Photos: 2010 XRT Listener Poll GalaFinally, the votes have been counted and we’ve revealed the results of your favorites of 2010 at our Listener Poll Gala LIVE from Craftsman Experience! See which artists, albums, concerts, movies, and TV shows placed at the top of XRT listeners’ lists.
Best Albums
- 1: The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
- 2: Sigh No More
Mumford & Sons
- 3: Brothers
The Black Keys
- 4: Come Around Sundown
Kings of Leon
- 5:Contra
Vampire Weekend
- 6: God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs
- 7: This is Happening
LCD Soundsystem
- 8: High Violet
The National
- 9: Living Proof
Buddy Guy
- 10: Mojo
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- 11: Band of Joy
Robert Plant
- 12: Manners
Passion Pit
- 13: Broken Bells
Broken Bells
- 14: Clapton
Eric Clapton
- 15: Transference
Spoon
- 16: Congratulations
MGMT
- 17: The Union
Elton John and Leon Russell
- 18: Street Songs of Love
Alejandro Escovedo
- 19: Le Noise
Neil Young
- 20: You Are Not Alone
Mavis Staples
- 21: Infinite Arms
Band of Horses
- 22: To the Sea
Jack Johnson
- 23: The Sound of Sunshine
Michael Franti & Spearhead
- 24: National Ransom
Elvis Costello
- 25: Foundling
David Gray
- 26: London Calling: Live in Hyde Park
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
- 27: The Open Road
John Hiatt
- 28: No Better Than This
John Mellencamp
- 29: Hurley
Weezer
- 30: Under Great White Northern Lights
The White Stripes
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Best Songs
- 1: Little Lion Man
Mumford & Sons
- 2: Home
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
- 3: Tighten Up
The Black Keys
- 4: The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
- 5: Beg, Steal, or Borrow
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs
- 6: Ready to Start
Arcade Fire
- 7: Use Somebody
Kings of Leon
- 8: Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Cage the Elephant
- 9: 74 Years Young
Buddy Guy
- 10: Bloodbuzz Ohio
The National
- 11: The Dog Days Are Over
Florence + the Machine
- 12: The High Road
Broken Bells
- 13: Angel Dance
Robert Plant
- 14: I Can Change
LCD Soundsystem
- 15: Listzomania
Phoenix
- 16: Just Breathe
Pearl Jam
- 17: Kandi
One eskimO
- 18: 1901
Phoenix
- 19: Laredo
Band of Horses
- 20: Cousins
Vampire Weekend
- 21: Wrote a Song for Everyone
Mavis Staples
- 22: Know Your Enemy
Green Day
- 23: Giving Up the Gun
Vampire Weekend
- 24: Radioactive
Kings of Leon
- 25: Meet Me on the Equinox
Death Cab for Cutie
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Best Concerts
- 1: *Lollapalooza at Grant Park
August 6-8
- 2: Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival at Toyota Park
June 26
- 3: *Buddy Guy at Buddy Guy’s Legends
January 7-10,14-17, 21-24,27-30
- 4: Roger Waters at United Center
September 20-24
- 5: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at United Center
July 17
- 6: *Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park
July 16-18
- 7: *My Morning Jacket at Charter One Pavilion
August 17
- 8: *David Gray & Ray LaMontagne at Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium Park
August 25
- 9: *Dave Matthews Band at Wrigley Field
September 17-18
- 10: *Mumford & Sons at Riviera Theater
October 31
- 10: *Wilco at Coveleski Ballpark/South Bend, IN, July 30
- *Indicates XRT SHOW
Best Movies
- 1: Inception
- 2: Toy Story 3
- 3: The Social Network
- 4: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- 5: Shutter Island
- 6: Alice in Wonderland
- 7: Hot Tub Time Machine
- 8: Iron Man 2
- 9: Black Swan
- 10: The Kids Are All Right
Best TV Shows
- 1: Modern Family
- 2: 30 Rock
- 3: Mad Men
- 4: Boardwalk Empire
- 5: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- 6: The Office
- 7: Dexter
- 8: The Big Bang Theory
- 9: Glee
- 10: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Best Venues
- 1: Chicago Theater
- 2: Vic Theatre
- 3: Lincoln Hall
- 4: Metro
- 5: Park West
- 6: Ravinia
- 7: Fitzgerald’s
- 8: House of Blues
- 9: Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
- 10: Buddy Guy’s Legends
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Music News
Conceptually speaking, this Is Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 15: Musician Bruce Springsteen performs during the 2012 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at ACL Live at Moody Theatre on March 15, 2012 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SXSW)
"I hope you don't plan on serving that meat hat for dinner." - Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
t
January 14, 2011 9:41 am
Passion Pit’s Manners wasn’t even a 2010 album.
