Main Poop Analysis 2004


February 2005

Dear POOPster,

POOP’s  here. The Eighteenth Annual POmpous and OPinionated List, that is. It’s time to try to make some sense out of this past year, a year in which three defining moments seemed to defy any and all semblance of logic. Bush was elected president. The Red Sox won the World Series. And Bush was elected president. It was a year that introduced new nouns to the lexicon, like iPod (appearing on three lists) and Jesusland (mentioned or implied all over the place). And Bush was elected president. Obviously, anything can happen and pretty much did. But at least we need not complain about the state of music. Afterall, you do your POOP list with the music you have, not the music you wish you had, and 31 self-important pontificators took that to heart and submitted lists this year.

As usual, I’ve attempted to tabulate the entries and, as is customary, I’ve employed the now time-honored What-The-Hell’s-He-Talking-About-Anyway System. One more time, I’ve given 2 points to each pompoid’s Top 10 choices and 1 point to each title beyond a Top 10 or in the variously designated ‘honorable mention’ categories (up to 25 titles). I’ve pro-rated titles above 25 listed titles, hence the half-points. Basically the more titles you listed, the less each one counted or something like that.

green day - american idiot Buy from amazon

1.   GREEN DAY – American Idiot 22½ points
(appearing on 12 out of 31 lists)


steve earle - the revolution starts now Buy from amazon
2. STEVE EARLE – The Revolution Starts . . . Now 19    (11)


wilco - a ghost is born Buy from amazon

3. WILCO – A Ghost Is Born 17 (10)


Buy from amazon

4. ELLIOTT SMITH – From A Basement On A Hill 14 (9)


franz ferdinand Buy from amazon

5. FRANZ FERDINAND – Franz Ferdinand 13½ (8)


brian wilson - smile Buy from amazon

6. BRIAN WILSON – Smile 13 (7)


loretta lynn - van lear rose Buy from amazon

7. LORETTA LYNN – Van Lear Rose 11 (7)


ted leo Buy from amazon

8. TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS – Shake The Sheets 10½ (6)


Buy from amazon

9. ELVIS COSTELLO – Delivery Man 10 (7)


p.j. harvey - uh huh her Buy from amazon

10. P.J. HARVEY – Uh Huh Her 9½ (6)


the hives - tyrannosaurus hives Buy from amazon

10. THE HIVES – Tyrannosaurus Hives 9½ (6)


devendra banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands Buy from amazon

12. DEVENDRA BANHART – Rejoicing The Hands 9 (5)


iron and wine - our endless numbered days Buy from amazon

12. IRON & WINE – Our Endless Numbered Days 9 (5)


bjork - medullah Buy from amazon

14. BJORK – Medulla 8½ (6)


tv on the radio - desparate youth Buy from amazon
14. TV ON THE RADIO – Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes 8½ (5)


Good bathroom reading, everyone.

Mark Rosen
PoOPmeister