Making A List, Checking It Thrice

by Bob Boilen

I never thought of my Top 10 list as an obsession, but I need to rethink that.

For the last bunch of weeks, I've been taking the music I liked this year and blindly listening and rating each song as they randomly play. Then I've been going into a playlist I created in iTunes and pruning, little by little, albums with songs rated with two stars. I figure that any record that has a two-star song can't be a "best of the year." Albums are falling fast, with contenders like Beck, Of Montreal and TV on the Radio falling off my Top 10, while surprises by MGMT, Max Richter and Blitzen Trapper are holding strong.

How do you make your Top 10?

My deskmate and NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich printed his Top 30 and then cut each album title, artist name and record label into strips of paper and laid them on his desk. Every so often, he rearranges their order.

Robin Hilton, who produces All Songs Considered, is a bit more methodical. He's listening to every album on our list of 100 nominees and slowly working his way through each CD, start to finish. If he finds himself wanting to go back to an album, he sets it aside as a finalist.

Do you post your list anywhere? If so, put the link in a comment and share it with the rest of us. And DON'T FORGET TO VOTE for your favorite music of 2008.

We'll post the results here and on the All Songs Considered site. We've extended the voting until the 14th. on Dec. 15 around noon east coast time we will announce the results here on the blog.

Wolf Parade is playing; I gotta go rate it.

I am now officially obsessed.

8:13 AM ET | 11-26-2008 | permalink

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