Akini's Top 100 Albums of All-Time [2022 Edition: #1]

[JSparksFan]

Probably 'Pour que tu m'aimes encore', though 'Encore un soir' is a close second.

Great choices. "Encore un soir" is probably my fave, followed by "Je sais pas".

I truly enjoyed 'Femme Fatale', all 4 singles from the album were great!

Indeed! Three of the four had great videos to accompany them, too!

[JSparksFan]

034. Lady Gaga - Chromatica

After paying penance to the GP with 'A Star is Born', it was time for Mother Monster to put the claws back on and in the middle of a pandemic that shut the world down, she blessed us with an escape to Planet Chromatica. Masks optional.

I find it pertinent to express, rather early on, that my appreciation for 'Chromatica' is augmented having attended the 'Chromatica Ball'. It was my first time seeing Lady Gaga live in concert and it made me revisit the album with even more receptive ears. I'd say the big takeaway from the tour was my love for "Replay". I don't know why its intense melodrama was lost on me, as those sort of songs usually make an immediate positive impression, but it was and then it wasn't! I love it so much now. Any kind of monster imagery Gaga conjures these days is instantly iconic thanks to the 'Born This Way' era and though the song has personal meaning to Gaga regarding her PTSD, I always think of it from the POV of trying to maintain a dysfunctional relationship with a partner that's having toxic side effects. "1000 Doves", a more classically tailored ballad, is a more impactful 'emotional' song for me, as the forced solitude of isolation during the pandemic really made those song painfully accessible to so many people. "911", the longest chart-topper on my daily top 20, saw Gaga striking the perfect balance between upbeat and fun, and substantive and personal. A lot was made about the transition between "Chromatica II" and "911", but honestly, it really is damn brilliant, and its accompanying video is the era's finest for me. I'm disappointed that they didn't go with "Alice" as lead single as it's a glaringly obvious pick. "Sour Candy" with its glossy sheen is another big highlight, but my favourite song is "Babylon". We don't have sufficient instances of pop stars serving c*nt so this was a much-needed addition to the music pool in 2020.

Believe it or not, 'Chromatica' is actually Gaga's highest-rated album on Metacritic with an aggregated score of 79. Critics seemed to appreciate her being vulnerable about her challenges with mental health and depression. 'Chromatica' debuted at no. 1 in the US, becoming Gaga's sixth chart-topper at home and setting a record for being the fastest woman in music to rack up six US #1 albums (took her just two days past nine years). At the Grammys, 'Chromatica' was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and "Rain on Me" won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: 911 (x6); Alice (x4); Babylon (x3); 1000 Doves (x2); Rain on Me (x2); Replay (x1); Sour Candy (x1)
Best lyric: Talk it out, babble on, battle for your life, Babylon
Best melody: Babylon
Best video: 911
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: NR
Rank in 2012 countdown: NR

[JSparksFan]

033. Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint

After delving perhaps too far into the dance-pop space on her previous album for her core fanbase's comfort, 'The Pinkprint' signalled a return to the more classic hip/hop stylings of the Trinidadian-born emcee. With a title obviously inspired by Jay-Z's 2001 release 'The Blueprint', this release was meant to be a landmark album, specifically for female rappers.

A lot of rap music is posturing and while that makes for great club hits, 'The Pinkprint' is notable for showcasing Nicki Minaj at her most open and vulnerable. Opening track and album headliner "All Things Go" is a mellow, melancholic forerunner focusing on personal topics like complicated family dynamics that included losing a cousin to gun violence and her sense of responsibility in that tragedy, her relationship with longtime partner and ex-boyfriend Safaree, and an abortion she had as a teenager. It's a song that humanises her and connects her to a lot of people who've endured similar challenges. I also view it as her recognising that after one time is another. Nothing lasts into perpetuity and while she's happy to have achieved the success her hard work and skills earned her, she's aware of the cons that came with achieving her dreams. It's a very balanced view of how getting everything you wanted doesn't always leave you feeling the way you might have expected it would. The subsequent two tracks are also 'in your feels' songs - "I Lied" is an R&B ballad that centres on the reluctance to show one's hand in interpersonal relationships, "The Crying Game" on the mutual violence that is oftentimes bred from dysfunctional unions not terminated when they've run their course. So after a three-song streak of fairly heavy material, Nicki starts pelting fans with the bops - "Get on Your Knees" with Ariana Grande where the two speak about making haste with the physical intentions and positions the female protagonists in a frame of sexual power, "Feeling Myself" with Beyoncé which circles back to that posturing I mentioned is prevalent in rap, and "Only" with YoungMoney labelmates Drake and Lil Wayne (with Chris Brown added for extra star power) that's another solid chest-pounding bop. "Buy a Heart" does the best job of blending emotional lyrics with a more upbeat melody, "Win Again" features some of the album's finest bars, and "The Night is Still Young" checks the obligatory dance-pop box on the album (it's a pretty solid red check, though). The album's highs are dizzying, with very few, forgivable non-stunners.

'The Pinkprint' is ageing the best out of all of Nicki's albums and I suspect, if I have the capacity to do this countdown in 10 years' time, it'll likely be my top Nicki album. That's not the case in this iteration, though. 'The Pinkprint' debuted at no. 2 in the US, becoming her first release to miss the penthouse there. Taylor Swift's '1989' just refused to let Nicki be great. And speaking of which, the album got a Best Rap Album nomination at the Grammys, losing to Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly'...which I think was a massive mistake.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: All Things Go (x9); Buy a Heart (x3); Win Again (x2); Anaconda (x2); The Crying Game (x1); The Night is Still Young (x1); Bed of Lies (x1)
Best lyric: We was just planning a wedding, Caucasian doves
Best melody: I Lied 
Best video: Only
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: NR
Rank in 2012 countdown: NR

[crystalphoenix]

Okay, I think we have "One Mo' Gen" in shared top fives. That one's a great one and actually taught me an alternative way of saying "again".

