Top 5 Albums of 2014

This year I was very focused on recording what I listened to so I could accurately know at the end of the year what I’d been listening to. I thought it would help when the time came to compiling my top 5 albums of the year list. But this year I unfortunately didn’t hear a lot of new stuff. Having done the history of rock university course through coursera I ended up with a lot of older stuff downloaded that I wanted to have a listen to and as I set up my playlists to play ‘recently downloaded’ as a priority my ipod went through a lot of that older stuff instead of other new albums.

This year I listened to 15223 songs (not counting some radio and background music when out around the place) but definitely over 15000 of my own music. A number one album was very easy for me to choose this year as it’s something I loved immediately and highly recommend to anyone reading this if you haven’t heard it already.

My most listened to artist in the last year was Duke Ellington, after that are The Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys - a great top five most listened to but not helpful when trying to figure out my top albums of the year. The highest position taken by a more recent artist is Katy Perry in 5th place and her last album is great but it wasn’t really 2014 so it can’t be on my list.

2014 seemed to be the year of Taylor Swift. Looking through all the ‘best of’ lists of the year she seems to be on most, if not all, of them. Critics lists, readers lists, her album 1989 is well loved this last year. I heard it for the first time last week after seeing it on all this list and it’s alright, but it’s not on my list.

The rest of my top ten most listened to consists of Eddie Cochran, Billy Holiday, Belle and Sebastian, The National and The Eels. And then, finally, in 11th place is the band that is my number one album of the year but we’ll get to that shortly.

Compiling my list this year was a lot harder as I have discovered a lot of stuff has come out that I just haven’t had a chance to listen to. I made a list and was going to have a listen to a few things over the last week or two but I haven’t had time, and also I lost the list anyway…

So this year my list is mainly in no particular order as I haven’t had a chance to figure which I love and which I love more so positions 5-2 are in no particular order with a clear number one definitely my favourite. So, the four that make up the bottom part of my list, in no particular order are:

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

Anna played this a lot this year and maybe it just grew on me a lot, or maybe it is actually good. I think it’s probably both of those things. Worth a listen.

Avi Buffalo - At Best Cuckold

A recent discovery. Will be checking out any earlier albums as soon as I get the chance.

The War On Drugs - Lost in a Dream

A band that I hadn’t really listened to before until they were announced as playing at Meredith. And yes, they sound like Dire Straits but is that really a bad thing? Really really nice music.

I’m In Your Mind Fuzz - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

It was hard picking a 5th album for this top 5, but this is the one I came back to. I even considered Taylor Swift while listening to her album again. But this album is great. I don’t even own it yet, but I will. Good rock that is very listenable. Can’t wait to check these guys out live when I get a chance.

Oh man, I'm such an idiot... just went to link videos to this post and I discovered my number one album of the last year was actually released in 2013. But for me there was no other big standout so I'm keeping in my list and at number one. That explains why I didn't see it on any of the other best-of lists I was looking at. Anyway, the album is Muchacho by Phosphorescent - an amazing album that I wish I had discovered sooner.

What was your top album of the year?