Top 5 Labels [1/2 Year 2010 Style]

Top rated albums from January to June 2010 by label. If a label is a subsidiary or an imprint of some larger label, the larger label/owner will be used. Score multiplied by .4 if at least one album scored a 90 or above. Score multiplied by .3 if at least one album scored an 84 or above. Score multiplied by .2 if at least one album scored a 76 or above. Score multiplied by .1 for everything below that.

1. Beggars Group [Includes Matador Records, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings, and 4AD]: Hippies by Harlem [95]; Gay Singles by Hunx and His Punx [95]; Be Brave by The Strange Boys [91]; Contra by Vampire Weekend [90]; High Violet by The National [88]; Minor Love by Adam Green [85]; The Monitor by Titus Andronicus [84]; Big Echo by The Morning Benders [83]; Before Today Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti [77]; Brutalist Bricks by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists [75]
Grade: 272.5 (38+38+36.4+36+26.4+25.5+25.2+16.6+15.4+15)

2. Warner Bros. [Includes Sub Pop Records, Atlantic Records, Vice Records, and Epitaph Records]: Teen Dream by Beach House [95]; I Will Be by Dum Dum Girls [94]; Expo 86 by Wolf Parade [92]; Avi Buffalo by Avi Buffalo [89]; Male Bonding by Male Bonding [89]; Something For Everybody by Devo [89]; Adventures by Bobby Ray [82]; Brothers by The Black Keys [81]; Shame, Shame by Dr. Dog [75]; Realism by The Magnetic Fields [74]
Grade: 213.3 (38+37.6+36.8+26.7+26.7+26.7+16.4+16.2+7.5+7.4)

3. Merge Records: Work by Shout Out Louds [89]; Swim by Caribou [83]; Transference by Spoon [81]; Volume Two by She & Him [81]
Grade: 84 (26.7+24.9+16.2+16.2)

4. EMI (Includes Capitol Records, Mute Records, and Virgin): This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem [81]; Plastic Beach by Gorillaz [78]; Sisterworld by Liars [76]; Head First by Goldfrapp [74]; Heligoland by Massive Attack [73]; Of the Colour… by OK Go [69]
Grade: 68.6 (16.2+15.6+15.2+7.4+7.3+6.9)

5. Universal (Includes Interscope, Geffen, and A&M): Permalight by Rogue Wave [84]; Thank Me Later by Drake [78]
Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)

5. Secretly Canadian: Pigeons by Here We Go Magic [83]; Odd Blood by Yeasayer [81]
Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)

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Predictions: If both Black Lips and No Age release new LPs in 2010 and they are awesome (as projected), then the Warner Bros. grouping might just gain some ground. I’m not so sure there are going to be any more really really noteworthy Beggars Group releases besides Interpol for the remainder of the year. We’ll see. Merge, I’m sure, will see its stake rise up with the release of Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Superchunk’s Majesty Shredding.

3 thoughts on “Top 5 Labels [1/2 Year 2010 Style]”

  1. wheres labels like fan death, parts unknown, fashionable idiots, load, wantage or youth attack. this is all corporate twee pop faggotry

  2. i’m sure those deserve a spot alongside these corporate behemoths, but twee pop faggotry? that’s misinformation or deceit.

    get mugged

  3. I wouldn’t say it’s “top 5,” but there’s a good chunk of independent label stuff there and btw the term twee was (or is) often associated with K Records which is far far from corporate.

    Idk most of those labels, except Load, which releases Lightning Bolt, I believe.

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