31 songs from 2006: third times the charm
They say repeat something three times it sticks. If that’s true then the 31 list is here to stay. 2006 has lots to offer in terms of music from new finds and old favorites alike.
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31 songs from 2005: second helping
It’s the second year of 31s and I’m feeling pretty good about it. We reviewed 130 albums to pick the best 31 from 2005 (and a few latecomers from 2004). We deadlocked on one album and bent the rules a bit, adding two songs from Death Cab for Cutie’s album Plans.
Read More31 songs from 2004: it starts here
My wife and I listen to a lot of music. A lot. We’re basically professional teenagers, with years of experience going to record stores, watching music videos, talking to friends, and going to concerts. So why not take all that and do our own best-of list?
So here’s our first list: thirty-one tracks, one for each day of any month, culled from the best albums of 2004. Our list has old favorites, absolute beginners, and all points in-between. We’re going to try and make this an annual tradition so let’s see how that goes.
Read More31 songs from 2003: last reconstruction
This final reconstruction precedes the official first 31 list. Many later favorites – like Goldfrapp, Decemberists, and the Sounds make their first (unofficial) appearance.
Read More31 songs from 2002: the emerging list
MP3s were just barely a thing in 2002. CDs were still the dominant music distribution medium at the time. But Napster frightened the industry to its core, so much so that it was forced to close in 2002.
We hadn’t – yet – lit upon the idea of an annual best-of list. But we did share mix CDs with favorite tracks. And this list, while reconstructed alongside 2000-2003, represents some of our picks from the year.
Read More31 songs from 2001: a music odyssey
Kubrick didn’t suggest our best-of list was on the Pan Am shuttle, but he didn’t not suggest it. So that works for me.
Like all lists from 2000 thru 2003, this list was re-created based on the release date of the music. We likely listened to these albums at the time but it’s not 100% borne of the year itself.
Read More31 songs from 2000: the way back
The official 31 list was born in 2004 but, as it continued on year after year, there was a certain inelegance to the starting year. So we went into the past, reviewed albums released in 2000, and retroactively picked our top 31.
This list may not be 100% accurate to what we listened to at the time. But, it’s close and it’s free. Plus we get to bring some old favorites into the group that had stopped producing music by 2004.
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