PainWell 2009's not quite over yet, but I probably won't get a chance closer to New Year's to do this, so here ya go. And yes, this took forever. I don't mind though ^__^ Means I had something to do whilst scrobbling! \:D/
So here we go, my top 40 most scrobbled artists of the year, accompanied by their most scrobbled albums and tracks. Knock yourselves out xD
DNC = "Did not chart"
NTY = "New this year"
IC = "Incomplete" i.e. I don't have the full album yet. This is usually because I've downloaded two or three songs so that I can listen to them a fair few times before deciding whether or not to buy the full album. If I just research on youtube, I wouldn't be giving a band enough time to grow on me (or to grow old, in fact!)
Chart positions determined 5:30 p.m., Thursday 17th December 2009. As if that matters xDD
=#40 - Circa Survive (103 plays)
> One of the best bands I've listened to. They're just not my genre xD
Top Album of 2009: On Letting Go (#75, 57 plays)
> An almost flawless album
Top Track of 2009: DNC
=#40 - Genesis (103 plays)
> Grew up with these guys, one of the only bands that both my parents like xD
Top Album of 2009: We Can't Dance (#136, 28 plays)
> The final track, Fading Lights, is just pure amazingness
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#39 - Depeche Mode (112 plays)
> They seem to have inspired everyone somewhere along the lines, and for good reason xD DM are one of the main reasons for English pride!
Top Album of 2009: Playing The Angel IC (#101, 38 plays)
> A superb album, really superb :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#38 - Amorphis NTY (114 plays)
> Initially interested, I slowly realised that it all sounded the same ¬__¬
Top Album of 2009: Silent Waters NTY (#84, 49 plays)
> What a disappointment. It's so mediocre, easily my worst buy of 2009.
Top Track of 2009: House of Sleep NTY (#105, 36 plays)
> See, this was interesting. It's just that the rest is either boring or a boring clone >__>
#37 - 下村陽子 NTY (121 plays)
> Because I like the Kingdom Hearts game >w<
Top Album of 2009: KINGDOM HEARTS Original Soundtrack COMPLETE [Disc 1] NTY (#121, 31 plays)
> Same as above, really xD
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#36 - Metallica (130 plays)
> The influence of the great 'Tallica just can't be ignored, nor escaped :)
Top Album of 2009: S&M (#97, 41 plays)
> The first time I heard a proper orchestra used in metal - in other words, the set-up for Nightwish ;)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#35 - Korpiklaani NTY (135 plays)
> A pure last.fm discovery, this was. My first taste of folk metal too, I think.
Top Album of 2009: Korven Kuningas NTY, IC (#62, 76 plays)
> I still want to buy this at some point...
Top Track of 2009: Kipumylly NTY (#94, 38 plays)
> I love this song! I even learned the Finnish lyrics, though I forgot them before too long... xD
#34 - Indica NTY (138 plays)
> I got into Indica because they were one of the support bands for the Nightwish gig. They're a pretty fun little group ^__^
Top Album of 2009: Valoissa NTY, IC (#71, 60 plays)
> Ah, the infamous Tuomas-produced album. If I ever buy an Indica album, it won't be this one xD
Top Track of 2009: Vuorien taa NTY (#100, 37 plays)
> Easily the best out of the few I know. Jonsu's fiddle *makes* it :)
=#32 - Deadlock (144 plays)
> I've known about them for ages but last.fm rekindled my drive to investigate their music :) and MAN they're good! :D
Top Album of 2009: Manifesto NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> Getting this album for Christmas :D It was a hard choice which to get, though, this or Wolves...
Top Track of 2009:
Martyr To Science NTY (#206, 25 plays)
> What a great track @__@ I'm not sure you can get much better than this, the guitars are great and Sabine's voice... wuaaah!
=#32 - Evanescence (144 plays)
> This artist had the single greatest influence on my musical (and personal, thinking about it) life. Evanescence showed me that I liked rock/metal combined with classical styles, which has paved the way for the vast majority of what I listen to today. And they're still fun to listen to occasionally, even after six years x) (Feels like longer...!)
Top Album of 2009: The Open Door (#108, 36 plays)
I actually prefer this to Fallen, I really do. Fallen is too boring and samey - there's some fail on The Open Door but there's much more win too to make up for that.
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#31 - Kate Bush (157 plays)
> Probably one of the greatest solo artists ever. She's just amazing @__@
Top Album of 2009: Aerial: A Sky of Honey NTY (#130, 29 plays)
> Easily, *easily* my favourite Kate Bush album. The way it just flows as if it's just one massive, chaptered song... amazing, and so calming to listen to ^__^
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#30 - For My Pain... NTY (162 plays)
> I listened to these guys because of Tuomas being in the band and to be fair, I do like their music, but... it's just so incredibly emo!! @___@ And emo in a very unemotional way, which is... just weird xD
Top Album of 2009: Fallen NTY, IC (#42, 129 plays)
> I nearly bought this. I'm glad I didn't xD Though maybe one days... *shrugs*
Top Track of 2009: My Wound Is Deeper Than Yours NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Not my favourite FMP song xD It's good, but not the best :P
#29 - Green Day (165 plays)
> I got really fond of these guys again during the summer x)
Top Album of 2009: International Superhits! (#89, 46 plays)
> It's my top album mostly because it has the most tracks xDD
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#28 - Eluveitie NTY (172 plays)
> Another last.fm discovery. I really love their brand of folk metal, especially since they're not afraid to put down their guitars and stuff and just play pure folk.
Top Album of 2009: Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion NTY, IC (#69, 62 plays)
> This is probably the album I'd buy, if I get round to it. Like I said, the "pure folk" element is what makes me respect Eluveitie the most...
Top Track of 2009: Bloodstained Ground NTY (#177, 27 plays)
> ...even though what made me fall for them was the combination of metal and folk on this here track x) Bloodstained Ground is pretty close to perfect :P
#27 - Galneryus (173 plays)
> Shock horror! A Japanese band that I discovered, not my sister! xD I really want to buy some albums of theirs but you know... postage from Japan is a killer T^T
Top Album of 2009: One For All - All For One NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> When I eventually buy a Galneryus album, this is the one I want most!
Top Track of 2009: Cause Disarray (#118, 33 plays)
> My first Garu track :3 It struck me as similar to Sonata, and that was enough to investigate them further x3
#26 - Jamiroquai (182 plays)
> Aww, Jamiroquai :D *smiles at them in fondness* They were my favourites for a long, long time back at school and college, and I'll always have a soft spot for them :)
Top Album of 2009: The Return of the Space Cowboy (#97, 41 plays)
> THE best Jamiroquai album. There's no question - greatest sound, greatest consistency, just a great funk album :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#25 - The Gathering NTY (191 plays)
> They make very nice, calm music, but that's the problem xD It's so nice and calm that I got bored of it very quickly ^__^;; Still, it's good for relaxing every now and then :)
Top Album of 2009: The West Pole NTY (#31, 179 plays)
> A good solid album, if you don't mind music that doesn't really pack a punch.
