The story behind the 2009 CLUAS Writers poll

Typically at this time of year CLUAS is full democratic flight with polling booths wide open for readers to submit their votes to find the top albums of 2009. However, this year we've decided to not do a readers poll. And why not? It's simply because of the utterly mad amount of time it takes to tot up the thousands of votes we get.

Fret not, as there will still be a CLUAS poll this year. The last few weeks the CLUAS writers have been busy voting for their top 10 albums of 2009 and tomorrow (16 December) the results will be published. As always the CLUAS writers have stepped up to the plate and their votes collectively deliver an intriguing, diverse, credible and occasionally surprising top 40. I was pleased as well to see that, despite the intense competition from non-Irish releases, a total of five Irish albums released in 2009 made it into the top 40. Which ones? You'll see tomorrow.

In advance of the poll here's a quick overview of the numbers behind this year's writers poll:

• 23 writers submitted a list of their fave albums of the year.
• 202 votes were cast (an average of just under 9 albums voted for by each writer)
• 131 different albums albums got a vote, of which...
• ...89 albums were voted for by only one writer leaving us with...
• ...42 albums that were voted for by 2 or more writers.
• Breakdown of number of writers who voted for an album that made the top 40:
  
  • Number of albums voted for by 5 or more writers --> 3
  • Number of albums voted for by 4 writers --> 3
  • Number of albums voted for by 3 writers --> 10
  • Number of albums voted for by 2 writers --> 24

One thing I can already say is that the album that topped the poll did so by a healthy distance. It was voted for by over a third of all the writers who voted (8 out of the 23). That there would be broad agreement among the writers on the top album of 2009 is quite a surprise considering the massive number of different releases (131) that secured a vote in the poll.

Hang in there until tomorrow to see which album topped the poll. The only hint I'll offer is that it is NOT one of the following two 2009 releases (both of which just missed a place in the, er, coveted top 40, they being placed 41st and 42nd placed in the poll):

• Mark Eitzel 'Klamath'
• Arctic Monkeys 'Humbug'

[Read More...]