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What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ’08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.
As you may have gathered, I’m raring to close the book on 2008, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t run down some of the site’s highlights during what was a pretty dreary year overall. After the jump, behold a pretty subjective top 12 of the year (thanks to our technological limbo I can’t run any sort of numbers, but I think this list accurately captures the best moments we’ve had during a long slog of a year). And of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank all of you for coming back, reading, commenting, and pointing out when I get shit wrong (which is too often). If you think I got this list wrong, feel free to abuse me with compliments in the comments section!
Late this past summer, I was thinking of making one of those CafePress T-shirts with the somewhat cryptic, post–Katie Holmes slogan “Free Estelle!” True, it wouldn’t have meant a thing to anyone except my fellow poptimists and chart geeks. And it wouldn’t have accomplished much, unless I wore it while marching in a circle in front of Atlantic Records’ headquarters. But I did feel pretty passionately about it.
Was it really more than a year ago that Kid Rock got in a scrap at a Waffle House that resulted in him having to go for anger-management training and perform some community service? It was, and Kid figured that enough time had passed that he could get “creative” with his service time… by going on his already-scheduled trip to the Middle East to entertain the troops stationed over there. Sure, singing for the servicemen and women who are stuck in Iraq is a noble pursuit, but the judge who sentenced him didn’t exactly think that killing two birds with one high-publicity stone would allow Kid to properly reflect on scattering and smothering his parking-lot opponent. “Giving him credit for something he would otherwise love to do in front of a camera completely defeats the punitive purpose of performing community service,” the judge wrote in his decision denying Kid Rock’s request. Which is kind of a good point, given that the whole idea of “punishment” would seem to imply “doing something one really doesn’t want to do.” But Kid disagrees, and he’s mad enough to blog about it. The Skynyrd-recycling Detroit boy’s missive to his fans after the jump.
When I heard that Lil Wayne was going to show up to perform with Kid Rock at the Country Music Awards last night, I got pretty excited. I’m not what you’d call a Kid Rock fan, but lately I’ve been rooting on the Waffle House-brawling palooka because he keeps bucking industry CW to no detriment to his decade-long (!) career. Anyway, before the CMAs, word got out that the decidedly non-country Weezy himself was going to take the stage with Kid Rock, who’s already barely country by today’s standards. Little did I know that Lil’ Wayne would show up and do next to nothing!
Kid Rock’s new video for “Roll On” features the… More »
It’s too close to call next week’s No. 1 album, but in all likelihood, it’ll be by someone much less palatable to the parents of today: The Jonas Brothers’ two-week stay at the top will be thwarted by either the name-dropping MC the Game or the masked metallers Slipknot. More »