – Empress Of

72. "Rainbow" – Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves

73. "In A River" – Single – Rostam

74. "Wow Freestyle" feat. Kendrick Lamar – Redemption – Jay Rock

75. "Hallelujah" – QUARTERTHING – Joey Purp

76. "This Too Shall Last" – Encore – Anderson East

77. "Takes So Much" – Great Thunder – Waxahatchee

78. "Something New" feat. Etta Bond – November – SiR

79. "Toy Soldier" – Single – The Menzingers

80. "Music on My Teeth” feat. Jose Gonzalez – Knock Knock – DJ Koze

81. “One More Night” – Everyday Life, Everyday People – Slightly Stoopid

82. "Time Flies Either Way" – Passwords – Dawes

83. "Party For One" – Single – Carly Rae Jepsen

84. “When The Curtain Falls” – Anthem of the Peaceful Army – Greta Van Fleet 

85. "Lost in Japan" – Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes

86. "When the Night Is Over" – Vide Noir – Lord Huron

87. "High" feat. Elton John – On the RVN EP – Young Thug

88. "R.I.P. SCREW" – ASTROWORLD – Travis Scott

89. “Curse of the I-5 Corridor” – Hell-On – Neko Case

90. “Movie” – Geography – Tom Misch

91. “My Life” feat. Tame Impala – Ringos Desert – ZHU

92. “What’s the Hook” feat. Chance the Rapper – Single – Reeseynem

93. “Summer” feat. AR and Ada – Single – Robert M

94. “Rapped My Way” – Big Bossin, Vol. 2 – Payroll Giovanni and Cardo

95. “Humility” feat. George Benson – The Now Now – Gorillaz 

96. “Comfortable” – The Pains of Growing – Alessia Cara

97. “Let Your Hair Down” – Baby Grand – The Love Language

98. “Anna” – How to Socialise and Make Friends – Camp Cope

99. “Breathless On DVD” – Love in the Time of E-Mail – Antarctigo Vespucci 

100. “Moon River” – Single – Frank Ocean

Missing from playlist:

28. "The Story of Adidon" – Single – Pusha T

EPs

1. boygenius EP - boygenius

2. RIP Indo Hisashi – No Rome

3. My Dear Melancholy, - The Weeknd

4. The Flora String Sessions – Sera Cahoone

5. Great Thunder – Waxahatchee

6. La Maison Noir / The Black House – Petite Noir

7. Façade Records – EP – Domo Genesis

8. Sugar & Spice – Hatchie

9. HOOLIGANS – EP – Vic Mensa

10. On the RVN EP – Young Thug

Reissues

1. More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 – Bob Dylan

2. Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

3. Elektra Asylum Catalog – Tom Waits
4. Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album – John Coltrane

5. Music from Big Pink (50^th Anniversary) – The Band

6. The Beatles (White Album) [Super Deluxe] – The Beatles
7. Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Deluxe Edition) – The Helio Sequence
8. First Collection: 2006-2009 – Fleet Foxes

9. Devotion: Songs About Rivers and Spirits and Children – Hiss Golden Messenger 
10. Sings for Only the Lonely (60^th Anniversary) – Frank Sinatra

Live Albums

1. MTV Unplugged (Live In Melbourne) – Gang of Youths

2. Springsteen on Broadway – Bruce Springsteen

3. Live in Buenos Aires - Coldplay

4. United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas – Wynton Marsalis Septet

5. Live from the Ryman – Jason Isbell

6. The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 – Miles Davis and John Coltrane

7. Live on Red Barn Radio I and II – Tyler Childers

8. Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Vance Joy

9. British Blues Explosion Live – Joe Bonamassa

10. Live at Lafayette's Music Room – Big Star

Music Films

1. Live in London – Flight of the Conchords

2. Springsteen on Broadway

3. A Head full of Dreams

4. The King

5. Quincy

6. Life in 12 Bars

7. Elvis Presley: The Searcher

8. Live at Ronnie Scott’s – Norah Jones

9. Reputation Stadium Tour – Taylor Swift

10. In Concert – Van Morrison

Soundtracks

1. Black Panther The Album – Various Artists

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Various Artists

3. Superfly – Various Artists

4. Creed II – Mike WiLL Made-It

5. Uncle Drew – Various Artists

6. A Star Is Born – Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

7. 13 Reasons Why Season 2 – Various Artists

8. Bumblebee – Various Artists

9. Love, Simon – Various Artists

10. Fifty Shades Freed – Various Artists

Box sets

1. More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 – Bob Dylan

2. Cheek to Cheek: The Complete Duet Recordings – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
3. American Treasure – Tom Petty

4. The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 – Miles Davis and John Coltrane

5. The Beatles (White Album) [Super Deluxe] – The Beatles

6. First Collection: 2006-2009 – Fleet Foxes

7. Devotion: Songs About Rivers and Spirits and Children – Hiss Golden Messenger

8. Electric Ladyland (50^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

9. Before the Dead – Jerry Garcia

10. Standing Room Only – Frank Sinatra

Are you on X Yet? A Decade of Clarke's Music Lists

Missing from playlist:

"0 to 100" – Self-released – Drake (from 2014)
"My Love" – Twilight Saga: Eclipse – SIA (from 2010)
"Control" feat. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica – Unreleased – Big Sean (from 2013)
"Finnerodja" – The World’s Not Bad – Smoosh (from 2010)