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.

  • 2021
    • Winner
      • Architects – For Those That Wish to Exist
    • Honourable mentions
      • Black Veil Brides – The Phantom Tomorrow
      • Buckcherry – Hellbound
      • Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
      • Evanescence – The Bitter Truth
      • Frost* – Day and Age
      • Gojira – Fortitude
      • London Grammar – Californian Soil
      • George Lynch – Seamless
      • The Offspring – Let the Bad Times Roll
      • Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
      • You Me at Six – Suckapunch
    • Turkey of the year
      • Iron Maiden – Senjutsu
  • 2020
    • Winner
      • Lady Gaga – Chromatica
    • Honourable mentions
      • Jon Gomm – The Faintest Idea
      • Green Day – Father of All Motherf***ers
      • Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
      • Nuclear Power Trio – A Clear and Present Rager
      • Plini – Impulse Voices
      • Protest the Hero – Palimpsest
      • Public Enemy – What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?
      • Taylor Swift – Evermore
      • Taylor Swift – Folklore
    • Turkey of the year
      • Reb Beach – A View From the Inside
  • 2019
    • Winner
      • McRocklin & Hutch – Riding Out
    • Honourable mentions
      • Alter Bridge – Walk the Sky
      • Blood Stain Child – Amateras
      • Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
      • Elbow – Giants of All Sizes
      • Eluveitie – Ategnatos
      • The End Machine – The End Machine
      • KXM – Circle of Dolls
      • Mr. Fastfinger – Mountain Tone
      • Tool – Fear Inoculum
      • Voyager – Colours in the Sun
      • Ed Wynne – Shimmer Into Nature
    • Turkey of the year
      • Yngwie Malmsteen – Blue Lightning
  • 2018 (tie)
    • Winners
      • Greta Van Fleet – Anthem of the Peaceful Army
      • Michael Romeo – War of the Worlds Pt.1
      • Mika Tyyskä – Night Overdrive
    • Honourable mentions
      • Alice in Chains – Rainier Fog
      • Amorphis – Queen of Time
      • Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis, Act 1: The Unheavenly Creatures
      • Gus G. – Fearless
      • Hyvmine – Earthquake
      • Myles Kennedy – Year of the Tiger
      • McRocklin – New Beginnings
      • Nita Strauss – Controlled Chaos
      • Toska – Fire By the Silos
  • 2017 (tie)
    • Winners
      • Greta Van Fleet – From the Fires
      • Steven Wilson – To the Bone
    • Honourable mentions
      • Jonathan Coulton – Solid State
      • KXM – Scatterbrain
      • Lonely Robot – The Big Dream
      • David Maxim Micic – Who Bit the Moon
      • Oh Wonder – Ultralife
      • Sons of Apollo – Psychotic Symphony
      • You Me at Six – Night People
      • Jakub Zytecki – Ladder Head
    • Turkey of the year
      • Lynch Mob – The Brotherhood
  • 2016
    • Winner
      • Plini – Handmade Cities
    • Honourable mentions
      • David Bowie – Blackstar
      • The Dead Daisies – Make Some Noise
      • Frost* – Falling Satellites
      • Mandroid Echostar – Coral Throne
      • Sithu Aye – Set Course For Andromeda
    • Turkey of the year
      • Dream Theater – The Astonishing
  • 2015
    • Winner
      • Coheed and Cambria – The Color Before the Sun
    • Honourable mentions
      • Furyon – Lost Salvation
      • Lonely Robot – Please Come Home
      • Mumford & Sons – Wilder Mind
    • Plini – The End of Everything
      • Teramaze – Her Halo
  • 2014
    • Winner
      • You Me At Six – Cavalier Youth
    • Honourable mentions
      • Sebastian Bach – Give ‘Em Hell
      • Black Veil Brides – Black Veil Brides
      • Buckcherry – F**k
      • Elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything
      • Slash – World on Fire
    • 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
      • Hugh Laurie – Let Them Talk
      • Mr. Big – What If...
      • Myrath – Tales of the Sands
      • Scroobius Pip – Distraction Pieces
      • Evanescence – Evanescence
  • 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
      • Ozzy Osbourne – No Rest For the Wicked
      • Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime
      • Jean-Michel Jarre – Revolutions
    • 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
      • Whitesnake – 1987
      • Sting – Nothing Like the Sun
    • 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