Music General : Rate the Pazz & Jop Best Album and Single winners

Albums:

1971: The Who - Who's Next
1974: Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
1975: Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
1977: The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
1978: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Model
1979: Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks
1980: The Clash - London Calling
1981: The Clash - Sandinista!
1982: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom
1983: Michael Jackson - Thriller
1984: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
1985: Talking Heads - Little Creatures
1986: Paul Simon - Graceland
1987: Prince - Sign o' the Times
1988: Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
1989: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
1990: Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
1992: Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of
1993: Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
1994: Hole - Live Through This
1995: PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
1996: Beck - Odelay
1997: Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind
1998: Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
1999: Moby - Play
2000: Outkast - Stankonia
2001: Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
2002: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003: Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
2004: Kanye West - The College Dropout
2005: Kanye West - Late Registration
2006: Bob Dylan - Modern Times
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2008: TV on the Radio - Dear Science
2009: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2011: Tune-Yards - Whokill
2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2013: Kanye West - Yeezus
2014: D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
2016: David Bowie - Blackstar

Singles:

1979: Ian Dury and the Blockheads - "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick"
1980: Kurtis Blow - "The Breaks"
1981: Laurie Anderson - "O Superman"/The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up"
1982: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - "The Message"
1983: Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"
1984: Prince - "When Doves Cry"
1985: Artists United Against Apartheid - "Sun City"
1986: RunD.M.C. - "Walk This Way"
1987: Prince - "Sign o' the Times"
1988: Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"
1989: Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"
1990: Deee-Lite - "Groove Is in the Heart"
1991: Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
1992: Arrested Development - "Tennessee"
1993: The Breeders - "Cannonball"
1994: Beck - "Loser"
1995: Coolio featuring L.V. - "Gangsta's Paradise"
1996: Quad City DJ's - "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)"
1997: Hanson - "MMMBop"
1998: Fatboy Slim - "The Rockafeller Skank"
1999: TLC - "No Scrubs"
2000: Outkast - "Ms. Jackson"
2001: Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On"
2002: Missy Elliott - "Work It"
2003: Outkast - "Hey Ya!"
2004: Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
2005: Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
2006: Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
2007: Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
2008: M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
2009: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
2010: Cee Lo Green - "Fu*k You"
2011: Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"
2012: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
2013: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams - "Get Lucky"
2014: Future Islands - "Seasons (Waiting on You)"
2015: Drake - "Hotline Bling"
2016: Beyoncé - "Formation"

RIP Roger Ebert
1942-2013

I used to go nuts waiting for the Pazz & Jop issue of the Village Voice to come out every year at the end of January or early February and was never sure if I'd missed it.

Donald Trump is the weak man's vision of a strong man.

Albums:
1971: The Who - Who's Next 7/10
1974: Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark 5/10
1975: Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes 5/10
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life 7/10
1977: The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols 9/10
1978: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Model 8.5/10
1979: Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks N/A
1980: The Clash - London Calling 9/10
1981: The Clash - Sandinista! 8/10
1982: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom 7/10
1983: Michael Jackson - Thriller 6/10
1984: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. 5/10
1985: Talking Heads - Little Creatures 8/10
1986: Paul Simon - Graceland 5/10
1987: Prince - Sign o' the Times 9/10
1988: Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back 9.5/10
1989: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising 8/10
1990: Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory N/A
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind 7.5/10
1992: Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of 3/10
1993: Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville 6/10
1994: Hole - Live Through This 5/10
1995: PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love 6/10
1996: Beck - Odelay 7.5/10
1997: Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind N/A
1998: Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road N/A
1999: Moby - Play N/A
2000: Outkast - Stankonia 7/10
2001: Bob Dylan - Love and Theft N/A
2002: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 7/10
2003: Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 7/10
2004: Kanye West - The College Dropout 3/10
2005: Kanye West - Late Registration 3/10
2006: Bob Dylan - Modern Times N/A
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver 9.5/10
2008: TV on the Radio - Dear Science 6/10
2009: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion 7/10
2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 3/10
2011: Tune-Yards - Whokill N/A
2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange N/A
2013: Kanye West - Yeezus N/A
2014: D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah N/A
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly 8/10
2016: David Bowie - Blackstar 10/10

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2009: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
2010: Cee Lo Green - "Fu*k You"
2011: Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"
2012: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
2013: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams - "Get Lucky"
2014: Future Islands - "Seasons (Waiting on You)"
2015: Drake - "Hotline Bling"
2016: Beyoncé - "Formation"

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"Hello, my name is Pazz and Jop [ugh] and I have lost touch"

("Call Me Maybe" sucks too, of course, but at least it really was a popular phenomenon)

You're suggesting that Formation and Hotline Bling were not popular phenomena?


Tell me more!

Not like "Call Me Maybe" was. They're popular - or widely played, anyway; I'm not convinced that anybody actually likes our stars - but dumbass "Call Me Maybe" paraphrases were everywhere on the internet for the next year.

Hotline Bling memes were everywhere too, albeit because of the video more than the music. And Drake is the most popular rapper around, though I think most Drake fans don't actually like rap.

I can confirm that disliking Beyonce is considered high treason among people age 16-30.


Tell me more!

Okay, maybe "Hotline Bling" was as inescapable as "Call Me Maybe"; anyway, I'll concede that "Call Me Maybe" also proves they've lost the plot before I'll concede that "Hotline Bling" doesn't. And yes, I know, Beyoncé is an Innovative Groundbreaking Feminist Radical Voice now, I still refuse to believe anybody actually likes her.

And now to promptly contradict myself, the thought occurs that at this point I probably mind hearing "Hotline Bling" less than I do "Crazy," "Rolling in the Deep," *beep* You," or "Get Lucky."

