The Run Out Grooves says Merry Christmas.
Happy Holidays to all
It is that time of year again; they aren’t joking when they say the passage of time seems to get quicker as you get older. Last year, when I took stock of what had changed in 2023, I said
This year, we have doubled our subscriber numbers; this is not what this project is about, but it is satisfying to see so many people interested in reading my thoughts on closing tracks, whether they are here for every edition or just some. This is the 99th edition of the year, with coverage of 82 separate albums from 47 different years. We are now at the point where only a few years between 1958 and 2023 have no entries, as the move away from the Acclaimed Music top 100 that kicked us off has allowed us to jump around more.
Well, followers have followed that trajectory with a 70% increase overall, but subscribers have increased by 13% in the past twelve months. I suspect that those following numbers play a part in that - we’ve covered over 40 albums this year, well down from the 80 odd we saw in the full-year operations of 2022 and 2023. That’s OK; I have had a busy year in other areas, from work to taking fantastic holidays with my young family. I’m also pleased to say that from 1958 to 2024, every year, bar 1962 is covered in our archives, and we are heading towards 250 albums.
What have been my highlights? It was great to write about some of my favourite closing tracks this year that I was always going to get around to, from Brian Eno to Kings of Leon via Neil Young and Super Furry Animals. I also enjoyed being playful with Orange Juice, The Streets and John Shuttleworth.
The pieces on Joni Mitchell, The Smiths, X-Ray Spex, and Black Sabbath proved the most popular with audiences, and I enjoyed writing about Radiohead, Nick Drake, Bon Iver, and Sea Power.
I am pleased to have written about three albums from this year already and one before it was released.
Interviews and guest writing have been lacking this year, and I’m keen to change that in 2025—as someone once said in 1999, the door to this house remains open.
So we will do that for The Run Out Grooves in 2024. There’s the traditional look at the closers from the most acclaimed albums of the year, one more entry after that due on New Year’s Eve, and then it will be on to 2025.
What can we expect in 2025? Well, it is the 25th anniversary of 2000, with an ongoing battle royale on the Best Album Brackets. It is also one in which my CD collection started to grow steadily with contemporary and not-so-contemporary releases, which means it holds a dear place in my heart. I’ll also be looking at some albums celebrating their 50th, 40th, 30th, 20th, 15th, and 10th birthdays, which I’ve always wanted to look at; we will plug that 1962 hole and hopefully reach back to the mid-50s as well as getting some 2025 albums a place in the sun.
I still have 30+ albums I originally wanted to look at this year, but my work rate has prevented me from doing so. The original long list still has almost 400 songs on it, so no shortage of material to look at.
Without further ado, it’s time to hit the run-out groove for 2024 and be ready to place the stylus on Track 1, side 1 of 2025.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
P.S. Don’t forget, the playlist is always available.
Here's to a great 2025! I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got lined up for the coming year!