Ha, her impact! Not the track I was expecting to align us, but I'll take it. It does exude a similar sexiness to the title track. Is "The Distance" Top 6/7 for you, or not even close (too much spell-shouting, perhaps)?

• I haven't revisited Femme Fatale much in recent years (and fan discourse seems generally unkind toward it these days with all the "Robotney" stuff), but I spun it a TON in 2011 (my third-most-Scrobbled album that year, with a sizable gap above No. 4). Like you mention, it was an extremely-exciting era to follow with hit after hit after hit (which is funny to talk about as a rare feat when we're discussing arguably the biggest popstar to emerge during our lifetimes, but there was often something holding her singles back from their full Hot 100 potential in her earlier eras: either radio wouldn't embrace them, or her label didn't release them as CDs when that still mattered). I'm not a member of the "songs are fundamentally incomplete without a bridge" brigade that's emerged during the shorter-songs-for-streaming era, but "Criminal" is a song where the bridge really sold me on the whole thing/is my favorite part: "and he's got my name, tattooed on his arm, his lucky charm..." Won't "August" alone likely help folklore break that Femme Fatale record?
• I. LOVE. Chromatica (and I love that its write-up opens with some well-deserved ASIB shade) Although the songs themselves don't necessarily sound Robyn-esque, Chromatica really reminds me of her in the sense of supplying brilliant, highly-effective melancholy/pensive dancefloor anthems. A lot of artists looked inward during the pandemic, but I don't think any merged that introspection with music that also got us dancing around our homes as effectively as Gaga. So cohesive, so satisfying. I've gotta shout-out "Fun Tonight" and "Plastic Doll" too. That Metacritic fact is interesting (and unexpected). I'm all for Chromatica scoring a nearly-80, but I suspect some of Gaga's earlier albums (especially BTW) fell victim to the old standard of sh*tting on female popstars to earn indie street cred (and basing reviews more on public perception of an artist/cheap shots at their personas instead of the merit of the material itself)

[vinnie65]

I like Lady Gaga´s last album Chromatica. I think it´s a little bit underrated.

[JSparksFan]

Ha, her impact! Not the track I was expecting to align us, but I'll take it. It does exude a similar sexiness to the title track. Is "The Distance" Top 6/7 for you, or not even close (too much spell-shouting, perhaps)?

Ah, I can do a track-by-track rating and ranking for 'Caution':

01. Caution: 10/10
02. With You: 10/10
03. Giving Me Life: 9.3/10
04. Portrait: 9/10
05. One Mo' Gen: 8.4/10
06. 8th Grade: 8.3/10
07. A No No: 8/10
08. The Distance: 7.9/10
09. GTFO: 7.9/10
10. Stay Long Love You: 7.5/10
11. Runway: 7/10

I haven't revisited Femme Fatale much in recent years (and fan discourse seems generally unkind toward it these days with all the "Robotney" stuff), but I spun it a TON in 2011 (my third-most-Scrobbled album that year, with a sizable gap above No. 4). Like you mention, it was an extremely-exciting era to follow with hit after hit after hit (which is funny to talk about as a rare feat when we're discussing arguably the biggest popstar to emerge during our lifetimes, but there was often something holding her singles back from their full Hot 100 potential in her earlier eras: either radio wouldn't embrace them, or her label didn't release them as CDs when that still mattered). I'm not a member of the "songs are fundamentally incomplete without a bridge" brigade that's emerged during the shorter-songs-for-streaming era, but "Criminal" is a song where the bridge really sold me on the whole thing/is my favorite part: "and he's got my name, tattooed on his arm, his lucky charm..." Won't "August" alone likely help folklore break that Femme Fatale record?

Really? I feel like that's more for the live performances we got during the era; I feel like the music itself from that era is still beloved among the fanbase. At the barest of minimums, we didn't have concerns that it was actually Britney's voice we were hearing on the record.

"August" has spent 54 days at no. 1. As brilliant as it is, I don't see another 34 days at no. 1 for it.

I. LOVE. Chromatica (and I love that its write-up opens with some well-deserved ASIB shade) Although the songs themselves don't necessarily sound Robyn-esque, Chromatica really reminds me of her in the sense of supplying brilliant, highly-effective melancholy/pensive dancefloor anthems. A lot of artists looked inward during the pandemic, but I don't think any merged that introspection with music that also got us dancing around our homes as effectively as Gaga. So cohesive, so satisfying. I've gotta shout-out "Fun Tonight" and "Plastic Doll" too. That Metacritic fact is interesting (and unexpected). I'm all for Chromatica scoring a nearly-80, but I suspect some of Gaga's earlier albums (especially BTW) fell victim to the old standard of sh*tting on female popstars to earn indie street cred (and basing reviews more on public perception of an artist/cheap shots at their personas instead of the merit of the material itself)

I agree emphatically on the bolded bit. I also agree strongly on the non-bolded bits. Coincidentally, I was at a work event last night and Robyn's "Dancing on My Own" was played.

I like Lady Gaga´s last album Chromatica. I think it´s a little bit underrated.

I share those thoughts!

[JSparksFan]

032. Michael Jackson - Bad

Arguably the most-anticipated album of all-time, following in the groundbreaking success of predecessor 'Thriller', 'Bad' would arrive five years later showcasing a broader canvas of themes and genres from Michael than ever before. It would be MJ's stamp release confirming himself as the the biggest musician on the planet for the 80s decade.

