insince.re // Albums of the Years

When I started this blog on my little Raspberry Pi, I wanted something that would keep me coming back to write. I knew from experience that just blogging for the sake of it would soon peter out, and the whole thing would just wither and die.

So I came up with the idea of Clive’s Album of the Year. I’d start at the current year (2013 at the time) and work backwards to the year of my birth (1974) picking out my favourite album(s) of that year and writing a little about it/them. Well, I finally got all the way back to 1974 (and also filled in the years that elapsed while doing so) so here for reference are the winners and runners-up for every year of my life so far.

You can of course click through to the posts if you want to read more.

Enjoy.

2023
- Winner
  - Sleep Token – Take Me Back to Eden
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - The Banishment – Machine and Bone
2022
- Winner
  - Reckless Love – TurboRider
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Star One – Revel in Time
2021
- Winner
  - Architects – For Those That Wish to Exist
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Iron Maiden – Senjutsu
2020
- Winner
  - Lady Gaga – Chromatica
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Reb Beach – A View From the Inside
2019
- Winner
  - McRocklin & Hutch – Riding Out
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Yngwie Malmsteen – Blue Lightning
2018 (tie)
- Winners
- Honourable mentions
2017 (tie)
- Winners
  - Greta Van Fleet – From the Fires
  - Steven Wilson – To the Bone
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Lynch Mob – The Brotherhood
2016
- Winner
  - Plini – Handmade Cities
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Dream Theater – The Astonishing
2015
- Winner
  - Coheed and Cambria – The Color Before the Sun
- Honourable mentions
2014
- Winner
  - You Me At Six – Cavalier Youth
- Honourable mentions
- Turkey of the year
  - Winger – Better Days Comin’
2013
- Winner
  - Jon Gomm – Secrets Nobody Keeps
- Honourable mentions
  - Alter Bridge – Fortress
  - Ólafur Arnalds – For Now I Am Winter
  - David Bowie – The Next Day
  - Hugh Laurie – Didn’t It Rain
  - Plini / Sithu Aye – I
- Turkey of the year
  - Johnny Flynn – Country Mile
2012
- Winner
  - Flying Colors – Flying Colors
- Honourable mentions
  - Chimp Spanner – All Roads Lead Here
  - Grand Magus – The Hunt
  - Max Richter – Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
  - Savage Messiah – Plague of Conscience
  - Tremonti – All I Was
2011
- Winner
  - You Me at Six – Sinners Never Sleep
- Honourable mentions
  - Evanescence – Evanescence
  - Hugh Laurie – Let Them Talk
  - Mr. Big – What If…
  - Myrath – Tales of the Sands
  - Scroobius Pip – Distraction Pieces
2010
- Winner
  - Furyon – Gravitas
- Honourable mentions
  - Cloudkicker – Beacons
  - The Damned Things – Ironiclast
  - Eluvietie – Everything Remains (As It Never Was)
  - My Chemical Romance – Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
  - Pendulum – Immersion
2009
- Winner
  - Amorphis – Skyforger
- Honourable mentions
  - Alestorm – Black Sails At Midnight
  - Florence & the Machine – Lungs
  - Halestorm – Halestorm
  - The Last Vegas – Whatever Gets You Off
  - Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2008
- Winner
  - You Me At Six – Take Off Your Colours
- Honourable mentions
  - Black Stone Cherry – Folklore and Superstition
  - Dan le Sac vs Scroopius Pip – Angles
  - Johnny Flynn – A Larum
  - Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
  - It Bites – The Tall Ships
2007
- Winner
  - Turisas – The Varangian Way
- Honourable mentions
  - Airbourne – Runnin’ Wild
  - Alter Bridge – Blackbird
  - Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow
  - Underworld – Oblivion With Bells
  - Vangelis – Blade Runner Trilogy
2006
- Winner
  - My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
- Honourable mentions
  - Buckcherry – 15
  - DragonForce – Inhuman Rampage
  - Guthrie Govan – Erotic Cakes
  - The Killers – Sam’s Town
  - Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
- Turkey of the year
  - Joe Satriani – Super Colossal
2005
- Winner
  - Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
