Esquire's (UK) 50 Best Albums of 2018

From rap to pop and hip-hop to electronic, the best releases of the year

Published: December 07, 2018 17:28 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Francis Trouble Albert Hammond Jr Mar-09-2018, Indie Rock
#2 Freedom Amen Dunes Mar-30-2018, Neo-Psychedelia
#3 Oxnard Anderson .Paak Nov-16-2018, West Coast Hip Hop
#4 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Arctic Monkeys May-11-2018,
#5 Sweetener Ariana Grande Aug-17-2018, Contemporary R&B
#6 Negro Swan Blood Orange Aug-24-2018, Alternative R&B
#7 iridescence BROCKHAMPTON Sep-21-2018, Experimental Hip Hop
#8 Invasion of Privacy Cardi B Apr-06-2018, Trap
#9 Solo Piano III Chilly Gonzales Sep-07-2018, Modern Classical
#10 Jassbusters Connan Mockasin Oct-12-2018, Spoken Word
#11 Song for Alpha Daniel Avery Apr-06-2018, Ambient Techno
#12 Knock Knock DJ Koze May-04-2018, House
#13 Marble Skies Django Django Jan-26-2018, Indie Pop
#14 Ruins First Aid Kit Jan-19-2018, Americana
#15 High As Hope Florence + the Machine Jun-29-2018, Art Pop
#16 All That Must Be George FitzGerald Mar-09-2018, Deep House
#17 I Used to Know Her: Part 2 H.E.R. Nov-02-2018, Neo-Soul
#18 Qualm Helena Hauff Aug-03-2018, Industrial Techno
#19 Microshift Hookworms Feb-02-2018, Neo-Psychedelia
#20 Joy as an Act of Resistance. IDLES Aug-31-2018, Post-Punk
#21 Dirty Computer Janelle Monáe Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B
#22 Singularity Jon Hopkins May-04-2018, Tech House
#23 Aviary Julia Holter Oct-26-2018, Progressive Pop
#24 For Ever Jungle Sep-14-2018, Synth Funk
#25 Heaven and Earth Kamasi Washington Jun-22-2018, Spiritual Jazz
#26 Con Todo El Mundo Khruangbin Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock
#27 KIDS SEE GHOSTS KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Kanye West, Kid Cudi Jun-08-2018, Pop Rap
#28 Bottle It In Kurt Vile Oct-12-2018, Folk Rock
#29 Raw Silk Uncut Wood Laurel Halo Jul-13-2018, Ambient
#30 Good Thing Leon Bridges May-04-2018, Neo-Soul
#31 Nothing Is Still Leon Vynehall Jun-15-2018, Ambient
#32 No Shame Lily Allen Jun-08-2018, Contemporary R&B
#33 Loma Loma Feb-16-2018, Art Pop
#34 Kingdoms in Colour Maribou State Sep-07-2018, Downtempo
#35 All Melody Nils Frahm Jan-26-2018, Post-Minimalism
#36 Die Lit Playboi Carti May-11-2018, Trap
#37 Music for the Long Emergency POLIÇA, stargaze Feb-16-2018, Art Pop
#38 Forever Popcaan Jul-20-2018, Dancehall
#39 Blood Rhye Feb-02-2018, Sophisti-Pop
#40 Honey Robyn Oct-26-2018, Dance-Pop
#41 I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions Santigold Jul-27-2018, Dancehall
#42 Songs of Praise shame Jan-12-2018, Post-Punk
#43 MUDBOY Sheck Wes Oct-05-2018, Trap
#44 MassEducation St. Vincent Oct-12-2018, Art Pop
#45 Superorganism Superorganism Mar-02-2018, Indietronica
#46 Hive Mind The Internet Jul-20-2018, Neo-Soul
#47 Devotion Tirzah Aug-10-2018, Alternative R&B
#48 Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Tyler, The Creator Nov-16-2018, Christmas Music
#49 FM! Vince Staples Nov-02-2018, West Coast Hip Hop
#50 Cocoa Sugar Young Fathers Mar-09-2018, Indietronica
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Francis Trouble | Albert Hammond Jr | Album, Mar-09-2018, Indie Rock |
| #2 | Freedom | Amen Dunes | Album, Mar-30-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #3 | Oxnard | Anderson .Paak | Album, Nov-16-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #4 | Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino | Arctic Monkeys | Album, May-11-2018,  |