Top Track of 2009:The West Pole NTY (#94, 38 plays)
> The song that made me pay attention to The Gathering, and probably still my favourite. It just transports you to another world~~
#24 - Sydänpuu NTY (192 plays)
> *flails arms in totally fangirly way* I love Sydänpuu!! \:D/ I got into them because I found out that Jani Liimatainen (ex-guitarist of Sonata, of course) does everything but drums for this project. I listened, not seriously expecting anything of Jani's voice, and OH MY GOD. BLOWN AWAY @___@ Jani, stop messing around with Cain's Offering and get your butt back to Sydänpuu! This project shows so much promise!!
Top Album of 2009: Sydänpuu NTY (#29, 192 plays)
> Well, it's not really an album xD It's six demo tracks, the only Sydänpuu stuff we have ;____; In a way that makes it more precious but at the same time I WANT MORE DANGIT!
Top Track of 2009:Hautaa Minut Tänään NTY (#33, 53 plays)
> The first track I listened to, the one that made me fall in love with Jani's voice, and I still can't get enough of it. REPEATREPEAT.
#23 - Michael Jackson (204 plays)
> Believe it or not, most of those scrobbles were from before his death. I've always loved this guy, for my whole life; a great man and a great musician. Rest in peace, dearest, rest in peace. *moonwalks*
Top Album of 2009: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Disc 2 (#84, 49 plays)
> Bad is actually my favourite album, but this one has more tracks so it gets more scrobbles :P
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#22 - Finntroll NTY (250 plays)
> Got into these guys because of the Nightwish-Tapio Wilska-Finntroll connection x3 Just gotta love the sound they create, trolls partying into the night x)
Top Album of 2009: Nattfödd NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> I finally bought this at Halloween, and it's absolutely perfect for that time of year x) And, oddly, Christmas xDD (don't know how that works... O.o)
Top Track of 2009:Hel Vete NTY (#108, 35 plays)
> This was my self-righteous anger song at some point, and I really don't know how I got that from the song xD It's great, in spite of my odd usage of it :P
#21- Elias Viljanen NTY (259 plays)
> Yeap, Sonata Arctica's current guitarist! I've only discovered his solo stuff really recently but OH MY GODD I absolutely adore his work!! @__@ Ahh, so amazing... Elias' music is just so great to listen to, because even though he's a fantastic guitarist, the album isn't just one long solo - he really thinks about the music. It's so heartfelt, and so uplifting, there's almost nothing that's better to listen to! :P
Top Album of 2009: Fire-Hearted NTY (#20, 259 plays)
> Got this for my birthday just over a week ago and it's already my third favourite album for this year :3 I could listen to it all day and night; I know I wouldn't get tired of that warm fuzzy feeling ^w^ And it doesn't hurt at all that this album features my two favourite male singers of all time, Tony Kakko and Marco Hietala :P
Top Track of 2009: Kiss of Rain NTY (#2, 101 plays)
> The song that features Tony Kakko x) For about a month or two, this was the first song I listened to when I woke up and the last song I listened to before I went to sleep. My god, it just doesn't get better than this. This is my official song of 2009 :)
#20 - Dark Moor NTY (295 plays)
> Since my sister's friend Harry is addicted to Dark Moor, I ended up inheriting seven albums at once xD It was pretty difficult to get my head around at first, and I was very scathing for a long time, but I'm at last enjoying and appreciating their somewhat... "not-perfect" style of symphonic power metal xD
Top Album of 2009: The Gates of Oblivion NTY (#76, 56 plays)
> Definitely one of my favourites. Elisa's great here, and the instrumentation is better than on post-Elisa albums, I think.
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#19 - Machinae Supremacy NTY (297 plays)
> I got these beauties from Chris x) They're good fun but to be honest the guy's voice kind of bugs me, which is why I'm not listening to them as much as I used to.
Top Album of 2009: Overworld NTY (#28, 194 plays)
> I actually like this pretty much the same as Deus Ex Machinae, but I got Overworld earlier.
Top Track of 2009:Violator NTY (#206, 25 plays)
> I still love this song :D It's one of those where the guy's voice doesn't annoy me, and I love the lyrical content >w<
#18 - Patrick Doyle (317 plays)
> Paddy! \:D/ Actually I'm in a bit of a rut with him - at one point he was my favourite Harry Potter composer and now he's my least favourite ^__^;; His themes are okay, but... not *Harry* enough I guess :P
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (#16, 317 plays)
> Correction: ONLY album of 2009 xDD
Top Track of 2009: Harry in Winter (#177, 27 plays)
> I do still love this one :) Learned to play it on the piano, too!
#17 - 北出菜奈 (327 plays)
> Yay for Nana! \:D/ Probably my favourite solo singer (we'll have to see how Anette can do, hmm? x3) although I don't listen to her so much.. She was also the first step into the world of Japanese music for me and Chrissi, so we'll always be grateful to her for that :)
Top Album of 2009: BONDAGE NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> This new album is easily Nana's best. Sophisticated but fun at the same time. Hopefully if Loveless (her new project) sounds like any of her solo albums, it'll sound like this one :)
Top Track of 2009: 鏡の国のアリア NTY (#409, 16 plays)
> Easily, easily the best song Nana has produced. Now why the hell didn't you put it on an album, eh? This is too good for a b-side!!
#16 - Tarja (338 plays)
> The bitch is back! \:D/ Okay, I don't really mean that, it's a reference to a Sinergy song, but the point is that Tarja's back in my good books again (about time!). In fact, right now, she's my favourite female singer to listen to, which is JUST WEIRD xD (I phase with her like you wouldn't believe!! @__@) Looking forward to What Lies Beneath anyways! :3
Top Album of 2009: My Winter Storm (#19, 260 plays)
> Such a hit-and-miss album, and again I phase with it constantly, but I'm enjoying it for now :)
Top Track of 2009:Our Great Divide (#230, 23 plays)
> Yey! \:D/ My favourite song, at least from MWS - "sounds of waves" indeed, and I can't help but think it's about the friendship lost between her and Tuomas... It feels like we're actually seeing *Tarja*, rather than her "brave face" or her "ice queen" mask.
