THE BEST OF 2019
IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOHN BOMMARITO
Well it's that time of year again. A look back at my favorite albums of the
year. Of course I can't listen to everything I want to listen to. I do it the
old fashioned way, actual CDs. Since I
don't get everything for free and don't earn enough to buy everything I want a
few albums I wanted to hear (for example, the new Of Monsters and Men album,
Matt Maeson's debut, The Cranberries final album, etc.) just aren't on
here. I'll get them eventually, but this
represents albums I did get to hear and it's a pretty long list.
As usual, I break them into separate categories because a
covers album is usually full of familiar songs as is a Christmas album. EP's
are short and actually have a numerical advantage over longer albums because of
the way the chart is determined.
If you are new to my list, here's how it goes. I rate each
song on each album on a 10 point scale. Then I do the math. So if an album has
11 songs, it has 110 possible points.
Perhaps it gets 66 points. It's
final score would be 6.0. It's usually a
pretty good way to determine what the best albums are. However, I've discovered
a flaw in the system. If an album has
two songs that are just awesome, 10 on a 10 scale and then 8 songs that are
mediocre, say a 5 out of 10, that would give it a score that makes it appear as
the full album is better than it is.
Until I come up with a better system, this is how it will be. And of
course, sometimes there is a tie with albums having the same score.
Anyway, here it is, my personal take on the best music
released in 2019 (that I got a chance to or actually wanted to hear anyway):
TOP COVERS ALBUMS OF 2019
17-VARIOUS-IF
YOU'RE GOING TO THE CITY-A TRIBUTE
TO MOSE ALLISON
16-MAVERICKS-PLAY
THE HITS
15-VARIOUS-IMAGINE
JOHN LENNON-75TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT
14-CHATHAM
COUNTY LINE-SHARING THE COVERS
13-CHRISSIE
HYNDE-VALVE BONE WOE
12-VARIOUS-JONI
75- A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION (BARNES & NOBLE EDITION)
11-JEFF
GOLDBLUM & THE MILDRED SNITZER ORCHESTRA-I SHOULDN'T BE TELLING YOU THIS
10-RAINBOW
GIRLS-GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
9-SOUNDTRACK-YESTERDAY
(TARGET EDITION)
8-VARIOUS-COME
ON UP TO THE HOUSE - WOMEN SING WAITS
7-HARRY
CONNICK, JR.-TRUE LOVE: A
CELEBRATION OF COLE PORTER
6-TOMMY
EMMANUEL & JOHN KNOWLES-HEART SONGS
5-TOBY
LIGHTMAN-WHEN THE LION SLEEPS
3-ANNA
NALICK-THE BLACKEST CROW
3-MATT NATHANSON-POSTCARDS (FROM CHICAGO)
2-GREG
LASWELL-COVERS 2
1-JONATHAN
COULTON-SOME GUYS
TOP CHRISTMAS ALBUMS OF 2019
6-CELTIC
WOMAN-THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
5-JOSH
ROUSE-THE HOLIDAY SOUNDS OF (BONUS TRACK
EDITION)
4-VARIOUS-A
ROCK BY THE SEA CHRISTMAS VOL
10
3-KEB'
MO'-MOONLIGHT, MISTLETOE AND YOU
2-PENTATONIX-THE
BEST OF PENTATONIX CHRISTMAS
1-MARY FAHL-WINTER SONGS AND
CAROLS
TOP LIVE ALBUMS OF 2019
8-DAVID
BYRNE-AMERICAN UTOPIA ON BROADWAY
8-PAUL
WELLER-OTHER ASPECTS
7-U2-LIVE
SONGS OF INNOCENCE + EXPERIENCE
6-ACCIDENTALS-LIVE
4-DAVE MATTHEWS BAND-RHINO'S CHOICE
4-MARC COHN
& THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA-WORK
TO DO
3-NEEDTOBREATHE-INSIDERS
LP VOL VI
2-JOSH
GROBAN-BRIDGES LIVE
1-JOSHUA
DAVIS-LIVE AT THE ROBIN
NEW CATEGORY! TOP REDO ALBUMS OF 2019
This year
there were enough artists re-releasing some of their music either redone
acoustically or just re-interpreted.
Hence "REDO" albums.