- Honourable mentions
  - Crashdïet – Rest In Sleaze
  - Forty Deuce – Nothing to Lose
  - Hardcore Superstar – Hardcore Superstar
  - John 5 – Songs For Sanity
  - John Petrucci – Suspended Animation
- Turkey of the year
  - Nickelback – All the Right Reasons
2004 (tie)
- Winners
  - William Shatner – Has Been
  - Max Richter – The Blue Notebooks
- Honourable mentions
  - Alter Bridge – One Day Remains
  - Green Day – American Idiot
  - The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free
  - Velvet Revolver – Contraband
- Turkey of the year
  - Razorlight – Up All Night
2003
- Winner
  - The Darkness – Permission to Land
- Honourable mentions
  - Backyard Babies – Stockholm Syndrome
  - Larry Carlton – Sapphire Blue
  - Elbow – Cast of Thousands
  - Evanescence – Fallen
  - Skid Row – Thickskin
- Turkey of the year
  - The Coral – Magic And Medicine
2002
- Winner
  - Damien Rice – O
- Honourable mentions
  - A – Hi-Fi Serious
  - Freak Kitchen – Move
  - Paul Gilbert – Burning Organ
  - Porcupine Tree – In Absentia
  - Red Hot Chili Peppers – By the Way
- Turkey of the year
  - Rush – Vapor Trails
2001
- Winner
  - Buckcherry – Time Bomb
- Honourable mentions
  - Backyard Babies – Making Enemies Is Good
  - Beautiful Creatures – Beautiful Creatures
  - John Butler Trio – Three
  - Muse – Origin of Symmetry
  - Nickelback – Silver Side Up
- Turkey of the year
  - Stereophonics – Just Enough Education To Perform
2000
- Winner
  - Paul Gilbert – Alligator Farm
- Honourable mentions
  - Coldplay – Parachutes
  - Danger Danger – The Return of the Great Gildersleeves
  - Slash’s Snakepit – Ain’t Life Grand
  - Transmission OK – The Sky, the Stars and the Great Beyond
  - Wheatus – Wheatus
- Turkey of the year
  - Radiohead – Kid A
1999
- Winner
  - Underworld – Beaucoup Fish
- Honourable mentions
  - Buckcherry – Buckcherry
  - Ludovico Einaudi – Eden Roc
  - Powerman 5000 – Tonight the Stars Revolt!
  - Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication
  - Stereophonics – Performance and Cocktails
- Turkey of the year
  - Mr. Big – Get Over It
1998
- Winner
  - Barenaked Ladies – Stunt
- Honourable mentions
  - Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
  - Garbage – Version 2.0
  - David Gray – White Ladder
  - The Offspring – Americana
  - Joe Satriani – Crystal Planet
- Turkey of the year
  - Pulp – This Is Hardcore
1997
- Winner
  - Dream Theater – Falling Into Infinity
- Honourable mentions
  - Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
  - Mansun – Attack of the Grey Lantern
  - Primus – The Brown Album
  - The Prodigy – Fat of the Land
  - Radiohead – OK Computer
- Turkey of the year
  - Mötley Crüe – Generation Swine
1996
- Winner
  - The Presidents of the USA – The Presidents of the USA II
- Honourable mentions
  - Barenaked Ladies – Born on a Pirate Ship
  - Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
  - Matchbox Twenty – Yourself Or Someone Like You
  - Ocean Colour Scene – Moseley Shoals
  - Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
- Turkey of the year
  - Mr. Big – Hey Man
1995 (tie)
- Winners
  - Radiohead – The Bends
  - Pulp – Different Class
- Honourable mentions
  - Faith No More – King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime
  - Garbage – Garbage
  - The Presidents of the USA – The Presidents of the USA
  - Steve Vai – Alien Love Secrets
- Turkey of the year
  - Extreme – Waiting For the Punchline
1994
- Winner
  - Jeff Buckley – Grace
- Honourable mentions
  - Dream Theater – Awake
  - Gun – Swagger
  - Megadeth – Youthanasia
  - Mike Oldfield – Songs of Distant Earth
  - Portishead – Dummy
- Turkey of the year
  - Oasis – Definitely Maybe
1993
- Winner
  - Sting – Ten Summoner’s Tales
- Honourable mentions
  - Anthrax – Sound of White Noise
  - Jan Cyrka – Spirit
  - Jamiroquai – Emergency on Planet Earth
  - Poison – Native Tongue
  - Steve Vai – Sex & Religion
- Turkey of the year
  - Love/Hate – Let’s Rumble
1992 (tie)
- Winners
  - Dream Theater – Images and Words
  - Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
  - Joe Satriani – The Extremist
  - T-Ride – T-Ride
- Honourable mentions
  - Barenaked Ladies – Gordon
  - Jan Cyrka – Beyond the Common Ground
  - Extreme – III Sides to Every Story
