UPDATE! February 10th, 10am: Voting is now closed. We’ll be reviewing the results over the next few days to ensure everything was fair and accurate. Thank you for participating and supporting the local music scene.
Let’s be real—thank you. Independent media doesn’t survive without people like you—people who want more than the algorithm-fed content most outlets churn out. So, yeah, we truly appreciate you.
Honestly, part of me feels like releasing this poll right now is a bit ridiculous, given everything happening in the country. But at the same time, I’m exhausted from doomscrolling the news, and maybe you are too. So, here’s our Richmond Music Poll. I hope you enjoy it, have some fun, and maybe even discover a new local artist to get into.
Now, about last year. Yeah, we had few issues. For one, it’s a nightmare trying to slot everyone into the “right” categories. If we messed up and stuck you somewhere you don’t belong, just hit us up—email, DMs, whatever—and we’ll fix it.
And yeah, some folks cheated. Our system isn’t perfect, but we’re not blind. We saw the shady stuff, and if we catch you pulling the same moves this year, we’ll erase you from the poll. Period. If we’re wrong, we’ll work it out, but don’t push it. Play fair, because this whole thing only works if people believe it means something.
So, there it is. Vote, share, discover, and—most importantly—keep making noise. We’ll be here, doing our best to amplify it.
— Anthony
This year’s project was another beast. Over 1100+ comments tagging local musicians were made on the post we threw out a few weeks back. Over a thousand. And we have been going through every single one. Every tag, every track. No shortcuts, no skimming. And even though we are posting this today, we are still adding acts to the poll, so let us know if we missed someone. We want everyone to have a fair shot.
Could we have just thrown together a list of our own personal favorites? Sure, but where’s the fun in that? Where’s the soul? That’s not what this is about.
You—our readers, our neighbors—are the ones in the venues, the basements, the DIY spaces. You know the stories, the sounds, and the people making them. You’re the ones who should shape this. So, we followed your lead.
So, what we’ve got here isn’t perfect, but it’s a decent reflection of the amazing music scene we have here in the city.
Here’s to 2025.
Oh, and if you are interested in Richmond music history, check out our THE RICHMOND MUSIC CATALOG 1980-2021 series from a few years ago! And last thing, check out our Sound Check local music video series HERE
Last, last thing, before you jump in, you can take a look back at last year’s results down below or read the full write ups HERE.
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