Teenage Kicks’ Best of 2007

We sent out a call to a manageable group of music-loving friends (the size of the group was manageable, the members not so much), and asked everyone to give us a list of their ten favorite albums of 2007. Fifteen ballots came back, with 81 different discs being named at least once. It’s a savvy, generous group of people, and each of them has our thanks for participating (as do you for reading). We then set about compiling, sorting and filtering through a point system (20 points for a first-place vote, 19 for second, down to 11 for tenth), to create a master list of the top Teenage Kicks albums of 2007.

We list here the top seventeen, each of which garnered at least three votes (the album at the top appeared on eight lists). We also list each of our contributors, their top five discs, and links to their full lists.

For capturing the top spot in our first-ever year-end albums poll, Bruce Springsteen wins a Teenage Kicks t-shirt (you can pick it up at my house, Boss).

1. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
2. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
3. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
4. Radiohead, In Rainbows
5. The Ike Reilly Assassination, We Belong to the Staggering Evening
6. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
7. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
8. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
9. Okkervil River, The Stage Names
10. The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
11. White Stripes, Icky Thump
12. M.I.A., Kala
13 (tie). Lily Allen, Alright, Still . . .
13 (tie). Jesse Malin, Glitter in the Gutter
15. The Fratellis, Costello Music
16 (tie). The Mendoza Line, 30 Year Low
16 (tie). Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight

Trip McClatchy
Teenage Kicks
Philadelphia, PA

1. The Ike Reilly Assassination, We Belong to the Staggering Evening
2. Jeremy Fisher, Goodbye Blue Monday
3. Linda Thompson, Versatile Heart
4. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
5. Jesse Malin, Glitter in the Gutter

See Trip's full list (with comments)

Michael Atchison
Teenage Kicks
Kansas City, MO

1. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
2. Sloan, Never Hear the End of It
3. The Ike Reilly Assassination, We Belong to the Staggering Evening
4. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
5. Lily Allen, Alright, Still . . .

See Michael’s full list (with comments)

Bill Connelly
Smilt.net
Columbia, MO

1. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
2. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Living With the Living
3. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
4. Radiohead, In Rainbows
5. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky

See Bill’s full list (with comments)


Dan DeLuca
Pop music critic, Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA

1. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
2. Lily Allen, Alright, Still
3. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
4. Miranda Lambert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
5. Kanye West, Graduation

See Dan’s full list


Pat Feeney
Owner, Main Street Music
Philadelpha, PA

(in no order)

Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
Jason Isbell, Sirens of the Ditch
Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger

The Thrills, Teenager

Bruce Springsteen, Magic

See Pat’s full list (with comments)


Don Giordano
Really smart rock and roll guy
Philadelphia, PA

1.Okkervil River, The Stage Names
2. Grinderman, Grinderman
3. Radiohead, In Rainbows

4. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

5. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky

See Don’s full list (with comments)


Art Hinshaw
Professor of Law, Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ

1. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
2. M.I.A., Kala
3. Peter Bjorn and John, Writer’s Block
4. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
5. Radiohead, In Rainbows

See Art’s full list (with comments)


Peter K
Teenage Kicks resident heckler
Pottstown, PA

1. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
3. Glossary, The Better Angels of Our Nature
4. Joe Henry, Civilians
5. The Fratellis, Costello Music

See Peter’s full list (with comments)


Michael Mannix
Young hipster
Villanova University

1. M.I.A., Kala

2. The Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

3. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam

4. Okkervil River, The Stage Names
5. Laura Veirs, Saltbreakers

See Michael’s full list


Kevin McClatchy
Actor
Columbus, OH

1. The Ike Reilly Assassination, We Belong to the Staggering Evening
2. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
3. Jesse Malin, Glitter in the Gutter
4. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
5. Steve Earle, Washington Square Serenade

See Kevin’s full list (with comments)


Scott McClatchy
Singer/songwriter/recording artist
Havertown, PA by way of Brooklyn, NY

1. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
2. John Fogerty, Revival
3. Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, Diamonds in the Dark
4. Steve Earle, Washington Square Serenade
5. Original soundtrack to the film I’m Not There

See Scott’s full list (with comments)


Todd Palmer
Rock and Roll True Believer
Nashville, TN

1. Glossary, The Better Angels of Our Nature
2. The Ike Reilly Assassination, We Belong to the Staggering Evening
3. Jason Isbell, Sirens of the Ditch
4. Two Cow Garage, III
5. Mendoza Line, 30 Year Low

See Todd’s full list (with comments)


Daniel Rubin
Metropolitan Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA

1. Radiohead, In Rainbows
2. Bruce Springsteen, Magic
3. Josh Ritter, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
4. Bettye LaVette, Scene of the Crime
5. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky

See Dan’s full list (with comments)


Tom Szwech
Bag of Songs
Near Philadelphia, PA

1. The Swimmers, Fighting Trees
2. The Broken West, I Can't Go On I'll Go On
3. Julie Doiron, Woke Myself Up
4. The Clientele, God Save The Clientele
5. Blitzen Trapper, Wild Mountain Nation

See Tom’s full list (with comments)


Mary Zajac
Writer
Baltimore, MD

1. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
2. Radiohead, In Rainbows
3. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
5. The Clientele, God Save the Clientele

See Mary’s full list (with comments)