| #5 | Sweetener | Ariana Grande | Album, Aug-17-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #6 | Negro Swan | Blood Orange | Album, Aug-24-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #7 | iridescence | BROCKHAMPTON | Album, Sep-21-2018, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #8 | Invasion of Privacy | Cardi B | Album, Apr-06-2018, Trap |
| #9 | Solo Piano III | Chilly Gonzales | Album, Sep-07-2018, Modern Classical |
| #10 | Jassbusters | Connan Mockasin | Album, Oct-12-2018, Spoken Word |
| #11 | Song for Alpha | Daniel Avery | Album, Apr-06-2018, Ambient Techno |
| #12 | Knock Knock | DJ Koze | Album, May-04-2018, House |
| #13 | Marble Skies | Django Django | Album, Jan-26-2018, Indie Pop |
| #14 | Ruins | First Aid Kit | Album, Jan-19-2018, Americana |
| #15 | High As Hope | Florence + the Machine | Album, Jun-29-2018, Art Pop |
| #16 | All That Must Be | George FitzGerald | Album, Mar-09-2018, Deep House |
| #17 | I Used to Know Her: Part 2 | H.E.R. | EP, Nov-02-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #18 | Qualm | Helena Hauff | Album, Aug-03-2018, Industrial Techno |
| #19 | Microshift | Hookworms | Album, Feb-02-2018, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #20 | Joy as an Act of Resistance. | IDLES | Album, Aug-31-2018, Post-Punk |
| #21 | Dirty Computer | Janelle Monáe | Album, Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #22 | Singularity | Jon Hopkins | Album, May-04-2018, Tech House |
| #23 | Aviary | Julia Holter | Album, Oct-26-2018, Progressive Pop |
| #24 | For Ever | Jungle | Album, Sep-14-2018, Synth Funk |
| #25 | Heaven and Earth | Kamasi Washington | Album, Jun-22-2018, Spiritual Jazz |
| #26 | Con Todo El Mundo | Khruangbin | Album, Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock |
| #27 | KIDS SEE GHOSTS | KIDS SEE GHOSTSKanye WestKid Cudi | Album, Jun-08-2018, Pop Rap |
| #28 | Bottle It In | Kurt Vile | Album, Oct-12-2018, Folk Rock |
| #29 | Raw Silk Uncut Wood | Laurel Halo | Album, Jul-13-2018, Ambient |
| #30 | Good Thing | Leon Bridges | Album, May-04-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #31 | Nothing Is Still | Leon Vynehall | Album, Jun-15-2018, Ambient |
| #32 | No Shame | Lily Allen | Album, Jun-08-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #33 | Loma | Loma | Album, Feb-16-2018, Art Pop |
| #34 | Kingdoms in Colour | Maribou State | Album, Sep-07-2018, Downtempo |
| #35 | All Melody | Nils Frahm | Album, Jan-26-2018, Post-Minimalism |
| #36 | Die Lit | Playboi Carti | Album, May-11-2018, Trap |
| #37 | Music for the Long Emergency | POLIÇAstargaze | Album, Feb-16-2018, Art Pop |
| #38 | Forever | Popcaan | Album, Jul-20-2018, Dancehall |
| #39 | Blood | Rhye | Album, Feb-02-2018, Sophisti-Pop |
| #40 | Honey | Robyn | Album, Oct-26-2018, Dance-Pop |
| #41 | I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions | Santigold | Album, Jul-27-2018, Dancehall |
| #42 | Songs of Praise | shame | Album, Jan-12-2018, Post-Punk |
| #43 | MUDBOY | Sheck Wes | Album, Oct-05-2018, Trap |
| #44 | MassEducation | St. Vincent | Album, Oct-12-2018, Art Pop |
| #45 | Superorganism | Superorganism | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indietronica |
| #46 | Hive Mind | The Internet | Album, Jul-20-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #47 | Devotion | Tirzah | Album, Aug-10-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #48 | Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch | Tyler, The Creator | EP, Nov-16-2018, Christmas Music |
| #49 | FM! | Vince Staples | Album, Nov-02-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #50 | Cocoa Sugar | Young Fathers | Album, Mar-09-2018, Indietronica |