The Chart Show: Best of 2016
by Mark Wheat
December 29, 2016
Lizzo is the indisputable champion of The Chart Show this year! She is only artist to have two different songs reach the top and one of nine local entries – the most ever, emphasizing how good of a year Minnesota has had in the music realm! Will Lizzo continue her reign into the New Year by regaining the top slot? Get ya votes in... And where will she be on the Top 89?! Stream the countdown New Year's Eve starting at 5 p.m. CT!
It's nice to have icons in the top five like David Bowie, one of the casualties from the music world in 2016. Har Mar — in at No.17 — helped Fox 9 and The Current pay tribute to another great who we lost on Christmas Day, George Michael.
Another of the local representatives on this Best of the Year list at No.14, Haley Bonar, will join us for The Current's 12th Birthday Parties at First Avenue. Tickets are available.
Cloud Cult's "Through the Ages" at No.18 was actually released last year but performed one of my favorite live shows of the year and were included in the local critics take at Star Tribune with Chris Riemenschneider citing their Feb. 12 State Theater show as their "deepest connection with the audience."
The final Metacritic tally of all year-end lists reveals Nick Cave to be No.1 just ahead of Beyonce and Leonard Cohen. Our No.12 Angel Olsen got in at No.10, the highest entry for a new artist, while Radiohead came in at No.8 and Bon Iver at No.13.
Still no word on new albums from Beck or Father John Misty who are on the chart with singles. Beck has given up predicting his date – it's been pushed back several times over the last year! And Father John Misty recently quit social media, so we might never know when he's coming back!?
We do know that Wilco will be back touring in the spring starting with four nights in Chicago Feb. 22 to 26, and the Lumineers hit Target Center with Andrew Bird and Margaret Glaspy on Jan. 19 for the start of a massive national tour through March.
Happy New Year, everyone!