[Updated 20/12/2011 to include 2011 playlist, and plug some of the gaps in the earlier ones.]
At least one of the links below tells you the full story, so I won't go through it all again. But in brief: since 1993, I've been producing an annual series of Pick Of The Year compilations, collating my favourite tracks from that year's music releases. From 1993 to 1997, they were 90 minute cassettes: since 1998, I've been burning them onto CDs.
1998 was also the year that I started writing about these compilations on the interwub. The years 1993-1997 have subsequently been covered on this site as part of Spank Gold. Put all that together, and you've got a hefty collection of tracks covering my musical interests from 1993 to the present day.
And thanks to YouTube, you can hear most of them right now. The playlists below aren't complete, inevitably: some artists are less happy than others about letting their product be heard for free. But the vast majority of the songs I've chosen are there in some form or other - from official record company videos, to slapdash fan-made tributes consisting of a single still image with the song playing over the top. (I guess my own Felix Project videos fall somewhere in between those two stools.)
Anyway, you've got around an entire day's worth of music here that I've liked at one time or another. And I'll be updating this page each time I produce a new POTY compilation. Enjoy.
World Party, Aimee Mann, Pulp, Blur, New Order, Suede, Kate Bush, Bjork, Rage Against The Machine, Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet [only cover version available], John Hegley, The The, Pet Shop Boys, Gavin Bryars & Tom Waits
1994
And You Sure As Hell Can't Sing
Transglobal Underground, The Stone Roses, Tricky, Shane MacGowan & The Popes, Frente, G Love & Special Sauce, Oasis, Blur, Van Morrison, Soul Coughing, Terry Hall, Public Enemy, Portishead, Spearhead, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Neil Young, Suede, The Divine Comedy
1995
Make A Cup Of Tea, Put A Record On
The One World Orchestra, Bjork, Ash, Sub Sub, Supergrass, Tricky, Oasis, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Pulp, Scott Walker, The Chemical Brothers, Edwyn Collins & Bernard Butler, Black Grape, PJ Harvey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Elastica, Saint Etienne, Weezer
1996
We Are The Kids And We're Out Of Our Heads
Pet Shop Boys, The Divine Comedy, REM, Primitive Radio Gods, Nearly God, White Town, Shane MacGowan & The Popes, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Nick Cave & PJ Harvey, Lush, Fugees, Goldbug, Patra, The Cure, The Blue Nile, Suede
1997
Nothing But Total Respect For Annie Lennox
Propellerheads, The Verve, Prodigy, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Divine Comedy, Roni Size & Reprazent, Lamb, Coldcut, David Bowie, Bjork, Pet Shop Boys, Oasis, Mary Coughlan, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Chemical Brothers
1998
Damn Your Black Heart, Barbra Streisand
Pulp, Craig Armstrong, Cornershop, REM, Stardust, The Divine Comedy, Vic Reeves, Propellerheads, Garbage, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Robbie Williams, Dubstar & Sacha Distel, Noel Gallagher, Vitro & South Park Cast
The Clash, Dido, Pet Shop Boys, Supergrass, Scritti Politti, Air, Lamb, The Chemical Brothers, Craig Armstrong, South Park Cast, Madness, Macy Gray, Tom Waits, Suede, Underworld, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Deltron 3030, A Perfect Circle, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Andreas Johnson, Eminem & Dido, The Waterboys, Radiohead, Kirsty MacColl, Ute Lemper, Moloko, Fatboy Slim & Macy Gray, Kelis, Saint Etienne, Bjork
2001
In Relation To Me Getting Out Of Bed
Manchild, Tanpopo, Ed Harcourt, Cerys Matthews & The Blockheads, Bjork, I Monster, Ewan McGregor & Alessandro Safina, Ash, Garbage, The Avalanches, Lamb, The Divine Comedy, Love Psychedelico, Prefab Sprout, Spiritualized, Radiohead, Half Man Half Biscuit
2002
Here's A Picture Of Me Bum
Craig Armstrong, Morning Musume, Elvis Costello, Doves, Billy Bragg & The Blokes, The Ukrainians, Badly Drawn Boy, Eminem, Yuki, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Truth Hurts, Love Psychedelico, Freelance Hellraiser, The Streets, The White Stripes, The Polyphonic Spree, Ringo Shiina
Moloko, Electric Six, Joe Jackson, Junior Senior, Paddy McAloon, Amiel, I Monster, Frenzal Rhomb, Johnny Cash, Tatu, The White Stripes, Machine Gun Fellatio, The Roots, Outkast, Ringo Shiina, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Dizzee Rascal, David Bridie
2004
Above The Beat And The Sub-Bass
The Kleptones, Tom Waits, Tokyo Jihen, The Streets, Ed Harcourt, The Divine Comedy, Love Psychedelico, DJ Danger Mouse, Jon Brion, Nouvelle Vague, PJ Harvey, Plus-Tech Squeeze Box, Sufjan Stevens, Ash, The Polyphonic Spree, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Machine Gun Fellatio, Badly Drawn Boy
2005
The Line Between Stupid And Fun
7 Seconds Of Love, The Go! Team, Cousteau [video not available], The Chemical Brothers, Half Man Half Biscuit, Gorillaz, Gogol Bordello, The White Stripes, R Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders, Kid Carpet, Lemon Jelly, Saul Williams, The Blue Van, Sufjan Stevens, The Legendary K.O., Jaga Jazzist, Nizlopi
2006
You Wouldn't Think That I Was 43
Youngblood Brass Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Divine Comedy, Ed Harcourt, Jarvis Cocker, Keito Blow, Lou Rhodes, Killing Joke, Panic! At The Disco, Regina Spektor, Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys & Rufus Wainwright, Arctic Monkeys, I'm From Barcelona, Tom Waits, Badly Drawn Boy, Michael Franti & Spearhead, 65daysofstatic
Ringo Shiina X Neko Saito, Cornelius, Dizzee Rascal, Richard Hawley, Kate Nash, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Amiina, Gogol Bordello, Kid Carpet, Feist, Halfby, Lou Rhodes, Candie Payne, The Real Tuesday Weld, Yoda's House, Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
2008
These Beats Are 20 Years Old
The Last Shadow Puppets, Monkey: Journey To The West, 7 Seconds Of Love, Camille, Coldplay, Superfly, Portishead, The Raconteurs, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Kiyoshi Hikawa, Fight Like Apes, Lykke Li, David Byrne & Brian Eno, Glasvegas, Sonny J, Elbow, Dizzee Rascal, Spiritualized
2009
Every Day Is F***ing Perfect
Mumford And Sons, They Might Be Giants, Regina Spektor, Prefab Sprout, Jay-Z, Florence & The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, The Unthanks, Madness, Kate Miller-Heidke, The BPA, Dizzee Rascal, Doves, The Lonely Island, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Soil&”Pimp”Sessions, Jarvis Cocker, Ringo Shiina, Joe Gideon & The Shark
2010
On Your Way To Somewhere Else
Tokyo Jihen, Underworld, Blur, Sara Forestier, Gil Scott-Heron, Vanilla Beans, Massive Attack, Sufjan Stevens, Kid Carpet, Jaga Jazzist, Baba Brinkman, Cee-Lo Green, The Divine Comedy, Janelle Monae, The Chemical Brothers, Peter Gabriel
2011
You've Done An Awesome Job Kevin
Amiina, Bjork, Lamb, Half Man Half Biscuit, Peter Gabriel, Elbow, Tokyo Jihen, Billy Bragg, Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, The Go! Team, Zoey Van Goey, The Waterboys, Tom Waits, The Lonely Island, The Unthanks, Imaginary Flying Machines
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