The Countdowns Are Coming Tomorrow!

As per tradition, here’s my round-up preview of my top albums and singles of the year. The countdown will start tomorrow and continue until the end of the month. Like 2008, the industry continues to trend in the direction of strong singles and weaker albums, though there were a few stunners this year. Also like last year, there were more and more glimmers of hope from the American pop scene. We’re finally catching up!

Statistics:

Groups - 45%
Solo Artists - 55%
Debut Albums - 25%
Second Albums - 40%
Fourth Album (or higher!) - 35%
Male Singers - 55%
Female Singers - 35%
Male & Female Singers - 10%
American Acts - 25%
UK Acts - 15%
Swedish Acts - 35%
Danish Acts - 5%
Australian Acts - 5%
German Acts - 5%
Columbian Acts - 5%
Canadian Acts - 5%
Albums that saw a U.S. release - 45%
Albums with any substantial success in the U.S. - 25%
Released in the 1st Quarter (including Dec. 08) - 20%
Released in the 2nd Quarter - 20%
Released in the 3rd Quarter - 25%
Released in the 4th Quarter - 35%