"Bye, where is Nicki?" , "Ari isn't here but these irrelevants are???!" "NO IGGY? " I can just imagine some of the potential comments by those unfamiliar with these rates. But no, This Was looks at the most acclaimed albums of the year, according to Pazz and Jop. While those,girls did chart at #47, #101 and #391 respectively, the five albums chosen for this rate all charted near the top of the list, and are regarded as the best of female music last year. If all goes to plan, we will determine which of these women really WAS 2014.
I don't have any fancy graphics or anything, so I decided to write cute blurbs for each album, in case you aren't familiar with them already:
1. "Rattlesnake"
2. "Birth in Reverse"
3. "Prince Johnny"
4. "Huey Newton"
5. "Digital Witness"
6. "I Prefer Your Love"
7. "Regret"
8. "Bring Me Your Loves"
9. "Psychopath"
10. "Every Tear Disappears"
11. "Severed Crossed Fingers"
1. "Welcome to New York"
2. "Blank Space"
3. "Style"
4. "Out of the Woods"
5. "All You Had to Do Was Stay"
6. "Shake It Off"
7. "I Wish You Would"
8. "Bad Blood"
9. "Wildest Dreams"
10. "How You Get the Girl"
11. "This Love"
12. "I Know Places"
13. "Clean"
14. "You Are In Love"
15. "Wonderland"
16. "New Romantics"
12. "White Water"
13 "All Right Now"
14. "Only With You"
14 "May As Well"
15. "Endless Road"
1. "Girls"
2. "Platinum"
3. "Little Red Wagon"
4. "Smokin' and Drinkin'" (featuring Little Big Town)
5. "Priscilla"
6. "Automatic"
7. "Bathroom Sink"
8. "Old Sh!t"
9. "All That's Left" (featuring The Time Jumpers)
10. "Gravity Is a Bitch"
11. "Babies Makin' Babies"
12. "Somethin' Bad" (with Carrie Underwood)
13. "Holding on to You"
14. "Two Rings Shy"
15. "Hard Staying Sober"
16. "Another Sunday in the South"
St. Vincent - "St. Vincent"
24th February 2014 | Loma Vista/ Republic| art rock, indie rock
In terms of 'alt-celebs', 2014 was the year of Annie Clark. From being asked to cover Nirvana, to having the most acclaimed female album of the year, even receiving a Grammy nod. Becoming well known for here unusual dance moves, amazing live shows and wild grey hair, you could say she's something of an 'alt-household name'. On the back of 4 albums, each being more acclaimed, and in my opinion, better, than the last, Annie has proved that she really is the best at what she does,
Annie's four albums have gained her a decent sized following on ATRL, has she got this?
FKA twigs - "LP1"
August 6th 2014 | Young Turks | experimental, alt-R&B, ARTPOP
Definitely the outlier of the group, she has managed to garner as much acclaim as the other girls on her first album and the only one not from the US, repping my country, the iconic UK. Riding on a huge wave of hype, with songs from her second EP ending up as highly acclaimed in their own right, it was inevitable that LP1 would receive so much praise. Praised for not only her music, but also for her visuals and her dancing, twigs is a jack of all trades and she's only on her debut!
Two Weeks is the most acclaimed song on this list, clocking in at number two, and it is certainly popular among ATRLers too, has twigs got this?
Taylor Swift - "1989"
October 27th 2014 | Big Machine | Pop
OK, so 2014 really was the year of Taylor Swift. The other girls can't even scratch the surface of 1989's colossal sales and she has received just as much critical praise as commercial success. While her previous four albums were all well received, it was 1989 that really won the critics over, showing that she can do pop just as well, if not better, than she does country. While other pop girls tried to marked their albums as 'personal' 'dark' or even 'art', Taylor beat them all at their own game simply with her 'first documented official pop album', providing thoughtful, well-crafted pop, which is just what we needed in 2014.
It looks like Taylor got this, having by far and away the largest fanbase on ATRL of these girls, but does that mean that she is also the biggest target for sabotage?
