Publishing imperatives being what they are, most of us have virtually forgotten about all the hair-wringing and number-crunching that went into compiling those Best Of 2007 lists. But before we completely write off the last 12 months, here’s one last poll that’s pretty interesting.
The 2007 Idolator Pop Critics Poll was worth waiting for, thanks to its mind-bending thoroughness – 452 critics (mainly American, but also including me, glamorously enough) responded. And, I suppose, thanks to the fact that it further validates Uncut’s own chart, since LCD Soundsystem‘s “Sound Of Silver” appeared to run away with this one, too. As part of Idolator’s extensive coverage, there’s an excellent essay on “Sound Of Silver” there, too.
As far as I can tell, there’s about 21 albums in the Top 50 here that figured in the Uncut list (though a few can be discounted, like Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, since they were released in the UK last year). Besides Amy, the highest placed album that didn’t figure in the Uncut 50 was by Spoon: a band you’d have thought would find favour with many Uncut writers and readers, but who seem to be almost totally overlooked – by myself, too, I must admit – in the UK. Anyone who can explain their excellence, and/or why we seem immune to it, I’d be interested to hear from you.
A pleasure to see that Voice Of The Seven Woods made it to Number 288 in the Top 1,144, and – if I understand rightly – I was the only person to vote for Sunburned Hand Of The Man‘s “Fire Escape”. After being accused of having consensual taste when I filed my pick of the year here in December, it’s nice to be reassuringly obscure once again. . .