Digital Trends' Best Albums of 2018
From blockbuster releases to hidden gems, we've spent the year listening to new music from near and far, culling that massive list into our 50 favorites. Whether you like jazz, hip-hop, rock, pop, or anything in between, these are the 50 best records of the year.
Published: December 12, 2018 23:27
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CARE FOR ME | Saba | Apr-05-2018, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #2 | Golden Hour | Kacey Musgraves | Mar-30-2018, Country Pop |
| #3 | Freedom | Amen Dunes | Mar-30-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #4 | Lush | Snail Mail | Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock |
| #5 | It's a New Day Tonight | Michael Rault | May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #6 | Historian | Lucy Dacus | Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #7 | Clean | Soccer Mommy | Mar-02-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #8 | Freedom's Goblin | Ty Segall | Jan-26-2018, Garage Rock |
| #9 | Be the Cowboy | Mitski | Aug-17-2018, Art Pop |
| #10 | Vessel | Frankie Cosmos | Mar-30-2018, Indie Pop |
| #11 | Room 25 | noname | Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #12 | Superorganism | Superorganism | Mar-02-2018, Indietronica |
| #13 | Dirty Computer | Janelle Monáe | Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #14 | Con Todo El Mundo | Khruangbin | Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock |
| #15 | DAYTONA | Pusha T | May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #16 | Cranberry | Hovvdy | Feb-09-2018, Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock |
| #17 | I Need to Start a Garden | Haley Heynderickx | Mar-02-2018, Indie Folk |
| #18 | Modern Lore | Julian Lage | Feb-02-2018, Jazz |
| #19 | Forth Wanderers | Forth Wanderers | Apr-27-2018, Indie Rock |
| #20 | abysskiss | Adrianne Lenker | Oct-05-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #21 | Negro Swan | Blood Orange | Aug-24-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #22 | Streams of Thought Vol. 1 | Black Thought | Jun-01-2018, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #23 | 7 | Beach House | May-11-2018, Dream Pop |
| #24 | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Hop Along | Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Boygenius | boygenius | Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock |
| #26 | Songs of the Plains | Colter Wall | Oct-12-2018, Outlaw Country |
| #27 | The Horizon Just Laughed | Damien Jurado | Jul-06-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #28 | Skylight | Pinegrove | Oct-05-2018, Indie Rock |
| #29 | C’est La Vie | Phosphorescent | Oct-05-2018, Americana |
| #30 | Uniform Clarity | Jim James | Oct-05-2018, Contemporary Folk |
| #31 | Mother of My Children | Black Belt Eagle Scout | Sep-14-2018, Indie Rock |
| #32 | Now Only | Mount Eerie | Mar-16-2018, Indie Folk |
| #33 | Only Love | The Armed | Apr-27-2018, Post-Hardcore |
| #34 | Isolation | Kali Uchis | Apr-06-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #35 | Future Me Hates Me | The Beths | Aug-10-2018, Power Pop |
| #36 | re:member | Ólafur Arnalds | Aug-24-2018, Ambient |
| #37 | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Courtney Barnett | May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #38 | Bottle It In | Kurt Vile | Oct-12-2018, Folk Rock |
| #39 | The Sciences | Sleep | Apr-20-2018, Stoner Metal |
| #40 | All Melody | Nils Frahm | Jan-26-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #41 | Origami Harvest | Ambrose Akinmusire | Oct-12-2018, Chamber Jazz |
| #42 | God's Favorite Customer | Father John Misty | Jun-01-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #43 | Oxnard | Anderson .Paak | Nov-16-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #44 | WARM | Jeff Tweedy | Nov-30-2018, Alt-Country |
| #45 | Wide Awake! | Parquet Courts | May-18-2018, |
| #46 | You, Forever | Sam Evian | Jun-01-2018, Indie Pop |
| #47 | Chime | Sandy's | Apr-20-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #48 | Some Rap Songs | Earl Sweatshirt | Nov-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #49 | And Nothing Hurt | Spiritualized | Sep-07-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #50 | Redemption | Jay Rock | Jun-15-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | CARE FOR ME | Saba | Album, Apr-05-2018, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #2 | Golden Hour | Kacey Musgraves | Album, Mar-30-2018, Country Pop |
