THE BEST OF 2015
IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO
It's just one man's opinion, so if you don't agree, no need
to get upset. As usual, these charts are
calculated by rating each song on each album on a 1-10 scale. Simple division
gives each album a score, then it's categorizing them. Covers albums shouldn't be treated the same
as an album full of (mostly) original material.
A cover or two on a record doesn't get it lumped in with a covers
record. Same with live albums - they are
basically live best of collections in most cases, but still worth noting as a
separate category. EPs also are
separate. Not as many songs increases
their odds of a high rating over a full length, so again they get filtered out.
This year, many conundrums exist. The album released this year with the actual
highest score was originally released in 2013 independently, but only available
at the artists shows and to Kickstarter backers. It was never made available on her or other
web sites. I can't really call it my album
of the year when it came in as my second favorite record of 2013. A tip of the hat to Sugar Hill Records for releasing Liz Longley's self tilted 4th album this year, but I just can't
make it number one this year. That
wouldn't be fair. Additionally Stephen
Kellogg's new record isn't widely released until next year, but as a backer to
this record, I've had it for months, so it appears on the chart. The Airborne Toxic Event released a widely
available album this year, but made a digital only companion piece that was
originally only available from their web site (It's now at Amazon and other
retailers digitally). I liked this
release more than the regular album they put out this year and it actually made
my Top 10. The final factor was time. I
just didn't have the time to spend re-listening to a lot of the records on the
list that came out months ago that might have done better on the list after
being given time to grow on me. It is
what it is, so here is this year's best of list:
TOP 3 COVERS
RECORDS
1-CHRISTA
WELLS-COVERS
2-DIANA
KRALL-WALLFLOWER (THE COMPLETE SESSIONS)
3-LUCA
STRICAGNOLI-LUCA STRICAGNOLI
TOP 3 LIVE RECORDS
1-NEEDTOBREATHE-LIVE
FROM THE WOODS
2-AMOS
LEE-LIVE AT RED ROCKS WITH THE COLORADO
SYMPHONY
3-JOSH
RITTER-ACOUSTIC LIVE VOL. 1, SOMERVILLE THEATER, MARCH 2014
TOP 3 EP's (6
SONGS OR LESS)
1-ALISON
ALBRECHT-ALISON ALBRECHT
2-TOAD THE
WET SPROCKET-ARCHITECT OF RUIN
3-A SILENT
FILM-NEW YEAR
TOP 125 ALBUMS
1-SETH
GLIER-IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING
2-ALAN
DOYLE-SO LET'S GO
3-CHRIS
DUPONT-OUTLIER
4-GREG
HOLDEN-CHASE THE SUN
5-KATE
MONAGHAN-POSSIBILITIES
6-ADELE-25
(TARGET EDITION)
7-MUMFORD
& SONS-WILDER MIND (DELUXE EDITION)
8-BRANDI
CARLILE-THE FIREWATCHER'S DAUGHTER
9-JAMES
BAY-CHAOS & THE CALM (DELUXE EDITION)
10-MATT
NATHANSON-SHOW ME YOUR FANGS
10-AIRBORNE
TOXIC EVENT-SONGS OF GOD AND WHISKEY
10-ABIGAIL STAUFFER-WHERE
I'M GOING
13-DAMNWELLS-THE
DAMNWELLS
14-DAVID
RAMIREZ-FABLES
15-FAIRGROUND
SAINTS-FAIRGROUND SAINTS
15-CHRIS
TRAPPER-SYMPHONIES OF DIRT & DUST
17-TYRONE
WELLS-ROLL WITH IT
17-JASON
ISBELL-SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE
19-CHRIS
ISAAK-FIRST COMES THE NIGHT (DELUXE EDITION)
20-AIRBORNE
TOXIC EVENT-DOPE MACHINES
21-DAWES-ALL
YOUR FAVORITE BANDS
21-FLORENCE & THE
MACHINE-HOW BIG, HOW BLUE, HOW BEAUTIFUL ((TARGET DELUXE EDITION)
23-LINDSAY
LOU & THE FLATBELLYS-IONIA
23-DREW
HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS-MEDICINE
23-A GREAT
BIG WORLD-WHEN THE MORNING COMES
26-OF
MONSTERS AND MEN-BENEATH THE SKIN (DELUXE EDITION)
26-DEATH
CAB FOR CUTIE-KINTSUGI
