DCI Finalists Through History: The Best Of The Best
DCI Finalists Through History: The Best Of The Best
After looking at every year's finals scores, we've compiled the highest score for each spot in the top 12, regardless of corps and year.
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Ever since I started watching DCI in 2009, I have always thought that scores were getting inflated year after year. I always expected the next year's winner to be more likely to break the record score and so on. However, after some quick research, it turns out that the highest scoring top 12 are relatively spread out.
But, there are still FIVE groups that have set the highest score for their respective placements, since 2010—compared to three in the 2000s, one in the 1990s, and two in the 1980s.
One group this year actually set the highest score ever for the threshold to break into finals: Crossmen (86.750). Of course, the 2014 Blue Devils hold on to the top spot for highest ever score in Drum Corps International history with a 99.650.
What's interesting is that the highest third-place score (Blue Devils, 97.700, 1998) would have beaten the 2015 AND 2016 DCI World Champions, so inflation isn't so out of whack that it's become incomparable.
The Top 12, Top 12
| Placement | Corps | Score | Year |
| 1 | Blue Devils | 99.650 | 2014 |
| 2 | Blue Devils | 98.525 | 2004 |
| 3 | Blue Devils | 97.700 | 1998 |
| 4 | Santa Clara Vanguard | 96.850 | 2013 |
| 5 | Carolina Crown | 95.675 | 2014 |
| 6 | Star of Indiana | 95.300 | 1989 |
| 7 | Bluecoats | 94.050 | 2007 |
| 8 | Blue Stars | 91.900 | 2010 |
| 9 | Boston Crusaders | 90.525 | 2004 |
| 10 | Suncoast Sound | 89.100 | 1988 |
| 11 | Glassmen | 87.700 | 2005 |
| 12 | Crossmen | 86.750 | 2018 |