The Chart Show's All-Time Hall of Fame ('09-'15)
by Mark Wheat
December 22, 2015
The Current's Chart Show started mid-September of 2009. We decided to give every song a 10-week run on the Chart and then induct it into our Chart Show Hall of Fame. Over the past five years, the Hall of Fame has become a good gauge of what artists that you, our listeners, know and love. And this year we have had more inductees than ever: 72! Now 43 artists have been inducted three times or more and the top 40 is a marvelous representation of The Current's playlist.
It's been a great year for Minnesota music: Now nine of the top 40 entries are local artists, if we can still count Bon Iver! This cements the reputation of Minnesota's music scene more than it points to a bias in The Current's programming. If you add Dessa and P.O.S' induction score to Doomtree's, the hip-hop collective would be equal with the Black Keys!
Seven of the top 20 entries come from local artists (if we count Bon Iver as local) and are internationally touring acts. This cements the reputation of Minnesota's music scene more than it points to a bias in The Current's programming. If you add Dessa and P.O.S.' induction score to Doomtree's, the hip-hop collective would be equal with the Black Keys!
There are thirteen non-American acts in the top 40: Seven Brits (Mumford and Sons, alt-J, the xx, Jake Bugg, Adele, CHVRCHES and Florence and the Machine); two Canadian (Arcade Fire and Metric); two Australian, both added this year (Courtney and Tame Impala); one Icelandic (Of Monsters and Men); and one Swedish (First Aid Kit).
I decided to break all the ties by the first date that the act was inducted, e.g. Mason Jennings is ranked higher than the xx because he was inducted first. In fact, Mason was one of the first of three inductees back in 2009 along with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and the Rural Alberta Advantage.
It will be interesting to see how this chart evolves over the years as votes are spread over more than one album. alt-J are just starting to reap the benefits of their 2014 sophomore release and the xx could next year with the release of their third studio album, especially after the success of Jamie xx's solo work this year. This rule also means Hozier slipped out of the top 40 this year, with Modest Mouse and Hippo Campus making up the top 43, but they are the newest inductees after a strong year for both groups. Interestingly, Mumford and Sons' recent album didn't add to their total, leaving the Black Keys at a seemingly unassailable peak for at least another year. But what if the Arcs, Dan Auerbach's new band, get inducted, will that add to the Keys' total?!
Remember: You can help us with the evolution by voting for your favorite tracks every week! Stay safe and be peaceful to one another this holiday season, and thanks for listening!