26-FRANK
TURNER-POSITIVE SONGS FOR NEGATIVE PEOPLE (DELUXE EDITION)
26-COLLECTIVE
SOUL-SEE WHAT YOU STARTED BY CONTINUING
30-DELTA
RAE-AFTER IT ALL
30-DECEMBERISTS-WHAT
A TERRIBLE WORLD, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD
32-KID
ROCK-FIRST KISS
32-PRIORY-NEED
TO KNOW
34-SHANE
NICHOLSON-HELL BREAKS LOOSE
35-DAVE
BOUTETTE-1ST RATE COMPANION
35-DANNY
COX-FIGHTING FOR THE BEAUTY
35-ROB THOMAS-THE
GREAT UNKNOWN (TARGET EDITION)
35-TONY LUCCA-THE KICKSTARTER
SESSIONS
39-STEPHEN
KELLOGG-SOUTH, WEST, NORTH, EAST
40-STEVE
MARTIN & EDIE BRICKEL-SO FAMILIAR (BARNES & NOBLE EDITION)
40-IVAN
& ALYOSHA-IT'S ALL JUST PRETEND
40-JD
MCPHERSON-LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
40-NEW
ORDER-MUSIC COMPLETE
40-SHINEDOWN-THREAT
TO SURVIVAL
45-LIFEHOUSE-OUT
OF THE WASTELAND (TARGET EDITION)
45-LONE
BELLOW-THEN CAME THE MORNING (BARNES & NOBLE EDITION)
47-BLUE WATER HIGHWAY BAND-THINGS WE CARRY
48-SQUEEZE-CRADLE
TO THE GRAVE
48-TIM
CHAISSON-LOST IN LIGHT
48-HEATHER
MALONEY-MAKING ME BREAK
48-GENEVIEVE
BELLEMARE-MELANCHOLY FEVER
48-JENNY
& TYLER-OF
THIS I'M SURE
48-DELERIUM-RARITIES
& B-SIDES
48-SARA
BAREILLES-WHAT'S INSIDE-SONGS FROM THE WAITRESS
48-CORRS-WHITE
LIGHT
56-NEWTON FAULKNER-HUMAN
LOVE (DELUXE EDITION)
57-PAULA
COLE-7
57-COLDPLAY-A
HEAD FULL OF DREAMS
57-JON
MCLAUGHLIN-LIKE US
57-STRIKING
MATCHES-NOTHING BUT THE SILENCE
57-CHUCK
BRODSKY-TELL TALE HEART
57-JOY
WILLIAMS-VENUS
63-JOSH
RITTER-SERMON ON THE ROCKS (DELUXE EDITION)
63-NIELDS-XVII
65-MAT
KEARNEY-JUST KIDS (TARGET EDITION)
65-CHVRCHES-EVERY
OPEN EYE (TARGET EXCLUSIVE VERSION)
65-IMAGINE
DRAGONS-SMOKE + MIRRORS (TARGET EDITION)
68-AMATEUR
EYES-AMATEUR EYES
68-KASEY
CHAMBERS-BITTERSWEET
68-SHEPPARD-BOMBS
AWAY
68-LEON
BRIDGES-COMING HOME
68-JR JR-JR
JR
68-HOWIE
DAY-LANTERNS
68-MAVERICKS-MONO
68-SHAWN
MULLINS-MY STUPID HEART
68-SUNSCREEM-SWEET
LIFE
68-PIGPEN THEATRE CO.-WHOLE
SUN
78-BOB
SCHNEIDER-KING KONG
79-SEAL-7
(TARGET EDITION)
79-FALLS-OMAHA (DELUXE EDITION)
79-NATALIE
MACMASTER + DONNELL LEAHY-ONE
79-JOSHUA
RADIN-ONWARD AND SIDEWAYS
83-GUSTER-EVERMOTION
83-HOLLY
MIRANDA-HOLLY MIRANDA
85-SOULSAVERS
& DAVID GAHAN-ANGELS & GHOSTS
85-CHRIS
CORNELL-HIGHER TRUTH (DELUXE EDITION)
87-ENYA-DARK SKY ISLAND (DELUXE
EDITION)
87-JIMMY
LAFAVE-THE NIGHT TRIBE
89-GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS-A
FOREST OF ARMS
89-BALLROOM
THIEVES-A WOLF IN THE DOORWAY
89-NORA
JANE STRUTHERS-WAKE
92-JAMES
MORRISON-HIGHER THAN HERE
92-BARENAKED
LADIES-MIRROR BALL (BEST BUY EDITION)
92-BRANDON FLOWERS-THE
DESIRED EFFECT
95-BORNS-DOPAMINE
(TARGET EDITION)
95-HARRY
CONNICK, JR.-THAT WOULD BE ME (TARGET EDITION)
97-THE
RUA-ESSENCE
97-MARK
KNOPFLER-TRACKER
97-X
AMBASSADORS-VHS (TARGET EDITION)
97-MADONNA-REBEL
HEART (DELUXE EDITION)
101-PEARL AND THE BEARD-BEAST
101-COX
FAMILY-GONE LIKE THE COTTON
101-NATE
RUESS-GRAND ROMANTIC
101-MIKAL
CRONIN-MCIII
101-COLIN
HAY-NEXT YEAR PEOPLE
106-JOE JACKSON-FAST FORWARD
106-DARLINGSIDE-BIRDS
SAY
106-JENN
GRANT-COMPOSTELA
106-PROCLAIMERS-LET'S
HEAR IT FOR THE DOGS
106-INDIGO
GIRLS-ONE LOST DAY
111-KIRSTIN
DIABLE-CREATE YOUR OWN MYTHOLOGY
111-MELODY
GARDOT-CURRENCY OF MAN
111-PENTATONIX-PENTATONIX
(TARGET EXCLUSIVE DELUXE EDITION)
111-JOE
PUG-WINDFALL
115-DAVID
ROTH-SO FAR, SO GOOD
115-CHRIS
STAPLETON-TRAVELER
117-A-HA-CAST
IN STEEL (DELUXE EDITION)
118-DELLA
MAE-DELLA MAE
118-DAR
WILLIAMS-EMERALD
118-JESSE
COOK-ONE WORLD
118-BEN
FOLDS WITH Y MUSIC-SO THERE
122-BEST COAST-CALIFORNIA
NIGHTS
122-ELEPHANT
REVIVAL-SANDS OF NOW
122-CASEY
WESTON-YOUNG HEART
125-JAMES TAYLOR-BEFORE THIS WORLD
(TARGET EXCLUSIVE EDITION)
125-PATTY GRIFFIN-SERVANT OF LOVE
