2019 factapalooza SPECIAL END OF THE DECADE EDITION
- Lowest ranking for top 50'ers: Deerhunter, The National, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Danny Brown, and Panda Bear... but they all stayed in the top 50.
- Several artists who debuted in our 2017 list underperformed with their follow-up in 2019 including Jay Som, Priests, (Sandy) Alex G, Blanck Mass, but at least placed. Some from that same list didn't even place including Vagabon, Ride, Cigarettes After Sex, Wiki, and White Reaper.
- Bon Iver's i,i accumulated fewer points than 22 A Million (a largely polarizing album), but both ended up at #17 on their respective years, and neither came close to his self titled's placement or pointage. Similarly, Charli XCX's highest ranking is #37 which she landed at this year and in 2014 with Sucker, which received more points. Critically, Pop 2 is more lauded, and it barely cracked the top 100 in 2014.
- With the exception of her 2012 debut (which didn't even rank), Angel Olsen has always been in the top 10. This is her third time and lowest ranking.
- FKA twigs, Angel Olsen, and Vampire Weekend are the only top 10 alumni. No one else from our top ten this year has ever been there before. Big Thief's "Capacity" came close in 2017 at #11.
- First Conor Oberst project to place since 2011.
- Highest ranking for: Tyler the Creator, Sharon Van Etten, Big Thief, Vampire Weekend, Sturgil Simpson, Lana Del Rey, Jamila Woods, Thom Yorke, Wand, the Mountain Goats (first time in a yearly top 50), and Ariana Grande.
- Best Debut Album: Purple Mountains' self titled
- Best Debut Album from a new artist: Orville Peck's Pony.
- Best Gains: James Blake from #74 in 2016 to #28 in 2019. FKA twigs went from #84 in 2015 to #5 in 2019. Mannequin Pussy went from #90 in 2016 to #31 in 2019. Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes from #68 in 2011 to #12 this year with BOCC.
- Worst Drops: Deerhunter went from #6 in 2015 to #49 in 2019. Earl Sweatshirt #14 in 2018, #72 in 2019. Brockhampton went from #34 last year, to #91 this year. Whitney went from #12 in 2016 to #88 this year.
- The following artists are making their debut on our lists despite having critically acclaimed releases in the 2010s, some even with BNMs. All of these artists have multiple releases: Cate Le Bon, Cass McCombs, Aldous Harding, Weyes Blood, Lizzo, Maxo Kream, Steve Gunn, and Mike Krol (to name a few)
- Artists we broke up with in 2019 (i.e. artists who consistently made our lists with multiple releases but did not in 2019): Kanye West, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Chelsea Wolfe, Young Thug, Ty Segall, Chance the Rapper, Broken Social Scene, Foals, Local Natives, the New Pornographers, Blood Orange, and Moon Duo to name a few.
- Rebounders: Jack White didn't place in 2018 thankfully, but returns with the Racon-returners... get it? Okay the Raconteurs. Wilco sucked with Schmilco, but Ode to Joy brings them back to the top 50.
- Tool is on a yearly list for the first time.
- Big Thief is the first artist to have 2 albums in the top 10. They have always been in our top 50. Lenker's solo album didn't crack the top 50 last year tho.
- Excluding his "dub" version of "Dream River" from 2014, Bill Callahan has always ranked in the top 50 this decade.
- Lana Del Rey's trajectory: 2012: 83/77, 2014: 43, 2016: 60, 2017: 66, 2019: 4
- We don't have 2010's lists, but for this decade Kanye West garnered 3476 points across all of his releases (including KSG and WTT).
- Sharon Van Etten's "Remind Me Tomorrow" appeared on 19 out of 24 lists. Her lowest ranking on those lists was #37. Her highest was #3. This is the first time since I took over doing lists that our #1 album wasn't #1 on any individuals list.
- Most #1's: Big Thief "Two Hands" at 4.
