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The Best Albums of 2019
Radio Music Director Mike Luoma Reveals Favorites
December hits and my “listing” instincts kick in… must make “Best of the Year” music lists!
We’re ending the decade, too, so “Best of the Decade” music lists are gestating in my subconscious as well. Those will come later — they require a bit more internal deliberation than yearly ones. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves… first — what was good this year? Let me tell ya…
Why my list? I’m not a music critic — I’m a fan. And an Adult Album Alternative format (AAA) radio Music Director — used to be an Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) M.D. back when that radio format was still around. As an M.D., I’ve helped discover and break bands since the early 90s, like Lorde, Counting Crows, and many others. I’m still very proud to have been the first DJ in the world to play Phish on the radio. My job exposes me to new music all the time, so I have a pretty good idea of what’s come out over the last year.
That said? This list is not like other Best Album lists for 2019 you’ll come across. It’s not a list of best sellers, critical darlings, nor buzzbands… not even the best albums for radio (though, not surprisingly, I suppose, you will hear us play these on WBKM.org, my current radio home, as I have a lot to do with what we play). As I do each year, I share them with a…