  - Faith No More – Angel Dust
  - Peter Gabriel – Us
  - King’s X – King’s X
  - Love/Hate – Wasted In America
  - Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction
- Turkey of the year
  - Electric Boys – Groovus Maximus
1991
- Winner
  - Mr. Big – Lean Into It
- Honourable mentions
  - Danger Danger – Screw It!
  - Enuff Z’Nuff – Strength
  - Metallica – Metallica
  - Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears
  - Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese
  - Dan Reed Network – The Heat
  - David Lee Roth – A Little Ain’t Enough
  - Saigon Kick – Saigon Kick
  - The Scream – Let It Scream
  - Skid Row – Slave to the Grind
  - Dweezil Zappa – Confessions
- Turkey of the year
  - Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion (I & II)
1990
- Winner
  - Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare
- Honourable mentions
  - Extreme – Pornograffitti
  - Richie Kotzen – Fever Dream
  - Love/Hate – Blackout in the Red Room
  - Lynch Mob – Wicked Sensation
  - Pantera – Cowboys From Hell
  - Queensrÿche – Empire
  - Thunder – Backstreet Symphony
  - Winger – In the Heart of the Young
- Turkey of the year
  - Iron Maiden – No Prayer for the Dying
1989
- Winner
  - Aerosmith – Pump
- Honourable mentions
  - D-A-D – No Fuel Left for the Pilgrims
  - Electric Boys – Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride
  - Faith No More – The Real Thing
  - King’s X – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
  - Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood
  - Mr. Big – Mr. Big
  - Rush – Presto
  - Joe Satriani – Flying In a Blue Dream
  - Skid Row – Skid Row
  - Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
- Turkey of the year
  - Warrant – Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich
1988
- Winner
  - David Lee Roth – Skyscraper
- Honourable mentions
  - Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
  - It Bites – Once Around the World
  - Jean-Michel Jarre – Revolutions
  - Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest For the Wicked
  - Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime
- Turkey of the year
  - Van Halen – OU812
1987
- Winner
  - Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
- Honourable mentions
  - Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation
  - Pink Floyd – A Momentary Lapse of Reason
  - Joe Satriani – Surfing With the Alien
  - Sting – Nothing Like the Sun
  - Whitesnake – Whitesnake
- Turkey of the year
  - Mötley Crüe – Girls Girls Girls
1986
- Winner
  - Peter Gabriel – So
- Honourable mentions
  - Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
  - Metallica – Master of Puppets
  - Queen – A Kind of Magic
  - David Lee Roth – Eat ’Em and Smile
  - Van Halen – 5150
- Turkey of the year
  - Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged In
1985
- Winner
  - Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms
1984
- Winner
  - Iron Maiden – Powerslave
- Honourable mentions
  - Steve Vai – Flex-Able
  - Van Halen – 1984
1983
- Winner
  - Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
- Honourable mentions
  - David Bowie – Let’s Dance
  - Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood
1982
- Winner
  - Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
- Honourable mention
  - Dire Straits – Love Over Gold
1981
- Winner
  - Mötley Crüe – Too Fast For Love
1980
- Winner
  - AC/DC – Back in Black
- Honourable mention
  - Van Halen – Women and Children First
1979
- Winner
  - Pink Floyd – The Wall
- Honourable mentions
  - AC/DC – Highway to Hell
  - Van Halen – Van Halen II
1978
- Winner
  - Van Halen – Van Halen
- Honourable mentions
  - Dire Straits – Dire Straits
  - Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music For Airports
1977
- Winner
  - Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
- Dishonourable mention
  - The Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks…
1976
- Winner
  - Jean-Michel Jarre – Oxygene
1975
- Winner
  - Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
- Honourable mentions
  - Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffitti
  - Queen – A Night at the Opera
1974
- Winner
  - Queen – Sheer Heart Attack
- Honourable mention
  - Deep Purple – Burn