Closing of 2020

Sault – Untitled (Black Is) & Untitled (Rise)

Introduction

2020 was a strange year in music. COVID-19 spoiled a lot. I have visited only two concerts this year. All concerts I was looking forward to have been postponed or cancelled. Luckily the two releases by the mysterious Sault did much good.

Deaths

In 2020 many musicians have passed away. The most important/remarkable to me were Neil Peart (Rush), Aart Staartjes, Andy Gill (Gang Of Four), Reinbert De Leeuw, David Roback (Mazzy Star), Bob Fosko (De Raggende Manne), Richenel, Genesis P-Orridge, Kenny Rogers, Manu Dibango, Liesbeth List, Bill Withers, John Prine, Hamilton Bohannon, Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti), Little Richard, Betty Wright, Mory Kanté. Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters), Vera Lynn, Ennio Morricone, Toots Hibbert (Toots & The Maytals), Juliette Gréco, Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Nash and Spencer Davis (Spencer Davis Group).

Jubilees

There was a lot to celebrate/commemorate this year. A selection:

• 65 years old:
  Frank Sinatra – In The Wee Small Hours
• 60 years old:
  Etta James – At Last!, Elvis Presley – Elvis Is Back!
• 55 years old:
  John Coltrane – A Love Supreme, Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited
• 50 years old:
  Black Sabbath – Paranoid, James Brown – Sex Machine, Eric Burdon – The Black-man’s Burdon, Crosby, Still, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu, Miles Davis – Bitches Brew, The Doors – Morrison Hotel, George Harrison – All Things Must Pass, Jimi Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys, Elton John – Elton John, John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band, O.S.T. – Woodstock – Music From The Original Soundtrack And More, The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-ya’s Out, Frank Sinatra – Watertown, Sly & The Family Stone – Greatest Hits, The Stooges – Fun House, The Who – Live At Leeds, Neil Young – After The Goldrush
• 45 years old:
  David Bowie – Young Americans, Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey, Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits, Durutti Column – Domo Arigato, Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s The Way Of The World, Earth, Wind & Fire – Gratitude, Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert, Kiss – Alive!, Kraftwerk – Radio-aktivität, Bob Marley And The Wailers – Live!, Ohio Players – Honey, Parliament – Mothership Connection, Parliament – Chocolate City, Pink Floyd – Wish You Were here, Queen – A Night At The Opera, Roxy Music – Siren, Patti Smith – Horses, Rod Stewart – Atlantic Crossing, Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night
• 40 years old:
  Basement 5 – 1965 – 1980, Basement 5 – In Dub, Bauhaus – In The Flat Field, The Beat – I Just Can’t Stop It, David Bowie – Scary Monsters, The Clash – Sandinista!, The Cure – Seventeen Seconds, Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Devo – Freedom Of Choice, The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms, Fischer-Z – Going Deaf For A Living, André Hazes – ‘n Vriend, Joe Jackson – Beat Crazy, Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Linton Kwesi Johnson – Bass Culture, Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (single), Joy Division – Closer, Maze – Joy And Pain, Paul McCartney – McCartney II, Motörhead – Ace Of spades, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Organisation, The Pretenders – The Pretenders, Prince – Dirty Mind, Queen – The Game, The Rolling Stones – Emotional Rescue, The Specials – More Specials, Bruce Springsteen – The River, Barbra Streisand – Guilty, Talking Heads – Remain In Light, U2 – Boy, UB40 – Signing Off, U.K. Subs – Crash Course, Ultravox – Vienna, Van Halen – Women And Children First, Zapp – Zapp
• 35 years old:
  Big Audio Dynamite – This Is Big Audio Dynamite, Nick Cave – The Firstborn Is Dead, The Cult – Love, The Cure – The Head On The Door, Andre Cymone – A.C., Morris Day – Color Of Success, Sheila E – In Romance 1600, The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace, The Family – The Family, Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls, Fine Young Cannibals – Fine Young Cannibals, INXS – Listen Like Thieves, Lone Justice – Lone Justice, Minny Pops – Secret Stories, Alexander O’Neal – Alexander O’Neal, Prince & The Revolution – Around The World In A Day, Propaganda – A Secret Wish, Red Hot Chili Peppers – Freaky Styley, David Lee Roth – Crazy From The Heat, The Smiths – Meat Is Murder, Sting – The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, Tröckener Kecks – Betaalde liefde, USA For Africa – We Are The World, The Waterboys – This Is The Sea
• 30 years old:
  A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm, The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker, The Breeders – Pod, Consolidated – The Myth Of Rock, Deee-Lite – World Clique, Depeche Mode – Violator, Digital Underground – Sex Packets, Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, Living Colour – Time’s Up, LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out, George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice, O.S.T. – Music From Twin Peaks, P Funk All Stars – Live (At The Beverly Theater In Hollywood), The Pixies – Bossanova, Prince – Graffiti Bridge, Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet, Ride – Nowhere, The Time – Pandemonium, Urban Dance Squad – Mental Floss For The Globe, Various Artists – Red Hot & Blue, Wendy & Lisa – Eroica, World Party – Goodbye Jumbo
• 25 years old:
  Bevis Frond – Superseeder, David Bowie – 1. Outside, D’Angelo – Brown Sugar, Frits – Dankzij De Dijken, Garbage – Garbage, Michael Jackson – HIStory, King Crimson – THRAK, Leftfield – Leftism, Mayte – Child Of The Sun, Mobb Deep – The Infamous…, Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill, The New Power Generation – Exodus, Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, Pavement – Wowee zowee, The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & The Lash, Poison Girls – Statement, Prince – The Gold Experience, The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
• 20 years old:
  AC/DC – Stiff Upper Lip, Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun, Cat Power – The Covers Record, Common – Like Water For Chocolate, D’Angelo – Voodoo, Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free, Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP, Moloko – Things To Make And Do, Outkast – Stankonia, Plump DJs – A Plump Night Out, Prince – Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic, Radiohead – Kid A, Romanthony – R.Hide In Plain Site, Jill Scott – Who Is Jill Scott?, The Smashing Pumpkins – Machina/The Machines Of God, St Germain – Tourist, Steely Dan – Two Against Nature, Underworld – Everything, Everything, Various Artists – Pulp Fusion – Evolution
• 15 years old:
  Antony And The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now, Arcade Fire – Funeral, Devendra Banhart – Cripple Crow, Kate Bush – Aerial, Common – Be, Billy Corgan – The Future Embrace, LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem, Maria McKee – Peddlin’ Dreams, Sigor Rós – Takk…, Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise, Kanye West – Late Registration
• 10 years old:
  Arcade Fire – The Suburbs, Band Of Horses – Inifinite Arms, Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty, Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards, Foals – Total Life Forever, Grinderman – Grinderman 2, De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig – De Lachende Derde, LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening, LCD Soundsystem – The London Sessions, John Legend – Wake up!, Janelle Monáe – The Archandroid, Prince – 20Ten, Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People EP, Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz, Twin Shadow – Forget, Vampire Weekend – Contra, Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
• 5 years old:
  Nick Cave – Live At Hammersmith Apollo, Dr Dre – Compton, Eels – Royal Albert Hall, Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear, Judith Hill – Back In Time, Hot Chip – Why Make Sense?, Van Hunt – The Fun Rises, The Fun Sets, The Internet – Ego Death, Lianne La Havas – Blood, Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly, Ibrahim Maalouf – Khaltoum, Miguel – Wildheart, Prince – Hitnrun Phase One, Prince – Hitnrun Phase Two, Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love, Kamasi Washington – The Epic