Much like with 'Thriller', the lead single for this project was not emblematic of the album's theme, sound, or quality. As such, I like to pretend that instead of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" being the lead, it's the title track instead. I'm much happier in that alternate timeline. Speaking of "Bad", I long felt like it was very much a sister track to "Beat It" and as such would have been the perfect bridge between the two eras. The song and video were both originally intended to feature Prince, but when he read the opening line, that ever-handy and -present homophobia slipped in and he passed. "Man in the Mirror" is the socially conscious ballad of the record, one that's become much-beloved over the years and after his tragic passing in 2009, it peaked at #2 in the UK that year. "Liberian Girl" is a fantastic vocal performance that I think gets slighted as far as share of attention and love go; it's also aged brilliantly over the years. The duet with Stevie Wonder, "Just Good Friends", is simple but timeless R&B magic. "Leave Me Alone" was MJ's response to the negative news printed in the media regarding him and though not a big chart hit, I think that one is well-remembered for its anti-tabloid theme and lyrics. For me, though, this album's twin peaks are "Smooth Criminal" and "Dirty Diana". The former is this really intense dance-ready blend of melodrama and the latter an absolute stormer of a rock track featuring a killer guitar instrumentation. While I think both are absolute perfection, I am partial to "Dirty Diana", which I consider to be the finest song in MJ's catalogue. I really do wish he did more bona fide rock songs!

It was pretty close to impossible for 'Bad' to not succeed. It opened up with more than 2.25 million copies in the US, before big first weeks were a thing, and by 1991 it was the second-best-selling album in history after 'Thriller'. Sadly, it would be the last time Michael collaborated with Quincy Jones, which some folks feel led to a dip in quality in his later, 90s releases. Rather controversially, it would win 'only' two Grammys - Best Engineered Recording and Best Short Form Music Video for "Leave Me Alone".

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: Smooth Criminal (x2); Dirty Diana (x1)
Best lyric: A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top, and one man's soul
Best melody: Dirty Diana
Best video: Smooth Criminal
Rank in 2010 countdown: 51
Rank in 2011 countdown: 38
Rank in 2012 countdown: 34

[vinnie65]

Great album from Michael Jackson and that after these bombastic success of Thriller!

[JSparksFan]

Great album from Michael Jackson and that after these bombastic success of Thriller!

And with more than double the no. 1 singles of 'Thriller'!

[JSparksFan]

031. Taylor Swift - Red

After penning all of the tracks on her predecessor LP by her lonesome, Taylor Swift reunited with frequent collaborator Liz Rose and worked with some other folks for the first time, including Dan Wilson, who'd just had a massive co-write no. 1 the year prior in Adele's "Someone Like You", and Max Martin, whose legacy in pop music is storied. Max Martin's involvement suggested that the album would be her most pop release yet and 'Red' would serve as the perfect bridging album to the next release. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

It's my contention that 'Red' is home to Taylor's finest ballads. "I Almost Do" journals quite vividly the internal conflict following a broken relationship, specifically the contact-or-not-to-contact dilemma; the opportunity cost of closure is carefully considered here. "All Too Well", the big fan favourite non-single from the project, is a huge highlight. The way Taylor recounts the steps of a relationship, each page in her shared story with her lover from glorious inception to debilitating destruction, is striking. There's a phrase that Taylor repeats for effect throughout the track that stands out to me: I was there. "Wind in my hair...down the stairs...running scared...it was rare", a chorus isn't complete without that phrase with Taylor reminding us that she was there, and I love that because sometimes memories feel so intangible and transient that it's necessary to remind yourself that they were factual snapshots of your past and that you were there as they happened: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Although the fans gravitated most enthusiastically to "All Too Well", the joint-longest-chart-topper on my daily top 20 is "The Moment I Knew". The scene-setting that Taylor does in her songwriting there is grade A. You can see the music video unfolding as you listen to the lyrics and though I'm sure many people would write this off as trite teenage melodrama, the raw hurt of being let down by someone you love so deeply is felt here. Even the instrumental is this big emotional orchestra in the background as Taylor's voice nearly breaks with disappointment. "Everything Has Changed" is one that I took ages to embrace unequivocally, but when I made my big move stateside, the lyrics connected with me in a more meaningful way than ever before. In addition to the first-rate balladry, we get our fair share of bona fide bops, starting with lead single "We Are Never..." which is where Max Martin's involvement is most potent. The song is this big explosion of power pop awesomeness, earmarked with Taylor's classic country-clever songwriting. She also gifts us "Starlight" on the deluxe edition, which comes equipped with a doe-eyed level of blind optimism and cheerfulness that is absolutely golden and infectious. As for the top track on 'Red', it actually comes down to twin peaks - the title track and "I Knew You Were Trouble". Between 2012 and the release of 'Folklore', "Red" was actually my most-played Taylor Swift song. She does a masterful job throughout the track comparing the relationship with her ex to everything from crossword puzzles to brand new luxury vehicles. It's a brilliant way to capture the full gamut of the experience - the ease, the rush and thrill, the sadness when it all came crashing down. The modal colour being red alludes to the passion that coloured the lion's share of the experience, and there's something about still fondly being able to dial back and recount that fire that I love. Then with "I Knew You Were Trouble", I love the guitar-led melody, I love the lyrics, and good God - I love that dramatic dubstep drop! It's such a sharp, steep, chilling break that it catches you off-guard, much like the guy did with the female protagonist in the narrative of the song. I go back and forth between the two, but right now I'm partial to "Red", the finest title track of her career.

