Acclaimed Music Top 30 Albums from 2008 poll

M I C R O C A S T L E

N O P E

This was an incredible year for albums.

Portishead, Cut Copy, Erykah Badu and Lindstrøm would probably all make my top 50 favourite albums ever. That Santigold album is a bit of a classic too.

Biggest omissions are from Sebastien Tellier, Solange, Wild Beasts, Jazmine Sullivan, Robert Forster, Goldfrapp, School Of Seven Bells, Ne-Yo, Air France and Danity Kane.

Some days I find myself thinking that Glasvegas are the worst group that have ever existed.

the fuck is 'Elbow'

it's a good'un! might even get my precious vote

oh fuck I didn't see New Amerykah

I don't regret my Portishead vote but this isn't as cut and dried as I'd assumed

Thoughts and whathaveyou. . .

1 231 Portishead - Third
Returning like fucking champs! This managed to simultaneously be their darkest and most rewarding album. And, as the years have passed, it puts up a strong argument for being their best. I certainly didn't expect it to be as good as it was, which probably made it all the better. Outstanding.

2 270 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Mind = blown. Seattle beardos somehow conjuring classic west coast Capitol studio B sounds. I was not prepared for this at all. There was an artistic naivete and purity to this and the Sun Giant EP that was just so refreshing and comforting, but at the same time, challenging. Its folk rock base reminded of the past, while incorporating dream pop elements and pointing the way to the musical promised land. Just about as perfectly realized a debut as they come. Amazing.

3 333 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I decided to skip it at the time because of how hyped it was, but I've gone back to it since then and was pleasantly surprised. A brilliantly executed, and somehow genuinely incorporated, afrobeat influence into traditional jangle pop made for a really simple, but unique sound. It's gone on to be probably the group's most immediately likable album.

11 1225 Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
Deplorable, self-obsessed drivel.

13 1279 Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
I don't think this album, outside of the dull title track, was really meant for instant gratification. Some people will denounce this band almost entirely, while for some reason defending this album. There's something to be said for that. Initially, I was disappointed with it as the follow up to X+Y, but I've warmed to it over the years considerably.

14 1283 Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
It felt more like a mixtape than a proper album and, in that respect, it continued in the vein of her spotty post-Mama's Gun output. The songs were underwritten for the most part, making the first five or so listens to this album really fun, but beyond that, it runs out of gas. It has not dated well at all. A disappointment, in the long run.

15 1373 Santogold - Santogold
Overrated and boring.

17 1463 Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
A really hit or miss album. I didn't then, and I still don't now, love it. In fact, outside of the opening masterpiece 'Gobbledigook,' I saw it as a turn into pretty bland territory for them. I've lightened up my stance since then, but it still does come across as more Sigur Rós by numbers than any of their other albums.

Other albums from 2008 that I liked, but were not mentioned here:
Beach House — self-titled
Beck — Modern Guilt
Nicola Conte — Rituals
The Cure — 4:13 Dream
Death Cab for Cutie — Narrow Stairs
The Durutti Column — Sunlight to Blue. . .Blue to Blackness
For Against — Shade Side Sunny Side
The Occasional Keepers — True North
The Paper Hats (William Tyler) — Deseret Canyon
The Sea and Cake — Car Alarm
Stereolab — Chemical Chords
Travis — Ode to J. Smith
Trembling Blue Stars — Exploring the Shadows EP
Thom Yorke — The Eraser Remixes
The Zincs — Black Pompadour

Voted Fleet Foxes.

No Age

Yeah I voted for Nouns too, over Vampire Weekend, because 2008 was sorta No Age's peak. great fucking band when they were around, and I thought their most recent record was fantastic. it's been 3 years though, i wonder where they're at

i have not heard of the Nouns, not even sure what they sound like.

