There were few surprises in this year’s Pazz & Jop, the Village Voice
poll that almost inevitably seems to come up with the most reliably
accurate rundown of the previous year in music. TV on the Radio ran
away with the album honors, with Dear Science earning 1754 points in the poll, way ahead of runner-up Vampire Weekend’s 1075 and close third Portishead’s, er, Third,
with 1058. M.I.A. was able to take the top spot on the singles list
despite the fact that “Paper Planes” came out in 2007—in fact, the poll
includes 2007 votes, which propelled M.I.A. past Estelle’s “American
Boy” at #2 and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” at #3. Cheaters, but I’ll
allow it since I don’t want Estelle to be #1. Accompanying essays include noted Party Ben opponent Rob Harvilla’s musings on how M.I.A. captured our collective imaginations, and a more serious look
at TV on the Radio from Andy Beta, who hesitantly posits that the
multiracial New York combo’s success may parallel our new president’s.
Top 10s after the jump.
ALBUMS
1. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
2. Vampire Weekend – S/T
3. Portishead – Third
4. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Vol. 1: Fourth World War
5. Fleet Foxes – S/T
6. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III
7. Santogold – S/T
8. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
10. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
SINGLES
1. M.I.A., “Paper Planes”
2. Estelle feat. Kanye West, “American Boy”
3. Beyoncé “Single Ladies”
4. MGMT, “Time To Pretend”
5. Lil Wayne, “A Milli”
6. Santogold, “L.E.S. Artistes”
7. Hercules & Love Affair, “Blind”
8. Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”
9. Kanye West, “Love Lockdown”
10. Fleet Foxes, “White Winter Hymnal”