I recall watching the first-week numbers for this with cautious eyes. My love for Taylor still burned red, but I wasn't quite ready to see Britney's first-week sales record among women fall. Taylor would get close, with a bit over 1.2 million copies, and Britney would remain safe for three more years. Though it received favourable reviews from the critics, nothing from 'Red' would win a Grammy. Still, commercially, this is her third-biggest era by CSPC metrics, so I can't imagine T-Swizzle was too bothered by Grammy snubs.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: The Moment I Knew (x4); We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (x4); Red (x3); I Knew You Were Trouble (x3); Starlight (x3); All Too Well (x2); Begin Again (x2); Everything Has Changed (x1)
Best lyric: Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street, faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly, loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall, like the colours in autumn, so bright just before they lose it all, losing him was blue like I'd never known, missing him was dark gray, all alone, forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met, but loving him was red
Best melody: I Knew You Were Trouble 
Best video: I Knew You Were Trouble
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: NR
Rank in 2012 countdown: NR

[JSparksFan]

030. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

In the aftermath of her 'One of the Boys' era, one might've prognosticated a sophomore slump for Katy Perry, who, up to that point, didn't seem to have forged a unique identity in the pop music sphere. I know I certainly expected her to fade away as a one-era wonder. What came next, however, was a pop era for the ages.

Bubblegum pop is one of my favourite subgenres of pop music and Katy Perry attacked the imagery for this, one of the last big bubblegum pop eras in music, brilliantly. From the word go, with lead single "California Gurls", a west coast response to "Empire State of Mind" from the year prior, she comes armed with candy-coated, whipped-cream-firing bras in the music video. Then there's the album artwork, with Katy nude on a cotton candy cloud. I'd say even second single and title track "Teenage Dream" is consistent thematically with the whole bubblegum message. Structurally, I love the transition from a higher key in the verses paired with a light backing melody to the full-out cotton candy volcanic explosion that is the chorus. "Peacock" is another big home-run. I love the barely-shrouded vulgarity and her incredulity as the particular element of the subject's anatomy is revealed is so consistent with the rush and thrill that accompanies sexual exploration in one's youth (or at whatever stage in life). There's also "Firework", a song which meant so much to me at the time, that still serves as a great pick-me-up anthem when I'm feeling down. Its music video featuring two boys kissing was particularly impacting at the time. My favourite song, though, is certainly the Kanye-West-featuring "E.T.", which felt like the most exciting track of her career up to that point. I love the lyrics, love the theme, love the melody, and the inclusion of Ye is a brilliant choice as he adds another layer and level of wildness to the track that enhances the brilliance of the song.

I read a statistic on Twitter the other day that this album racked up more Hot 100 points than any album by a female artist in history. And it's a believable, unchecked fact. The original release racked up five consecutive US #1s and the sixth single went to no. 3 in the US. Two 'Complete Confection' singles were released, one going to #1 and the other peaking at #2. So that's eight top three singles from a single era - just obscene success!

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: Teenage Dream (x6); Firework (x4); E.T. (x3); Peacock (x2); Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (x1); California Gurls (x1); Wide Awake (x1); Part of Me (x1); Hummingbird Heartbeat (x1)
Best lyric: We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach, got a motel and built a fort out of sheets, I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece, I'm complete
Best melody: E.T.
Best video: Firework
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: 22
Rank in 2012 countdown: 30

[crystalphoenix]

Ah, I can do a track-by-track rating and ranking for 'Caution':

Thanks for the thorough ranked response! Solid scores across the board (which I should've anticipated, knowing it's your No. 36 album, but I guess I worried there was a bigger gulf between your faves and least faves/my faves. I might be the only Lamb with such a soft spot for "Runway").

Really? I feel like that's more for the live performances we got during the era; I feel like the music itself from that era is still beloved among the fanbase. At the barest of minimums, we didn't have concerns that it was actually Britney's voice we were hearing on the record.

Ah, you might be right! Damn, that hadn't even crossed my mind All this time, I might've been erroneously inferring that fans were always referring to her vocals on the album whenever "Robotney" came up (when that wasn't actually their intent at all. I'll read more carefully from now on - and try to project less, ha).

I agree emphatically on the bolded bit. I also agree strongly on the non-bolded bits. Coincidentally, I was at a work event last night and Robyn's "Dancing on My Own" was played.

How'd your colleagues respond?

• Major back-to-back brilliance here! Red's a VERY strong contender for my favorite Tay LP (nostalgia + the country/pop/rock balance she achieved really works for me, and I don't think she's straddled all those genres quite as deftly on one record ever since). I'm not as enthusiastic about some of Red's many ballads, but none are egregious enough to drag down this entire incredible album. I didn't realize the title track ranked that highly among your Tay plays (in a pre-"August" world), but I'm thrilled to learn it. Gotta shout-out "State Of Grace" and "Holy Ground" too. What's CSPC?
• Teenage Dream is probably THE definitive pop blockbuster era (during my time as an active chart follower). You mentioned Katy's uncertain career trajectory following OOTB, and on that note, I thought "California Gurls" was meant to be a "Stupid Girls"-esque parody/commentary when it first dropped (since OOTB Katy had struck me as more snarky/jaded, irreverent, and P!nk-esque in general). TD's shift to more sincere, bright-eyed, full-on-captial-P-POP obviously worked for her, though (and totally worked for my ears too). "Circle The Drain" feels the most reminiscent of OOTB's attitude/bite. The Ye remix was definitely my preferred version of "E.T.," but when we're comparing across the whole album, the title track is on a very-hard-to-reach pedestal for me (Glee helped solidify that) Shout-outs to "Hummingbird Heartbeat" and "The One That Got Away" too!

[cheapthrills]

Time to catch back up, but not too behind!

#39 It's hard to hate Celine, though I can't say I've gravitated to her music too much - it always seemed like grown folks music to me

#38 But The Fame is such a huge piece of work; I'd actually expect it to be even higher, but perhaps that's the monster in me. It was such an important album to me because it brought dance-pop back from the dead. It ushered in a whole era of pop that is probably rank among some of my favorite chart years. I was a pretty early adopter of Gaga, starting with Strastruck of all songs! That was my first taste and of course, then it was her massive hits thereafter. As I told you before, it remains the only album besides 21 to have six songs chart. (I think Jack Savoretti did it in 2019, but only if I count a Christmas song ina re-release.). Poker Face remains an inconic song for me!

