Anyone sick of lists yet? Me neither. Today sees AU Magazine release their Irish albums of the decade list in which they asked for the public’s help and the results are out in the new mag now.
Take a look at the top 50 after the jump where a very recent 2009 album takes the top spot. As you’d expect from a Belfast-based mag, the list is fairly Northern-centric but most of the albums deserve to be there. I’d imagine this is the last time you’ll see some Snow Patrol related post on this here blog 🙂
After the top 50 you can see my own personal top 20 Irish albums of the decade list.
AU Top 50 Irish albums of the Decade
- And So I Watch You From Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar (2009)
- Jape – Ritual (2008)
- David Holmes – The Holy Pictures (2008)
- Oppenheimer – Oppenheimer (2006)
- Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes and the Mystery Of The Golden Medallion (2009)
- Damien Rice – O (2002)
- The Frames – For The Birds (2001)
- Fighting With Wire – Man Vs. Monster (2008)
- Snow Patrol – Final Straw (2003)
- Jane Bradfords – Jane Bradfords (2008)
- Adebisi Shank – This Is The Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank (2008)
- The Immediate – In Towers and Clouds (2006)
- Ash – Free All Angels (2001)
- Snow Patrol – When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up (2001)
- David Holmes – Bow Down To The Exit Sign (2000)
- BATS – Red In Tooth & Claw (2009)
- Duke Special – Songs From The Deep Forest (2006)
- Mumblin’ Deaf Ro – The Herring And The Brine (2007)
- Simple Kid – 1 (2003)
- David Kitt – The Big Romance (2001)
- Clone Quartet – Well-Oiled Machine (2007)
- The Redneck Manifesto – thirtysixstrings (2001)
- The Redneck Manifesto – I Am Brazil (2004)
- Desert Hearts – Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki (2006)
- The Thrills – So Much For The City (2003)
- Republic of Loose – Aaagh! (2006)
- Fionn Regan – The End Of History (2006)
- The Divine Comedy – Regeneration (2001)
- Cathy Davey – Tales Of Silversleeve (2007)
- Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew (2008)
- Jetplane Landing – Once Like A Spark (2003)
- Bell XI – Music In Mouth (2003)
- Delorentos – In Love With Detail (2007)
- Oppenheimer – Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It (2008)
- The Chalets – Check In (2005)
- Three Tales – Three Tales (2008)
- Bell X1 – Flock (2005)
- The Divine Comedy – Absent Friends (2004)
- JJ72 – JJ72 (2000)
- Desert Hearts – Let’s Get Worse (2004)
- Jetplane Landing – Zero For Conduct (2001)
- Gemma Hayes – Night On My Side (2002)
- Boxcutter – Glyphic (2007)
- So Cow – These Truly Are End Times (2007)
- Si Schroeder – Coping Mechanisms (2006)
- Robyn G. Shiels – A Lifetime Of Midnights (2006)
- Patrick Kelleher – You Look Cold (2009)
- Alloy Mental – We Have Control (2007)
- Damien Dempsey – Seize the Day (2003)
- Boxcutter – Oneiric (2006)
Nialler9’s Top 20 Irish albums of the Decade
- Jape – Ritual (2008)
- Nina Hynes – Staros (2002)
- Heathers – Here, Not There (2008)
- And So I Watch You From Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar (2009)
- Super Extra Bonus Party – Night Horses (2009)
- Adebisi Shank – This is the album of a band called Adebisi Shank (2008)
- David Holmes – Bow Down to the Exit Sign (2000)
- R.S.A.G. – Organic Sampler (2008)
- Dry County – Unexpected Falls (2007)
- Mumblin Deaf Ro – The Herring and the Brine (2007)
- The Jimmy Cake – Spectre and Crown (2008)
- The Frames – For the Birds (2001)
- Sarsparilla – Karahee (2007)
- Roisin Murphy – Overpowered (2007)
- David Kitt – The Big Romance (2001)
- The Redneck Manifesto – I Am Brazil (2004)
- The Vinny Club – Rocky IV Reckyrd (2004)
- Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes and the Mystery Of The Golden Medallion (2008)
- Messiah J and the Expert – From the Word Go (2008)
- Patrick Kelleher – You Look Cold (2009)
And So I Watch You From Afar number 1? Not one mention of The Aftermath, FKOS, Humanzi or Turn? (or did I just miss them?)
