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Top 100

See Our Top 100 Albums of 2020!

Thanks to the 500+ listeners who weighed in with their Top 10 Albums of 2020! We are busy crunching the numbers and preparing to share the results during our annual New Year’s Eve countdown. Tune in all day form 8am-6pm as we unveil the list and we’ll also update this page as the results go live. While there may not have been a lot to love in 2020, artists found a way to inspire us, challenge us, and transport us. Whether it was rock’s old guard burnishing their legacy with great new albums (Dylan! Springsteen!), newer artists who burst onto the scene or broke through in a big way this year, or some Central Virginia’s best homegrown artists releasing excellent records, this list (YOUR list!) is a great snapshot of the diverse and wonderful world of music that carried us through highs and lows of this year. Thanks again and check out the list below!

Top Albums of 2020:

100-81 / 80-61 / 60-41 /40-21 / 20-1

(Full Text List)
(more…)

2021-02-22T14:35:22-05:00December 30th, 2020|
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Revisit Our Top 100 of 2019

Thanks again to everyone who voted for their favorite albums of 2019! See how your top 10 stacked up against other listeners and check out the full countdown below as well as playlist with featured songs from each of our top 100 albums.

Top 100 Albums of 2019:

100. Saw Black – Space Heater EP
99. Lily & Madeleine – Cantebury Girls
98. Penny & Sparrow – Finch
97. The Revivalists – Take Good Care
96. Adia Victoria – Silences
95. Bakar – Will You Be My Yellow?
94. Anders Osborne -Buddha and the Blues
93. Middle Kids – New Songs for Old Problems
92. Charley Crockett – The Valley
91. David Gray – Gold in a Brass Age
90. Vagabon – Vagabon
89. Jay Som – Anak Ko
88. White Reaper – You Deserve Love
87. Men I Trust – Oncle Jazz
86. Guster – Look Alive
85. Orville Peck – Pony
84. Bear’s Den – So That You Might Hear Me
83. Robert Randolph & the Family Band – Brighter Days
82. Seratones – Power
81. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe – Gnomes & Badgers
80. Angie McMahon – Salt
79. Sleepwalkers – Ages
78. Beirut – Gallipoli
77. Jakob Dylan – Echo in the Canyon
76.Son Volt – Union
75. Keller Williams – Add
74. The Claypool Lennon Delirium – South of Reality
73. Yola – Walk Through the Fire
72. Broken Social Scene – Let’s Try the After Vol. 2
71. Catfish & The Bottlemen – The Balance
70. Citizen Cope – Heroin & Helicopters
69. Willie Nelson – Ride Me Back Home
68. John Butler Trio – Home
67. Jeb Loy Nichols & The Westwood All-Stars – June is Short, July is Long
66. Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima
65. Bruce Hornsby – Voyager One
64. Patty Griffin – Patty Griffin
63. Santana – Africa Speaks
62. Dylan LeBlanc – Renegade
61. Mavis Staples – We Get By
60. Shovels & Rope – By Blood
59. Of Monsters and Men – Fever Dream
58. Madison Cunningham – Who Are You Now
57. Pixies – Beneath the Eyrie
56. Rodrigo y Gabriela – Mettavolution
55. Whitney – Forever Turned Around!
54. Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt 2
53. Kishi Bashi – Omoiyari
52. Angel Olsen – All Mirrors
51. Hackensaw Boys – A Fireproof House of Sunshine
50. Coldplay – Everyday Life
49. The Infamous Stringdusters – Rise Sun
48. Local Natives – Violet Street
47. Jade Bird – Jade Bird
46. City and Colour – A Pill for Loneliness
45. Clairo – Immunity
44. Death Cab for Cutie – The Blue
43. Christone Kingfish Ingram – Kingfish
42. Nilufer Yanya – Miss Universe
41. Lucy Dacus – 2019 EP
40. Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
39. Grace Potter – Daylight
38. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)
37. Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
36. The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger
35. The New Pornographers – In the Morse Code of Brake Lights
34. Caamp – By and By
33. Hozier – Wasteland Baby!
32. The Head & the Heart – Living Mirage
31. Jenny Lewis – On the Line
30. The National – I am Easy to Find
29. Strand of Oaks – Eraserland
28. The Avett Brothers – Closer Than Together
27. Mandolin Orange – Tides of a Teardrop
26. Josh Ritter – Fever Breaks
25. Calexico and Iron & Wine – Years to Burn
24. Black Pumas – Black Pumas
23. The Black Keys – Let’s Rock
22. David Wax Museum – Line of Light
21. Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center
20. Tyler Childers – Country Squire
19. The Lumineers – III
18. Van Morrison – Three Chords & the Truth
17. Andrew Bird – My Finest Work Yet
16. Wilco – Ode to Joy
15. Cage the Elephant – Social Cues
14. Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka
13. Beck – Hyperspace
12. Bon Iver – I, I
11. Maggie Rogers – Heard It in a Past Life
10. Gary Clark Jr. – This Land
9. Tedeschi Trucks Band – Signs
8. Fruit Bats – Gold Past Life
7. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
6. Brittany Howard – Jaime
5. Hiss Golden Messenger – Terms of Surrender
4. Illiterate Light – Illiterate Light
3. Billy Strings – Home
2. Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury
1. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