#37 I've always respected how you stayed close to Nicki. I don't feel I ever gave this album the love it really deserved. It is her only album so far that didn't get any top tens at all (though Chun-li just missed at #11), but in later years, I think I've appreciated it more, probably thanks to you as I've checked out Good Form and Ganja Burn after seeing them on your personal chart.

#36 I know WBT exists, but at least post-2000, Mariah hadn't done a lot other than that song to garner my attention until Caution. And of course, as soon as she did, she hasn't released anything since. But I'd definitely put it in my top three albums for her.

#34 - Wow! Chromatica outdoing The Fame! Hmm, I'm not sure I would agree with that, but they are rnaked pretty close to each other, and I do appreciate Chromatica for a lot of things - first that it came out as the pandemic begin, so it served as a useful distraction. And it did have a ton of great songs - 911 remains my favorite, though curiously, it didn't make it to #1 while two other songs did - Stupid Love primarily on pent-up desire for sance Gaga. I was so happy she had some success with this album. I doubt this is the last we'll hear from Gaga, but if it were to be our last dance pop Gaga album, it was a great way to go out.

[JSparksFan]

Thanks for the thorough ranked response! Solid scores across the board (which I should've anticipated, knowing it's your No. 36 album, but I guess I worried there was a bigger gulf between your faves and least faves/my faves. I might be the only Lamb with such a soft spot for "Runway").

I adore you enough to forgive this transgression. Kidding aside, I find that I'm rarely in lockstep with the lambs myself.

How'd your colleagues respond?

It was a Pride networking event and I think we were all quite a few drinks in as the topic for discussion that night were legislative changes since covid, of which there have been many anti-LGBT ones. So a bit of a muted response.

Major back-to-back brilliance here! Red's a VERY strong contender for my favorite Tay LP (nostalgia + the country/pop/rock balance she achieved really works for me, and I don't think she's straddled all those genres quite as deftly on one record ever since). I'm not as enthusiastic about some of Red's many ballads, but none are egregious enough to drag down this entire incredible album. I didn't realize the title track ranked that highly among your Tay plays (in a pre-"August" world), but I'm thrilled to learn it. Gotta shout-out "State Of Grace" and "Holy Ground" too. What's CSPC?

Ah, okay. I'm not surprised to read 'Red' is in contention for your top Taylor album; it's a damn good album. I was pleasantly surprised by how successful the Taylor Version was.

CSPC = Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept. This link gives some background to the concept as well as lists out T-Swizzle's CSPC figures by era.

Teenage Dream is probably THE definitive pop blockbuster era (during my time as an active chart follower). You mentioned Katy's uncertain career trajectory following OOTB, and on that note, I thought "California Gurls" was meant to be a "Stupid Girls"-esque parody/commentary when it first dropped (since OOTB Katy had struck me as more snarky/jaded, irreverent, and P!nk-esque in general). TD's shift to more sincere, bright-eyed, full-on-captial-P-POP obviously worked for her, though (and totally worked for my ears too). "Circle The Drain" feels the most reminiscent of OOTB's attitude/bite. The Ye remix was definitely my preferred version of "E.T.," but when we're comparing across the whole album, the title track is on a very-hard-to-reach pedestal for me (Glee helped solidify that) Shout-outs to "Hummingbird Heartbeat" and "The One That Got Away" too!

Yeah, 'Teenage Dream' is really one of those albums where any of its tracks could've been a hit single. I'm thinking your love for the title track might've helped it get to six days at #1 back in 2010 for me.

Time to catch back up, but not too behind!

Yeah, it's not looking like I'll be able to finish this by my self-imposed 11/30 deadline, but we'll see!

#39 It's hard to hate Celine, though I can't say I've gravitated to her music too much - it always seemed like grown folks music to me

The bolded bit made me chuckle, but I get ya. It's definitely the kinda inoffensive music my mother loves.

#38 But The Fame is such a huge piece of work; I'd actually expect it to be even higher, but perhaps that's the monster in me. It was such an important album to me because it brought dance-pop back from the dead. It ushered in a whole era of pop that is probably rank among some of my favorite chart years. I was a pretty early adopter of Gaga, starting with Strastruck of all songs! That was my first taste and of course, then it was her massive hits thereafter. As I told you before, it remains the only album besides 21 to have six songs chart. (I think Jack Savoretti did it in 2019, but only if I count a Christmas song ina re-release.). Poker Face remains an inconic song for me!

"Starstruck" is a fun first pick.

#37 I've always respected how you stayed close to Nicki. I don't feel I ever gave this album the love it really deserved. It is her only album so far that didn't get any top tens at all (though Chun-li just missed at #11), but in later years, I think I've appreciated it more, probably thanks to you as I've checked out Good Form and Ganja Burn after seeing them on your personal chart.

I'm actually really annoyed with Nicki for not putting out an album this year. The stage was set perfectly. Between her and RiRi coming back with lacklustre soundtrack songs, my island girl queens aren't giving me much to root for in 2022.

#36 I know WBT exists, but at least post-2000, Mariah hadn't done a lot other than that song to garner my attention until Caution. And of course, as soon as she did, she hasn't released anything since. But I'd definitely put it in my top three albums for her.

Yeah, I was hoping we'd get something this year, but nope. Good to read that 'Caution' would be in your top three MC albums. What are the other two?

#34 - Wow! Chromatica outdoing The Fame! Hmm, I'm not sure I would agree with that, but they are rnaked pretty close to each other, and I do appreciate Chromatica for a lot of things - first that it came out as the pandemic begin, so it served as a useful distraction. And it did have a ton of great songs - 911 remains my favorite, though curiously, it didn't make it to #1 while two other songs did - Stupid Love primarily on pent-up desire for sance Gaga. I was so happy she had some success with this album. I doubt this is the last we'll hear from Gaga, but if it were to be our last dance pop Gaga album, it was a great way to go out.