Good to see Jape nice and high up, one of the best irish album of all time.
not gettin ASIWYFA at all. whats all the fuss about? sounds like fairly ordinary heads down post-rock/wig out.
agree on japes album, best irish album since live and dangerous !!!
why isn’t this man huge in the uk/worldwide?
Some irony that the band who gets it to number 4 on the AU top 50 albums of the decade breaks up on the same day!
http://www.state.ie/2009/12/news/oppenheimer-are-no-more/
ASIWYFA deserve their place. I tried to remain objective and ranked the rednecks ahead of them but their album quite simply is the very best thing to happen to Irish music in such a long, long time. I am quite surprised it ranked so highly because I thought I was the only one who felt so strongly about it but as a readers’ poll, it shows how inspired and supportive their fans are. Wow, delighted for them. Glad BATS got the recognition they deserve, I think they’d be even higher up if only more people heard the album.
I’m really not anywhere enough of a fan to imagine rating Heathers one of the top albums though. That was a bit of a surprise. It’s very shrieky after a few listens.
All in all, deadly stuff. But Nialler I’m not being funny, does it not seem a bit weird posting this chart right away without even giving the mag a few days to sell? Just saying.
Chris in AU asked me to post it. I presume they go further in depth in the mag.
Ah I see, I thought you’d just ripped it!! I haven’t got my copy yet but yep, I know they do go into detail cos I wrote a couple of the blurbs!
Really don’t get the hype behind ASIWYFA.
Have you seen them live, Aidan?!
Aphex Twin is Irish, why dont we ever claim him as our own?
Good to see SK getting a mention for once.
BATS higher than all The Redneck Manifesto have offered in the last 10 years? Scandalously short-term memories here…
As usual these “Best of the Decade” lists only ever incorporate music from the last two to three years. More accurate to call this the “Top Irish Albums 2006 – 2009”
Don’t get me wrong though, I’m an enormous fan of ASIWYFA, Jape etc.
I think it’s just human nature to focus more on stuff close to the present, especially when you’re asked now to rate your best albums of the past 10 years. If you loved an album ten years ago but don’t feel as passionate about it now, you’ll probably put in something more recent that you know you like. Makes sense.
In future what I might do is have a look at the ‘albums of the year’ posts to give myself a reminder of what came out – I actually forgot completely about the Immediate, and that was a brilliant album.
really glad simple kid and desert hearts got in but a bit surprised david kitt wasnt higher up or have more than one album in there…….
i guess ill have to check out asiwyfa now
Defo Jape no.1, ASIWYFA are good but Richie’s music is a lot deeper and more sophisticated. Would have liked to see one of Somadrone’s albums in there too.
Rednecks need to be way higher on that list. They were the inspiration for so much.
flapes higher then the rednecks and adebisi? wouldn’t have them anywhere near the top 50..si schroeder shd be in top 5 too..
Really think Ten Past Seven’s “Shut Up Your Face” should have got a mention, it’s a phenomenal album.
This island sure churns out the good stuff. I’d love to compare it to a Cardiff music blog’s list or a Scottish one.
… No Dustin albums wha’??
Tbf, a Scottish list would be pretty tasty. Idlewild, Sons & Daughters, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian, Glasvegas, Mogwai, etc for starters.
Horrible, terrible lists, no offence meant, haha, I mean, I don’t think I could doing any “better” constructing such a list, past 10 years? it’s a hard task no doubt!
But the lists reek a little of “albums I currently have on rotation” syndrome.
Knife, you’re a tool. They’re the albums *everyone* had on rotation for the last 10 years.