Lizzo and Billie Eilish dominate USA TODAY Network year-end music survey
Albums made by women occupy the top five spots in the inaugural USA TODAY Network year-end music survey.
Lizzo and her “Cuz I Love You” album collected the most votes among 30 entertainment reporters who combined their Top 10 lists to make the new overall survey. Second place belongs to Billie Eilish and her "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" debut release. Lizzo appeared on 18 of 30 ballots, and Eilish appeared on 17.
While 2019 represents a breakthrough year for Lizzo and Eilish, established stars Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey add to their career accolades with the third, fourth and fifth spots on the list. Rock band Vampire Weekend shares the No. 5 position with Del Rey.
More: 10 best albums of 2019, including Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey and FKA Twigs
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The survey's roster of voters includes representatives of USA TODAY as well as newspapers in iconic music cities. Among them are Tennessee's Nashville and Memphis; Asbury Park, New Jersey; and Coachella festival site Palm Springs, California.
The ballots: 2019 albums loved by USA TODAY Network entertainment reporters
Voters listed 152 recordings, making it possible for country singer George Strait and rapper Earl Sweatshirt to reside side-by-side in the final results. We've spotlighted the Top 35 picks here, and you can also read the full version of each reporter's best album rankings.
For ranking purposes, albums were assigned point values on the Top 10 lists. Recordings at No. 1 and No. 2 received five points each, followed by four points for No. 3 and 4, three points for No. 5 and No. 6, two points for No. 7 and No. 8 and one point each for No. 9 and No. 10.
Check out USA TODAY Network's best albums of 2019:
1. Lizzo, "Cuz I Love You"
This Nice Life/Atlantic release received 67 points on 18 ballots.
Minneapolis singer-rapper Lizzo has every reason to feel love as 2019 comes to a close. A mix of retro-themed R&B tunes and modern hip-hop jams sent "Cuz I Love You" up the the charts and and translated into eight Grammy nominations. To quote "Juice," the album's first single, if Lizzo's shining everybody's going to shine.
2. Billie Eilish, "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
This Darkroom/Interscope release received 57 points on 17 ballots.
This teenager, along with sibling collaborator Finneas O'Connell, devised innovative pop hits informed by video games and horror movies. The fractured, glitchy arrangements of "Bad Guy," "Bury a Friend" and "You Should See Me in a Crown" commanded attention all year long. Eilish is in the running for six Grammy trophies at the Jan. 26 ceremony.
2020 Grammy nominations: See the complete list of artists up for an award
3. Taylor Swift, "Lover"
This Republic release received 35 points on 11 ballots.
On the other side of 2017's drama-fueled "Reputation" album, Swift filled "Lover" with bright, engaging tunes such as "Me!" and "I Think He Knows." And hit single "You Need to Calm Down" saved room for this advice: "Stressin' and obsessin' about somebody else is no fun."
More: Joe Alwyn says it's 'flattering' when Taylor Swift writes songs about him
4. Ariana Grande, "Thank U, Next"
This Republic release received 31 points on 11 ballots.
Grande stepped boldly to the front of the pack of modern divas, unapologetic about what she wants on "Thank U, Next' hits "7 Rings" and "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored." Conversely, she let down her guard on the fittingly fragile "Needy."
Review: Ariana Grande's 'thank u, next' is her best, most confessional album yet
5. (tie) Lana Del Rey, "Norman F------ Rockwell!"
This Polydor/Interscope release received 24 points on seven ballots.
An isolated excerpt of this album conveys a domesticated Laurel Canyon dream, when Lana Del Rey sings "Give me Hallmark, one dream, one life, one lover. Paint me happy in blue, Norman Rockwell." But tension doesn't lurk underneath. It's right on the surface in the R-rated title and a cover of Sublime's murder fantasy "Doin' Time."
5. (tie) Vampire Weekend, "Father of the Bride"
This Spring Snow/Columbia release received 24 points on seven ballots.
This sprawling album gave new life to a band that emerged 11 years ago as an internet sensation built on leisure-class lyrics and a sound borrowed from Africa. "Father of the Bride" adds jam-band textures to the repertoire of Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, who welcomed vocalist Danielle Haim and guitarist Steve Lacy as special guests.
7. Beyonce, "Homecoming: The Live Album"
This Parkwood/Columbia release received 20 points on six ballots.
Live albums rarely rise to critical acclaim, but this is no run-of-the-mill live album. Beyonce performed at the 2018 edition of Coachella with a marching band and majorettes in celebration of historically black colleges and universities. Another plus: The show featured songs from one of the decade's best albums, 2016's "Lemonade."
More: Beyonce's 'Homecoming' diet reveal has Twitter in shock
8. The Highwomen, "The Highwomen"
The Elektra release received 19 points on seven ballots.
Heartache and humor are heard in the songs of "The Highwomen," the first effort by this "supergroup" quartet of Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby (a songwriter with credits including Kacey Musgraves' "Rainbow").
9. Bruce Springsteen, "Western Stars"
This Columbia release received 17 points on four ballots.
Lush, smooth music provides the backdrop for new stories written by this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Bruce Springsteen's characters get around in songs titled "Hitch Hikin'," "The Wayfarer," "Chasin' Wild Horses" and "Moonlight Motel."
10. (tie) Sturgill Simpson, "Sound & Fury"
This Elektra release received 16 points on five ballots.
Previously the toast of a resurgence in traditional country music, Simpson delivers a fever dream of disco rhythms and ZZ Top-influenced boogie rock on "Sound & Fury." The opening line of "Make Art Not Friends": "Looking out the window at a world on fire, it's plain to see the end is near."
10. (tie) Tyler, the Creator, "Igor"
This release on A Boy Is A Gun/Columbia received 16 points on five ballots.
Tyler, the Creator, who emerged as Odd Future's hip-hop agitator in 2008, likely surprised some listeners by detailing a love triangle on this concept album. His Igor character pursues a partner, becomes obsessed, experiences scorn and grapples with acceptance.
12. Bon Iver, "i,i" (Jagjaguwar), 15 points, six ballots.
13. Jenny Lewis, "On The Line" (Warner), 15 points, four ballots.
14. Tanya Tucker, "While I'm Livin'" (Fantasy), 14 points, four ballots.
15. Gary Clark Jr., "This Land" (Warner), 12 points, four ballots.
16. Maren Morris, "Girl" (Columbia Nashville), 11 points, four ballots.
17. Solange, "When I Get Home" (Columbia), 11 points, three ballots.
18. (tie) Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, "Bandana" (ESGN/Madlib Invazion/RCA), 10 points, three ballots.
18. (tie) Jonas Brothers, "Happiness Begins" (Republic), 10 points, three ballots.
18. (tie) Post Malone, "Hollywood's Bleeding" (Republic), 10 points, three ballots.
18. (tie) Tegan and Sara, "Hey, I'm Just Like You" (Sire), 10 points, three ballots.
22. Sharon Van Etten, "Remind Me Tomorrow" (Jagjaguwar), 10 points, two ballots.
23. Brittany Howard, "Jaime" (ATO), nine points, three ballots.
24. (tie) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Ghosteen" (Ghosteen/Bad Seed), nine points, two ballots.
24. (tie) Luke Combs, "What You See Is What You Get" (River House Artists, Columbia Nashville), nine points, two ballots.
26. (tie) The Raconteurs, "Help Us Stranger" (Third Man), eight points, three ballots.
26. (tie) Slipknot, "We Are Not Your Kind" (Roadrunner), eight points, three ballots.
28. Maggie Rogers, "Heard It In a Past Life" (Capitol), seven points, three ballots.
29. (tie) Chance the Rapper, "The Big Day" (self-released), seven points, two ballots.
29. (tie) Angel Olsen, "All Mirrors" (Jagjaguwar), seven points, two ballots.
29. (tie) Purple Mountains, "Purple Mountains" (Drag City), seven points, two ballots.
29. (tie) Yola, "Walk Through Fire" (Easy Eye Sound), seven points, two ballots.
29. (tie) Thom Yorke, "Anima" (XL), seven points, two ballots.
34. The National, "I Am Easy to Find" (4AD), six points, three ballots.
35. (tie) Sara Bareilles, "Amidst the Chaos" (Epic), six points, two ballots.
35. (tie) Miranda Lambert, "Wildcard" (RCA Nashville/Vanner), six points, two ballots.
35. (tie) Raphael Saadiq, "Jimmy Lee" (Columbia), six points, two ballots.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at 317-444-6404 or dave.lindquist@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lizzo, Billie Eilish dominate USA TODAY Network year-end music survey