I still love Crazy and I enjoyed Fnck You while it was still novel. Those all got absolutely played to death though.


Tell me more!

Got overplayed and continue to get overplayed - I've recently strongly considered fleeing the grocery store with lunch half eaten on two separate occasions when tracks from 21 came on the radio.

Trust me, as someone who was a college student when she dropped that surprise album, the Beyoncé fandom is very real and VERY serious. Hotline Bling was definitely not as inescapable as Call Me Maybe, but Drake's popularity with the general public is unmatched while critics are often not that fond of him, whereas Carly Rae Jepsen seems like a one hit wonder to most people but critics adore her for some reason.

I also think Beyoncé is better than most pop these days, but it's not exactly a genre I have an ear for.


Tell me more!

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but Drake's popularity with the general public is unmatched while critics are often not that fond of him, whereas Carly Rae Jepsen seems like a one hit wonder to most people but critics adore her for some reason.

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Astute observation.

And yes, Beyoncé's tracks are now Better Than Most Pop, but so's a whole lot of music and her voice is still boring,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "Call Me Maybe" was a good choice, especially considering how easy it should've been to make a better choice that year - e.g. "Somebody I Used To Know" - or even the actual correct choice, which was "Mercy."

I'd say of the ones you bolded the only egregious one was Future Islands.


Tell me more!

I think "Empire State of Mind" is the worst choice - at least the choice of Future Islands doesn't look like they heard Jay Z say he's the new Sinatra and thought "yes."

Scale of 1 to 10

Albums:

1971: The Who - Who's Next - 9
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life - 7.5
1977: The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols - 7
1980: The Clash - London Calling - 6.5
1984: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. - 6.5
1987: Prince - Sign o' the Times - 8
1988: Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - 9
1989: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising - 6
1990: Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory - 7
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind - 8
1994: Hole - Live Through This - 7
1995: PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love - 8
2000: Outkast - Stankonia - 9
2002: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - 6.5
2003: Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - 7
2004: Kanye West - The College Dropout - 8
2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - 7
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly - 8.5
2016: David Bowie - Blackstar - 8

Singles:

1980: Kurtis Blow - "The Breaks" - 5
1981: The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up" - 5
1982: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - "The Message" - 8
1983: Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean" - 7
1984: Prince - "When Doves Cry" - 8
1986: RunD.M.C. - "Walk This Way" - 6
1987: Prince - "Sign o' the Times" - 8
1988: Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car" - 5
1989: Public Enemy - "Fight the Power" - 10
1990: Deee-Lite - "Groove Is in the Heart" - 4
1991: Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - 8
1992: Arrested Development - "Tennessee" - 6
1993: The Breeders - "Cannonball" - 7
1994: Beck - "Loser" - 6
1995: Coolio featuring L.V. - "Gangsta's Paradise" - 6
1997: Hanson - "MMMBop" - 2
1998: Fatboy Slim - "The Rockafeller Skank" - 3
1999: TLC - "No Scrubs" - 6
2000: Outkast - "Ms. Jackson" - 9
2001: Missy Elliott - "Get Ur Freak On" - 9
2002: Missy Elliott - "Work It" - 8
2003: Outkast - "Hey Ya!" - 9
2004: Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out" - 7
2005: Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger" - 7
2006: Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy" - 9
2007: Amy Winehouse - "Rehab" - 6
2008: M.I.A. - "Paper Planes" - 7
2009: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind" - 5
2010: Cee Lo Green - "Fu*k You" - 8
2011: Adele - "Rolling in the Deep" - 6
2012: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe" - 3
2013: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams - "Get Lucky" - 6
2015: Drake - "Hotline Bling" - 4
2016: Beyoncé - "Formation" - 6


Tell me more!

1971: The Who - Who's Next- 9/10
1974: Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark- 8/10
1975: Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1976: Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life- 9.Probablyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1977: The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols- 8/10
1978: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Model- 8.Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1980: The Clash - London Calling- 8/10
1981: The Clash - Sandinista!- 7/10
1983: Michael Jackson - Thriller- 8/10
1984: Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1986: Paul Simon - Graceland- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1988: Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back- n/a
1989: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising- 8/10
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind- 8/10
1993: Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville- 8/10
1995: PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1996: Beck - Odelay- 7/10
1997: Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
1999: Moby - Play- 8.Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2000: Outkast - Stankonia- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2001: Bob Dylan - Love and Theft- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2002: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- 8.Probablyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2003: Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below- 7/10
2006: Bob Dylan - Modern Times- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver- 8.Probablyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2009: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion- 9/10
2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy- 4.ProbablyshouldlistentoitagainbutIreallydontwantto/10
2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly- 9/10
2016: David Bowie - Blackstar- Reallyneedtolistentoitagain/10


1981: Laurie Anderson - "O Superman"/The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up" n/a / 9/10
1982: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - "The Message"- 8/10
1983: Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"- 8/10
1984: Prince - "When Doves Cry"- 8/10
1986: RunD.M.C. - "Walk This Way"- 8/10
1990: Deee-Lite - "Groove Is in the Heart"- 9/10
1991: Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"- 8/10
1995: Coolio featuring L.V. - "Gangsta's Paradise"- 8/10
2000: Outkast - "Ms. Jackson"- 8/10
2003: Outkast - "Hey Ya!"- 10/10
2005: Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"- 6/10
2006: Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"- 2/10
2010: Cee Lo Green - "Fu*k You"- 3/10
2011: Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"- 4/10
2012: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"- 4/10
2013: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams - "Get Lucky"- 8/10
2015: Drake - "Hotline Bling"- 4/10

The only armchair movie critic endorsed by Glen Coco!

Re: recent choices, I'm still not sick of "Paper Planes" so I guess that means it's pretty good.