Favorite Music

If you ask me what type of music I like, I would probably tell you “European metal music.” That’s the quickest answer, but there’s actually a whole lot more to it. I really geek out when it comes to music, as you will soon see…

This is what I do.

I have a “favorite music” playlist with 400 songs, and a “new music” playlist with 100 songs.

Every month, I choose a couple of newly released albums that I think I will enjoy, and add them to my “new music” playlist. I also choose my favorite album from the “new music” playlist and add it to my “favorite music” playlist.

Then over the course of the month, I will listen to both playlists. For every three songs I listen to, I will delete the song that I least enjoyed. I’ll do this until the favorites playlist reaches 400 songs and the new music playlist reaches 100 songs. Rinse and repeat.

At the end of each year, I will choose my favorite band of the year. Then I will add all of that band’s albums to my favorites playlist.

I’ve been doing some form of this system for over a decade, and I even chose retroactive band-of-the-year’s all the way back to 1992, when I first started listening to music. Here are all of my favorite bands (“band of the year”):

2020 ANKOR
2019 The HU
2018 Ghost
2017 Iced Earth
2016 Suidakra
2015 Amaranthe
2014 Within Temptation
2013 Tyr
2012 Woods of Ypres (defunct)
2011 Sirenia
2010 Liv Kristine
2009 Katatonia
2008 Amorphis
2007 Nightwish
2006 Kamelot
2005 Leaves’ Eyes
2004 Rammstein
2003 Evanescence
2002 Theatre of Tragedy (defunct)
2001 Sentenced (defunct)
2000 Children of Bodom (defunct)
1999 Dark Tranquillity
1998 Hammerfall
1997 In Flames
1996 Metallica
1995 Live
1994 The Cranberries (defunct)
1993 Ace of Base

I’ve even bolded my favorite band of each decade.

And here is a list of the “band of the month” going back over a decade:

• September 2021 Walk in Darkness (On the Road to Babylon)
• August 2021 Ad Infinitum (Chapter 1: Monarchy)
• July 2021 Blackbriar (The Cause of Shipwreck)
• June 2021 Brothers of Metal (Emblas Saga)
• May 2021 Soen (Imperial)
• April 2021 Æther Realm (Redneck Vikings from Hell)
• March 2021 Eleine (Dancing in Hell)
• February 2021 Semblant (Obscura)
• January 2021 Temperance (Viridian)
• December 2020 Dark Sarah (Grim)
• November 2020 Sonata Arctica (Talviyo)
• October 2020 Carnal Agony (Back from the Grave)
• September 2020 Feuerschwanz (Das Elfte Gebot)
• August 2020 Eurovision Song Contest (The Story of Fire Saga)
• July 2020 Sabaton (The Great War)
• June 2020 Soilwork (Verkligheten)
• May 2020 The Birthday Massacre (Diamonds)
• April 2020 Delain (Apocalypse & Chill)
• March 2020 Visions of Atlantis (Wanderers)
• February 2020 Tarja (in the raw)
• January 2020 ankor (white dragon)
• December 2019 A Perfect Circle (Eat the Elephant)
• November 2019 Opeth (In Cauda Venenum)
• October 2019 The HU (The Gereg)
• September 2019 Nekrogoblikon (Welcome to Bonkers)
• August 2019 Ihsahn (Amr)
• July 2019 Amon Amarth (Berserker)
• June 2019 Dimmu Borgir (Eonian)
• May 2019 imperia (flames of eternity)
• April 2019 Cyhra (no halos in hell)
• March 2019 Eluveitie (Ategnatos)
• February 2019 Powerwolf (Metallum nostrum)
• January 2019 Leah (The Quest)
• December 2018 Suidakra (Cimbric Yarns)
• November 2018 Amaranthe (Helix)
• October 2018 Ghost (Prequelle)
• September 2018 Powerwolf (The Sacrament of Sin)
• August 2018 Era (the 7th sword)
• July 2018 Amorphis (Queen of Time)
• June 2018 Midnattsol (the aftermath)
• May 2018 Kamelot (The Shadow Theory)
• April 2018 Orphaned Land (Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs)
• March 2018 Leaves’ Eyes (Sign of the Dragonhead)
• February 2018 Septem Voices (Суть)
• January 2018 Evanescence (Synthesis)
• December 2017 Eluveitie (Evocation II: Pantheon)
• November 2017 Cradle of Filth (Crytoriana)
• October 2017 Exit Eden (Rhapsodies in Black)
• September 2017 Hammerfall (Built to Last)
• August 2017 Iced Earth (Incorruptible)
• July 2017 Sirenia (Dim Days of Dolor)
• June 2017 ANKOR (Beyond the Silence of These Years)
• May 2017 In Flames (Battles)
• April 2017 Trees of Eternity (Hour of the Nightingale)
• March 2017 Whispered (Songs of the Void)
• February 2017 Metallica (Hardwired… to Self-Destruct)
• January 2017 Amaranthe (Maximalism)
• December 2016 Dark Tranquillity Atoma
• November 2016 Elysion Someplace Better
• October 2016 Lacuna Coil Delirium
• September 2016 Amaranthe The Nexus
• August 2016 Amaranthe Amaranthe
• July 2016 Cradle of Filth Hammer of the Witches
• June 2016 Suidakra Realms of Odoric
• May 2016 Xandria Fire & Ashes
• April 2016 In Flames Siren Charms
• March 2016 Imperia Tears of Silence
• February 2016 Amorphis Under the Red Cloud
• January 2016 Exmortus Ride Forth
• December 2015 Amaranthe Massive Addictive
• November 2015 Children of Bodom I Worship Chaos
• October 2015 Leaves’ Eyes King of Kings
• September 2015 Powerwolf Blessed & Possessed
• August 2015 Sirenia The Seventh Life Path
• July 2015 Halestorm Into the Wild Life
• June 2015 Kamelot Haven
• May 2015 Blind Guardian Beyond the Red Mirror
• April 2015 Nightwish Endless Forms Most Beautiful
• March 2015 Tarja Colours in the Dark
• February 2015 Orden Ogan Ravenhead
• January 2015 Pallbearer Foundations of Burden
• December 2014 Liv Kristine Vervain
• November 2014 Savn Savn
• October 2014 Opeth Pale Communion
• September 2014 Eluveitie Origins
• August 2014 Sonata Arctica Pariah’s Child
• July 2014 Insomnium Shadows of the Dying Sun
• June 2014 Lacuna Coil Broken Crown Halo
• May 2014 Kalmah Seventh Swamphony
• April 2014 Dimmu Borgir Abrahadabra
• March 2014 Within Temptation Hydra
• February 2014 Sarah Brightman Dreamchaser
• January 2014 Powerwolf Preacher of the Night
• December 2013 Leaves’ Eyes Symphonies of the Night
• November 2013 Tyr Valkyrjia
• October 2013 Chthonic Bu-Tik
• September 2013 Children of Bodom Halo of Blood
• August 2013 Sirenia Perils of the Deep Blue
• July 2013 Suidakra Eternal Defiance
• June 2013 Dark Tranquillity Construct
• May 2013 Amorphis Circle
• April 2013: Stratovarius Nemesis
• March 2013: Cradle of Filth The Manticore and Other Horrors
• February 2013: Orden Ogan To the End
• January 2013: Katatonia Dead End Kings
• December 2012: Kamelot Silverthorn
• November 2012: Lacuna Coil Dark Adrenaline$$$
• October 2012: Liv Kristine Libertine
• September 2012: Hammers of Misfortune 17th Street
• August 2012: Sonata Arctica Stones Grow Her Name
• July 2012: Woods of Ypres Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light
• June 2012: In Flames Sounds of a Playground Fading
• May 2012: Alcest Les Voyages de l’ me
• April 2012: Epica Requiem for the Indifferent
• March 2012: Katatonia Night is the New Day
• February 2012: Nightwish Imaginaerium
• January 2012: Lady Gaga Born This Way
• December 2011: Opeth Heritage
• November 2011: Children of Bodom Relentless, Reckless Forever
• October 2011: Timbaland Shock Value II
• September 2011 Midnattsol The Metamorphosis Melody
• August 2011: Agalloch Marrow of the Spirit
• July 2011: Hammerfall Infected
• June 2011: Amorphis Beginning of Times
• May 2011: Leaves’ Eyes Meredead
• April 2011: Kamelot Poetry for the Poisoned
• March 2011: Sirenia The Enigma of Life
• February 2011: Cradle of Filth Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
• January 2011: Amorphis Magic & Mayhem
• December 2010: Sarah Brightman A Winter Symphony
• November 2010: Sirenia The 13th Floor
• October 2010: Liv Kristine Skintight
• September 2010: Hammerfall No Sacrifice, No Victory
• August 2010: Jay Chou The Era
• July 2010: Sonata Arctica Days of the Grays
• June 2010: Lady Gaga The Fame Monster
• May 2010: Rammstein Liebe ist fur alle da
• April 2010: Epica Design Your Universe
• March 2010: Dark Tranquillity We Are the Void
• February 2010: Amorphis Skyforger
• January 2010: Leaves’ Eyes Njord

Did I lose you yet? I’m surprised you got all the way down here. I warned you that I really geek out when it comes to music.