The 50 Best Albums Of 2018

For what it’s worth, 2018 was a win for the underdogs. It was an absurd year for music in general but instead of pivoting to the afterlife with a mess of overrated radio fodder, it put younger innovators first and called attention to their ability to headbutt boundaries and re-imagine music as an art form. Kacey Musgraves made us believe in love again; Snail Mail and Let’s Eat Grandma showed us that (real) teens know a thing or two about nineties pop; and if hip-hop’s new wave wasn’t posterizing the charts, punk was sure as hell reinforcing friendships and giving us a reason to mosh in basements.

More so than ever, music felt new and while it was set on inciting discussion, it went out of its way to be a distraction for anyone dealing with heartbreak, anxiety, or isolation and loneliness. It challenged the old guard, pinned itself to new ideals, and continued to redesign the format for the better. 2018 was an absolute trip for the kids who “grieve in stereo” and these are our top picks from the year that was.


50. FRIGS : Basic Behaviour
[Arts & Crafts]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


49. Elohim : Elohim
[Elohim Music]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


48. Molly Burch : First Flower
[Captured Tracks]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


47. Gia Margaret : There’s Always Glimmer
[Orindal Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


46. Interpol : Marauder
[Matador Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


45. Wild Pink : Yolk In The Fur
[Tiny Engines]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


44. The Beths : Future Me Hates Me
[Carpark Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


43. boygenius : boygenius
[Matador Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


42. Camp Cope : How To Socialise & Make Friends
[Run For Cover Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


41. Mount Eerie : Now Only
[P.W. Elverum & Sun]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


40. JPEGMAFIA : Veteran
[Peggy/Deathbomb Arc.]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


39. 6LACK : East Atlanta Love Letter
[Universal/Interscope]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


38. Emma Ruth Rundle : On Dark Horses
[Sargent House]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


37. Turnstile : Time & Space
[Roadrunner Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


36. Sunflower Bean : Twentytwo In Blue
[Mom + Pop Music]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


35. Fiddlehead : Springtime And Blind
[Run For Cover Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


34. Parquet Courts : Wide Awake!
[Rough Trade]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


33. Iceage : Beyondless
[Matador Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


32. Soccer Mommy : Clean
[Fat Possum Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


31. Florence + The Machine : High As Hope
[Universal/Virgin]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


30. Tierra Whack : Whack World
[Tierra Whack]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


29. Mick Jenkins : Pieces Of A Man
[Free Nation/Cinematic Music]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


28. Octavian : Spaceman
[Black Butter Limited]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


27. Birds In Row : We Already Lost The World
[Deathwish Inc.]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


26. Gouge Away : Burnt Sugar
[Deathwish Inc.]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


25. Petal : Magic Gone
[Run For Cover Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


24. Foxing : Nearer My God
[Triple Crown Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


23. MGMT : Little Dark Age
[Sony/Columbia Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


22. Freddie Gibbs : Freddie
[ESGN/EMPIRE]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


21. Lykke Li : So Sad So Sexy
[Sony/RCA Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


20. Pianos Become The Teeth : Wait For Love
[Epitaph Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


19. Architects : Holy Hell
[Epitaph Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


18. Let’s Eat Grandma : I’m All Ears
[Transgressive Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


17. Saba : Care For Me
[Saba Pivot]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


16. Jay Rock : Redemption
[Universal/Top Dawg Ent.]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


15. Kids See Ghosts : Kids See Ghosts
[Universal/Def Jam]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


14. Kanye West : ye
[Universal/Def Jam]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


13. Jorja Smith : Lost & Found
[FAMM]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


12. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever : Hope Downs
[Sub Pop Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


11. Fucked Up : Dose Your Dreams
[Merge Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


10. Anderson .Paak : Oxnard
[Universal/Aftermath]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


09. Vince Staples : FM!
[Universal/Def Jam]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


08. The Wonder Years : Sister Cities
[Hopeless Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


07. Beach House : 7
[Sub Pop Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


06. Earl Sweatshirt : Some Rap Songs
[Sony/Columbia Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


05. Kacey Musgraves : Golden Hour
[Universal/MCA Nashville]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


04. Culture Abuse : Bay Dream
[Epitaph Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


03. Pusha T : Daytona
[Universal/Def Jam]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


02. Mac Miller : Swimming
[Warner Bros. Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

 


01. Snail Mail : Lush
[Matador Records]

Listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music

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