#15 - Stewart Copeland NTY (339 plays)
> HELL YEAH!! >8D Well, it says "new this year" but that's only in terms of scrobbles. I've actually been listening to Stewart Copeland for about two-thirds of my life since he made the.greatest.soundtrack.of.all.time for the original Spyro the Dragon game :P It's still my favourite game and the music has a huge part to play in that :3 And unlike most soundtrack music, it actually passes for popular music too, instrumental-style. The only reason he's not my highest soundtrack artist is because the Harry Potter OSTs are Harry Potter, I mean, what do you expect? ;D
Top Album of 2009: Spyro The Dragon OST - Disc 1 NTY (#32, 176 plays)
> ... which just means that I play the first half of the OST more than the second, which I guess makes sense. After all, Magic Crafters homeland is in the first half, and ALL the Magic Crafters levels have good music :D
Top Track of 2009: Ice Cavern NTY (#290, 20 plays)
> You can't really pick a favourite track from this OST but this is definitely one of the strongest ones :3
#14 - My Dying Bride NTY (342 plays)
> Oooh, dour and gloomy! I went and found MDB because Tuomas loves them, and I'm glad I took the effort. They're easily one of the most mature bands I've listened to. Their music is elegant and yet very rough at the same time. I can't listen to them for long periods of time, not because they're depressing but because I get a little bored, and that's why they don't have more scrobbles. (Plus that their songs are ridiculously long @__@)
Top Album of 2009: Like Gods of the Sun NTY (#40, 145 plays)
> The first of the two albums I've bought so far. There are a handful of really great tracks but the rest I can kind of overlook without even the slightest feeling of guilt .___.
Top Track of 2009:Catherine Blake NTY (#127, 32 plays)
> It would probably actually have been For You if it wasn't for the fact that For You was mistagged originally. But Catherine Blake deserves this spot, because it was the song that made me fall for MDB. And Aaron's voice @__@ Aaron's VOICE!
#13 - In Flames (343 plays)
> I listened to these guys loads when I first came to last.fm, I think because I wanted to boost scrobbles of such a non-mainstream band. I lol at my innocence back then xD I don't listen to them so much these days simply because they're a little *too* heavy for my tastes.
Top Album of 2009: A Sense of Purpose (#29, 192 plays)
> Of course, the trve fans hate this album. I care not. It's good ^w^
Top Track of 2009: The Chosen Pessimist (#167, 28 plays)
> Easily the best In Flames song. It shows such maturity, skill and emotion.
#12 - John Williams (359 plays)
> And the magic that is Harry Potter returns! :3 Johnny is the classic sound of HP :) I have mixed feelings about this guy coming back for the last two movies, though... on the one hand, Philosopher's Stone is my favourite HP score, but on the other, Prisoner of Azkaban was just two and a half hours of WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone NTY (#25, 213 plays)
> *The* Christmas album :D I love this so much, and it would be higher in the charts but the scrobbles are split because I had it mistagged initially ;____;
Top Track of 2009: Leaving Hogwarts (#177, 27 plays)
> This track always makes me want to cry xD Seriously, if they end the final movie with this piece, I will absolutely fall apart in the cinema. I promise ;D
#11 - HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (379 plays)
> I am AMAZED that Haikara got that many scrobbles this year @__@ I've been a fan of them for a long time but I really hit a wall with them this year; I haven't got anything out of listening to them for ages now. They put on a good live show, though, I enjoyed watching the latest DVD :)
Top Album of 2009: ROCK PIT (#54, 89 plays)
> Yeah, this is my favourite, I think. I mean, it has MEKIMEKI. What more do you want? \:D/
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#10 - Nicholas Hooper NTY (392 plays)
> And thus completing the Harry Trinity of composers! \:D/ Nicky did the score for the most recent two movies, and whilst I was unimpressed by Order, Half-Blood was AMAZINGsauce. One of my favourite movie scores of all time! \:D/
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince NTY (#12, 367 plays)
> Freakin' love this xD It's so good. I could listen to it for years but I'd miss my other music xD
Top Track of 2009: Fireworks NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Ironic, then, that my most played track is not from Half-Blood xD Well, actually it is, because they re-used it but didn't put it on the HBP OST. So there! :P
#9 - Pain NTY (444 plays)
> These guys also supported Nightwish and man were they amazing! \:D/ Such a good live band, and I totally fell in love with Peter's voice. I plan to go right through the back catalogue eventually :)
Top Album of 2009: Cynic Paradise NTY (#22, 256 plays)
> A good, solid album :) For some reason it's really good music to listen to when you're cleaning ovens O_o Anyway, it's the only album I have at the moment but that'll change! :D
Top Track of 2009: Play Dead NTY (#23, 62 plays)
> This is easily, easily my favourite Pain track. In fact, it's one of my favourite songs everever! :D I was so surprised when I found out it was a cover, but both this and the original are amazing pieces of music, and the way that Peter altered it to suit his own voice and style whilst keeping all the best parts of the original... just perfect evidence of his genius! \:D/
#8 - Versailles NTY (519 plays)
> Definitely my favourite new discovery this year :D No thanks to me though ^__^;; I got the free download from last.fm and didn't really think much of it... THANK GOD Chrissi picked it up herself and decided to investigate them further or we would have missed out on one of the greatest bands of all time @__@ They haven't put a foot wrong so far so I can't wait to see what comes next with Jubilee. And it's important to mention the sad loss of Jasmine You (rest in peace, you crazy witch, rest in peace ;___;) and the unbelievable strength the other members have shown in the wake of his passing. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for those guys T^T
Top Album of 2009: Noble NTY (#17, 294 plays)
> The only full-length album so far. I actually prefer Lyrical Sympathy, but hell no am I complaining, because Noble is awesome as well :D
Top Track of 2009:SUZERAIN NTY (#118, 33 plays)
> This ends up being quite random because when a Versailles song comes up, I just can't skip it, ever xD They're just all so good and we have so terribly few! @__@
#7 - Dir en grey NTY (734 plays)
> The second-best new discovery of the year, and again it's thanks to Chrissi :D I used to think Diru were a complete waste of space before she came across the DOZING GREEN PV on youtube. Now I absolutely love this band! Kyo may be a bit (a lot xD) masochistic but if he wasn't, we wouldn't have Dir en grey. He's like a martyr for the exorcism of our darkest feelings >3
Top Album of 2009: UROBOROS NTY (#11, 378 plays)
> By far and away my favourite Diru album so far. It's pretty much perfect (aside from STUCK MAN and the incomprehensible decision to make the album versions of GLASS SKIN and DOZING GREEN in English) and it's my third favourite album by anyone at the moment :)
Top Track of 2009: GAIKA, CHINMOKU GA NEMURU KORO NTY (#88, 39 plays)
> This was the song that really made me fall in love with Dir en grey, and it's still one of my favourites ^__^ Although it's hard to pick favourites with Diru... they're just not a "this is my favourite song!" kind of band! ^__^;;
#6 - Kamelot NTY (746 plays)
> It's thanks to Cerefi that I went and looked up this band, and I'm glad I did. I was wayy over-obsessed with them when I bought my first albums from them, but thankfully a period of really not liking them calmed all that down, and now I'm enjoying them at levels I consider appropriate xD Musically, I love 'em, but Khan, not so much. I seem to be the only person who thinks this besides my sister, however @__@ (Also: Boo at Glenn leaving! :( I loved Glenn...)
