Top 10s, 25s or Whatever

Posted by Brett Hooton Dec 14, 2006

It’s that time of year. There’s not much snow, but the malls are packed, and of course the internet is a buzz with everyone’s picks for music’s “best-of-the-best.”

To save our readers some of the hassle, Folk101 is sifting through all the detritus and giving you only the choice nuggets. If you are still looking for that perfect gift for the folk music lover in your life, then maybe these lists will provide some ideas.

Here are some of your options.

For the hardcore folkies in your life, you can peruse readers’ suggestions on the famous Folk Alley website. About.com’s folk music writer, Kim Ruehl, gives music seekers a wide range of suggestions. She’s posted her choice for the year’s best 25 albums, the year’s best new folk artists, and finally a great “look ahead” to 2007 and the type of year it will be for folk fans. She also provides a quick glance at this year’s folk-oriented Grammy nominations. You know, if you’re not into that whole underground thing.

For the more distinguishing (or pretentious) music fan, NPR always offers a great overview of the most skillful songwriters of the past year. World Café gave listeners its picks, and then listeners let All Songs Considered know their choices. For those parents out there, they also provided a quick summary of some of the year’s best children’s music. If you are into the whole underground thing, check out this NPR member-station’s picks for the year’s best debuts.

If you’re, say, more like Aristotle than there is Metacritic’s list of the year’s best reviewed albums. This sight surveys all the large music websites, translates their reviews into some kind of math equation, and then gives each record a total score. Of course that assumes that critics actually know anything. Oh wait…

For those who are too cool for school, there is NME’s list and of course Rolling Stone’s mega, blowout review of the year’s best singles. Folk101’s favorite disaffected website, Stereogum, also passes along a list of blogs who have posted their own Top 10s.

Speaking of which, tomorrow we will be posting our own picks of 2006’s most worthy albums. Stay tuned.

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