Top 5 Records
“Boxer,” The National (Beggars Banquet)
“In Rainbows,” Radiohead (N/A)
“Armchair Apocrypha,” Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
“Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” Spoon (Merge)
“23,” Blonde Redhead (4AD)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Local Records
“Armchair Apocrypha,” Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
“The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir,” The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (Bloodshot)
“Brighton, MA,” Brighton, MA (Loose Tooth)
“Fresh Rot,” Mannequin Men (Flameshovel)
“Devastator,” STAR (Lovely Rebel)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Records
“Pavarotti: The Studio Albums,” Luciano Pavarotti (Decca)
“When the Soul is Settled: Music Of Iraq,” Rahim Al Haj & Souhail Kaspar, (Smithsonian Folkways)
“Afriki,” Habib Koité & Bamada, (Cumbancha)
“Indian Summer,” Dave Brubeck, (Telarc)
“Beethoven Complete Symphonies,” Sir Georg Solti & the Chicago Symphony (Decca)
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Records
“Armchair Apocrypha,” Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
“Ash Wednesday,” Elvis Perkins (XL)
“The Reminder,” Feist (Interscope)
“Sound of Silver,” LCD Soundsystem (DFA)
“The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir,” The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (Bloodshot)
—K. Tighe
Top 5 Records
“Mirrored,” Battles (Warp)
“Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” Of Montreal (Polyvinyl)
“Sound of Silver,” LCD Soundsystem (DFA)
“Armchair Apocrypha,” Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
“Untrue,” Burial (Hyperdub)
—Noah Levine
Top 5 Records
“White Chalk,” PJ Harvey (Island)
“The Good, The Bad & The Queen,” The Good, The Bad & The Queen (EMI)
“Tromatic Reflexxions,” Von Sudenfed (Domino)
“Happy Birthday,” Modeselektor (Bpitchcontrol)
“None Shall Pass,” Aesop Rock (Def Jux)
—Brad Knutson
Top 5 Electronic Records
“Sound of Silver,” LCD Soundsystem (DFA)
“From Here We Go Sublime,” The Field (Kompakt)
“Andorra,” Caribou (Merge)
“†,” Justice (Ed Banger)
“Digital Shades: Volume 1,” M83 (Mute)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Electronic Records
“Untrue,” Burial (Hyperdub)
“Chromophobia,” Gui Boratto (Kompakt Germany)
“†,” Justice (Ed Banger)
“From Here We Go Sublime,” The Field (Kompakt)
“Tromatic Reflexxions,” Von Sudenfed (Domino)
—Noah Levine
Top 5 Hip-Hop Records
“Kala,” M.I.A. (Interscope)
“Graduation,” Kanye West (Island Def Jam)
“8 Diagrams,” Wu-Tang Clan (SRC/Universal Motown/Loud)
“The Big Doe Rehab,” Ghostface Killah (Def Jam)
“American Gangster,” Jay-Z (Roc-A-Fella)
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Shows
Sonic Youth, Pitchfork Music Festival
Daft Punk, Lollapalooza
Yo La Tengo, Lakeshore Theater
Smoosh, Empty Bottle
Andrew Bird, Riviera Theatre
—Tom Lynch
Top 5 Shows
Daft Punk, Lollapalooza
Peter Bjorn & John, Empty Bottle
TV On The Radio, Metro
Fujiya & Miyagi, Empty Bottle
Of Montreal, Pitchfork Music Festival
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Classical Concerts
Placido Domingo, Ravinia
Riccardo Chailly, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Victoria Mullova all-Bach, Mandel Hall
Juilliard Quartet, Complete Bartok Quartets
Vermeer Quartet, Seven Last Words of Christ
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Club Nights
