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.

20.  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.

19. 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.

18. 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.

17. 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.

16. 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.

15. 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.

14. 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.

13. 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.

12. 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.

11. 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.

10.  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.

9. 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.

8. 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.

7. 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.  

6. 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.

4. 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.

3. 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.

2. 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.

1. 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.