Hey folks,

So. There are seven open slots left in the lineup of 128 albums for the upcoming Best Album of 2001 tournament. (Technically eight, but one of those belongs to @rzigler.bsky.social a.k.a. Deep Dark Truthful Bracket, the 3rd place winner of the 1989 Prediction Bracket contest. I’m told they’ll have their pick shortly.) After thinking about it, and then not thinking about it, and then thinking about it some more, I’ve decided on the process by which I will name the final seven albums.

The first part is (and this will likely come as no surprise), you, the readers and voters, will name the albums. I like when contest winners name their personal favorites, which are often the most left-field things that I would never have heard in a million years otherwise. After Dinner, PARADISE OF REPLICA, Choking Victim, NO GODS/NO MANAGERS, Eldritch Anisette, ELDRITCH ANISETTE. I’m sure there’s more. My life is enriched when errant meteors of art collide with me, and this is a great way for that to happen.

The second part may actually come as a surprise. By you, I don’t mean the general you. I will not be holding any kind of mini-tournament or runoff voting or anything like that. No, I mean seven specific individuals will pick the remaining albums.

Here’s how we’ll pick three of those seven. Follow this link to a Google Form and fill it out. At the end of Tuesday, I will close the form, and then using the list of entrants and random.org, I will randomly pick three people. They will be able to name a 2001 release to put in the 2001 tournament.

That still leaves four open slots. And this third part I’m sure will be a surprise: I am going to name those four individuals.

These four people will each be able to name a 2001 release to put into the 2001 tournament.

1. @lanna.bsky.social

2. @megabrow12.bsky.social

3. @nanette.bsky.social

4. @onetrueposter.bsky.social

There are reasons why I selected these four. @lanna.bsky.social has been instrumental in maintaining the enormous list of eligible 1989 albums and the Best Album Brackets website. @nanette.bsky.social, along with @putnam39.bsky.social, spent the entire 1989 tournament blogging each and every match, which is wild to me. (Back in the Twitter days, I used to try and leave little comments on each album on the match thread, and I couldn’t even keep that up for more than like 5 matches.) Poor @onetrueposter.bsky.social has spent… probably too much time researching metal and hard rock for both 1989 and 2001 for our benefit. (I’ve found a number of new favorites thanks to his efforts, including a forgotten hair metal band called… [checks notes] Cats in Boots?? That can’t be right.) And @megabrow12.bsky.social, as he’s reminded me several times, would’ve won the 1989 Prediction Bracket had De La Soul come in first over Pixies instead of second. But he’s here more because, for the likely duration of his lifetime, he will always be participating in Best Album tournaments featuring his nemesis, R.E.M. Sorry Shamp.

Is this favoritism? Yes. I think it would be foolish to deny it. However, it’s a favoritism I would like to eventually extend to everyone. Do you feel like you’ve contributed to the thing that is Best Album and are deserving of a prize? Then you are deserving of a prize. Full stop. (Do you feel like you aren’t deserving of a prize? You still probably deserve one.)

Now, of course, I can’t give a slot to everyone right now. But the thing is… I hope to? Over the course of tournaments? What I’m saying is I’d like to make this a regular thing. There’s something positive to be said for the nomination system that takes everyone’s input and generates something that more-or-less looks like a general consensus. But that system kind of breaks down a little bit, I think, when applied to the outliers. With the outliers, I suspect consensus pleases no one. I’d rather have selections that inspire strong emotions, good or bad. I’d rather have selections that get me, and potentially others, to listen to things outside of our comfort zones. I’d rather this part of the tournament lineup have unique fingerprints on them, rather than countless smudged streaks.

So starting now, open slots are devoted to contest winners (including raffle-style draws), Editor’s Choices (but ideally kept to a minimum), and me doing the A STAR IS BORN meme.

[Annoying legalese type thing: So the idea here is that if I specifically name you to get a pick, then I will probably not name you again. Just the one time. However, this doesn’t count towards contests of skill and chance that result in a pick. Everyone is always eligible to win those, and can win in multiple years (which has already happened).]

So that’s the new policy going forward. I hope it meets with your approval, but regardless I know I’ll find out soon enough. I should also note a knock-off effect of this is that, instead of me spending weeks dithering about these open slots, we can fill them very quickly. Like, “not long after announcing the first entrants” quick. I’d like to think that’s something everyone would prefer.

Thanks for your patience and understanding,

Kent