2020-12-31T11:40:51-05:00December 31st, 2019|
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WNRN’s Top 100 Albums of 2018

Thanks to everyone for voting on the Top Albums of 2018! You can see the full list below

1. Leon Bridges – Good Thing
2. Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You
3. Lucy Dacus – Historian
4. Neko Case – Hell-On
5. Tash Sultana – Flow State
6. The Marcus King Band – Carolina Confessions
7. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
8. Gold Connections – Popular Fiction
9. Israel Nash – Lifted
10. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
11. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing at the Seams
12. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
13. Shemekia Copeland – America’s Child
14. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
15. Angelique Kidjo – Remain In Light
16. Lake Street Dive – Free Yourself Up
17. Mark Knopfler – Down the Road Wherever
18. Middle Kids – Lost Friends
19. Dawes – Passwords
20. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Look Now
21. Death Cab for Cutie – Thank You for Today
22. Dave Matthews Band – Come Tomorrow
23. Kurt Vile – Bottle It In
24. The Wood Brothers – One Drop of Truth
25. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Young Sick Camellia
26. Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon
27. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Live at the Ryman
28. Dr. Dog – Critical Equation
29. Amos Lee – No More Darkness, No More Light
30. Anderson East – Encore
31. Lord Huron – Vide Noir
32. Aaron Lee Tasjan – Karma For Cheap
33. Various Artists – Johnny Cash: Forever Words
34. Alejandro Escovedo – The Crossing
35. Charley Crockett – Lonesome as a Shadow
36. The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
37. Rainbow Kitten Suprise – How To: Friend, Love, Freefall
38. First Aid Kit – Ruins
39. John Prine – The Tree of Forgiveness
40. Sons of Bill – Oh God Ma’am
41. Shakey Graves – Can’t Wake Up
42. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – Forget About Georgia
43. Florence + the Machine – High as Hope
44. Strong Water – Bearfoot
45. Ruston Kelly – Dying Star
46. Trampled by Turtles – Life Is Good on the Open Road
47. Free Union – Free Union EP
48. Ziggy Marley – Rebellion Rises
49. boygenius – boygenius EP
50. Gregory Alan Isakov – Evening Machines
51. Rayland Baxter – Wide Awake
52. Rubblebucket – Sun Machine
53. The Record Company – All of This Life
54. Old Crow Medicine Show – Volunteer
55. Jim James – Uniform Distortion
56. River Whyless – Kindness, A Rebel
57. Tom Petty – An American Treasure
58. Caroline Rose – Loner
59. John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions
60. David Byrne – American Utopia
61. Hiss Golden Messenger – Virgo Fool
62. Mt. Joy – Mt. Joy
63. Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie
64. Natalie Prass – The Future and the Past
65. Soccer Mommy – Clean
66. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog
67. Mumford & Sons – Delta
68. I’m With Her – See You Around
69. Rob Cheatham – Villians and Ghosts
70. Hippo Campus – Bambi
71. King Tuff – The Other
72. Amanda Shires – To the Sunset
73. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
74. Horse Feathers – Appreciation
75. Iron & Wine – Weed Garden
76. MGMT – Little Dark Age
77. The War and Treaty – Healing Tide
78. John Butler Trio – Home
79. Charles Bradley – Black Velvet
80. Calexico – The Thread That Keeps Us
81. Eels – The Deconstruction
82. Sam Lewis – Loversity
83. Villagers – The Art of Pretending to Swim
84. Wild Child – Expectations
85. Tall Heights – Pretty Colors for Your Actions
86. Ray LaMontagne – Part of the Light
87. Caamp – Boys (Side B)
88. Gorillaz – The Now Now
89. Borns – Blue Madonna
90. Sarah White – High Flyer
91. Abso Facto – Thousand Pieces
92. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
93. Lo Moon – Lo Moon
94. Sleepwalkers – Ages
95. Darlingside – Extralife
96. The Bright Light Social Hour – Missing Something
97. Brazilian Girls – Let’s Make Love
98. The Internet – Hive Mind
99. Mitski – Be the Cowboy
100. Richard Thompson – 13 Rivers

2020-12-30T12:10:21-05:00December 31st, 2018|
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WNRN’s Top 100 Albums of 2017

Thanks to everyone for voting on the Top Albums of 2018! As we gear up for the final countdown on New Year’s Eve, we’re revisiting last year’s Top 100 on air throughout the day. You can see the full list and listen to songs from each album on our Spotify playlist below.

