NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2018
Even in an era when listeners have been primed to expect the unexpected, the best albums of 2018 are full of surprises: a cascade of discoveries, revelations and artistic rebirths.
Published: December 04, 2018 10:01
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dirty Computer | Janelle Monáe | Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #2 | Be the Cowboy | Mitski | Aug-17-2018, Art Pop |
| #3 | Golden Hour | Kacey Musgraves | Mar-30-2018, Country Pop |
| #4 | Historian | Lucy Dacus | Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #5 | Room 25 | noname | Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #6 | Invasion of Privacy | Cardi B | Apr-06-2018, Trap |
| #7 | Honey | Robyn | Oct-26-2018, Dance-Pop |
| #8 | El Mal Querer | ROSALÍA | Nov-02-2018, Flamenco Pop |
| #9 | Isolation | Kali Uchis | Apr-06-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #10 | Whack World | Tierra Whack | May-30-2018, Pop Rap |
| #11 | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Hop Along | Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Boygenius | boygenius | Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock |
| #13 | Interstate Gospel | Pistol Annies, Miranda Lambert | Nov-02-2018, Contemporary Country |
| #14 | Superorganism | Superorganism | Mar-02-2018, Indietronica |
| #15 | Dreamers | Magos Herrera, Brooklyn Rider | Sep-21-2018, |
| #16 | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Courtney Barnett | May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Double Negative | Low | Sep-14-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #18 | Heaven and Earth | Kamasi Washington | Jun-22-2018, Spiritual Jazz |
| #19 | By The Way, I Forgive You | Brandi Carlile | Feb-16-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #20 | Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa | Jeremy Dutcher | Apr-06-2018, Indigenous North American Music |
| #21 | Chris | Christine and the Queens | Sep-21-2018, Synthpop |
| #22 | Sweetener | Ariana Grande | Aug-17-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #23 | Rifles and Rosary Beads | Mary Gauthier | Jan-26-2018, Americana |
| #24 | soil | serpentwithfeet | Jun-08-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #25 | Con Todo El Mundo | Khruangbin | Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock |
| #26 | CARE FOR ME | Saba | Apr-05-2018, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #27 | Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 | Christian Tetzlaff, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu | Apr-13-2018, |
| #28 | The Tree of Forgiveness | John Prine | Apr-13-2018, Americana |
| #29 | Acrylic | Leikeli47 | Nov-15-2018, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #30 | Universal Beings | Makaya McCraven | Oct-26-2018, Jazz Fusion |
| #31 | Orquesta Akokán | Orquesta Akokán | Mar-30-2018, Mambo |
| #32 | re:member | Ólafur Arnalds | Aug-24-2018, Ambient |
| #33 | Siblings | Colin Self | Nov-02-2018, Art Pop |
| #34 | Vibras | J Balvin | May-25-2018, Latin Pop |
| #35 | Astroworld | Travis Scott | Aug-03-2018, Trap |
| #36 | FM! | Vince Staples | Nov-02-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #37 | Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11 "The Year 1905" | Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Дмитрий Шостакович [Dmitri Shostakovich] | Jul-06-2018, Modern Classical |
| #38 | Origami Harvest | Ambrose Akinmusire | Oct-12-2018, Chamber Jazz |
| #39 | Maghreb United | Ammar 808 | Jun-15-2018, Shaabi |
| #40 | Friends. Lovers. Favorites. | The Hirs Collective | Apr-20-2018, Queercore |
| #41 | Future Me Hates Me | The Beths | Aug-10-2018, Power Pop |
| #42 | The Other Side of Air | Myra Melford | Nov-02-2018, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #43 | Magus | Thou | Aug-31-2018, Doom Metal |
| #44 | Blueprint | Alice Bag | Mar-23-2018, Punk Rock |
| #45 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Víkingur Ólafsson | Sep-07-2018, Baroque Music |
| #46 | Prisma tropical | Balún | Jul-20-2018, Indietronica |
| #47 | Spa 700 | 700 Bliss | Mar-23-2018, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #48 | DiCaprio 2 | JID | Nov-26-2018, Southern Hip Hop |
| #49 | Lush | Snail Mail | Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock |
| #50 | Everything Is Love | THE CARTERS | Jun-16-2018, Pop Rap |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dirty Computer | Janelle Monáe | Album, Apr-27-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #2 | Be the Cowboy | Mitski | Album, Aug-17-2018, Art Pop |
| #3 | Golden Hour | Kacey Musgraves | Album, Mar-30-2018, Country Pop |
| #4 | Historian | Lucy Dacus | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #5 | Room 25 | noname | Album, Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #6 | Invasion of Privacy | Cardi B | Album, Apr-06-2018, Trap |
| #7 | Honey | Robyn | Album, Oct-26-2018, Dance-Pop |
| #8 | El Mal Querer | ROSALÍA | Album, Nov-02-2018, Flamenco Pop |
| #9 | Isolation | Kali Uchis | Album, Apr-06-2018, Neo-Soul |
| #10 | Whack World | Tierra Whack | Album, May-30-2018, Pop Rap |
| #11 | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Hop Along | Album, Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Boygenius | boygenius | EP, Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock |
| #13 | Interstate Gospel | Pistol AnniesMiranda Lambert | Album, Nov-02-2018, Contemporary Country |
| #14 | Superorganism | Superorganism | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indietronica |
| #15 | Dreamers | Magos HerreraBrooklyn Rider | Album, Sep-21-2018, |
| #16 | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Courtney Barnett | Album, May-18-2018, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Double Negative | Low | Album, Sep-14-2018, Ambient Pop |
| #18 | Heaven and Earth | Kamasi Washington | Album, Jun-22-2018, Spiritual Jazz |
| #19 | By The Way, I Forgive You | Brandi Carlile | Album, Feb-16-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #20 | Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa | Jeremy Dutcher | Album, Apr-06-2018, Indigenous North American Music |
| #21 | Chris | Christine and the Queens | Album, Sep-21-2018, Synthpop |
| #22 | Sweetener | Ariana Grande | Album, Aug-17-2018, Contemporary R&B |
| #23 | Rifles and Rosary Beads | Mary Gauthier | Album, Jan-26-2018, Americana |
| #24 | soil | serpentwithfeet | Album, Jun-08-2018, Alternative R&B |
| #25 | Con Todo El Mundo | Khruangbin | Album, Jan-26-2018, Psychedelic Rock |
| #26 | CARE FOR ME | Saba | Album, Apr-05-2018, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #27 | Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 | Christian TetzlaffThe Finnish Radio Symphony OrchestraHannu Lintu | Album, Apr-13-2018, |
| #28 | The Tree of Forgiveness | John Prine | Album, Apr-13-2018, Americana |
| #29 | Acrylic | Leikeli47 | Album, Nov-15-2018, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #30 | Universal Beings | Makaya McCraven | Album, Oct-26-2018, Jazz Fusion |
| #31 | Orquesta Akokán | Orquesta Akokán | Album, Mar-30-2018, Mambo |
| #32 | re:member | Ólafur Arnalds | Album, Aug-24-2018, Ambient |
| #33 | Siblings | Colin Self | Album, Nov-02-2018, Art Pop |
| #34 | Vibras | J Balvin | Album, May-25-2018, Latin Pop |
| #35 | Astroworld | Travis Scott | Album, Aug-03-2018, Trap |
| #36 | FM! | Vince Staples | Album, Nov-02-2018, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #37 | Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11 "The Year 1905" | Boston Symphony OrchestraAndris NelsonsДмитрий Шостакович [Dmitri Shostakovich] | Album, Jul-06-2018, Modern Classical |
| #38 | Origami Harvest | Ambrose Akinmusire | Album, Oct-12-2018, Chamber Jazz |
| #39 | Maghreb United | Ammar 808 | Album, Jun-15-2018, Shaabi |
| #40 | Friends. Lovers. Favorites. | The Hirs Collective | Album, Apr-20-2018, Queercore |
| #41 | Future Me Hates Me | The Beths | Album, Aug-10-2018, Power Pop |
| #42 | The Other Side of Air | Myra Melford | Album, Nov-02-2018, Avant-Garde Jazz |
| #43 | Magus | Thou | Album, Aug-31-2018, Doom Metal |
| #44 | Blueprint | Alice Bag | Album, Mar-23-2018, Punk Rock |
| #45 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Víkingur Ólafsson | Album, Sep-07-2018, Baroque Music |
| #46 | Prisma tropical | Balún | Album, Jul-20-2018, Indietronica |
| #47 | Spa 700 | 700 Bliss | EP, Mar-23-2018, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #48 | DiCaprio 2 | JID | Album, Nov-26-2018, Southern Hip Hop |
| #49 | Lush | Snail Mail | Album, Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock |
| #50 | Everything Is Love | THE CARTERS | Album, Jun-16-2018, Pop Rap |