Switch, Smart Bar
Ed Banger/Throne of Blood Lollapalooza After Party, Green Dolphin
Radio Soulwax Presents 2manydjs & Nite Versions Live, Metro
Booka Shade, Funky Buddha Lounge
Tiga, Smart Bar
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Wish-I-Made-It Regrets
Claude Vonstroke, Smart Bar
Joakim, Empty Bottle
Sonic Youth, Pitchfork
Jamie Lidell, Pitchfork
Chromeo, Empty Bottle
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Rainy-Day Electronic Tracks
“Whitmey Na,” Raz Ohara (Kindisch)
“Deserter” (Four Tet Remix), Matthew Dear (Ghostly International)
“Floating” (Prins Thomas Diskomiks), Jape (Marine Parade)
“Prism #1” (Prince Language Remix), Stateless (K7 Records)
“The City, The Airport” (CSS Remix), Lonely Dear (Something In Contruction)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Left-Field Electronic Tracks
“Thou Shalt Always Kill,” Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (Lex Records)
“Applejuice,” Krazy Bladhead (Ed Banger Records)
“Tomcat” (Mock’s Mod Mix), Mock & Toof (Tiny Sticks Records)
“Lonely Planet,” Shit Robot (DFA)
“Start Being Nicer” (Tomorrow Mix By P.E.T.), Torpedo Boyz (Sounds From The Roof)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Dance Tracks
“Itchy Dog,” Jesse Rose (Dubsided)
“Moan” (Radio Slave’s Remix For K), Trentemoller (Poker Flat)
“Whizkid” (Jacob London Urincontrol Mix), Style Of Eye (Bump Music)
“Yes Yes Y’all feat. Roxanne Shante” (Sinden Baile Funk Mix), Mekon (PIAS/Wall Of Sound)
“Jam On It” (DJ T Remix), Newcleus (Deeplay Soultec)
—Duke Shin
Top 5 Mix CDs
“Sunkissed,” g-Ha & Olanskii (Smallsound Supersound)
“Fabric 36‚” Ricardo Villalobos (Fabric)
“Science Faction: Dubstep‚” DJ Clever (Breakbeat Science)
“DJ Kicks‚” Booka Shade (K7)
“Speicher 3‚” Michael Mayer & Joerg Burger, (Kompakt Extra)
—Noah Levine
Top 5 Dance Cuts
“D.A.N.C.E.,” Justice
“Beautiful Life‚” Gui Boratto
“Get Innocuous‚” LCD Soundsystem
“You Know I’m No Good‚”Amy Winehouse
“Flooded‚” Von Sudenfed
—Noah Levine
Top 5 Music DVDs
Sir Georg Solti: The Maestro (Decca)
Duke Ellington Live in ’58 (Jazz Icons)
3 Penny Opera (Criterion Collection)
John Coltrane Live in ’60, ’61 & ’65 (Jazz Icons)
Sarah Vaughan Live in ’58 & ’64 (Jazz Icons)
—Dennis Polkow
Top 5 Bands That Sing in Languages Other Than English
Aleks & the Drummer
Sin Orden
Condenada
Right Eye Rita
Brilliant Pebbles
—ELR
Related Stories
Newcity’s Top 5 of Everything 2017: Music The finest Chicago heard in the past calendar year.- Music Top 5 1 KURT ELLING QUINTET (Green Mill) Elling at the Green Door is about as bona fide a slice of Chicago iconography as you can get these days. Expect a sold-out—and adoring—crowd. August 12 2 YOUSSOU N’DOUR (Jay Pritzker Pavilion) The legendary Senegalese singer-songwriter is just the kind of force of nature who can meet the Chicago lakefront on its own…
- Music Top 5: May 2018 Liz Vice has the voice (and the bio) of a blues singer, but instead sings gospel-inflected R&B, creating a gorgeous, hair-raising fusion.
- Music Top 5: May 2019 With her exuberant self-empowerment single “Juice,” the irrepressible singer-rapper-flautist has positioned herself as one of 2019’s defining voices.
- Music Top 5: November 2018 West Side rapper Saba hosts the second annual John Walt Day benefit, named for his late cousin and major influence and with proceeds going to Chicago youth.