----Sorry girls, you're on your own!-----
Angel Olsen - "Burn Your Fire For No Witness"
Febuary 17th 2014| Jagjaguwar | lo-fi, indie rock, alt-country
While the other girls have enlisted the help of the top producers to produce complex backdrops for their albums, Angel may look a little simple, with many of her songs merely made up of Angel strumming her guitar. But her bruised vocals and equally heartbreaking lyrics are enough for you to fall in love with her, take the gorgeous "White Fire", which can keep your interest despite it's seven minute length
Definitely the underdog here, (she didn't even have an album thread!), and lacking the super acclaimed, or super successful singles of the other girls. Can Angel prove us all wrong?
Miranda Lambert - "Platinum"
June 3rd 2014 | RCA Nashville | Country
In terms of local female country stars, 2014 really was the year of Miranda Lambert. With her first #1 album and a successful single in 'Somethin' Bad', as well as all the acclaim the album is receiving. The album takes it's name not only from Miranda's hair colour but also because she's sold a lot of albums (even if this one ain't gone plat yet). Miranda is nothing if not consistent, with her last albums receiving between 83 and 86 on metacritic. Miranda isn't exactly reinventing the wheel here, but many critics are calling this 'the best record of her 'already strong' career'.
With the album covering a variety of topics from teenage pregnancy, to growing old, to her love for 'old ****', there's gotta be something here for everyone right?
1. You can score from 0: it shouldn't have been recorded, to 10: pop perfection. While
decimals are allowed. I don't wanna see stuff like 7.87, it's extra.
2. You don't have to send the albums all at once, you can send me the album(s) you are
familiar with first, then the others later.
3. No trolling. Some members, they know who they are, have a habit of always being the
lowest scorers for songs. If I see too many 0's in your rate, I might not count them. If you wanna
sabotage, make it slick so I 'won't notice'.
4. Have Fun
5. Have taste
PM Friendly list
1. "Rattlesnake"
2. "Birth in Reverse"
3. "Prince Johnny"
4. "Huey Newton"
5. "Digital Witness"
6. "I Prefer Your Love"
7. "Regret"
8. "Bring Me Your Loves"
9. "Psychopath"
10. "Every Tear Disappears"
11. "Severed Crossed Fingers"
12. "Bad Believer"
13. "Pieta"
14. "Sparrow"
15. "Del Rio"
1. "Welcome to New York"
2. "Blank Space"
3. "Style"
4. "Out of the Woods"
5. "All You Had to Do Was Stay"
6. "Shake It Off"
7. "I Wish You Would"
8. "Bad Blood"
9. "Wildest Dreams"
10. "How You Get the Girl"
11. "This Love"
12. "I Know Places"
13. "Clean"
14. "You Are In Love"
15. "Wonderland"
16. "New Romantics"
1. "Un****theworld"
2. "Forgiven/Forgotten"
3. "Hi-Five"
4. "White Fire"
5. "High & Wild"
6. "Lights Out"
7. "Stars"
8. "Iota"
9. "Dance Slow Decades"
10. "Enemy"
11. "Windows"
12. "White Water"
13 "All Right Now"
14. "Only With You"
14 "May As Well"
15. "Endless Road"
1. "Girls"
2. "Platinum"
3. "Little Red Wagon"
4. "Smokin' and Drinkin'" (featuring Little Big Town)
5. "Priscilla"
6. "Automatic"
7. "Bathroom Sink"
8. "Old Sh!t"
9. "All That's Left" (featuring The Time Jumpers)
10. "Gravity Is a Bitch"
11. "Babies Makin' Babies"
12. "Somethin' Bad" (duet with Carrie Underwood)
13. "Holding on to You"
14. "Two Rings Shy"
15. "Hard Staying Sober"
16. "Another Sunday in the South
