Change the Rotation's Best Albums of 2017 Bracket

If you are anything like me, you have been on pins and needles waiting to see how Change the Rotation's best albums of 2017 bracket shook out. Well, the results are finally here! Before we get into it, here is a little primer on how this works. Every year (for the last five years,) we here at Change the Rotation choose our favorite 32 albums of the year and then we pit them against each other in a March Madness style bracket to determine the site's album of the year. This is our second year as a four-person bracket committee (Dave Anians, Danny Brawlins, Steve O and myself.) Each of us submitted a regular list of our favorite albums. Any album which appears on at least two of our lists automatically gets on the bracket. The remaining spots are divided up between us. Once we have our field of 32 albums set, we put all their names in a hat and randomly draw them into position on the bracket. We give ourselves a few weeks to think it all over and then we get together and vote on each matchup until we have a champion. Having four people voting means there can be ties. We each secretly rank the 32 albums so that our top album receives 32 points and our least favorite receives 1 point. In the case of a tie, we add up all the points to break it. We have never had the points come out evenly in a tiebreaker although we have had some very, very close calls. I have no idea what we would do in that case. That sounds like a problem for future bracket committees! Anyway, now that we've gone through the logistics, let's get into it.

Mobina Galore v. Sincere Engineer was one of the toughest matchups in the whole bracket. How fitting that they were the first two names out of the hat. Both great records, yet one of them had to go out in the first round. Sincere Engineer also took out Propagandhi and Iron Chic on the way to the final four.

Rancid was the surprise winner of region 2. They did put out one of their best albums in a long while and the committee recognized it. I personally had that Menzingers album very high on my list but I'm not sore about it. Hats off to Rancid, still killing it after all these years. Downtown Boys had a good showing with their third album.

Wasted Potential pushed through to the final four with their first full-length album. Escape From the Zoo found themselves in two ties. Half of the committee had the album ranked very high and half had it ranked low. They made it through to the round of 16. Worriers had a good showing with their sophomore album.

Bad Cop/Bad Cop won a tie with Days N Daze to advance to the final four. This means all the bands in our final four this year had never been on the bracket before. This was the first eligible album from two of the final four bands (Sincere Engineer and Wasted Potential.) So Pretty went down at least one round too early if you ask me, but good albums get knocked out in the first round every year.

Two relatively new bands made it through to the final. Locals Sincere Engineer took out Rancid with their debut full-length album. Bad Cop/Bad Cop got by Wasted Potential with their second full-length album.

Change the Rotation's album of the year is Rhombithian by Sincere Engineer! This marks the first time a Chicago band has won our bracket. It's about time! Rhombithian joins our previous bracket champions: The Beauty Between by RVIVR (2013,) Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me! (2014,) Constructs of the State by Leftöver Crack (2015) and , Dies by Gouge Away (2016.) Congratulations to all the bands on this year's bracket. Stream all 32 albums using the links below.

88 Fingers Louie - Thank You For Being a Friend
All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal
Anti-Flag - American Fall
Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Warriors
The Bombpops - Fear of Missing Out
Converge - The Dusk in Us
Days N Daze - Crustfall
Dead Ending - Shoot the Messenger
Downtown Boys - Cost of Living
Escape From the Zoo - Killacopter
Full of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy
Hellmouth - Oblivion
The Homeless Gospel Choir - Presents: Normal
Iron Chic - You Can't Stay Here
Iron Reagan - Crossover Ministry
The Lillingtons - Stella Sapiente
Limp Wrist - Facades
Meat Wave - The Incessant
The Menzingers - After the Party
Mobina Galore - Feeling Disconnected
Oh My Snare - Murk Matinal
Open City - Open City
Pet Symmetry - Vision
Propagandhi - Victory Lap
Rancid - Trouble Maker
Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love
Sincere Engineer - Rhombithian
The Smith Street Band - More Scared of You Than You Are of Me
So Pretty - Suck It Up
Voice of Addiction - The Lost Art of Empathy
Wasted Potential - Living Up to the Name
Worriers - Survival Pop