Ain't heard much from this list but I like what I've heard. Probably Erykah, Portishead, & Cut Copy, in that order.

beyond Portishead and Erykah, I'm a big fan of these as well:

3 333 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
4 413 TV on the Radio - Dear Science
7 949 Cut Copy - In Ghost Colors
11 1225 Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
12 1249 M83 - Saturdays = Youth
15 1373 Santogold - Santogold
28 2311 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles [I]

Ohhhhhh Santogold, too, yes. That's definitely the one I still listen to the most.

Songs from every single one of these albums (+ Portishead and Erykah) feature in my most commonly-played playlists and I've recently been on a deep dive into that M83 album, which still sounds to me like the best 80s soundtrack made after the 80s.

I might stick my neck out for Dear Science; really polished, totally solid songwriting throughout and definitely their best.

^^^ also a fantastic album, I'm startled by how great it is whenever I go through it

Yeah, I voted for Dear Science as well. It's a great rock album, melodies, lyrics, and a well defined soundscape.

2008 is the first year where I really went looking beyond the hype, though, and my favorites aren't on this list. The Mae Shi, Parts & Labor, and one of the best records of all time, Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones.

No Age

Really, really weak year.

viva la vida is a great record

like miles better than x&y???

I've got nothing particularly to vote for there. Where are The Midnight Organ Fight, Dragging A Dead Dear Up A Hill and Shallow Grave?

if the whole Fucked Up record was as good as the opening track and Days Of Last (or was it Crooked Head) then I'd vote for it, but this is between Portishead and Erykah as stated

Mind you, my favourite album of this year was by an obscure-ish Brighton indie multi-instrumentalist, made in his girlfriend's basement and heard by maybe 40 people worldwide (Thomas White - I Dream Of Black)

The Portishead album is great, Chemistry of Common Life has "Crooked Head" which is one of the best songs ever. "Son The Father" (the opening track) isn't bad either.

Love that Girl Talk record to pieces, I think it's definitely his peak and, unfortunately, All Day didn't even come close to living up to it. Remember putting on Night Ripper for the first time - mind so blown I had to put it on my new Sony Ericsson mp3-playing phone, ride my bike to a friends house and ramble about it for hours - but as great an experience as that was, it's Feed the Animals I keep coming back too for the fun and musicality - always a party favorite for me, gets me pumped! I've got 3 cd copies cz at one point I started fearing I'd wear them out (partly because I mostly listen to it dead drunk). Also a great crash course in rap and pop history.

So fuck y'all ilx Girl Talk h8rz 8)

At the time I really liked that Cut Copy album, Lady Gaga "The Fame," Wolf Parade "At Mount Zoomer," Blitzen Trapper "Furr" and that Jay Reatard singles comp. But I rarely come back to those now as often as 808s, Carter III, Nouns, and Third.

Even if it breaks your heart

Really, really weak year.

― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, August 18, 2016 2:59 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^ Yup!

even Acclaimed agrees, they only rank 37 albums from the yea.

i could vote for any of the Top 7.

Voting The Seldom Seen Kid because it is brillant little album.

i love that Elbow album as well, it really is their only home run. i know everyone thinks Coldplay but they are so much better.

still not voting for it here.

ha, was trying to think of a way to describe Elbow upthread, all I could come up with was "like Coldplay, only...good?"

which doesn't sound good at all but really guys it's a great record! scouts honor

It's the record where they went from goodish to baddish imo, first three all much better

Viva la Vida > The Seldom Seen Kid.

Easy vote for Portishead.

i still have yet to hear that M83 album, i need to correct that.

i did buy New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) because of the ILM hype machine. i haven't played it in years.

just to be clear, i think it's good just not as great as it was hyped to be.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Cut Copy

Autechre put out Quaristice that year, their most varied album. it still sounds fresh

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Solid top three

Gah! These results are just determined to make me have to vote for Kid A in the decade poll, aren't they?

I forgot to vote in this poll. But you guys got it right. Third is most definitely the best album of the 00 decade. :)

yeah, the Championship round for this decade will be interesting.

but the Bridesmaid poll is always more fun...

damn that's a lot of love for vampire weekend