Release dates and EOY lists

[McJagger]

I always look forward to the lists that publications and websites compile at the end of the year. However, I've noticed a recent trend of these lists coming out earlier every year. This year was especially bad, at least for me, because several of my favorite artists (Scott Walker, Big Boi, and possibly My Blood Valentine) released, are going to release, or might release their albums after many of these lists have come out. I would hate to see these artists ignored on AcclaimedMusic because NME felt that they needed to publish their EOY list with one and a half months left in the year. Is there some way to account for this, like how you don't dock points against albums that were not on lists that were published before the album was released?

[Nick]

Lots of albums that get released at the very end of the year get put on the EOY lists for the next year by publications. So if NME would have put the new Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2012" list, they'll just end up putting the Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2013" list.

[Gillingham]

Lots of albums that get released at the very end of the year get put on the EOY lists for the next year by publications. So if NME would have put the new Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2012" list, they'll just end up putting the Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2013" list.

That's true, but that way the votes will be splitted by 'early mags' and 'late mags'.

[Nick]

Lots of albums that get released at the very end of the year get put on the EOY lists for the next year by publications. So if NME would have put the new Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2012" list, they'll just end up putting the Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2013" list.

That's true, but that way the votes will be splitted by 'early mags' and 'late mags'.

True, but I don't think that would affect it's position on AM. If Big Boi's album (hypothetically) gets on 3 2012 EOY lists and on 7 2013 EOY lists how would that affect it any differently than if it just got put on 10 2012 EOY lists?

[irreduciblekoan]

Lots of albums that get released at the very end of the year get put on the EOY lists for the next year by publications. So if NME would have put the new Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2012" list, they'll just end up putting the Big Boi album on their "Best Albums of 2013" list.

What this makes me afraid of is for late-year albums, no matter how great they are, to be forgotten by the end of next year, or at least placed lower than they would have been placed this year. For example, let's say Big Boi's album is ridiculously good, and would have hypothetically placed in the top 10 or 20 of most of the lists already made. However, by next November, 12 whole months would have passed, meaning it's less fresh on voters minds by that time. Plus, let's say 2013 is a very good year for music. That makes it even more possible that Big Boi's album, from so long ago, would be under-ranked.

However, we cannot blame the publications that make the lists early. There's a reason they do so: magazine release dates. Their "December" issues are out in late November, so they have to make their EOY lists in November or risk being behind their competitors. So the artists who release their albums in December are just unlucky in that regard.

Edit: This is, I feel, what happened with The Roots' undun. An incredible album which was so good, that even when released in December 2011, it still ranked 69th in the spreadsheet. Still, it deserved to be a top 30 album of that year, but how many 2012 lists have included it? I can't remember any. Consequently, one of The Roots' best albums will be left out of AM because of its unfortunate release date.

[Jonathon]

Release dates, in my opinion, kept Kanye West from taking the top spot in 2010.

[Nick]

Release dates, in my opinion, kept Kanye West from taking the top spot in 2010.

He's practically guaranteed the top spot once the new update comes in though. There's a fair amount of "all time" lists that have his album on it, not to mention a few EOY 2011 lists too.

[Nassim]

I'm pretty sure most sites and magazines only vote for albums released in the current year. There have been very few 2011 albums in the lists so far, being released in December makes you miss both EOY lists for most publications.