CARLTON FLETCHER: Lists show 2018 wasn’t all bad

Here we are now, entertain us.

— Nirvana

It’s the end of the year, and we all know what that means … no, not taxes or new resolutions or dropping the ball at the end of what was, overall, a pretty suckie year.

No, the end of the year means lists, and let me tell you, we’ve got ‘em for you this year. From top stories to top web stories to top stories in the coming year to top stories about Albany government scandals … oh, wait, we pulled the plug on that last one.

But, seeing as it is the season of lists, here’s my annual compilation of some of the year’s top entertainment, based on suggestions and the opinions of someone who kinda keeps up with these things. (You may stop reading or disagree at any time during these lists):

BOOKS

I was beside myself with glee when Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Stephen King and John Grisham released books all at the same time late in the year. They, along with James Lee Burke, are my usual suspects, but there are newcomers here, including the Scandinavian master of fiction who turned a Shakespearean tragedy into a modern-day cop drama. (Hint, that’s it at No. 1) There’s also a classic by the great Walter Mosley and the painstakingly researched true story of death during a free late-’60s Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway in California:

1. McBeth — Jo Nesbo

2. Robicheaux — Burke

3. Dark Sacred Night — Connelly

4. Down the River Unto the Sea — Mosley

5. The Reckoning — Grisham

6. The Outsiders — King

7. The Pope of Palm Beach — Tim Dorsey

8. Past Tense — Child

9. The Woman in the Window — A.J. Finn

10. Just a Shot Away — Saul Austerlitz

SONGS

His was the best video, and as it turned out, the best song of 2018, as Donald Glover’s alter-ego, Childish Gambino, scored big with “This Is America.” Irish balladeer Hozier also released a memorable tune, along with the boys in Greta Van Fleet, Bad Wolves and Glorious Sons. Also welcome: a posthumous remake by Prince.

1. This Is America — Childish Gambino

2. Shrike — Hozier

3. Black Smoke Rising — Greta Van Fleet

4. SOS (Sawed-Off Shotgun) — Glorious Sons

5. Disillusions — A Perfect Circle

6. Zombie — Bad Wolves

7. Crimson and Clover — Prince

8. Party of One — Brandi Carlisle

9. Natural — Imagine Dragons

10. Sicko Mode — Travis Scott f. Drake

ALBUMS

A Beatle (Paul McCartney) was back on the charts with a great new album, and we were saddened all over again at the untimely death of Tom Petty when his family and former bandmates helped put together the aptly titled collection “An American Treasure.” And, of course, Eminem was back on the top of his game, and young rockers Greta Van Fleet finally put out a full-length to follow up their classic debut EP. On the other side of the coin, ageless storyteller John Prine released a captivating album.

1. Egypt Station — McCartney

2. An American Treasure — Petty

3. Kamikaze — Eminem

4. Anthem of the Peaceful Army — Greta Van Fleet

5. Uniform Distortion — Jim James

6. Tree of Forgiveness — Prine

7. Boarding House Reach — Jack White

8. Astroworld — Travis Scott

9. High as Hope — Florence + the Machine

10. Scorpion — Drake

TV

Network TV has become something of a wasteland, as most of the best of the small screen now is on the myriad cable channels whose programmers are not afraid to take chances. Still, the venerable NBC cop show “Chicago PD” continues to age like fine wine, and the quirky comedy “Superstore” is just starting to hit its comedic stride. The best new series of the year showed up on Showtime and featured a name familiar to TV viewers: Jim Carey, whose “Kidding” may be his best work ever. And one of my favorite shows of the year — “Rise” — got only a brief run before getting the ax.

1. Chicago PD — NBC

2. Kidding — Showtime

3. Superstore — NBC

4. This Is Us — NBC

5. Ray Donovan — Showtime

6. Rise — NBC

7. Saturday Night Live — NBC

8. Billions — Showtime

9. The Goldbergs — ABC

10. New Amsterdam — NBC

MOVIES

Thanks to AMC’s “The A List” (a promotion, not a movie), I saw more movies this year than I have maybe in any year ever. And while blockbusters like “Black Panther,” “The Avengers: Infinity War,” “Jurassic World,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Solo” and “A Star Is Born” drew in viewers like mad, my list leans more toward some of the lesser hits, including a biopic about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody

2. The Mule

3. Instant Family

4. Creed II

5. The Meg

6. Night School

7. Halloween

8. Venom

9. Widows

10. White Boy Rick

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ABH_Fletcher.