Joe
January 14, 2011 9:43 am
Them Crooked Vultures at the Aargon in May not on the list…Looks like the XRT listeners are getting old and soft
patti
January 14, 2011 9:55 am
What no Giving Tree Band?!?!?!?
Still love you XRT!!
larry
January 14, 2011 9:56 am
Does this mean The Vic is no longer the Top Venue??
Jay
January 14, 2011 9:34 pm
Given that the Chicago Theater is listed as #1 and The Vic is listed #2 I’d say you have impeccable insight.
boo
January 14, 2011 10:44 am
Where’s the Temper Trap???
Stew
January 14, 2011 10:55 am
Way too many things on this list didn’t happen in 2010… Manners, 1901, Lisztomania, Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked, Home, and Use Somebody (which was released in 2008!). Tough for a best of 2010 list to be relevant with this many errors.
Joe – The TCV show was awesome! I think my favorite show of the year was probably Cut Copy late night after Lolla August 6th. Just when I thought I couldn’t handle any more music, they came on and owned it.
Joe
January 14, 2011 12:10 pm
Stew,
I was nearly deaf for a day and a half after theTCV show. Not familiar with Cut Copy, but I’ll check them out.
And actually the first time TCV performed live was in Chicago during one of those late 2009 lolla shows at the metro.
Muntz
January 14, 2011 11:00 am
Weren’t 1901 and Use Somebody songs 2009 songs? When I hear those songs, I definitely don’t think of 2010.
Dan
January 14, 2011 12:19 pm
LCD’s “This Is Happening” should be #1 album of 2010 in my opinion.
ingy
January 14, 2011 12:45 pm
No King’s Speech… woof.
Bob Bykowski
January 14, 2011 12:56 pm
A double thumbs-up for ‘The Suburbs’ being the number one album of the year. It was easily the year’s most compelling and realized work. Just wish there were more opportunities to catch Arcade Fire live !
Paul Cronin
January 14, 2011 1:44 pm
its hard to think that the listeners pick such low grade music – best albums – best songs really – might as well go country ya’ll – me think’s the highest paid sponser picked em – snore
Melissa
January 14, 2011 3:16 pm
I love Temper Trap too but officially it was 2009 for their Album. They could have been on there though for their concert last year at Metro; Awesome show!
Jeff
January 14, 2011 10:48 pm
The best single of the year was easily CeeLo Green’s F You. I hoped for enough write in votes to force XRT to play it like was the case several years back with Hey Ya by OutKast. These results are far too safe and uninteresting. It just looks like the daily on air playlist from December. Also agree with others on the songs that were were not released in 2010. Where do I vote for Hey Jude?
Dan Fidanze
January 15, 2011 1:33 am
It’s unfortunate that XRT listeners have become so narrrow minded. Unfortunately the nature of polls such as these are that the LCD will produce the most votes. It’s a shame that more XRT listeners have not been to the very BEST venue in town for see a show- The Old Town School of Folk Music. Absolutely impeccable sound, every seat is a great seat, and a civilized vibe that is unmatched in this city. Pity. The Vic? Gimme a break. While it’s got a certain charm, it really doesn’t belong in this discussion.
Robert J. Pechacek
January 15, 2011 6:54 am
I was at RiotFist2011. Im 55 years old and took my 18 year old youngest son. Corporate Rock Still Sucks. IWW Member
Rock and Roll Giraffe
January 15, 2011 12:35 pm
Cool lists! Many of my favorites are on here too. However, in my opinion, the best album of the year was “Good to Be” by Backyard Tire Fire, and the best concert was Gorillaz at UIC Pavilion. Kinda strange how none of the Best Concerts listed here happened at any of the first 8 of the Best Venues. I’m guessing this is because most of the Best Concerts are at huge venues, i.e. more people = more votes. May I suggest next year there be separate categories for “Best Concerts at Large Venues,” and “Best Concerts at Medium/Small Venues.” That gives the smaller concerts more of a fighting chance. And Lincoln Hall is quickly becoming my favorite small venue – great location, staff, sight-lines, atmosphere, food and bands!!
j.sebastian
January 15, 2011 3:55 pm
GIVING TREE BAND!!! Gotta say next to Mumford that The Joke, The Threat & The Obvious was one of my 2010 favorites!!! Looking forward to their february shows! Who’s with me???
patti
January 20, 2011 10:28 pm
I am!!!! Rock and Roll with the GTB!!!
Babypanther
January 17, 2011 12:24 pm
Hey Paul – No one’s forcing you to listen to XRT. It’s still the best station in the country.
Darren Young
January 18, 2011 2:37 pm
Not bad results… the only objections I would have is on the songs list – “Angel Dance” – Robert Plant and “Meet Me On the Equinox” – Death Cab… = TERRIBLE. “Boo-ooo” to all who voted for these!
Debbi
January 31, 2011 12:38 pm
Glee??? Really???? How Old are we?