Of the lists up here so far this is the one that most resembles what I would generally expect. That’s not to say that the music matches at all my personal favourites but it seems to tally with what have generally been the most prominently acclaimed albums of this year.
I’ve never been to a Fopp but I’m guessing they are catering to a pretty mainstream audience so in that context this feels like a pretty honest list rather than one aimed at shifting a tonne more units. Unless they’ve totally overstocked on that insanely expensive vinyl edition of the Kamasi Washington album of course
The top 20 is almost exactly as I’d imagine a Fopp top 20 to be. 21-100, on the other hand, has some pretty bonkers entries and placings. How they’re justifying the new Pumpkins album at #50 (therefore making it the musical mean of the year according to Fopp) is beyond me, given how many genuinely good albums fall beneath it.
They’re generally really nice shops, much more focussed on music than places like HMV now, which sort of shuffle the music side of the business into the back corner and would rather sell you DVDs and pop vinyls now.