6-ELENOWEN-VERSIONS
5-SHAWN
COLVIN-STEADY ON (30TH ANNIVERSARY ACOUSTIC EDITION)
4-WILLY
PORTER-MNEMONIC
3-DONOVAN
WOODS-THE OTHER WAY
2-SNOW PATROL-REWORKED
1-STING-MY
SONGS (FNAC SPECIAL EDITION)
TOP EP's OF 2019
10-NORAH
JONES-BEGIN AGAIN
8-DARLINGSIDE-LOOK UP & FLY
AWAY
8-ELIZA
THORPE-QUEEN OF THE SEA
6-AL
BETTIS-THE LISTENNING SESSIONS
6-JONATHA
BROOKE-IMPOSTER
5-FRANCES
LUKE ACCORD-SILVER & GOLD
3-MICHIGANDER-WHERE
DO WE GO FROM HERE
3-TIMBRE OF
CEDAR-SUNNY SIDE STATE OF MIND
2-ESCAPING
PAVEMENT-ROAD WARRIOR
1-LILLY
MACPHEE-HEARTSTRINGS
TOP ALBUMS OF 2019
114-DIXON'S VIOLIN-JADE DRAGON
114-TYCHO-WEATHER
113-PETE
MULLER-DISSOLVE
111-ANNIE AND ROD CAPPS-WHEN THEY FALL
111-THIRD EYE BLIND-SCREAMER
110-MOXIE
STRINGS-BREATHE
109-LEIF VOLLEBEKK-NEW WAYS
108-SLEEPING
AT LAST-ENNEAGRAM
107-CALEXICO
& IRON AND WINE-YEARS TO BURN
106-BRAD PHILLIPS-RIDELLA'S CAVE-THE LIBERTY STREET SESSION
104-JOSIENNECLARK-IN
ALL WEATHER
104-BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN-WESTERN STARS
103-SISTER
HAZEL-ELEMENTS
102-LUNASA-CAS
99-BECK-HYPERSPACE
99-HEATHER
& JED WILSON MASSE-HOLD ON
99-ORDINARY
ELEPHANT-HONEST
98-NATIONAL-I
AM EASY TO FIND
97-PASSENGER-SOMETIMES
IT'S SOMETHING, SOMETIMES IT'S NOTHING AT ALL
96-MANDOLIN
ORANGE-TIDES OF A TEARDROP (TARGET EDITION)
94-PATTY GRIFFIN-PATTY GRIFFIN
94-VIOLENT
FEMMES-HOTEL LAST RESORT
92-COREY
HART-DREAMING TIME AGAIN (BONUS TRACKS)
92-ILLITERATE
LIGHT-ILLITERATE LIGHT
88-ED
SHEERAN-NO. 6 COLLABORATIONS PROJECT
88-CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN-THE BALANCE
88-WILLIE
NELSON-RIDE ME BACK HOME
88-GEORGE
WINSTON-RESTLESS WIND
86-SHOVELS
& ROPE-BY BLOOD
86-WILLIAM TYLER-GOES WEST
85-DIDO-STILL
ON MY MIND (JAPANESE EDITION)
83-HEATHER
MALONEY-SOIL IN THE SKY
83-PETE
YORN-CARETAKERS
79-VAN
MORRISON-THREE CHORDS AND THE
TRUTH
79-DAVID
GRAY-GOLD IN A BRASS AGE
79-REBECCA
LOEBE-GIVE UP YOUR GHOSTS
79-NEW PORNOGRAPHERS-IN THE MORSE CODE OF BRAKE LIGHTS
77-MELISSA
ETHERIDGE-THE MEDICINE SHOW
(TARGET EDITION)
77-HOOTIE
& THE BLOWFISH-IMPERFECT
CIRCLE
74-COLLECTIVE
SOUL-BLOOD
74-LINDSEY
STIRLING-ARREMIS (TARGET EDITION)
74-JAKE
TROTH-IT IS AS IF
73-SWTICHFOOT-NATIVE
TONGUE (WALMART EDITION)
71-HIGHWOMEN-THE
HIGHWOMEN
71-EMILY
KING-SCENERY
70-ANNE
HEATON-TO THE LIGHT
69-TREVOR
OHLSEN-TREVOR OHLSEN
67-PAULA
COLE-REVOLUTION
67-WILCO-ODE
TO JOY
65-MATT ANDERSEN-HALFWAY HOME BY MORNING
65-PETER
MULVEY-THERE IS ANOTHER WORLD
64-JUDAH
& THE LION-PEP TALK
(TARGET EDITION)
55-ERICK
BAKER-MORNING LIGHT
55-COLDPLAY-EVERYDAY
LIFE (CLEAN)
55-MIKE EDEL-THRESHOLDS
55-JOE JACKSON-FOOL
(JAPANESE EDITION)
55-RACHEL
MAZER-HOW DO WE GET BY
55-MICHAEL
MCDERMOTT-ORPHANS
55-JAMES MORRISON-YOU'RE
STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW
55-O.A.R.-THE
MIGHTY O.A.R.
