Well, we made it. We managed to survive the last 11 and a half months, staving off the Internet’s short attention span and a rational urge to take every book in sight and crawl under a rock, and a lot of it is thanks to 2017 being such a remarkable year for music. With the concept of an album being treated as an art form, pop went places; hip-hop found a new zone; indie rock anatomized its obsession with the blues; and punk became a support line for a generation trying to Etch A Sketch their place in the world.
Most importantly, music reverted back to being a multidimensional form of escapism. Songs actually felt like songs and newer artists found some comfort in sharing their own devastating works to help others find meaning. The year had its share of “did it for the Gram” plugs, but it ultimately gave us projects that redesigned the art form for the better. Here are our favourite records of 2017.
50. Daddy Issues : Deep Dream
[Infinity Cat Recordings]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
49. MUNA : About U
[Sony/RCA Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
48. Looming : Seed
[No Sleep Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
47. Eisley : I’m Only Dreaming
[Equal Vision Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
46. Pile : A Hairshirt Of Purpose
[Exploding In Sound]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
45. David Ramirez : We’re Not Going Anywhere
[Universal Music]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
44. TOPS : Sugar At The Gate
[Arbutus Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
43. Land Of Talk : Life After Youth
[Dine Alone/Saddle Creek]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
42. Nick Hakim : Green Twins
[ATO Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
41. Sean Leon : I Think You’ve Gone Mad / C.C.W.M.T.T.
[The INITIATIVE]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
40. Hater : You Tried
[PNKSLM Recordings]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
39. Glassjaw : Material Control
[Globochem Music]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
38. Sheer Mag : Need To Feel Your Love
[Wilsuns RC]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
37. The Beaches : Late Show
[Universal Music]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
36. Allan Rayman : Roadhouse 01
[Communion Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
35. David Bazan : Care
[Undertow Music]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
34. Can’t Swim : Fail You Again
[Pure Noise Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
33. The Flatliners : Inviting Light
[Dine Alone/Rise Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
32. Bonobo : Migration
[Ninja Tune]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
31. Turnover : Good Nature
[Run For Cover Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
30. Tyler The Creator : Flower Boy
[Sony/Columbia]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
29. King Krule : The OOZ
[True Panther Sounds]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
28. Phoebe Bridgers : Stranger In The Alps
[Dead Oceans]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
27. Paramore : After Laughter
[Fueled By Ramen]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
26. Big Thief : Capacity
[Saddle Creek]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
25. Real Estate : In Mind
[Domino Recording Co.]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
24. Dua Lipa : Dua Lipa
[Warner Bros.]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
23. White Reaper : The World’s Best American Band
[Polyvinyl Record Co.]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
22. Converge : The Dusk In Us
[Epitaph Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
21. Mount Eerie : A Crow Looked At Me
[P.W. Elverum & Sun]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
20. Fleet Foxes : Crack-Up
[Nonesuch Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
19. Yumi Zouma : Willowbank
[Cascine Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
18. Alvvays : Antisocialites
[Polyvinyl Record Co.]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
17. The National: Sleep Well Beast
[4AD]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
16. The War On Drugs : A Deeper Understanding
[Warner Bros.]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
15. Sorority Noise : You’re Not As _____ As You Think
[Triple Crown Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
14. Diet Cig : Swear I’m Good At This
[Frenchkiss Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
13. Cloud Nothings : Life Without Sound
[Carpark Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
12. Sampha : Process
[Young Turks]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
11. Mura Masa : Mura Masa
[Universal/Polydor Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
10. Brockhampton : Saturation II
[EMPIRE]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
09. Vince Staples: Big Fish Theory
[Universal/Def Jam]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
08. Wolf Alice : Visions Of A Life
[Dirty Hit Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
07. Mac DeMarco : This Old Dog
[Captured Tracks]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
06. Daniel Caesar : Freudian
[Golden Child Recordings]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
05. Lorde : Melodrama
[Universal/Republic]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
04. Tennis : Yours Conditionally
[Mutually Detrimental]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
03. SZA : Ctrl
[TDE/RCA Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
02. Kendrick Lamar : DAMN.
[Universal/TDE]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music
01. The Menzingers : After The Party
[Epitaph Records]
Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music