MRML's Biggest Hits of 2010!

Don't forget to nominate your favourite MRML post of the year in the comment section!

We like comments...


As I have said, alongside the number of comments and the sheer total of hits per day, downloads are on the surest ways of tracking what MRML readers want to hear. I'd love to track how much music I'd encourage readers to buy but without great co-operation from Soundscan this will have to our final measure of success:

(Click on the hyperlinks links to see all MRML posts on that particular topic!)

1. The D.I.Y. series: This legendary but damningly out-of-print series hinted that this would be MRML' s best year yet - 500,000 hits now. (For those number crunchers it's NYC at 1,112 d/l's , Anarchy I at 808 and Come Out and Play at 607 with the others being in the 500's.)

2. The Graham Parker series
I embarked on this series, strictly out of love for the man's work, not knowing that GP himself (we think) would drop by, that MRML would have a hand in financing the GP documentary and that these entries would so dominate the top of our list. (For those keeping track that's 853 d/l's for Live at Marble Arch, 782 for GP & co.'s Beatles tribute, 629 for Live at the Test, 584 for Live at Rockpalast, 573 for King Biscuit Flower Hour, 503 for That's When You Know and a few others that are still climbing the charts.)

3. The Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan series #1 sits at 766, #2 at 646 and #4 at 552 and these numbers are gonna grow in the new year.

4. Devo Hardcore
#1 is at 722 and #2 is at 523

5. Social Distortion: Lost Tracks
A great series overall, this particular volume netted 650 d/l's.

6. The Powerpearls series
#1, as is often the case, tops out at 610 while the rest also did well.

7. Bruce Springsteen: How Nebraska was Born
With three posts in a row on Nebraska this one came out the most popular with 608 d/l.'s (though our own compilation Nobody Sings Dylan Like The Boss post ratcheted up a respectable 507!)

8. Talking Heads: Berkley '79
I remain surprised that this particular boot got so high (604 dl's!) but am delighted nonetheless.

9. V.A. Big Beat Beach Party
Another surprise entry here as this is a garage/surf-rock (and it's an incomplete rip to boot!) but it hit 565 d/l's.

10. Split Enz: Luton Tapes
503 d/l's for this lost joy.

As for comments, Springsteen takes first and second (How Nebraska was Born with 59 comments, Alone in Colt's Neck with 49) Powerpearls # 1 got 39 comments, Split Enz got 35, Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan #1 registered 30 comments, Springsteen took the middle with Nebraska Live and Nobody Sings Dylan Like the Boss getting 29 responses) The Police BBC Sessions (which mysteriously disappeared from Mediafire) and Billy Bragg's Mermaid Avenue Demos also garnered 29 apiece and let us not forget the 28 comments for our Chumbawamba live post.

A lot of our series generated great commentary, though perhaps more spread out, like the Fastbacks, Patti Smith, Big Country, Dr. Frank and Joe Strummer ones but of course I'm proud of all those wordy ones.

Now it's your turn, what was the best MRML post of the year by your reckoning?

The proprietor of this blog appreciates feedback, possibly due to his rampaging ego but even more so due to the fact that feedback inspires better posts! So if you wanna tell me what posts got you to appreciate something new or old I'd love to hear it, if not thanks for reading this far and have a great 2011!!