Best Albums of 2018
Provided by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgxWWBqvQgA
The Voidz released their latest album in March 2018.
January 17, 2019
2018 was a fantastic year for music, and in my opinion, more quality music was released last year than in 2017. Great albums really flourished this year. Before this list starts I would like to state a quick disclaimer, I have not listened to every album this year nor want to, so sorry if your favorite Black Metal album didn’t make the list. There have also been other fantastic albums this year that nearly missed the list.
- A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
Artist: The 1975
Genre: Pop Rock
Favorite Track: Sincerity Is Scary
I’m not going to lie, there were a few tracks in the listing that I thought were mediocre. However, the best songs on this album from the British band are fantastic. Songs such as Sincerity Is Scary, and I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes) really blew me away. However, I can’t help but roll my eyes at some of the political messages on some of the tracks.
- Dicaprio 2
Artist: J.I.D
Genre: Rap
Favorite Track: Off Deez (with J. Cole)
Atlanta rapper J.I.D has been one of the most promising new artists around. Dicaprio 2 was his debut album and he certainly delivered. However, I see room for growth (somehow) for the young rapper.
- High As Hope
Artist: Florence & The Machine
Genre: Alternative Pop
Favorite Track: Hunger
This was lead vocalist Florence Welch’s most personal album and it was quite beautiful. The album still contained Welch’s soaring vocals but with a more soft and delicate approach.
- Sunnyland
Artist: Mayday Parade
Genre: Punk
Favorite Track: It’s Hard To Be Religious When Certain People Aren’t Ever Incinerated By Bolts Of Lightning
The 2000s punk band Mayday Parade has a history of releasing very good songs, but not so great albums. However, they turned that all around in 2018 with their passionate, emotional album Sunnyland.
- Lush
Artist: Snail Mail
Genre: Indie
Favorite Track: Heat Wave
Indie band, Snail Mail led by vocalist and guitarist Lindsey Jordan, established that they should be viewed in high regard in the genre with the release of Lush. Jordan is extremely talented and it truly shows on the album.
- Ye
Artist: Kanye West
Genre: Rap
Favorite Track: Wouldn’t Leave
Notorious rapper Kanye West has certainly not been drama free this year and addresses that in a very smart way in Ye. The album was surprisingly personal for Kanye but still has some bangers on it as well.
- Golden Hour
Artist: Kacey Musgraves
Genre: Country
Favorite Track: Slow Burn
If there is one word to describe this album it would be pleasant. Musgraves’s vocals are so smooth and her lyrics are very thoughtful. She even was awarded Album of the Year at the CMA awards.
- Journey Into the Unimaginable
Artist: Murs
Genre: Rap
Favorite Track: Superhero Pool Party
Murs has been an underground rapper I’ve been following for many years. This new album is honestly extremely heartbreaking at times when Murs is talking about his life and the miscarriage of his son. But, he still delivers extremely fun and upbeat tracks throughout.
- Year of The Snitch
Artist: Death Grips
Genre: Who Knows Really
Favorite Track: Black Paint
Death Grips has been a group loved by critics and fans alike. Year of The Snitch is different for them in many ways but still delivers the classic Death Grips approach. Their instrumentation is unlike any other artist out there.
- Be The Cowboy
Artist: Mitski
Genre: Indie Pop
Favorite Track: Two Slow Dancers
Passionate singer Mitski delivers her most mature album yet on Be The Cowboy. She strayed away from her more raw sound and I actually prefer the new sound to the old. The album is great start to finish with upbeat tracks and ballads.
- Dirty Computer
Artist: Janelle Monáe
Genre: Pop/R&B/Rap
Favorite Track: Americans
Janelle Monáe received high praise and commercial success for her album Dirty Computer in 2018. Her song Make Me Feel was a huge success and was a stellar track. I truly enjoyed every track on the album and I’m certainly hoping for her to win album of the year at The Grammys.
- From A Room Vol. 2
Artist: Chris Stapleton
Genre: Country
Favorite Track: Scarecrow In The Garden
Technically this album didn’t come out in 2018 but was late enough in 2017 to be nominated for the CMA award for country album of the year, so I’m just bending the rules a little bit. In my opinion, this was the best country album of the year. In the genre at the moment nobody is near Stapleton’s level of greatness.
- Daytona
Artist: Pusha T
Genre: Rap
Favorite Song: What Would Meek Do? (ft. Kanye West)
The Kanye West produced album Daytona was considered by many to be the rap album of the year. Pusha T’s flow over every track is thoughtful and masterful. Kanye’s production is top notch with some of the best beats I’ve heard this year.
- Virtue
Artist: The Voidz
Genre: Experimental Rock
Favorite Song: ALieNNation
The american band formed by The Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas absolutely killed it with their 2018 release Virtue. Many albums nowadays go for the “woke” vibe, but this album actually has something to say and makes you think. Not to mention it is a fantastic album to get lost in.
- Wide Awake!
Artist: Parquet Courts
Genre: Post Punk
Favorite Song: Wide Awake
This was by far my favorite punk/post-punk album of the year. This is another album that delivers a message in a hard-hitting way. The instrumentation of every track felt unique and incredible. Overall, there was nothing really wrong or anything I would change in the tracklisting.
5. Firepower
Artist: Judas Priest
Genre: Heavy Metal
Favorite Song: Traitors Gate
Judas Priest 42 years after the release of their debut album is still delivering truly outstanding albums. The riffs used throughout are so good and catchy. Judas Priest is able to slow some songs down then deliver headbangers right after. Lead singer Rob Halford, who has been in the band since 1969, still delivers stellar vocals.
- Room 25
Artist: No Name
Genre: Rap
Favorite Track: Part Of Me
No Name is one of the best rappers in the game right now. Her flows and bars are laid back and gorgeous. The use of nontraditional production which is is largely influenced by jazz is a refreshing take on the hip hop genre.
- All at Once
Artist: Screaming Females
Genre: Indie Rock
Favorite Track: I’ll Make You Sorry
New Jersey band, Screaming Females led by vocalist Marissa Paternoster, had a fantastic year with the release of All at Once. Paternoster’s vocals are what really shines in the band with her unique vibrato. I’ll Make You Sorry was also one of my favorite songs this year.
- Trench
Artist: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternative Rock
Favorite Track: Neon Gravestones
Twenty One Pilots always had potential but never fully reached it until now. Every song on the album was fantastic. The lyrical content has been the best yet from Twenty One Pilots. Lead singer Tyler Joseph establishes himself as one of the best vocalists in the industry on Trench.
- Taboo
Artist: Denzel Curry
Genre: Rap
Favorite Track: Black Balloons (ft. Twelve’len & Goldlink)
As soon as I heard this album I knew it was my favorite of the year. In my opinion, Taboo is the best rap album since Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. The reason why the album is so great is the variety of songs on the album. Curry has the ability to sing and rap. Some tracks sound like they’re out of the nineties and some sound like modern trap rap. It is very hard to do this and create a fantastic album without a single bad song.
With the great success of so many albums in 2018, upcoming albums in 2019 look quite promising. Many beloved artists have albums due, such as Run The Jewels, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Eilish, so be on the lookout for more fantastic albums to come in 2019.
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