Interestingly enough, 'The Fame' (8.73/10) and 'Chromatica' (8.74/10) ended up with super similar overall ratings when I put this together. 'The Fame' has more 10/10 highs for me, but 'Chromatica' is overall the more consistent listen. And, yes, the tour did help.

I really wish "Babylon" had gotten a single release!

[JSparksFan]

029. Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride

After achieving whirlwind success with her debut 'Some Hearts' era, Carrie Underwood returned two years later with 'Carnival Ride'. Same producers. Same songwriters. Same result?

'Carnival Ride' is my favourite Carrie album because all bases are covered and covered exceedingly well. Base one - the ballads. This is the base best covered, in my view. My top track from the album, "I Know You Won't", is big and soaring, decked out with all the glory notes and timed perfectly so your heart surges with the same pain and disappointment felt by the track's protagonist. Lyrically, it's in the same wheelhouse as "August" so that does quite a bit for me as one might imagine. Then there's the critics' favourite, "Just a Dream", an absolute tearjerker of a song about an 18-year-old wife losing her husband to war. Carrie performed this at the 2008 CMAs, introduced by a widow of the same circumstance as the track's protagonist, and that performance will be a definitive one of her career, surely. Sometimes the best country songs are those already in existence and Carrie's cover of Randy Travis's "I Told You So" is even more affecting than the original. Now for base two - the quirky/fun mid-to-uptempo cuts. "All-American Girl" tells the tale of several generation of men longing for a son, being blessed with a girl, and ultimately considering that girl child their greatest gift. Its video features a nod to the "Before He Cheats" video that I love. "The More Boys I Meet" has a truly killer punchline that resonates more with me as an adult than it ever did back then as a young teen bopping to it. Finally, base three - the message songs (not to be confused with the ballads). The album's lead single "So Small" is a fantastic message song, speaking to love making all other things that we aggrandise seem inconsequential in comparison. The final track on the standard edition, "Wheel of the World", is the unofficial title track of the album and not just because it has "carnival ride" in its lyrics. It speaks to the inevitability of life including the elements that are so far beyond our understanding and control.

'Carnival Ride' debuted at no. 1 in the US with an impressive 530k first week. It would eventually be certified four times platinum in the US and also peak at no. 1 in Canada. At the Grammys, "Last Name", the shameless "Before He Cheats" rehash, would win Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and her "I Told You So" duet with Randy Travis would take home Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: I Know You Won't (x3); So Small (x2); Just a Dream (x1); The More Boys I Meet (x1); All-American Girl (x1); I Told You So (x1); Get Out of This Town (x1)
Best lyric: Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again
Best melody: I Know You Won't
Best video: All-American Girl
Rank in 2010 countdown: 23
Rank in 2011 countdown: 32
Rank in 2012 countdown: 8

[JSparksFan]

028. Lady Gaga - ARTPOP

As someone who's worked on several major projects with major mismanagement, I appreciate the effort that goes into quality project management and 'ARTPOP' was preceded by a series of events that reflected anything but. Almost as a bad omen, the writing and recording for 'ARTPOP' was jump-started when Lady Gaga broke her hip doing some intense routines on her 'Born This Way' Ball. (More specifically, it was during this moment of "Scheiße" on her Montreal stop - the scream seemed just a part of the performance, sadly). She'd have to cancel the rest of her tour, plunging into a deep state of depression. And there was still chaos and confusion ahead.

The infamous "Roar"/"Applause" showdown happened next. Katy's lead single leaked two days ahead of time on 8/10; Gaga's leaked an entire nine days ahead of schedule that same 8/10. Katy's team rush-released "Roar" that same day, Gaga's team waited two days until 8/12 and while Gaga was going to lose that head-to-head even without Katy getting the jump on her, "Applause" would debut at no. 4 in the US, a massive underperformance for someone of Gaga's stature. There would be a lot of bad press about Gaga losing this chart duel and very little on "Applause" being the better song. While its production is at points oversaturated, I can't help but appreciate its earnestness and honesty. "Give me that thing I love!" is as much a command as it is a plea. It's a real statement on the artist/fan dynamic, the interdependence of both parties for sustenance and validation. I love pop music that has wild, unfiltered emotion, and Gaga does that subgenre of pop better than anyone else. "Do What U Want" would become the accidental second single when its promotional single release went 'too well', ultimately scrapping planned second single "Venus", which Gaga solo-produced (and probably wanted to be the first music video filmed in space). Then the "Do What U Want" music video would be scrapped. I don't recall an official reason ever being issued, but with the video starring R. Kelly, a sexual predator, and directed by Terry Richardson, an alleged sexual predator, and with the lyrics of the song being...what they are, I understand the calculus behind the decision. The more difficult mental math to digest might be how the song is still my top track from the project and among my top five tracks of the 2010s. The big triumphant 'rise from the ashes' moment for the era was to be the "G.U.Y." music video, an elaborate production rumoured to be funded by Gaga herself, whose quality certainly exceeded every expectation, but the song itself would stall at no. 76 in the US. And that would largely be the story of 'ARTPOP' from a commercial standpoint, with a litany of strategic missteps, but the music for me salvages everything. In my view, it's such a perfect, natural progression from 'Born This Way'. I love its brave and avant-garde "Aura", a song I appreciated more in its leaked demo form than its polished final cut. Amongst the high-frenetic dance-pop party tracks, title track "ARTPOP" is particularly poignant. I love how it slows the whole show down to a pointed, atmospheric, nearly dreamy drawl. Even though it flopped on the charts, "G.U.Y." is a rousing endorsement of sexual equality, regardless of the roles persons elect to play/perform in intercourse. The G.U.Y./G.I.R.L. wordplay reversal is clever and effective in achieving the song's objective, and the song doesn't ever get the praise it deserves for having such a progressive view on sex. "Gypsy" is also a standout to me for its sheer cheerfulness and lightness; it's the era's "The Edge of Glory". I love the rawness of "Dope" and I even appreciate "Jewels N' Drugs", a song I still can't believe actually happened.