73. Angel Olsen - "Enemy" 72. Angel Olsen - "May as Well" 71. Angel Olsen - "White Fire" 70. Angel Olsen - "Only With You" 69. Angel Olsen - "Iota" 68. Angel Olsen - "Dance Slow Decades" 67. Miranda Lambert - "All That's Left" 66. Taylor Swift -"Welcome to New York" 65. Taylor Swift - "How You Get the Girl" 64. Angel Olsen - "Endless Road" 63. Angel Olsen - "All Right Now" 62. Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood - "Somethin' Bad" 61. Angel Olsen - "Un****theworld"
60. Taylor Swift - "This Love" 59. Angel Olsen - "White Water" 58. Miranda Lambert "Old Sh!t" 57. Angel Olsen - "High & Wild" 56. FKA twigs - "Preface" 55. Miranda Lambert - "Hard Staying Sober" 54. Miranda Lambert - "Another Sunday in the South" 53. Angel Olsen - "Lights Out" 52. Taylor Swift - "I Know Places" 51. St. Vincent - "Pieta"
50. St. Vincent - "Sparrow" 49. Miranda Lambert - "Priscilla" 48. Taylor Swift - "Bad Blood" 47. Miranda Lambert - "Holding on to You" 46. Taylor Swift - "Shake it Off" 45. Miranda Lambert "Automatic" 44. Angel Olsen - "Stars" 43. Angel Olsen - "Windows" 42. Miranda Lambert - "Babies Makin' Babies" 41. FKA twigs - "Closer"
40. St. Vincent - "Del Rio" 39. Angel Olsen - "Forgiven/Forgotten" 38. Taylor Swift - "Wonderland" 37. Taylor Swift - "I Wish You Would" 36. FKA twigs - "Hours" 35. Taylor Swift - "You Are in Love" 34. St. Vincent - "Bring Me Your Loves"* 33. Angel Olsen - "Hi-Five"* 32. Miranda Lambert - "Two Rings Shy" 31. St. Vincent - "I Prefer Your Love"
30. Miranda Lambert - "Little Red Wagon" 29. Miranda Lambert - "Smokin' and Drinkin'" 28. FKA twigs - "Numbers" 27. FKA twigs - "Video Girl" 26. St. Vincent - "Every Tear Disappears" 25. Miranda Lambert "Bathroom Sink" 24. St. Vincent - "Bad Believer" 23. Miranda Lambert - "Girls" 22. St. Vincent - "Regret" 21. Miranda Lambert "Gravity is a Bitch"
20. St. Vincent - "Psychopath" 19. St. Vincent - "Huey Newton" 18. Taylor Swift - "Out of the Woods" 17. FKA twigs - "Kicks" 16. FKA twigs - "Give Up" 15. Taylor Swift - "All You Had to do Was Stay" 14. St. Vincent - "Prince Johnny" 13. St. Vincent - "Birth in Reverse" 12. FKA twigs - "Pendulum" 11. St. Vincent - "Severed Crossed Fingers"
10. St. Vincent - "Rattlesnake" 9. Taylor Swift - "Clean" 8. Taylor Swift - "Blank Space" 7. Taylor Swift - "New Romantics"* 6. Miranda Lambert - "Platinum"* 5. Taylor Swift - "Style" 4. Taylor Swift - "Wildest Dreams" 3. FKA twigs - "Lights On" 2. St. Vincent - "Digital Witness" 1. FKA twigs - "Two Weeks"
I thought these rates only included the top 3 or 4 acclaimed albums or s/t
I think year-ends are pretty heavily weighted too (Pazz & Jop) cause I always wondered the same thing of albums in these that I thought weren't critically acclaimed.
I'm doing this! It'll make me finally listen to a Tswift album in full (no judgment pls) and Miranda. I've actually not heard of Angel so that'll be interesting. St. Vincent rocks and we'll see if I still don't like FKA on this third/fourth listen through.
1. Two Weeks
2. Pendulum
3. Prince Johnny
4. Huey Newton
5. Out of the Woods
6. Platinum
7. Lights On
8. Rattlesnake
9. Blank Space
10. Smokin & Drinkin
" I can just imagine some of the potential comments by those unfamiliar with these rates. But no, This Was looks at the most acclaimed albums of the year, according to Pazz and Jop. While those,girls did chart at #47, #101 and #391 respectively, the five albums chosen for this rate all charted near the top of the list, and are regarded as the best of female music last year. If all goes to plan, we will determine which of these women really WAS 2014.
PM Friendly list
I didn't really think much of Platinum on my first listen. Sharon Van Etten would've been a better choice, but hey America loves country.