Top Album of 2009: The Black Halo NTY (#14, 326 plays)
> Hands down the best. Best quality, best consistency, best album feel. And Khan's voice is sometimes very nice. O.o
Top Track of 2009:When the Lights Are Down NTY (#52, 47 plays)
> Not my *favourite* (that's Serenade) but one of my "preview" songs for Kamelot, which is why it's so dominant in the charts.
#5 - Tarot NTY (749 plays)
> I literally looked these guys up the very first day I got last.fm :D I actually love Marco more in Tarot at the moment than in Nightwish, he just seems more at home here. And I'm really getting fond of Zachary too, which is cool :)
Top Album of 2009: Suffer Our Pleasures NTY (#9, 390 plays)
> One of my favourite albums ever (it's just full of so much win) which leads me to wonder what the hell went wrong when they made that hit-and-miss oddity, Crows Fly Black o_O
Top Track of 2009: Tides NTY (#7, 76 plays)
> Haha xD Shall I tell the story of its dominance? I think I shall. It was one of my preview songs but more than that I listened to it about 30 times in one night when I was writing my Marco/Tuomas fanfic :P It really helped get the mood for that last scene, and also helped me get into Marco's head more. Add that to the fact that it is, of course, one of the greatest Tarot songs. Marco's voice is truly beautiful on it *__*
#4 - Fightstar (776 plays)
> In my opinion Fightstar is the one of the best English bands we have right now :) I really haven't listened to them that much recently (about half these plays probably came from the new album and when I wrote my Fightstar fanfic) I guess because they're not heavy enough, but I'll always support these guys. I love 'em so much, I shall always be a fan! >w</~~
Top Album of 2009: Alternate Endings (#27, 197 plays)
> I kind of wish my top album wasn't a collection of b-sides, but hey xD It can't be denied that many of the best Fightstar songs come from this collection :)
Top Track of 2009: The English Way NTY (#118, 33 plays)
> ENGLISH PRIDE!! \:D/ This song appeals to my patriotism and it is just raw awesome anyways :)
#3 - Within Temptation (802 plays)
> It's a miracle these guys hung onto third place, what with the fact that I'm... well... completely and utterly bored of them at the moment @__@ They're good (that's why they were my third favourite for about half the year) but there's just not enough substance to them. However, I'll always stay fond of them since they were part of my original eurometal trinity that started everything x)
Top Album of 2009: The Heart of Everything NTY (#24, 222 plays)
> The scrobbles for this are actually split because I had the album mistagged for ages before I actually did something about it and fixed it :P It's technically the best WT album in my opinion, but not always the most enjoyable to listen to.
Top Track of 2009: Sounds of Freedom NTY (#136, 31 plays)
> Mwahaha, I am unusual! \:D/ I just loved this song when I first got it, listened to it over and over again ^^ It made me feel like I could do anything >w<
#2 - Sonata Arctica (3,457 plays)
> Holy.... right, I'm going to have to be really careful not to talk forever about these guys. Because, over the course of this year, Sonata Arctica have truly earned the right to be called my favourite band :D Along with WT and Nightwish, they formed my original eurometal trinity but they always played second fiddle to Nightwish. Living in their shadow, they gradually grew on me more and more. Earlier this year I fell in love with them properly, but it was only with the release of Flag in the Ground video and the anticipation of The Days of Grays album that I realised the truth - Sonata were displacing Nightwish as my favourite band. I resisted the change at first, claiming they were equal favourites, but now Sonata is so far ahead Nightwish doesn't even figure. The simple fact is that I enjoy Sonata's music over and above everyone else's! And of course seeing them live earlier this month merely intensified my love for Sonata Arctica :) Five magnificent musicians (eight, including old members) and a ridiculously impressive back-catalogue of sensational music covering the whole spectrum of life... for me, right now, it just doesn't get better :)
(I didn't do very well at not writing much xD)
Top Album of 2009: Unia NTY (#2, 775 plays)
> This is the album that really made me fall in love with Sonata :) I was ridiculously late buying it but I'm actually really glad I waited. If I hadn't, I might have reacted like a lot of other Sonata fans and hated it. Instead, it became my favourite on the first listen :) It's second favourite now, after The Days of Grays, but seriously, by about *this* much *demonstrates tinytiny distance with fingers*
Top Track of 2009: In Black and White NTY (#6, 80 plays)
> Holy crap @__@ Could there *be* a more deserving top Sonata track? This song is the reason I bought Unia and thus really it's this song that made me fall in love with Sonata properly. When I first heard it my only thought was, "Why the hell do people hate Unia so much? THIS IS FUCKING GENIUS!!!" I listened it over and over again before I got my paws on the album and it still hasn't been beaten from the top spot :) Add to that that they used it as an encore song at our gig and oh my days, I can't help but say that this is one of my favourite songs of all time! :3
#1 - Nightwish (3,670 plays)
> What a surprise to see you here! */sarcasm* Until these last few months when Sonata displaced them, Nightwish were my most favouritest and bestest band of all time from the moment I first heard them :D That means two solid years at the top of my favourites list which, for someone as fickle as me, is really saying something @__@ I had a low with them recently, poking them and shouting at them, "WHY AREN'T YOU BETTER? DX" Mostly I was annoyed with Tuomas (he's suffered from negative comparison with Tony Kakko :P) which obviously meant that I was unable to help passing that annoyance on to the music. But thankfully (partly due to getting From Wishes to Eternity DVD for my birthday! thanks Chrissi! \:D/) I recovered my love and affection for that most magnificent of bands, Nightwish - I just don't love them *quite* as much as I did before. But you know what? I'm cool with that :) It was high time things changed around here :)
Top Album of 2009: Dark Passion Play (#1, 900 plays)
> The whole time that Nightwish were my favourite band of all time, this was my favourite album of all time. Now that Nightwish are less stable, so is DPP (Wishmaster and Oceanborn are fighting with it for first place) but all things told, I think I will still say that Dark Passion Play is my album of the decade. It just changed so much of the way I thought about music and really, despite currently boring me in places, it's a masterpiece of modern popular music. Let's see how the next album fares!
Top Track of 2009: The Poet and the Pendulum (#1, 110 plays)
> And all the time Nightwish were my all-time favourite band, Poet was my all-time favourite song. And just like DPP, with Nightwish being less stable, Poet has been displaced by Last of the Wilds and Over the Hills and Far Away. Nonetheless this is still one of the greatest songs ever written. This musical acheivement is something that I'll always, always respect Tuomas for :)
Finally, some predictions for 2010:
> Sonata Arctica for #1
> less symphonic metal, more power metal
> older Nightwish albums to become more dominant
> less listenings of old favourites and "classic" bands
> less listenings of British and American bands
> an even higher bias in favour of Finland xD
> fewer new discoveries. I'm taking a well-earned break ;)
If you read all that you deserve a medal @__@ And unfortunately I don't have any medals so you'll just have to make do with this virtual cookie. Don't eat it all at once now! \:D/
So here we go, my top 40 most scrobbled artists of the year, accompanied by their most scrobbled albums and tracks. Knock yourselves out xD
DNC = "Did not chart"
NTY = "New this year"
IC = "Incomplete" i.e. I don't have the full album yet. This is usually because I've downloaded two or three songs so that I can listen to them a fair few times before deciding whether or not to buy the full album. If I just research on youtube, I wouldn't be giving a band enough time to grow on me (or to grow old, in fact!)
Chart positions determined 5:30 p.m., Thursday 17th December 2009. As if that matters xDD
=#40 - Circa Survive (103 plays)
> One of the best bands I've listened to. They're just not my genre xD
Top Album of 2009: On Letting Go (#75, 57 plays)
> An almost flawless album
Top Track of 2009: DNC
=#40 - Genesis (103 plays)
> Grew up with these guys, one of the only bands that both my parents like xD
Top Album of 2009: We Can't Dance (#136, 28 plays)
> The final track, Fading Lights, is just pure amazingness
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#39 - Depeche Mode (112 plays)
> They seem to have inspired everyone somewhere along the lines, and for good reason xD DM are one of the main reasons for English pride!
Top Album of 2009: Playing The Angel IC (#101, 38 plays)
> A superb album, really superb :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#38 - Amorphis NTY (114 plays)
> Initially interested, I slowly realised that it all sounded the same ¬__¬
Top Album of 2009: Silent Waters NTY (#84, 49 plays)
> What a disappointment. It's so mediocre, easily my worst buy of 2009.
Top Track of 2009: House of Sleep NTY (#105, 36 plays)
> See, this was interesting. It's just that the rest is either boring or a boring clone >__>
#37 - 下村陽子 NTY (121 plays)
> Because I like the Kingdom Hearts game >w<
Top Album of 2009: KINGDOM HEARTS Original Soundtrack COMPLETE [Disc 1] NTY (#121, 31 plays)
> Same as above, really xD
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#36 - Metallica (130 plays)
> The influence of the great 'Tallica just can't be ignored, nor escaped :)
Top Album of 2009: S&M (#97, 41 plays)
> The first time I heard a proper orchestra used in metal - in other words, the set-up for Nightwish ;)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#35 - Korpiklaani NTY (135 plays)
> A pure last.fm discovery, this was. My first taste of folk metal too, I think.
Top Album of 2009: Korven Kuningas NTY, IC (#62, 76 plays)
> I still want to buy this at some point...
Top Track of 2009: Kipumylly NTY (#94, 38 plays)
> I love this song! I even learned the Finnish lyrics, though I forgot them before too long... xD
#34 - Indica NTY (138 plays)
> I got into Indica because they were one of the support bands for the Nightwish gig. They're a pretty fun little group ^__^
Top Album of 2009: Valoissa NTY, IC (#71, 60 plays)
> Ah, the infamous Tuomas-produced album. If I ever buy an Indica album, it won't be this one xD
Top Track of 2009: Vuorien taa NTY (#100, 37 plays)
> Easily the best out of the few I know. Jonsu's fiddle *makes* it :)
=#32 - Deadlock (144 plays)
> I've known about them for ages but last.fm rekindled my drive to investigate their music :) and MAN they're good! :D
Top Album of 2009: Manifesto NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> Getting this album for Christmas :D It was a hard choice which to get, though, this or Wolves...
Top Track of 2009:
Martyr To Science NTY (#206, 25 plays)> What a great track @__@ I'm not sure you can get much better than this, the guitars are great and Sabine's voice... wuaaah!
=#32 - Evanescence (144 plays)
> This artist had the single greatest influence on my musical (and personal, thinking about it) life. Evanescence showed me that I liked rock/metal combined with classical styles, which has paved the way for the vast majority of what I listen to today. And they're still fun to listen to occasionally, even after six years x) (Feels like longer...!)
Top Album of 2009: The Open Door (#108, 36 plays)
I actually prefer this to Fallen, I really do. Fallen is too boring and samey - there's some fail on The Open Door but there's much more win too to make up for that.
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#31 - Kate Bush (157 plays)
> Probably one of the greatest solo artists ever. She's just amazing @__@
Top Album of 2009: Aerial: A Sky of Honey NTY (#130, 29 plays)
> Easily, *easily* my favourite Kate Bush album. The way it just flows as if it's just one massive, chaptered song... amazing, and so calming to listen to ^__^
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#30 - For My Pain... NTY (162 plays)
> I listened to these guys because of Tuomas being in the band and to be fair, I do like their music, but... it's just so incredibly emo!! @___@ And emo in a very unemotional way, which is... just weird xD
Top Album of 2009: Fallen NTY, IC (#42, 129 plays)
> I nearly bought this. I'm glad I didn't xD Though maybe one days... *shrugs*
Top Track of 2009: My Wound Is Deeper Than Yours NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Not my favourite FMP song xD It's good, but not the best :P
#29 - Green Day (165 plays)
> I got really fond of these guys again during the summer x)
Top Album of 2009: International Superhits! (#89, 46 plays)
> It's my top album mostly because it has the most tracks xDD
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#28 - Eluveitie NTY (172 plays)
> Another last.fm discovery. I really love their brand of folk metal, especially since they're not afraid to put down their guitars and stuff and just play pure folk.
Top Album of 2009: Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion NTY, IC (#69, 62 plays)
> This is probably the album I'd buy, if I get round to it. Like I said, the "pure folk" element is what makes me respect Eluveitie the most...
Top Track of 2009: Bloodstained Ground NTY (#177, 27 plays)
> ...even though what made me fall for them was the combination of metal and folk on this here track x) Bloodstained Ground is pretty close to perfect :P
#27 - Galneryus (173 plays)
> Shock horror! A Japanese band that I discovered, not my sister! xD I really want to buy some albums of theirs but you know... postage from Japan is a killer T^T
Top Album of 2009: One For All - All For One NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> When I eventually buy a Galneryus album, this is the one I want most!
Top Track of 2009: Cause Disarray (#118, 33 plays)
> My first Garu track :3 It struck me as similar to Sonata, and that was enough to investigate them further x3
#26 - Jamiroquai (182 plays)
> Aww, Jamiroquai :D *smiles at them in fondness* They were my favourites for a long, long time back at school and college, and I'll always have a soft spot for them :)
Top Album of 2009: The Return of the Space Cowboy (#97, 41 plays)
> THE best Jamiroquai album. There's no question - greatest sound, greatest consistency, just a great funk album :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#25 - The Gathering NTY (191 plays)
> They make very nice, calm music, but that's the problem xD It's so nice and calm that I got bored of it very quickly ^__^;; Still, it's good for relaxing every now and then :)
Top Album of 2009: The West Pole NTY (#31, 179 plays)
> A good solid album, if you don't mind music that doesn't really pack a punch.
Top Track of 2009:
The West Pole NTY (#94, 38 plays)> The song that made me pay attention to The Gathering, and probably still my favourite. It just transports you to another world~~
#24 - Sydänpuu NTY (192 plays)
> *flails arms in totally fangirly way* I love Sydänpuu!! \:D/ I got into them because I found out that Jani Liimatainen (ex-guitarist of Sonata, of course) does everything but drums for this project. I listened, not seriously expecting anything of Jani's voice, and OH MY GOD. BLOWN AWAY @___@ Jani, stop messing around with Cain's Offering and get your butt back to Sydänpuu! This project shows so much promise!!
Top Album of 2009: Sydänpuu NTY (#29, 192 plays)
> Well, it's not really an album xD It's six demo tracks, the only Sydänpuu stuff we have ;____; In a way that makes it more precious but at the same time I WANT MORE DANGIT!
Top Track of 2009:
Hautaa Minut Tänään NTY (#33, 53 plays)> The first track I listened to, the one that made me fall in love with Jani's voice, and I still can't get enough of it. REPEATREPEAT.
#23 - Michael Jackson (204 plays)
> Believe it or not, most of those scrobbles were from before his death. I've always loved this guy, for my whole life; a great man and a great musician. Rest in peace, dearest, rest in peace. *moonwalks*
Top Album of 2009: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Disc 2 (#84, 49 plays)
> Bad is actually my favourite album, but this one has more tracks so it gets more scrobbles :P
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#22 - Finntroll NTY (250 plays)
> Got into these guys because of the Nightwish-Tapio Wilska-Finntroll connection x3 Just gotta love the sound they create, trolls partying into the night x)
Top Album of 2009: Nattfödd NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> I finally bought this at Halloween, and it's absolutely perfect for that time of year x) And, oddly, Christmas xDD (don't know how that works... O.o)
Top Track of 2009:
Hel Vete NTY (#108, 35 plays)> This was my self-righteous anger song at some point, and I really don't know how I got that from the song xD It's great, in spite of my odd usage of it :P
#21- Elias Viljanen NTY (259 plays)
> Yeap, Sonata Arctica's current guitarist! I've only discovered his solo stuff really recently but OH MY GODD I absolutely adore his work!! @__@ Ahh, so amazing... Elias' music is just so great to listen to, because even though he's a fantastic guitarist, the album isn't just one long solo - he really thinks about the music. It's so heartfelt, and so uplifting, there's almost nothing that's better to listen to! :P
Top Album of 2009: Fire-Hearted NTY (#20, 259 plays)
> Got this for my birthday just over a week ago and it's already my third favourite album for this year :3 I could listen to it all day and night; I know I wouldn't get tired of that warm fuzzy feeling ^w^ And it doesn't hurt at all that this album features my two favourite male singers of all time, Tony Kakko and Marco Hietala :P
Top Track of 2009: Kiss of Rain NTY (#2, 101 plays)
> The song that features Tony Kakko x) For about a month or two, this was the first song I listened to when I woke up and the last song I listened to before I went to sleep. My god, it just doesn't get better than this. This is my official song of 2009 :)
#20 - Dark Moor NTY (295 plays)
> Since my sister's friend Harry is addicted to Dark Moor, I ended up inheriting seven albums at once xD It was pretty difficult to get my head around at first, and I was very scathing for a long time, but I'm at last enjoying and appreciating their somewhat... "not-perfect" style of symphonic power metal xD
Top Album of 2009: The Gates of Oblivion NTY (#76, 56 plays)
> Definitely one of my favourites. Elisa's great here, and the instrumentation is better than on post-Elisa albums, I think.
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#19 - Machinae Supremacy NTY (297 plays)
> I got these beauties from Chris x) They're good fun but to be honest the guy's voice kind of bugs me, which is why I'm not listening to them as much as I used to.
Top Album of 2009: Overworld NTY (#28, 194 plays)
> I actually like this pretty much the same as Deus Ex Machinae, but I got Overworld earlier.
Top Track of 2009:
Violator NTY (#206, 25 plays)> I still love this song :D It's one of those where the guy's voice doesn't annoy me, and I love the lyrical content >w<
#18 - Patrick Doyle (317 plays)
> Paddy! \:D/ Actually I'm in a bit of a rut with him - at one point he was my favourite Harry Potter composer and now he's my least favourite ^__^;; His themes are okay, but... not *Harry* enough I guess :P
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (#16, 317 plays)
> Correction: ONLY album of 2009 xDD
Top Track of 2009: Harry in Winter (#177, 27 plays)
> I do still love this one :) Learned to play it on the piano, too!
#17 - 北出菜奈 (327 plays)
> Yay for Nana! \:D/ Probably my favourite solo singer (we'll have to see how Anette can do, hmm? x3) although I don't listen to her so much.. She was also the first step into the world of Japanese music for me and Chrissi, so we'll always be grateful to her for that :)
Top Album of 2009: BONDAGE NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> This new album is easily Nana's best. Sophisticated but fun at the same time. Hopefully if Loveless (her new project) sounds like any of her solo albums, it'll sound like this one :)
Top Track of 2009: 鏡の国のアリア NTY (#409, 16 plays)
> Easily, easily the best song Nana has produced. Now why the hell didn't you put it on an album, eh? This is too good for a b-side!!
#16 - Tarja (338 plays)
> The bitch is back! \:D/ Okay, I don't really mean that, it's a reference to a Sinergy song, but the point is that Tarja's back in my good books again (about time!). In fact, right now, she's my favourite female singer to listen to, which is JUST WEIRD xD (I phase with her like you wouldn't believe!! @__@) Looking forward to What Lies Beneath anyways! :3
Top Album of 2009: My Winter Storm (#19, 260 plays)
> Such a hit-and-miss album, and again I phase with it constantly, but I'm enjoying it for now :)
Top Track of 2009:
Our Great Divide (#230, 23 plays)> Yey! \:D/ My favourite song, at least from MWS - "sounds of waves" indeed, and I can't help but think it's about the friendship lost between her and Tuomas... It feels like we're actually seeing *Tarja*, rather than her "brave face" or her "ice queen" mask.
#15 - Stewart Copeland NTY (339 plays)
> HELL YEAH!! >8D Well, it says "new this year" but that's only in terms of scrobbles. I've actually been listening to Stewart Copeland for about two-thirds of my life since he made the.greatest.soundtrack.of.all.time for the original Spyro the Dragon game :P It's still my favourite game and the music has a huge part to play in that :3 And unlike most soundtrack music, it actually passes for popular music too, instrumental-style. The only reason he's not my highest soundtrack artist is because the Harry Potter OSTs are Harry Potter, I mean, what do you expect? ;D
Top Album of 2009: Spyro The Dragon OST - Disc 1 NTY (#32, 176 plays)
> ... which just means that I play the first half of the OST more than the second, which I guess makes sense. After all, Magic Crafters homeland is in the first half, and ALL the Magic Crafters levels have good music :D
Top Track of 2009: Ice Cavern NTY (#290, 20 plays)
> You can't really pick a favourite track from this OST but this is definitely one of the strongest ones :3
#14 - My Dying Bride NTY (342 plays)
> Oooh, dour and gloomy! I went and found MDB because Tuomas loves them, and I'm glad I took the effort. They're easily one of the most mature bands I've listened to. Their music is elegant and yet very rough at the same time. I can't listen to them for long periods of time, not because they're depressing but because I get a little bored, and that's why they don't have more scrobbles. (Plus that their songs are ridiculously long @__@)
Top Album of 2009: Like Gods of the Sun NTY (#40, 145 plays)
> The first of the two albums I've bought so far. There are a handful of really great tracks but the rest I can kind of overlook without even the slightest feeling of guilt .___.
Top Track of 2009:
Catherine Blake NTY (#127, 32 plays)> It would probably actually have been For You if it wasn't for the fact that For You was mistagged originally. But Catherine Blake deserves this spot, because it was the song that made me fall for MDB. And Aaron's voice @__@ Aaron's VOICE!
#13 - In Flames (343 plays)
> I listened to these guys loads when I first came to last.fm, I think because I wanted to boost scrobbles of such a non-mainstream band. I lol at my innocence back then xD I don't listen to them so much these days simply because they're a little *too* heavy for my tastes.
Top Album of 2009: A Sense of Purpose (#29, 192 plays)
> Of course, the trve fans hate this album. I care not. It's good ^w^
Top Track of 2009: The Chosen Pessimist (#167, 28 plays)
> Easily the best In Flames song. It shows such maturity, skill and emotion.
#12 - John Williams (359 plays)
> And the magic that is Harry Potter returns! :3 Johnny is the classic sound of HP :) I have mixed feelings about this guy coming back for the last two movies, though... on the one hand, Philosopher's Stone is my favourite HP score, but on the other, Prisoner of Azkaban was just two and a half hours of WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone NTY (#25, 213 plays)
> *The* Christmas album :D I love this so much, and it would be higher in the charts but the scrobbles are split because I had it mistagged initially ;____;
Top Track of 2009: Leaving Hogwarts (#177, 27 plays)
> This track always makes me want to cry xD Seriously, if they end the final movie with this piece, I will absolutely fall apart in the cinema. I promise ;D
#11 - HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (379 plays)
> I am AMAZED that Haikara got that many scrobbles this year @__@ I've been a fan of them for a long time but I really hit a wall with them this year; I haven't got anything out of listening to them for ages now. They put on a good live show, though, I enjoyed watching the latest DVD :)
Top Album of 2009: ROCK PIT (#54, 89 plays)
> Yeah, this is my favourite, I think. I mean, it has MEKIMEKI. What more do you want? \:D/
Top Track of 2009: DNC
#10 - Nicholas Hooper NTY (392 plays)
> And thus completing the Harry Trinity of composers! \:D/ Nicky did the score for the most recent two movies, and whilst I was unimpressed by Order, Half-Blood was AMAZINGsauce. One of my favourite movie scores of all time! \:D/
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince NTY (#12, 367 plays)
> Freakin' love this xD It's so good. I could listen to it for years but I'd miss my other music xD
Top Track of 2009: Fireworks NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Ironic, then, that my most played track is not from Half-Blood xD Well, actually it is, because they re-used it but didn't put it on the HBP OST. So there! :P
#9 - Pain NTY (444 plays)
> These guys also supported Nightwish and man were they amazing! \:D/ Such a good live band, and I totally fell in love with Peter's voice. I plan to go right through the back catalogue eventually :)
Top Album of 2009: Cynic Paradise NTY (#22, 256 plays)
> A good, solid album :) For some reason it's really good music to listen to when you're cleaning ovens O_o Anyway, it's the only album I have at the moment but that'll change! :D
Top Track of 2009: Play Dead NTY (#23, 62 plays)
> This is easily, easily my favourite Pain track. In fact, it's one of my favourite songs everever! :D I was so surprised when I found out it was a cover, but both this and the original are amazing pieces of music, and the way that Peter altered it to suit his own voice and style whilst keeping all the best parts of the original... just perfect evidence of his genius! \:D/
#8 - Versailles NTY (519 plays)
> Definitely my favourite new discovery this year :D No thanks to me though ^__^;; I got the free download from last.fm and didn't really think much of it... THANK GOD Chrissi picked it up herself and decided to investigate them further or we would have missed out on one of the greatest bands of all time @__@ They haven't put a foot wrong so far so I can't wait to see what comes next with Jubilee. And it's important to mention the sad loss of Jasmine You (rest in peace, you crazy witch, rest in peace ;___;) and the unbelievable strength the other members have shown in the wake of his passing. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for those guys T^T
Top Album of 2009: Noble NTY (#17, 294 plays)
> The only full-length album so far. I actually prefer Lyrical Sympathy, but hell no am I complaining, because Noble is awesome as well :D
Top Track of 2009:
SUZERAIN NTY (#118, 33 plays)> This ends up being quite random because when a Versailles song comes up, I just can't skip it, ever xD They're just all so good and we have so terribly few! @__@
#7 - Dir en grey NTY (734 plays)
> The second-best new discovery of the year, and again it's thanks to Chrissi :D I used to think Diru were a complete waste of space before she came across the DOZING GREEN PV on youtube. Now I absolutely love this band! Kyo may be a bit (a lot xD) masochistic but if he wasn't, we wouldn't have Dir en grey. He's like a martyr for the exorcism of our darkest feelings >3
Top Album of 2009: UROBOROS NTY (#11, 378 plays)
> By far and away my favourite Diru album so far. It's pretty much perfect (aside from STUCK MAN and the incomprehensible decision to make the album versions of GLASS SKIN and DOZING GREEN in English) and it's my third favourite album by anyone at the moment :)
Top Track of 2009: GAIKA, CHINMOKU GA NEMURU KORO NTY (#88, 39 plays)
> This was the song that really made me fall in love with Dir en grey, and it's still one of my favourites ^__^ Although it's hard to pick favourites with Diru... they're just not a "this is my favourite song!" kind of band! ^__^;;
#6 - Kamelot NTY (746 plays)
> It's thanks to Cerefi that I went and looked up this band, and I'm glad I did. I was wayy over-obsessed with them when I bought my first albums from them, but thankfully a period of really not liking them calmed all that down, and now I'm enjoying them at levels I consider appropriate xD Musically, I love 'em, but Khan, not so much. I seem to be the only person who thinks this besides my sister, however @__@ (Also: Boo at Glenn leaving! :( I loved Glenn...)
Top Album of 2009: The Black Halo NTY (#14, 326 plays)
> Hands down the best. Best quality, best consistency, best album feel. And Khan's voice is sometimes very nice. O.o
Top Track of 2009:
When the Lights Are Down NTY (#52, 47 plays)> Not my *favourite* (that's Serenade) but one of my "preview" songs for Kamelot, which is why it's so dominant in the charts.
#5 - Tarot NTY (749 plays)
> I literally looked these guys up the very first day I got last.fm :D I actually love Marco more in Tarot at the moment than in Nightwish, he just seems more at home here. And I'm really getting fond of Zachary too, which is cool :)
Top Album of 2009: Suffer Our Pleasures NTY (#9, 390 plays)
> One of my favourite albums ever (it's just full of so much win) which leads me to wonder what the hell went wrong when they made that hit-and-miss oddity, Crows Fly Black o_O
Top Track of 2009: Tides NTY (#7, 76 plays)
> Haha xD Shall I tell the story of its dominance? I think I shall. It was one of my preview songs but more than that I listened to it about 30 times in one night when I was writing my Marco/Tuomas fanfic :P It really helped get the mood for that last scene, and also helped me get into Marco's head more. Add that to the fact that it is, of course, one of the greatest Tarot songs. Marco's voice is truly beautiful on it *__*
#4 - Fightstar (776 plays)
> In my opinion Fightstar is the one of the best English bands we have right now :) I really haven't listened to them that much recently (about half these plays probably came from the new album and when I wrote my Fightstar fanfic) I guess because they're not heavy enough, but I'll always support these guys. I love 'em so much, I shall always be a fan! >w</~~
Top Album of 2009: Alternate Endings (#27, 197 plays)
> I kind of wish my top album wasn't a collection of b-sides, but hey xD It can't be denied that many of the best Fightstar songs come from this collection :)
Top Track of 2009: The English Way NTY (#118, 33 plays)
> ENGLISH PRIDE!! \:D/ This song appeals to my patriotism and it is just raw awesome anyways :)
#3 - Within Temptation (802 plays)
> It's a miracle these guys hung onto third place, what with the fact that I'm... well... completely and utterly bored of them at the moment @__@ They're good (that's why they were my third favourite for about half the year) but there's just not enough substance to them. However, I'll always stay fond of them since they were part of my original eurometal trinity that started everything x)
Top Album of 2009: The Heart of Everything NTY (#24, 222 plays)
> The scrobbles for this are actually split because I had the album mistagged for ages before I actually did something about it and fixed it :P It's technically the best WT album in my opinion, but not always the most enjoyable to listen to.
Top Track of 2009: Sounds of Freedom NTY (#136, 31 plays)
> Mwahaha, I am unusual! \:D/ I just loved this song when I first got it, listened to it over and over again ^^ It made me feel like I could do anything >w<
#2 - Sonata Arctica (3,457 plays)
> Holy.... right, I'm going to have to be really careful not to talk forever about these guys. Because, over the course of this year, Sonata Arctica have truly earned the right to be called my favourite band :D Along with WT and Nightwish, they formed my original eurometal trinity but they always played second fiddle to Nightwish. Living in their shadow, they gradually grew on me more and more. Earlier this year I fell in love with them properly, but it was only with the release of Flag in the Ground video and the anticipation of The Days of Grays album that I realised the truth - Sonata were displacing Nightwish as my favourite band. I resisted the change at first, claiming they were equal favourites, but now Sonata is so far ahead Nightwish doesn't even figure. The simple fact is that I enjoy Sonata's music over and above everyone else's! And of course seeing them live earlier this month merely intensified my love for Sonata Arctica :) Five magnificent musicians (eight, including old members) and a ridiculously impressive back-catalogue of sensational music covering the whole spectrum of life... for me, right now, it just doesn't get better :)
(I didn't do very well at not writing much xD)
Top Album of 2009: Unia NTY (#2, 775 plays)
> This is the album that really made me fall in love with Sonata :) I was ridiculously late buying it but I'm actually really glad I waited. If I hadn't, I might have reacted like a lot of other Sonata fans and hated it. Instead, it became my favourite on the first listen :) It's second favourite now, after The Days of Grays, but seriously, by about *this* much *demonstrates tinytiny distance with fingers*
Top Track of 2009: In Black and White NTY (#6, 80 plays)
> Holy crap @__@ Could there *be* a more deserving top Sonata track? This song is the reason I bought Unia and thus really it's this song that made me fall in love with Sonata properly. When I first heard it my only thought was, "Why the hell do people hate Unia so much? THIS IS FUCKING GENIUS!!!" I listened it over and over again before I got my paws on the album and it still hasn't been beaten from the top spot :) Add to that that they used it as an encore song at our gig and oh my days, I can't help but say that this is one of my favourite songs of all time! :3
#1 - Nightwish (3,670 plays)
> What a surprise to see you here! */sarcasm* Until these last few months when Sonata displaced them, Nightwish were my most favouritest and bestest band of all time from the moment I first heard them :D That means two solid years at the top of my favourites list which, for someone as fickle as me, is really saying something @__@ I had a low with them recently, poking them and shouting at them, "WHY AREN'T YOU BETTER? DX" Mostly I was annoyed with Tuomas (he's suffered from negative comparison with Tony Kakko :P) which obviously meant that I was unable to help passing that annoyance on to the music. But thankfully (partly due to getting From Wishes to Eternity DVD for my birthday! thanks Chrissi! \:D/) I recovered my love and affection for that most magnificent of bands, Nightwish - I just don't love them *quite* as much as I did before. But you know what? I'm cool with that :) It was high time things changed around here :)
Top Album of 2009: Dark Passion Play (#1, 900 plays)
> The whole time that Nightwish were my favourite band of all time, this was my favourite album of all time. Now that Nightwish are less stable, so is DPP (Wishmaster and Oceanborn are fighting with it for first place) but all things told, I think I will still say that Dark Passion Play is my album of the decade. It just changed so much of the way I thought about music and really, despite currently boring me in places, it's a masterpiece of modern popular music. Let's see how the next album fares!
Top Track of 2009: The Poet and the Pendulum (#1, 110 plays)
> And all the time Nightwish were my all-time favourite band, Poet was my all-time favourite song. And just like DPP, with Nightwish being less stable, Poet has been displaced by Last of the Wilds and Over the Hills and Far Away. Nonetheless this is still one of the greatest songs ever written. This musical acheivement is something that I'll always, always respect Tuomas for :)
Finally, some predictions for 2010:
> Sonata Arctica for #1
> less symphonic metal, more power metal
> older Nightwish albums to become more dominant
> less listenings of old favourites and "classic" bands
> less listenings of British and American bands
> an even higher bias in favour of Finland xD
> fewer new discoveries. I'm taking a well-earned break ;)
If you read all that you deserve a medal @__@ And unfortunately I don't have any medals so you'll just have to make do with this virtual cookie. Don't eat it all at once now! \:D/
st track: (18 Apr 2009)