55-STRAY CATS-40 (DELUXE EDITION)
54-GOO GOO
DOLLS-MIRACLE PILL
53-JAMIE
CULLUM-TALLER (JAPANESE BONUS TRACKS)
52-RODRIGO
Y GABRIELA-METTAVOLUTION
51-JOHNNYSWIM-MOONLIGHT
50-SHERYL
CROW-THREADS
45-GUSTER-LOOK ALIVE
45-DAVE HAUSE-KICK
45-DREW
HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS-DRAGONS
45-JOSH
RITTER-FEVER BREAKS
45-SUSAN
WERNER-NOLA - SUSAN WERNER GOES TO NEW ORLEANS
44-VAMPIRE
WEEKEND-FATHER OF THE BRIDE
42-BRYAN ADAMS-SHINE A LIGHT (JAPANESE EDITION)
42-AVETT
BROTHERS-CLOSER THAN TOGETHER
41-BRAD PHILLIPS-BREAKING FREE
40-FOY
VANCE-TO MEMPHIS
37-SYD
BURNHAM BAND-TIMELINE
37-HOWARD
JONES-TRANSFORM (DELUXE)
37-SYML-SYML
34-JAMES
BLUNT-ONCE UPON A MIND
34-OVER THE
RHINE-LOVE & REVELATION
34-AMY
SPEACE-ME AND THE GHOST OF
CHARLEMAGNE
31-BASTILLE-DOOM
DAYS (TARGET EDITION)
31-NOAH
GUNDERSEN-LOVER
31-LUMINEERS-III
30-JOHN
PAUL WHITE-THE HURTING KIND
29-J.S.
ONDARA-TALES OF AMERICA
25-JADE BIRD-JADE
BIRD
25-CERNY
BROTHERS-LOOKING FOR THE GOOD
LAND
25-ELLIS
PAUL-THE STORYTELLER'S SUITCASE
25-ROB
THOMAS-CHIP TOOTH SMILE
22-JOSEPH-GOOD
LUCK, KID
22-DERMOT
KENNEDY-WITHOUT FEAR
22-INGRID
MICHAELSON-STRANGER SONGS (BARNES & NOBLE EXCLUSIVE)
21-TONY LUCCA-AIN'T NO STORM
20-ROUGH AND TUMBLE-HOWLING BACK AT THE WOUNDED DOG
19-HEAD AND THE HEART-LIVING MIRAGE
13-MICHAEL
FRANT & SPEARHEAD-STAY HUMAN VOL
II
13-GRIFFIN HOUSE-RISING STAR
13-KEANE-CAUSE
AND EFFECT (DELUXE EDITION)
13-GRACE
POTTER-DAYLIGHT
13-PRINCE-ORIGINALS
(TARGET EXCLUSIVE)
12-EMERSON
HART-32 THOUSAND DAYS
12-HOZIER-WASTELAND,
BABY!
11-BAILEN-THRILLED
TO BE HERE
9-MAY ERLEWINE-SECOND SIGHT
9-WILDER
WOODS-WILDER WOODS
8-STRUMBELLAS-RATTLESNAKE
7-JOY
WILLIAMS-FRONT PORCH
6-X
AMBASSADORS-ORION (TARGET EDITION)
4-JARED DECK-BULLY PULPIT
4-ALICE
MERTON-MINT
3-MAGGIE ROGERS-HEARD IT IN A PAST LIFE
2-SARA
BAREILLES-AMIDST THE CHAOS
1-NOAH
KAHAN-BUSYHEAD
Standout songs from albums not in the top 20
Vampire Weekend-"Harmony Hall"
Noah Gundersen-"Lose You"