  1. The War on Drugs, A Deeper Understanding
  2. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, The Nashville Sound
  3. Ryan Adams, Prisoner
  4. Spoon, Hot Thoughts
  5. Father John Misty, Pure Comedy
  6. Beck, Colors
  7. LCD Soundsystem, American Dream
  8. The National, Sleep Well Beast
  9. Fleet Foxes, Crack-Up
  10. Alt-J, Relaxer
  11. Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Volume 1
  12. Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
  13. Sylvan Esso, What Now
  14. Hiss Golden Messenger, Hallelujah Anyhow
  15. Chicano Batman, Freedom Is Free
  16. St. Vincent, Masseduction
  17. Gov’t Mule, Revolution Come… Revolution Go
  18. Iron and Wine, Beast Epic
  19. Big Thief, Capacity
  20. Margo Price, All American Made
  21. Arcade Fire, Everything Now
  22. JD McPherson, Undividided Heart and Soul
  23. Alvvays, Antisocialites
  24. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice
  25. Deer Tick, Deer Tick Vol. 1
  26. David Wax Museum, Electric Artifacts
  27. Portugal. The Man, Woodstock
  28. Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
  29. Dan Auerbach, Waiting on a Song
  30. The xx, I See You
  31. Deer Tick, Deer Tick Vol. 2
  32. Lorde, Melodrama
  33. The New Pornographers, Whiteout Conditions
  34. Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Barefoot in the Head
  35. Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Volume 2
  36. Turnpike Troubadours, A Long Way from Your Heart
  37. Gregg Allman, Southern Blood
  38. Kamasi Washington, Harmony of Difference
  39. David Rawlings, Poor David’s Almanack
  40. Valerie June, The Order of Time
  41. Future Islands, The Far Field
  42. Cold War Kids, L.A. Divine
  43. The Shins, Heartworms
  44. Jack Johnson, All the Light Above It Too
  45. Broken Social Scene, Hug of Thunder
  46. The Lone Bellow, Walk Into a Storm
  47. Aimee Mann, Mental Illness
  48. Maggie Rogers, Now That the Light Is Fading [EP]
  49. Middle Kids, Middle Kids EP
  50. The Steel Wheels, Wild As We Came Here
  51. Laura Marling, Semper Femina
  52. Tyler Childers, Purgatory
  53. Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White, Gentlewoman, Ruby Man
  54. Phoebe Bridgers, Stranger in the Alps
  55. Steve Earle and the Dukes, So You Wanna Be an Outlaw
  56. Jeb Loy Nichols, Country Hustle
  57. Foo Fighters, Concrete and Gold
  58. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Navigator
  59. Rhiannon Giddens, Freedom Highway
  60. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Backlash
  61. Old 97’s featuring Brandi Carlile, Graveyard Whistling
  62. Kevin Morby, City Music
  63. Josh Ritter, Gathering
  64. Elbow, Little Fictions
  65. Grizzly Bear, Painted Ruins
  66. Son Volt, Notes of Blue
  67. Queens of the Stone Age, Villains
  68. Billy Strings, Turmoil and Tinfoil
  69. Blitzen Trapper, Wild and Reckless
  70. The Barr Brothers, Queen of the Breakers
  71. U2, Songs of Experience
  72. Radiohead, Ok Computer: OKNOTOK 1997 – 2017
  73. Beach Fossils, Somersault
  74. Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Soul of a Woman
  75. The Killers, Wonderful Wonderful
  76. Alison Krauss, Windy City
  77. I’m With Her, Little Lies EP
  78. The Infamous Stringdusters, Laws of Gravity
  79. This is the Kit, Moonshine Freeze
  80. Waxahatchee, Out in the Storm
  81. Strand of Oaks, Hard Love
  82. Tennis, Yours Conditionally
  83. Phoenix, Ti Amo
  84. Scott Miller, Ladies Auxiliary
  85. Depeche Mode, Spirit
  86. Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Echo in the Valley
  87. Mavis Staples, If All I Was Was Black
  88. Thundercat, Drunk
  89. Langhorne Slim, Lost at Last Vol. 1
  90. Kendall Street Company, Space for Days
  91. Taj Mahal and Keb Mo, TajMo
  92. Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men, Prick of the Litter
  93. Electric Guest, Plural
  94. Manchester Orchestra, A Black Mile to the Surface
  95. Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos, Anthony Rosano & The Conqueroos
  96. Real Estate, In Mind
  97. Chamomile and Whiskey, Sweet Afton
  98. John Moreland, Big Bad Luv
  99. Jessica Lea Mayfield, Sorry Is Gone
  100. Blondie, Pollinator

2020-12-30T12:12:51-05:00December 28th, 2018|
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