Despite having almost everything against it, 'ARTPOP' debuted at no. 1 in the US and the UK. However, "Dope" would be the era's second and final top 10 hit. 'ARTPOP' would garner not a single Grammy or VMA nomination. There's a strong sense that Gaga dislikes this era as post-ARTPOP, she's only ever performed one song from the album on any subsequent tour, "Applause" on the Joanne World Tour. Still for me, this is Gaga at her weirdest, and that's saying something, and I think the practicality of her as a pop star ultimately conflicted with her very personal art.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: Do What U Want (x15); Applause (x4); ARTPOP (x3); G.U.Y. (x3); Aura (x1)
Best lyric: A hybrid can withstand these things, my heart can beat with bricks and strings, my ARTPOP could mean anything
Best melody: Do What U Want
Best video: G.U.Y. [An ARTPOP Film]
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: NR
Rank in 2012 countdown: NR

[vinnie65]

I like the albums from Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Teenage Dream is very high in my album charts ever!!

[JSparksFan]

I like the albums from Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Teenage Dream is very high in my album charts ever!!

Great minds!

[JSparksFan]

027. Christina Aguilera - Stripped

After achieving great success at the tail end of the 90s and into the early 00s riding that lucrative bubblegum pop wave of the era, Christina Aguilera's then-manager seemed intent for her to take another ride on that carousel. She vehemently disagreed, they parted ways, she got a new manager, and forged a more mature sophomore path for 'Stripped'.

Rather shockingly, 'Stripped' is Christina's lowest-rating album on Metacritic with an aggregate rating of just 55. It seemed that critics felt the album went in too many different directions...but I actually love that about it. It covers a rich breadth of genres, from R&B and soul to rock to hip/hop to pop and Latin, as well as a broad canvas of themes, from female empowerment and self-esteem to sexual liberation. While I believe, as a collective, her finest ballads are on 'Bionic', 'Stripped' features her most-acclaimed, "Beautiful", penned by openly lesbian singer-songwriter Linda Perry. Before LGBT inclusion was en vogue, Christina included in the music video for "Beautiful" honest, honourable portrayals of the gay and trans communities, an act that would in no small way endear her to many queer folk. My favourite song on the album is "Fighter". It's such a powerful rock anthem and those background vocals only add to its lustre. Other highlights include the step-by-step seduction of "Infatuation", the big female stab against the patriarchy "Can't Hold Us Down", the uninhibited "Dirrty", and the American Idol coronation anthem that never happened "Soar".

Though 'Stripped' would be pipped to the post by Eminem's '8 Mile OST' (can't imagine X-Tina was pleased about that), the album would be certified five times platinum in the US and six times platinum in the UK. "Beautiful" would win the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and the era would see her achieve more UK top 10s than any other of her eras (five total). Retrospectively, critics would acknowledge the impact and greatness of the album, and I think it's a near-unanimous consideration that this is X-Tina in her prime.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: Beautiful (x6); Fighter (x4); Infatuation (x1); Get Mine, Get Yours (x1)
Best lyric: Don't look at me, every day is so wonderful, then suddenly it's hard to breathe, now and then I get insecure, from all the pain, I'm so ashamed
Best melody: Infatuation 
Best video: Dirrty 
Rank in 2010 countdown: 42
Rank in 2011 countdown: 39
Rank in 2012 countdown: 21

[crystalphoenix]

CSPC = Commensurate Sales to Popularity Concept. This link gives some background to the concept as well as lists out T-Swizzle's CSPC figures by era.

Many thanks! I'll have to sit with that a bit/let it sink in, since it's brand-new to me.

• I didn't know about that tour injury, and it definitely gives "Applause" additional significance as her next lead single. Admittedly, my enthusiasm for Gaga did dip alongside the GP during this era (the avant-garde/artsy aspects here just didn't click with me the way they did on BTW. ARTPOP somehow felt much..messier? in comparison). That said, I do share several of your highlights ("Aura," "Gypsy," and especially our problematic fave DWUW) You mentioned the "Aura" demo: was that its "Burqa" form, or were there multiple early versions floating around? I've gotta shout-out "Swine" too! I could live without the song's (potential) fat/body-shaming aspects, but I really appreciate its examination of our fallible human tendency to get swept up in the orbit of charming/popular-but-deeply-sh*tty people who also bring out the worst in ourselves (so then we wind up hating both them and ourselves): "'cause it's when I'm not thinking with you that I act like a swine..."

[JSparksFan]

I didn't know about that tour injury, and it definitely gives "Applause" additional significance as her next lead single. Admittedly, my enthusiasm for Gaga did dip alongside the GP during this era (the avant-garde/artsy aspects here just didn't click with me the way they did on BTW. ARTPOP somehow felt much..messier? in comparison). That said, I do share several of your highlights ("Aura," "Gypsy," and especially our problematic fave DWUW) You mentioned the "Aura" demo: was that its "Burqa" form, or were there multiple early versions floating around? I've gotta shout-out "Swine" too! I could live without the song's (potential) fat/body-shaming aspects, but I really appreciate its examination of our fallible human tendency to get swept up in the orbit of charming/popular-but-deeply-sh*tty people who also bring out the worst in ourselves (so then we wind up hating both them and ourselves): "'cause it's when I'm not thinking with you that I act like a swine..."

Is that X-Tina swerve shade?

It was an unpolished "Aura" cut! I'll have to spend some more time with "Swine" (words I didn't expect to say today).

