NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2017
Consensus wasn't easy to come by in 2017, but the best albums of the year were bolts of clarity, sonic companions for joy, grief and redemption, for battles hard won and for reckonings still to come.
Published: December 12, 2017 11:00
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | DAMN. | Kendrick Lamar | Apr-14-2017, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #2 | Ctrl | SZA | Jun-09-2017, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Capacity | Big Thief | Jun-09-2017, Indie Rock |
| #4 | Process | Sampha | Feb-03-2017, Alternative R&B |
| #5 | Melodrama | Lorde | Jun-16-2017, Synthpop |
| #6 | No Shape | Perfume Genius | May-05-2017, Art Pop |
| #7 | The Nashville Sound | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Jun-16-2017, Americana |
| #8 | Rainbow | Kesha | Aug-11-2017, Pop Soul |
| #9 | The Navigator | Hurray For The Riff Raff | Mar-10-2017, Folk Rock |
| #10 | Party | Aldous Harding | May-19-2017, Contemporary Folk |
| #11 | 4:44 | JAY-Z | Jul-07-2017, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #12 | Far From Over | Vijay Iyer Sextet, Vijay Iyer | Aug-25-2017, Post-Bop |
| #13 | Freedom Highway | Rhiannon Giddens | Feb-24-2017, American Folk Music |
| #14 | Aromanticism | Moses Sumney | Sep-22-2017, Art Pop |
| #15 | Last Leaf | Danish String Quartet | Sep-22-2017, Chamber Folk |
| #16 | Black Origami | Jlin | May-19-2017, Footwork |
| #17 | Big Fish Theory | Vince Staples | Jun-23-2017, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #18 | IIII+IIII | ÌFÉ | Mar-31-2017, Latin Electronic |
| #19 | Rûwâhîne | Ifriqiyya Electrique | May-26-2017, Experimental Rock |
| #20 | A Deeper Understanding | The War on Drugs | Aug-25-2017, Heartland Rock |
| #21 | Everybody Works | Jay Som | Mar-10-2017, Indie Rock |
| #22 | Luv Is Rage 2 | Lil Uzi Vert | Aug-25-2017, Trap |
| #23 | What Now | Sylvan Esso | Apr-28-2017, Electropop |
| #24 | Sleep Well Beast | The National | Sep-08-2017, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Amar Y Vivir (En Vivo Desde La Ciudad De México, 2017) | La Santa Cecilia | Apr-28-2017, |
| #26 | The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone | Lee Ann Womack | Oct-27-2017, Country |
| #27 | Plunge | Fever Ray | Oct-27-2017, Electropop |
| #28 | Three Futures | TORRES | Sep-29-2017, Art Pop |
| #29 | Brick Body Kids Still Daydream | Open Mike Eagle | Sep-15-2017, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #30 | I Am a Man (with Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Jason Moran & Thomas Morgan) | Ron Miles | Nov-10-2017, |
| #31 | A Crow Looked at Me | Mount Eerie | Mar-24-2017, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Antisocialites | Alvvays | Sep-08-2017, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Kõrvits: Moorland Elegies | Tõnu Kõrvits, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Risto Joost | Apr-21-2017, |
| #34 | Joan Shelley | Joan Shelley | May-05-2017, Contemporary Folk |
| #35 | Drunk | Thundercat | Feb-24-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #36 | Laila’s Wisdom | Rapsody | Sep-22-2017, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #37 | The Kid | Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | Oct-06-2017, Art Pop |
| #38 | Culture | Migos | Jan-27-2017, Trap |
| #39 | Purgatory | Tyler Childers | Aug-04-2017, Progressive Country |
| #40 | On The Rocks | Midland | Sep-22-2017, Contemporary Country |
| #41 | Out in the Storm | Waxahatchee | Jul-14-2017, Indie Rock |
| #42 | Ladilikan | Trio Da Kali, Kronos Quartet | Sep-15-2017, Mande Music |
| #43 | Palabras Manuales | Danay Suárez | Mar-03-2017, Latin Rap |
| #44 | Nothing Feels Natural | Priests | Jan-27-2017, Post-Punk |
| #45 | Mogoya | Oumou Sangaré | May-19-2017, Wassoulou |
| #46 | Devout | Mr. Mitch | Apr-21-2017, UK Bass |
| #47 | Fly or Die | Jaimie Branch | May-05-2017, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #48 | Tipico | Miguel Zenón | Feb-10-2017, Post-Bop |
