While I was busy falling way, way behind with posting my own year-end wrap-up, the always interesting Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critic's Poll results went live. Before I get into any commentary, as well as my own ballot, here's the top twenty for the two categories:
Albums:
| 1 | Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella | Points: 3250 Mentions: 266 |
| 2 | LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening Virgin/DFA | Points: 1634 Mentions: 152 |
| 3 | Arcade Fire, The Suburbs Merge | Points: 1559 Mentions: 145 |
| 4 | Janelle Monáe, The ArchAndroid Bad Boy/Wondaland Arts Society | Points: 1448 Mentions: 134 |
| 5 | Vampire Weekend, Contra XL | Points: 1295 Mentions: 120 |
| 6 | Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty Def Jam | Points: 1156 Mentions: 120 |
| 7 | Beach House, Teen Dream Sub Pop | Points: 1143 Mentions: 111 |
| 8 | The National, High Violet 4AD | Points: 1036 Mentions: 97 |
| 9 | Sleigh Bells, Treats Mom + Pop/N.E.E.T. | Points: 902 Mentions: 86 |
| 10 | Black Keys, Brothers Nonesuch | Points: 900 Mentions: 89 |
| 11 | Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest 4AD | Points: 878 Mentions: 77 |
| 12 | Titus Andronicus, The Monitor XL | Points: 852 Mentions: 75 |
| 13 | Robyn, Body Talk Cherrytree/Konichiwa | Points: 767 Mentions: 74 |
| 14 | Joanna Newsom, Have One on Me Drag City | Points: 754 Mentions: 65 |
| 15 | Grinderman, Grinderman 2 Anti | Points: 640 Mentions: 62 |
| 16 | Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Before Today 4AD | Points: 587 Mentions: 52 |
| 17 | Superchunk, Majesty Shredding Merge | Points: 563 Mentions: 49 |
| 18 | The Roots, How I Got Over Def Jam | Points: 533 Mentions: 50 |
| 19 | Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma Warp | Points: 500 Mentions: 53 |
| 20 | Jamey Johnson, The Guitar Song Mercury Nashville | Points: 466 Mentions: 48 |
Singles:
| 1 | Cee Lo Green, "Fuck You!" Elektra/Asylum | Mentions: 187 |
| 2 | Janelle Monáe (ft. Big Boi), "Tightrope" ** Bad Boy/Wondaland Arts Society | Mentions: 105 |
| 3 | Robyn, "Dancing on My Own" ** Cherrytree/Konichiwa | Mentions: 81 |
| 4 | Kanye West (ft. Pusha T), "Runaway" Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella | Mentions: 77 |
| 5 | Kanye West (ft. Dwele), "Power" ** Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella | Mentions: 71 |
| 6 | Kanye West (ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver), "Monster" ** Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella | Mentions: 68 |
| 7 | Big Boi (ft. Cutty), "Shutterbugg" Def Jam | Mentions: 59 |
| 8 | Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, "Round and Round" 4AD | Mentions: 48 |
| 9 | The National, "Bloodbuzz Ohio" 4AD | Mentions: 41 |
| 9 | Sleigh Bells, "Rill Rill" * Mom + Pop/N.E.E.T. | Mentions: 41 |
| 10 | Arcade Fire, "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" Merge | Mentions: 37 |
| 10 | Erykah Badu, "Window Seat" Universal Motown | Mentions: 37 |
| 10 | LCD Soundsystem, "I Can Change" Virgin/DFA | Mentions: 37 |
| 11 | Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream" Capitol | Mentions: 36 |
| 12 | Sade, "Soldier of Love" * Epic | Mentions: 35 |
| 13 | Caribou, "Odessa" Merge/City Slang | Mentions: 29 |
| 13 | Lady Gaga (ft. Beyoncé), "Telephone" * Interscope/Cherrytree | Mentions: 29 |
| 14 | Eminem (ft. Rihanna), "Love the Way You Lie" Aftermath/Shady | Mentions: 28 |
| 15 | Rick Ross (ft. Styles P), "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" Def Jam/Maybach Music | Mentions: 27 |
| 16 | Best Coast, "Boyfriend" Mexican Summer/Wichita | Mentions: 26 |
| 16 | Black Keys, "Tighten Up" Nonesuch | Mentions: 26 |
| 17 | Crystal Castles (ft. Robert Smith), "Not in Love" Fiction | Mentions: 24 |
| 17 | Janelle Monáe, "Cold War" Bad Boy/Wondaland Arts Society | Mentions: 24 |
| 18 | Jay Electronica, "Exhibit C" * Decon | Mentions: 23 |
| 18 | Deerhunter, "Helicopter" ** 4AD | Mentions: 23 |
| 19 | LCD Soundsystem, "Drunk Girls" ** Virgin/DFA | Mentions: 22 |
| 20 | Yeasayer, "O.N.E." Secretly Canadian | Mentions: 21 |
| 20 | Katy Perry, "California Gurls" Capitol | Mentions: 21 |
| 20 | Yeasayer, "Ambling Alp" * Secretly Canadian | Mentions: 21 |