[hun]

Pleased to see love for 'All For You', but sad it's not even top 50 and no Janet albums will be. Very disappointing.

[JSparksFan]

Pleased to see love for 'All For You', but sad it's not even top 50 and no Janet albums will be. Very disappointing.

Small win that she had as many as four charted albums?

[JSparksFan]

026. Lana Del Rey - Norman F**king Rockwell!

When Lana Del Rey unleashed 'Born to Die' onto my unsuspecting ears in 2012, I thought I had found that decade's new phenom. Little did I know that her next three albums would be projects that failed to connect with me and I would eventually give up on her. However, in the eighth hour of the 2010s decade, she surged back to the front of the pack with 'Norman F**king Rockwell'. Who knew all she needed in her writer's room was a handsome, eyeglasses-wearing, fit geek?

The production of this album is dreamy and atmospheric, and the lyrics are grade A, introspective, poetic pieces. It's easy to get lost in the gentle melodies, even when she's spitting vulgar lines. "F**k It, I Love You" emerged as my favourite, perhaps in part because I'd just moved stateside when the album dropped and the lyric about moving somewhere new but taking yourself with you connected with me on a really intense level. The falsetto pieces are also massive highlights for me. The most powerful lyric, though, is stitched within "Cinnamon Girl" - that line about a lover being the first to not hurt you is a real tearjerker, as it forces you to consider the dysfunctional decoupling with which most of us grapple. "Happiness is a Butterfly" has a similar theme in its refrain that I find equally enrapturing. The regret in "California", the shade in "The Greatest" - it's great storytelling throughout that commands attention.

'Norman F**king Rockwell' debuted at no. 3 in the US, becoming her fifth consecutive top three album at home (and also the first to not peak at no. 1 or no. 2). In her more hospitable UK market, she tied Taylor Swift for the solo female act with the most UK no. 1 albums (at four) when this topped the chart its debut week. On Metacritic, its aggregate score of 87 is comfortably her highest. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised considering she's never won there before, but I was disappointed when it lost its Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. It did win Best Album at the NME Awards, though, and was considered the best album of 2019 by Pitchfork, Slant, the Guardian, and me!

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: F**k It, I Love You (x4); Cinnamon Girl (x2); Happiness is a Butterfly (x1); The Greatest (x1); Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have - but I Have It (x1)
Best lyric: There's things I wanna say to you, but I'll just let you live, like if you hold me without hurting me, you'll be the first who ever did
Best melody: Happiness is a Butterfly
Best video: Mariners Apartment Complex
Rank in 2010 countdown: NR
Rank in 2011 countdown: NR
Rank in 2012 countdown: NR

[JSparksFan]

025. Beyoncé - I Am...Sasha Fierce

After two solid successes with largely R&B material, for her third studio album, Beyoncé opted to lean all the way into pop. The result would be the most successful era of her career.

'I Am...Sasha Fierce' is bifurcated into two parts - the 'I Am' part with the contemporary balladry and the 'Sasha Fierce' half with the bops. I love that neat partitioning. For me, the ballad half, though slightly weaker, features her most classic ballads. "If I Were a Boy" did a brilliant job touching on several of the double standards in society for women, so much so that I made the track my feature topic for my psychology of gender project in college, which I aced. "Save the Hero" is a really tender, vulnerable, airy slow burn that essentially reminds listeners to put their own life jackets on first. Everyone's favourite, though, is "Halo". I can imagine it featured in wedding ceremonies aplenty, though for me it is slightly overplayed. It is my mother's favourite Beyoncé song, so it holds a special place in my household's playlist for that alone. Two ballads not on the 'I Am' half physically, but I feel are there spiritually, are "Hello" and "Scared of Lonely". They feature more sprightly melodies, but they're my top two ballads from the project. "Hello" is "Halo" without the googly-eyed romance - it's the raw, fervent, irrepressible connection and passion that is too rare a joy in our lifetimes. "Scared of Lonely" highlights a fear I've had for a decade-plus at this point that I'm well on track to actualising. Beyond the ballads that perhaps inspire too much introspection are the bops! Unpopular opinion - "Single Ladies" is a better song than it is a video...and it's far from the best song on the album. "Radio" is quintessential Bey, "Diva" is a hip/hop inspired mic drop, but "Sweet Dreams"? Whew. That is a pop masterpiece that top pop stars have entire careers and never record. It's the crown jewel on the album for me and even if she had to travel to Florida to record it, it was well worth the sacrifice.

If you knock on Metacritic's door, they'd let you know that this is their lowest-ranked Beyoncé album with an unremarkable aggregate score of 62. However, slide on over to the Grammy folks, and they'd tell you that this was good for everything but Album of the Year. 'I Am...Sasha Fierce' would win Best Contemporary R&B Album (why, you ask? Well, racism, my sweet darling), while "Halo" took home Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and "Single Ladies" swept the table with Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Song of the Year. The album would have a huge US #1 debut and go on to become a huge chart success for Queen B. Just to give an idea of how big this era was, no era she's had since has been half as successful! Undoubtedly, this was the era that really separated her from the pack and propelled her to that Billboard Female Artist of the 2000s honour.

Significance rating: 13/20
No. 1s on my daily chart: Sweet Dreams (x14); Scared of Lonely (x4); Halo (x3); Hello (x2); If I Were a Boy (x1); Save the Hero (x1); Disappear (x1); Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (x1); Radio (x1)
Best lyric: I'm in this fight and I'm swinging and my arms are getting tired, I'm trying to beat this emptiness, but I'm running out of time, I'm sinking in the sand and I can barely stand, I'm lost in this dream, I need you to hold me
Best melody: Sweet Dreams
Best video: Sweet Dreams
Rank in 2010 countdown: 11
Rank in 2011 countdown: 37
Rank in 2012 countdown: 18