EWB's Top 100 Artists of 2012

[gunnar hendershow]

Okay, so in my first attempt at taking over the running of this list from interim list-runner GoGo I had to debate between the method used last year and the one YI used regularly when he was running the list. I decided to use the system where all picks receiving multiple votes are multiplied by the number of lists on which they appeared. So, before I get to revealing the actual list, I'll do the annual list of artists that almost made it but didn't.

- Elvis Costello

- Testament

- Neutral Milk Hotel

- Weezer

- Aphex Twin

- Linkin Park

- LCD Soundsystem

- Earth

- 30 Seconds to Mars

- Kasabian

- Slayer

- Queen

- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

- Led Zeppelin

[fr34k]

I don't think I've voted for any of those (maybe Neutral Milk Hotel) but this is a shame. A fair number of these I wouldn't have minded at all. I thought for sure Weezer was gonna be in here.

[GoGo Yubari]

Weezer is fairly surprising, yeah. Linkin Park not making it makes me happy, though.

[fr34k]

Yeah, after one of their records made the Top 5 last year I think, this is good news.

[Josh]

Yeah, that's a mixed bag. Shame to see Elvis Costello and some others missed out, but the remainder gives me hope this might work out.

[gunnar hendershow]

AND NOW! IT BEGINS!

#100 - MICHAEL JACKSON

(27 Points | 3 Votes)

#96 - SCOTT WALKER

(28 Points | 2 Votes)

#96 - FIONA APPLE

(28 Points | 2 Votes)

#96 - ALESTORM

(28 Points | 2 Votes)

#96 - BOB DYLAN

(28 Points | 2 Votes)

[GoGo Yubari]

Solid group. I believe MJ was somewhere near the bottom of my 15 because I picked up Thriller finally in the last year and have really started to appreciate a lot of the songs of his I missed due to age + that not being an area of interest culturally for me. So in the last year I've really started to appreciate Michael Jackson the R&B singer as opposed to Michael Jackson the punchline. My favorite solo song of his is probably a very close battle between "Rock With You," "I Can't Help It," and "Human Nature."

Scott Walker is one of those guys that has a passionate EWB fanbase but I've never heard anything of.

I'm starting to get into Fiona Apple too! I downloaded all of Tidal over the course of the last couple weeks (using a free service that lets you download three songs off their library a week) and I'm working on the 1999 one with the impossible title. She's quite good. Slight chance of making my 15 next year.

Alestorm are a gimmick and also metal. Can't get into them.

Bob Dylan remains a project I have yet to feel ready to properly delve into. I like songs that he's written but in no way would call myself a fan as of yet.

[KONGO]

This lists rarely interest me just 'cause my taste is so poorly represented. Michael Jackson is alright and I like some Dylan. Others I don't really know at all. Hope something fun comes up soon!

[Your Mom]

Love Fiona Apple. Glad someone else voted for her so she could make the list. Dont know what Alestorm or Scott Walker are. Dylan and MJ are decent. I like some songs from each of them.

[SRN]

Oh, wo-hey! Scott Walker! Not really surprised to see Michael Jackson that low, this is EWB after all. I don't care much for Fiona Apple although I have yet to make up my mind yet; I've only ever heard her debut album. However, Alestorm are terrible and shouldn't be on this list. Bob Dylan being this low also makes me sad. But at least Scott Walker actually got on the list. High-five to Skummy.

[Josh]

Yeah, Dylan should be, like, Top 25. If not Top 10.

[METALMAN]

I am astounded that Linkin Park didn't make it.

Michael Jackson...I never know what to say about him. He has a few undeniably brilliant songs - I love Human Nature and Blame It On The Boogie. Most of his other singles were good too. However, I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable listening to his music because of some of the stuff he got up to, which is strange, as this doesn't happen when I listen to music made by other bad men, like John Lennon, John Martyn and Phil Spector. Maybe it is because their music is more indispensable to me. Either way, it is massively hypocritical of me. Anyway, Michael Jackson had lots of good songs.

I voted for Scott Walker. He is great. Very unique, stirring music.

I listened to Fiona Apple for the first time recently. I think it was her debut. Previously I'd always been a bit hostile towards her music because of her ludicrous habit of using dreadful poetry as an album title. But I really quite liked this album. You won't catch me listening to the one with the silly name though!

I don't know Alestorm, aside from their yearly appearances in this list. I don't think I'd like them.

Bob Dylan is really good. Yes, he is a dirty, rotten, plagiarising scoundrel, but he is good at it! I think I voted for him too, though more because of his body of work than his so-so new album.

[gunnar hendershow]

#89 - HOP ALONG

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - CARLY RAE JEPSEN

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - THE SPECIALS

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - FOUR YEAR STRONG

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - THE BEACH BOYS

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - EVANESCENCE

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

#89 - LADY GAGA

(30 Points | 2 Votes)

[LittleDaniel]

I'm pretty offended that all those bands tied with Hop Along. Beach Boys are alright I guess. But does Carly Rae have any other songs besides that one famous one? And is Evanescense really still a thing?

[gunnar hendershow]

LD you don't understand. Look at all the sex appeal in that list!

[SRN]

Carly Rae Jepsen came higher than Bob Dylan? :/ I can't believe bands like Four Year Strong and Evanescence made it on to this list above Earth, Elvis Costello, Aphex Twin or even Neutral Milk Hotel. How absolutely horrifying.

Oh god, Cher Lloyd is going to be #1, right?

[Jimmy]

Awesome to see The Specials on there. Otherwise, not a huge group of people I listen to or love. But Evanescene has some classics

[LittleDaniel]

LD you don't understand. Look at all the sex appeal in that list!

I think you're confusing this list with another YI used to run!

[gunnar hendershow]

LD you don't understand. Look at all the sex appeal in that list!

I think you're confusing this list with another YI used to run!

EWB's Top 50 Cattle Ranchers?

[probablyoliver]

Oh hey, Hop Along. Awesome. Everyone should totally go and listen to Get Disowned because it's one of the best albums of 2012.