It is that time of the year where we take a look back and reflect on the best in entertainment. As I said last week, when I reviewed my picks in Television; it has been a few years since I did this. I have forgotten how much fun it was reflecting on such things, especially in a year with so much diversity. Of course, if you go by the Billboard chart you may be a bit disappointed if you think you will find much of anything of merit there. It has been a rough and repetitive year in "popular" music. Maybe it is because I am getting older, but a lot of it sounds like crap to me. If I can be so blunt.
That being said, there are some gems there and I mostly stumbled upon some diamonds in the rough through friends and family, and people on my various social media platforms. I create these lists to share with my public what I like, what I feel is the cream of the crop in these various fields of entertainment and my highest of recommendations.
Per usual, some of my choices may surprise, but for the most part I am proud of my list (narrowed down to 31 entries, from my original shortlist of 62). I still am baffled when critics can come up with just 10. It helped me to concentrate on albums. Childish Gambino's This Is America is actually the only "single" to make my list this year. The other 30 are albums, audiobooks and a podcast.
All listed in alphabetical order by title.
Enjoy & be entertained.
A lot of these you can listen to (and watch) through dynamic searches on YouTube.
Post Malone
BEERBONGS AND BENTLEYS
Kendrick Lamar and Various Artists,
BLACK PANTHER - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Trevor Noah
BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD
Beck
COLORS
Questlove
CREATIVE QUEST
Migos
CULTURE II
Dua Lipa
DUA LIPA
Dave Chappelle
EQUANIMITY AND THE BIRD REVELATION
Kane Brown
EXPERIMENT
Jimmy Carter
FAITH - A JOURNEY FOR ALL
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
Leon Bridges
GOOD THING
Various Artists,
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Jon Batiste
HOLLYWOOD AFRICANS
Cardi B
INVASION OF PRIVACY
Marcus Miller
LAID BACK
Tiffany Haddish
THE LAST BLACK UNICORN
alexander.paak
OXNARD
XXXTentacion
?
Ziggy Marley
REBELLION RISES
Drake
SCORPION
U2
SONGS OF EXPERIENCE
Seal
STANDARDS
Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper & Various Artists
A STAR IS BORN - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Lil Wayne
THA CARTER V
Bettye LaVette
THINGS HAVE CHANGED
Childish Gambino
THIS IS AMERICA
Luke Combs
THIS ONE'S FOR YOU
John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper, Brandon Victor Dixon & Various Artists,
TIM RICE & ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT
SOUNDTRACK
Barbra Streisand
WALLS
Miguel
WAR & LEISURE