| #3 | Freedom | Amen Dunes | Album, Mar-30-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #4 | Lush | Snail Mail | Album, Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock |
| #5 | It's a New Day Tonight | Michael Rault | Album, May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #6 | Historian | Lucy Dacus | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #7 | Clean | Soccer Mommy | Album, Mar-02-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #8 | Freedom's Goblin | Ty Segall | Album, Jan-26-2018, Garage Rock |
| #9 | Be the Cowboy | Mitski | Album, Aug-17-2018, Art Pop |
| #10 | Vessel | Frankie Cosmos | Album, Mar-30-2018, Indie Pop |
| #11 | Room 25 | noname | Album, Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #12 | Superorganism | Superorganism | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indietronica |
| #13 | Dirty Computer | Janelle Monáe | Album, Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #14 | Con Todo El Mundo | Khruangbin | Album, Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock |
| #15 | DAYTONA | Pusha T | Album, May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #16 | Cranberry | Hovvdy | Album, Feb-09-2018, Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock |
| #17 | I Need to Start a Garden | Haley Heynderickx | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Folk |
| #18 | Modern Lore | Julian Lage | Album, Feb-02-2018, Jazz |
| #19 | Forth Wanderers | Forth Wanderers | Album, Apr-27-2018, Indie Rock |
| #20 | abysskiss | Adrianne Lenker | Album, Oct-05-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #21 | Negro Swan | Blood Orange | Album, Aug-24-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #22 | Streams of Thought Vol. 1 | Black Thought | EP, Jun-01-2018, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #23 | 7 | Beach House | Album, May-11-2018, Dream Pop |
| #24 | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Hop Along | Album, Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Boygenius | boygenius | EP, Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock |
| #26 | Songs of the Plains | Colter Wall | Album, Oct-12-2018, Outlaw Country |
| #27 | The Horizon Just Laughed | Damien Jurado | Album, Jul-06-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #28 | Skylight | Pinegrove | Album, Oct-05-2018, Indie Rock |
| #29 | C’est La Vie | Phosphorescent | Album, Oct-05-2018, Americana |
| #30 | Uniform Clarity | Jim James | Album, Oct-05-2018, Contemporary Folk |
| #31 | Mother of My Children | Black Belt Eagle Scout | Album, Sep-14-2018, Indie Rock |
| #32 | Now Only | Mount Eerie | Album, Mar-16-2018, Indie Folk |
| #33 | Only Love | The Armed | Album, Apr-27-2018, Post-Hardcore |
| #34 | Isolation | Kali Uchis | Album, Apr-06-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #35 | Future Me Hates Me | The Beths | Album, Aug-10-2018, Power Pop |
| #36 | re:member | Ólafur Arnalds | Album, Aug-24-2018, Ambient |
| #37 | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Courtney Barnett | Album, May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #38 | Bottle It In | Kurt Vile | Album, Oct-12-2018, Folk Rock |
| #39 | The Sciences | Sleep | Album, Apr-20-2018, Stoner Metal |
| #40 | All Melody | Nils Frahm | Album, Jan-26-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #41 | Origami Harvest | Ambrose Akinmusire | Album, Oct-12-2018, Chamber Jazz |
| #42 | God's Favorite Customer | Father John Misty | Album, Jun-01-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #43 | Oxnard | Anderson .Paak | Album, Nov-16-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #44 | WARM | Jeff Tweedy | Album, Nov-30-2018, Alt-Country |
| #45 | Wide Awake! | Parquet Courts | Album, May-18-2018, |
| #46 | You, Forever | Sam Evian | Album, Jun-01-2018, Indie Pop |
| #47 | Chime | Sandy's | EP, Apr-20-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #48 | Some Rap Songs | Earl Sweatshirt | Album, Nov-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #49 | And Nothing Hurt | Spiritualized | Album, Sep-07-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #50 | Redemption | Jay Rock | Album, Jun-15-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |