D‘Angelo Live Soulfest Sydney 2014 / Photo: Liam Cameron

600 Music Critics Name The Best Albums Of 2014

The Village Voice has published the results of its prestigious annual Pazz & Jop poll, where over 600 music critics from across the world pick the year’s best albums and singles and the results reveal that 2014’s late-breaking D’Angelo album Black Messiah, has taken first place.

Despite only dropping by surprise in December, just weeks before the ballot’s deadline, Black Messiah rocketed to the number one position, behind Run The Jewels’ second album Run The Jewels 2, which actually scored the same amount of raw votes as D’Angelo’s first album in 14 years.

The War On Drug’s latest effort Lost in the Dream placed third in the poll, followed by St. Vincent’s self titled release and FKA twigs’ LP1. Critics also named Future Islands’ Seasons (Waiting on You), a Hottest 100 favourite, as the year’s best song, followed by FKA twigs’ Two Weeks, Taylor Swift’s Blank Space and Shake It Off and Kendrick Lamar’s i.

The publication notes that results for the singles poll was far from a consensus. Future Islands took first position with votes from less than 16 percent of the voters and only the top five songs received votes from at least 10 percent of participants.

The Pazz & Jop poll began in 1971 and works by giving critics 100 points to divide among their top 10 album picks, with each entry receiving no more than 30 points or less than five. There’s no point-ranking system for the singles category.

Check out the top 20 albums and songs below and see the full list at the Village Voice’s website along with individual ballots from participating critics and essays covering the results.

Listen: D’Angelo and The Vanguard – Sugah Daddy

Watch: David Letterman – Future Islands: Seasons (Waiting On You)

http://youtu.be/1Ee4bfu_t3c

Pazz and Jop’s Top Albums of 2014

01. D’Angelo – Black Messiah

02. Run the Jewels – RTJ2

03. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream

04. St. Vincent – St. Vincent

05. FKA twigs – LP1

06. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

07. Taylor Swift – 1989

08. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness

09. Spoon – They Want My Soul

10. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues

11. Ex Hex – Rips

12. Miranda Lambert – Platinum

13. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!

14. Azealia Banks – Broke with Expensive Tastes

15. Sharon Van Etten – Are We There

16. Beck – Morning Phase

17. Aphex Twin – Syro

18. Sun Kil Moon – Benji

19. Swans – To Be Kind

20. Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal

Pazz and Jop’s Top Songs of 2014

01. Future Islands – “Seasons (Waiting On You)”

02. FKA twigs – “Two Weeks”

03. Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”

04. Taylor Swift – “Shake It Off”

05. Kendrick Lamar – “i”

06. ILoveMakonnen feat. Drake – “Tuesday”

07. Sia – “Chandelier”

08. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap

09. Beyonce – “***Flawless”

09. DJ Snake feat. Lil Jon – “Turn Down For What”

11. Perfume Genius – “Queen”

11. Flying Lotus feat. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me”

13. Pharrell Williams – “Happy”

14. St. Vincent – “Digital Witness”

15. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”

16. Future feat. Pharrell, Pusha T, and Casino – “Move That Dope”

17. Alvvays – “Archie, Marry Me”

18. Run the Jewels feat. Zack de la Rocha – “Close Your Eyes (and Count to Fuck)”

19. tUnE-yArDs – “Water Fountain”

20. The War on Drugs – “Red Eyes”

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