(the double astericks in the singles list denotes that the entry includes remixes and alternate versions)
The first thing I have to say is that I'm really happy with the number one single. Not only was that also my choice for single of the year, but there wasn't a more endlessly repeatable track released last year - so much fun. The number one album? I don't get it. I still feel like too many people bought into the early hype and didn't let that Kanye disc sit long enough. There will be some head-scratching over this one in five or six years. Again, that isn't to say its a bad album (it did, after all, place in my in my top 15 of the year), but there just a few too many fatal flaws for it to stand up as the best of the year. Obviously I'd have been happier with the fourth place finisher on top, but I'm thrilled enough as it is to see Ms. Monae place that high. The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem albums between those two are decent enough, but again, just don't feel that essential to me - particularly compared with their earlier work.
In taking a deeper look at the top twenty albums, there is, unsurprisingly, another dearth of indie rock sitting at the top. By my count, there are 9 "indie" bands in the top spots (three more if you stretch your definition of "indie" to include the bare bones classic rock of The Black Keys and the dance-oriented LCD Soundsystem and Sleigh Bells). On the other hand, its pretty cool to see an artist like Jamey Johnson crack the top twenty, considering his traditionalist take on country music. While I'm happy to see the much deserving Agalloch get a pretty strong (for this poll anyway) showing at #44, I'm disheartened to see that only it and Kylesa (#77) represented metal in the top 100. Maybe next year.
Over in the singles top twenty, I'm really pretty pleased with that top ten. I'd boot "Runaway" (by far the weakest of Ye's 2010 singles, and slide that Crystal Castles and Robert Smith track up to take its place though. Loved to see the Janelle and Robyn love, but confounded at the continued love critics pour on Katy Perry - in no way did she deserve two in the top twenty. Most surprising, to me anyway, was seeing absolutely no Taylor Swift in the top twenty. The closest she got was #28 with her bit hit "Mine". I know critics are still loving her (sometimes the love is justified, but maybe not completely), so I wonder why the low placing.
As always, the list is an interesting way to look back on the music of 2010. For all the faults and the cries of "rockism" and "more boring indie", there are still some worthwhile surprises. My favorite was the inclusion of a compilation of early Bob Seger material made by someone over at the I Love Music message board. Hey, if the labels don't want to release that stuff, I'm glad to see it getting out there and getting attention. If you as big of a stats nerd as I am, you will want to immediately click over here for P&J statistical heaven, put together by the great Glenn McDonald.
And, for comparison's sake, here is my ballot. The number in parentheses after the entry indicates the position on the overall poll.
Albums:
1. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid (#4)
2. Deerhunter - Halycon Digest (#11)
3. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit (#44)
4. Nachtmustium - Addicts: Black Meddle Part II (#119 tie)
5. Warpaint - The Fool (#86 tie)
6. Rangda - False Flag (#115 tie)
7. Drums - The Drums (#88)
8. Bottomless Pit - Blood Under the Bridge (#183 tie - I was the only mention for this album)
9. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (#19)
10. Kylesa - Spiral Shadow (#77)
Singles:
1. Cee-Lo Green - "Fuck You!" (#1)
2. Crystal Castles f. Robert Smith - "Not In Love" (#17 tie)
3. Kanye West f. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver - "Monster" (#6)
4. Robyn - "Dancing On My Own" (#3)
5. Janelle Monae f. Big Boi - "Tightrope" (#2)
6. Gorillaz f. Bobby Womack & Mos Def - "Stylo" (#22 tie)
7. Kanye West f. Dwele - "Power" (#5)
8. Deerhunter - "Desire Lines" (#31 tie)
9. Drums - "Me and the Moon" (#38 tie)
10. Surfer Blood - "Swim" (#32 tie)
As you can see, having voted for 5 of the top 6 singles, I'm much more of a centrist when it comes to the singles I vote for. Interesting.
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