Here’s how my Top 100 albums broke down by release year. You can see that certain groups and lineups dominated a period of time for me. I’m looking forward to Steve Eaton’s series over on the Back Row listing his favorites for each year. Here you can find my short list for every year that had at least one album in my Top 100.
My favorite year for recordings is obviously 1999, with four albums in the top 22 and seven in the top 100. 1992, 2003, and 1986 were also great years. Gold City released my favorite album of the year for eight consecutive years from 1994-2001. The Mark Trammell Trio/Quartet has been on top four of the past seven years, and they are probably the odds-on favorite to finish on top in 2012, too. A model of consistency, the Kingdom Heirs have put an album into my Top 100 in 10 of the last 15 years, holding the top spot twice. The Inspirations have albums in my Top 100 an amazing 38 years apart, and the outlook is good for them to push that gap even wider.
2011
#24 We Will Stand Our Ground (Kingdom Heirs)
#39 God Makes No Mistakes (Inspirations)
*The Collingsworth Family’s Part of the Family, released after the countdown began, would fit in here somewhere.
#88 The Only Way (Greater Vision)
#90 Treasures (Mark Trammell Quartet)
2010
#46 Testimony (Mark Trammell Quartet)
#95 Vintage Gospel (Mark Trammell Quartet)
2009
#37 The Answer (Collingsworth Family)
#40 When You Look at Me (Kingdom Heirs)
#66 The Son Came Down (Inspirations)
#74 Almost Morning (Perrys)
2008
#5 Always Have a Song (Mark Trammell Trio)
#63 Help Is on the Way (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
#77 How Great It Is (Inspirations)
#80 In God’s Time (Barry Scott & Second Wind)
#98 So Many Reasons (Dixie Echoes)
2007
#11 Once Upon a Cross (Mark Trammell Trio)
#17 We Still Believe (Collingsworth Family)
#26 True to the Call (Kingdom Heirs)
#69 Look No Further (Perrys)
2006
#51 He Lives in Me (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
*If I had it to do over again, Greater Vision’s Hymns of the Ages would probably make the Top 100 here.
2005
#38 This Time (Mark Trammell Trio)
#49 Give Me the Mountain (Kingdom Heirs)
#76 God Is Faithful (Collingsworth Family)
#100 Church in the Wildwood (Gaither Homecoming)
2004
#28 Forever Changed (Kingdom Heirs)
#58 Beside Still Waters (Mark Trammell Trio)
#92 Stand by Me Live (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)
2003
#33 A Cappella (Gaither Vocal Band)
#34 Going on with the Song (Kingdom Heirs)
#59 Quartets (Greater Vision)
#62 Something Good (Mark Trammell Trio)
#70 Thank God (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
#87 London (Legacy Five)
#89 This Is the Day (Perrys)
2002
#9 Live at First Baptist Atlanta (Greater Vision)
#53 Gonna Keep Telling (Kingdom Heirs)
#93 Everything Good (Gaither Vocal Band)
2001
#8 Pressed Down, Shaken Together, Running Over (Gold City)
#21 Gospel Parade (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
#64 Changed Forever (Perrys)
2000
#14 Are You Ready? (Gold City)
#30 I Do Believe (Gaither Vocal Band)
#65 City of Light (Kingdom Heirs)
#68 Perfect Candidate (Greater Vision)
#81 Just Over in Heaven (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
1999
#2 Signed Sealed Delivered (Gold City)
#13 Far Beyond This Place (Greater Vision)
#15 A Farewell Celebration (Cathedrals)
#22 God Is Good (Gaither Vocal Band)
#47 Strong in the Strength (Legacy Five)
#61 The Journey Home (Kingdom Heirs)
#84 Winding Through Life (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
1998
#6 Within the Rock (Gold City)
#25 Heritage (Rochesters); I don’t exactly know 100% the release year of this one…it is an educated guess.
1997
#4 What a Great Lifestyle (Gold City)
#29 When I See the Cross (Greater Vision)
#43 Lovin’ God & Lovin’ Each Other (Gaither Vocal Band)
#79 Anchored (Kingdom Heirs)
#83 Joy in the Camp (Gaither Homecoming)
1996
#20 Preparing the Way (Gold City)
#31 There’s a Light Guiding Me (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver)
#86 Living on the Other Side (IIIrd Tyme Out)
#94 King’s Gold IV (Gold City/Kingsmen)
1995
#12 Standing in the Gap (Gold City)
#97 Take Him at His Word (Greater Vision)
1994
#10 Renewed (Gold City)
#45 Serving a Risen Savior (Greater Vision)
#72 King’s Gold III (Gold City/Kingsmen)
#75 Testify (Gaither Vocal Band)
#96 Lord Do It Again (Gold City)
1993
#18 20 Inspirational Favorites (Greater Vision)
#48 The King Came Down (Greater Vision)
#50 Southern Classics (Gaither Vocal Band)
#57 High and Lifted Up (Cathedrals)
1992
#7 It’s Just Like Heaven (Greater Vision)
#19 King’s Gold (Gold City/Kingsmen)
#23 Pillars of Faith (Gold City)
1991
#41 On a Journey (Greater Vision)
#55 You Can Have a Song (Greater Vision)
#85 The Best of Times (Cathedrals)
1990
#42 Windows of Home (Gold City)
1989
#27 I’ve Just Started Living! (Cathedrals)
#56 Goin’ Home (Gold City)
1988
#36 Portrait (Gold City)
#44 Goin’ in Style (Cathedrals)
1987
#1 Symphony of Praise (Cathedrals)
#35 Mississippi Live (Kingsmen)
#82 Movin’ Up (Gold City)
1986
#3 Travelin’ Live (Cathedrals)
#16 Stand Up at Opryland (Kingsmen)
#32 Double Take (Gold City)
#52 Master Builder (Cathedrals)
1985
#73 An Old Convention Song (Cathedrals)
#78 Especially for You (Cathedrals)
1984
#67 The Prestigious Cathedral Quartet (Cathedrals)
1983
#54 Live…in Atlanta (Cathedrals)
1982
#99 Something Special (Cathedrals)
1976
#71 On Heaven’s Bright Shore (Inspirations)
1973
#60 Touring the City (Inspirations)
#91 When I Wake Up (To Sleep No More) (Inspirations)
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