Top 20 Studio/Live Albums of the Half-Year:
Though I've generally been pretty good about re-listening to albums before doing rankings like this, I did not do any to assemble this list. Instead, I just went with my gut feeling, which is okay because I don't take the half-year rankings all that seriously anyway. Mostly, I just like to look back at them to see how my opinions changed by the end of the year as well as give you guys a taste of how my year is shaping out. Usually, I put some cap on the number of albums an artist can have on the list but I didn't this year because I couldn't imagine the list without my fourth favorite Clash album and the quality of the albums would have fallen off without my third favorite Lou Reed and Ramones albums. Though it's officially titled "studio/live," there were no live albums that made the list or that were close.
7. Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On (1971)
8. Lou Reed: The Blue Mask (1982)
9. Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
10. Jerry Lee Lewis: She Stills Comes Around (1969)
9. Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
10. Jerry Lee Lewis: She Stills Comes Around (1969)
11. The Clash: Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)
12. The Clash: Sandinista! (1980)
13. George Harrison: All Things Must Pass (1970)
16. Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis (1969)
19. John Mellencamp: Uh-Huh (1983)
20. Talking Heads: Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
Top 10 Compilations of the Half-Year:
All the compilations I've listened to this year are from the very first country music artists. I also gave an A to Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits but I decided it best to not include it on this list.
1. Jimmie Rodgers: Essential Jimmie Rodgers (1997)
2. Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: The Essential Bob Wills 1935-1947 (1992)
3. Hank Snow: The Essential Hank Snow (1997)
4. The Carter Family: RCA Country Legends (2002)
5. Roy Acuff: Columbia Historic Edition (1985)
6. Lefty Frizzell: Look What Thoughts Will Do (1991)
7. Roy Acuff: The Essential Roy Acuff 1936-1949 (1992)
8. Bill Monroe: RCA Country Legends (2002)
9. Gene Autry: Blues Singer (1929-1931): Booger Rooger Saturday (1996)
10. Ernest Tubb: Country Music Hall of Fame Series (1987)
Statistics for the Half-Year:
So far, I've listened to 110 albums. If I continue this trajectory, I'll have listened to about as many albums as last year. However, half way through last year, I already listened to 146 albums so it's hard to say how the rest of the year will shape out. I think all the great albums I've listened to so far has slowed me down--I already have one more A this year than all of 2021.
A+: 4 (3.6%)
A: 12 (10.9%)
A-: 15 (13.6%)
A: 12 (10.9%)
A-: 15 (13.6%)
B+: 16 (14.5%)
B: 16 (14.5%)
B-: 18 (16.3%)
B: 16 (14.5%)
B-: 18 (16.3%)
C+: 10 (9.1%)
C: 10 (9.1%)
C-: 3 (2.7%)
D+: 1 (0.9%)
Relisten (yet to be graded): 5 (4.5%)
Relisten (yet to be graded): 5 (4.5%)
Albums I'm Anticipating in the Second Half of the Year:
Mott the Hoople's Mott (1973)
Wire's Pink Flag (1978)
Brian Eno's Another Green World (1976)
Talking Heads' Remain in Light (1980)
Blondie's Parallel Lines (1978)
The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle (1968)
Elvis Costello's This Year's Model (1978)
Otis Redding’s Otis Blue (1965)
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