| #50 | After Laughter | Paramore | May-12-2017, New Wave |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | DAMN. | Kendrick Lamar | Album, Apr-14-2017, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #2 | Ctrl | SZA | Album, Jun-09-2017, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Capacity | Big Thief | Album, Jun-09-2017, Indie Rock |
| #4 | Process | Sampha | Album, Feb-03-2017, Alternative R&B |
| #5 | Melodrama | Lorde | Album, Jun-16-2017, Synthpop |
| #6 | No Shape | Perfume Genius | Album, May-05-2017, Art Pop |
| #7 | The Nashville Sound | Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Album, Jun-16-2017, Americana |
| #8 | Rainbow | Kesha | Album, Aug-11-2017, Pop Soul |
| #9 | The Navigator | Hurray For The Riff Raff | Album, Mar-10-2017, Folk Rock |
| #10 | Party | Aldous Harding | Album, May-19-2017, Contemporary Folk |
| #11 | 4:44 | JAY-Z | Album, Jul-07-2017, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #12 | Far From Over | Vijay Iyer SextetVijay Iyer | Album, Aug-25-2017, Post-Bop |
| #13 | Freedom Highway | Rhiannon Giddens | Album, Feb-24-2017, American Folk Music |
| #14 | Aromanticism | Moses Sumney | Album, Sep-22-2017, Art Pop |
| #15 | Last Leaf | Danish String Quartet | Album, Sep-22-2017, Chamber Folk |
| #16 | Black Origami | Jlin | Album, May-19-2017, Footwork |
| #17 | Big Fish Theory | Vince Staples | Album, Jun-23-2017, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #18 | IIII+IIII | ÌFÉ | Album, Mar-31-2017, Latin Electronic |
| #19 | Rûwâhîne | Ifriqiyya Electrique | Album, May-26-2017, Experimental Rock |
| #20 | A Deeper Understanding | The War on Drugs | Album, Aug-25-2017, Heartland Rock |
| #21 | Everybody Works | Jay Som | Album, Mar-10-2017, Indie Rock |
| #22 | Luv Is Rage 2 | Lil Uzi Vert | Album, Aug-25-2017, Trap |
| #23 | What Now | Sylvan Esso | Album, Apr-28-2017, Electropop |
| #24 | Sleep Well Beast | The National | Album, Sep-08-2017, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Amar Y Vivir (En Vivo Desde La Ciudad De México, 2017) | La Santa Cecilia | Album, Apr-28-2017, |
| #26 | The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone | Lee Ann Womack | Album, Oct-27-2017, Country |
| #27 | Plunge | Fever Ray | Album, Oct-27-2017, Electropop |
| #28 | Three Futures | TORRES | Album, Sep-29-2017, Art Pop |
| #29 | Brick Body Kids Still Daydream | Open Mike Eagle | Album, Sep-15-2017, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #30 | I Am a Man (with Bill Frisell, Brian Blade, Jason Moran & Thomas Morgan) | Ron Miles | Album, Nov-10-2017, |
| #31 | A Crow Looked at Me | Mount Eerie | Album, Mar-24-2017, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Antisocialites | Alvvays | Album, Sep-08-2017, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Kõrvits: Moorland Elegies | Tõnu KõrvitsEstonian Philharmonic Chamber ChoirTallinn Chamber OrchestraRisto Joost | Album, Apr-21-2017, |
| #34 | Joan Shelley | Joan Shelley | Album, May-05-2017, Contemporary Folk |
| #35 | Drunk | Thundercat | Album, Feb-24-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #36 | Laila’s Wisdom | Rapsody | Album, Sep-22-2017, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #37 | The Kid | Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | Album, Oct-06-2017, Art Pop |
| #38 | Culture | Migos | Album, Jan-27-2017, Trap |
| #39 | Purgatory | Tyler Childers | Album, Aug-04-2017, Progressive Country |
| #40 | On The Rocks | Midland | Album, Sep-22-2017, Contemporary Country |
| #41 | Out in the Storm | Waxahatchee | Album, Jul-14-2017, Indie Rock |
| #42 | Ladilikan | Trio Da KaliKronos Quartet | Album, Sep-15-2017, Mande Music |
| #43 | Palabras Manuales | Danay Suárez | Album, Mar-03-2017, Latin Rap |
| #44 | Nothing Feels Natural | Priests | Album, Jan-27-2017, Post-Punk |
| #45 | Mogoya | Oumou Sangaré | Album, May-19-2017, Wassoulou |
| #46 | Devout | Mr. Mitch | Album, Apr-21-2017, UK Bass |
| #47 | Fly or Die | Jaimie Branch | Album, May-05-2017, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #48 | Tipico | Miguel Zenón | Album, Feb-10-2017, Post-Bop |
| #50 | After Laughter | Paramore | Album, May-12-2017, New Wave |