Usually, when we're putting together the Top 25 list for MVY, the very top spots are left intact, straight from the voting. But when you get down to the last 5 or so slots, only a vote or 3 can separate #20 from #40. With so many albums so close, some shuffling around will happen, and the last few albums are usually decided not by votes, but by gut.
We take into account how important the album was to the MVY playlist, how well it was critically received, how well it sold, and how much longevity it feels like the record may have.
Admittedly, these characteristics are somewhat subjective.
With only 5 slots left, and 15 to 20 records that are legitimate contenders, there is some hashing out to be done.
Barbara was pretty adamant that "Old Yellow Moon" from Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell make the list.
I wasn't so sure.
I thought it was a good record, and it was certainly well received by the critics. But we didn't play it a ton, didn't get a ton of requests for it, and there was no second single to keep it alive on the air throughout 2013, so it had faded into memory a bit.
But she argued so passionately for it, talking about the beauty and the craft, and saying that it was the kind of record that touched the hearts of people who really listened. She said, decisively, that it HAD to be on the list.
I was smart enough to trust her gut.
Guess who won Best Americana Album at The Grammys last night?
Hear the song on Youtube.
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