16 December 2011
VVN Music
The Americana Music Association has announced their top 100 albums of 2011 based on airplay.
For those unfamiliar, Americana is a catch-all genre that takes in artists from folk, blues, country, R&B, rock and even a little jazz. What is most special about the genre is that they respect and provide exposure on the airwaves to veteran artists who long ago lost the ability to get new music played on corporate owned radio stations. While artists like Eric Clapton and Elton John fall into Americana on occasion, it also takes in greats like David Bromberg, Chip Taylor and Marcia Ball who put out some fantastic albums that cannot get the exposure needed to cross over to (or back into) the mainstream.
Lucinda Williams is the highest charting veteran artist for the year in Americana as her Blessed comes in at number 2. As a matter of fact, veteran artists took five of the top six spots and 11 of the top 20. Overall, the veterans had 37 records make the list.
Here are the top five albums per the Americana Music Association plus all other veteran artists that made the top 100:
01. KMAG YOYO - Hayes Carll
02. Blessed - Lucinda Williams
03. I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive - Steve Earle
04. Paper Airplane - Alison Krauss & Union Station
05. Hard Bargain - Emmylou Harris
06. Low Country Blues - Gregg Allman
08. Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns - John Hiatt
12. Mocking Bird Time - Jayhawks
14. Satisfied at Last - Joe Ely
16. Band of Joy - Robert Plant
18. How to Become Clairvoyant - Robbie Robertson
19. Ready For Confetti - Robert Earl Keen
23. The Party Ain't Over - Wanda Jackson
25. Rare Bird Alert - Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
28. The Dreaming Fields - Matraca Berg
33. Roadside Attraction - Marcia Ball
35. Eleven Eleven - Dave Alvin
37. Small Source of Comfort - Bruce Cockburn
43. Steady As She Goes - Hot Tuna
45. Songs and Stories - Guy Clark
47. So Beautiful or So What - Paul Simon
52. Reason and Rhyme - Jim Lauderdale
53. Studio B Sessions - Marty Stuart
54. Upside-Down Town - Greg Trooper
55. National Ransom - Elvis Costello
56. Ramble at the Ryman - Levon Helm
57. Rave on Buddy Holly - Various Artists
60. The New Bye & Bye - Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez
64. Freak Flag - Greg Brown
66. You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples
69. Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down - Ry Cooder
77. Tin Can Trust - Los Lobos
79. Man in Motion - Warren Haynes Band
82. Clapton - Eric Clapton
83. No Better Than This - John Mellencamp
90. Use Me - David Bromberg
95. The Union - Elton John & Leon Russell
96. Take the High Road - Blind Boys of Alabama