Blog

This past year was my fourth full blog year. I am pretty content with this past year: 66 stories and 5 reviews have been added this year.

This year the total number of views on my Dutch and English blog reached 750,000! Een resultaat wara ik heel trots op en blije mee ben.

Some changes have been enforced this year:

• A new category ‘In Memoriam’ has been added, giving attention to the passing of an important artist
• A new category ‘News item’ has been added, mainly containing announcements on upcoming concerts and/or albums
• A new contributor, Edward Gubbels, published his first story this year: Prince 1995 Ultimate Live Experience in Holland. I hope he will publish many more stories!

The comments I receive from all over the world are positive and hightly welcomed. So, a big thank you to all who respond and take out their time to drop a message. Please know it’s highly appreciated!

Favorites

My personal favorite stories this past year are:

Most popular stories

The 10 most read stories published in the past year (per 12/24/2020):

Conclusion

2020 was a good year in music. Many great albums that will stand the test of time. And, for the very first time since my blog started, two albums that will potentially grow out to be all time classics.

The top 5 albums is mentioned below (not in order of rating). Unfortunately no top 5 concerts this year…

Top 5 albums

• Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer
• Run The Jewels – RTJ4
• Sault – Untitled (Black Is)
• Sault – Untitled (Rise)
• Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You

In closing

What did you think of 2020? A fine year in music or mediocre? Let me know and drop a comment!