NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2024

You can't always know that it's a great year for new music while it's happening, but there was a sense from the very start of 2024 that we were in for a ride.

Published: December 02, 2024 10:00 Source

# 2

Gemelo by Angélica Garcia

Album • Jun 07 / 2024 Latin Pop Alt-Pop

# 3

Lives Outgrown by Beth Gibbons

Album • May 17 / 2024 Chamber Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 4

COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé

Album • Mar 29 / 2024 Country Pop

# 5

TAKE CARE by BigXthaPlug

Album • Oct 11 / 2024 Southern Hip Hop Trap Dirty South

# 6

Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation

Album • Oct 04 / 2024 Death Metal Progressive Metal

# 7

My Light, My Destroyer by Cassandra Jenkins

Album • Jul 12 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Sophisti-Pop Indie Rock

# 8

BRAT by Charli XCX

Album • Jun 07 / 2024 Electropop Electronic Dance Music

# 9

Sentiment by claire rousay

Album • Apr 19 / 2024 Slowcore Singer-Songwriter Bedroom Pop

# 10

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

Album • Aug 30 / 2024 Southern Hip Hop Pop Rap Hardcore Hip Hop

# 11

pink balloons by Ekko Astral

Album • Apr 17 / 2024 Post-Hardcore Queercore

# 12

Freezing by Emily D'Angelo + Sophia Muñoz + Bruno Helstroffer

Album • Aug 30 / 2024

# 14

Fabiana Palladino by Fabiana Palladino

Album • Apr 05 / 2024 Sophisti-Pop Contemporary R&B

# 15

Woodland by Gillian Welch + David Rawlings

Album • Aug 23 / 2024 Americana Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 16

GLORIOUS by GloRilla

Album • Oct 11 / 2024 Southern Hip Hop

# 17

The Past Is Still Alive by Hurray for the Riff Raff

Album • Feb 23 / 2024 Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter

# 18

Blues Blood by Immanuel Wilkins

Album • Oct 11 / 2024

# 19

Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt

Album • May 03 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 20

I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU by JPEGMAFIA

Album • Aug 01 / 2024 Experimental Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 21

ORQUÍDEAS by Kali Uchis

Album • Jan 12 / 2024 Contemporary R&B Latin Pop

# 22

TIMELESS by KAYTRANADA

Album • Jun 07 / 2024 Alternative R&B Deep House

# 23

GNX by Kendrick Lamar

Album • Nov 21 / 2024 West Coast Hip Hop

# 24

The Collective by Kim Gordon

Album • Mar 08 / 2024 Industrial Hip Hop Experimental Rock Noise Rock

# 25

Todos los días todo el día by LATIN MAFIA

Album • Oct 24 / 2024

# 26

Gabriela Ortiz: Revolución diamantina by Los Angeles Philharmonic + Gustavo Dudamel + María Dueñas

Album • Jun 07 / 2024

# 27

Prece by Luiza Brina

Album • Apr 30 / 2024 Chamber Folk MPB

# 28

Weird Faith by Madi Diaz

Album • Feb 09 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter

# 29

Maya Beiser x Terry Riley: In C by Maya Beiser

Album • Apr 05 / 2024

# 30

No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin by Meshell Ndegeocello

Album • Aug 02 / 2024 Art Pop Neo-Soul

# 31

Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman

Album • Sep 06 / 2024 Alt-Country Slacker Rock

# 32

Two Star & The Dream Police by Mk.gee

Album • Feb 09 / 2024 Alternative R&B Neo-Psychedelia Hypnagogic Pop

# 33

Dunya by Mustafa

Album • Sep 27 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 34

Endlessness by Nala Sinephro

Album • Sep 06 / 2024 Jazz Fusion Space Ambient Progressive Electronic

# 35

My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya

Album • Sep 13 / 2024 Indie Rock

# 36

Breaking Stretch by Patricia Brennan

Album • Sep 06 / 2024

# 37

CRYBABY by Rae Khalil

Album • Aug 09 / 2024

# 38

HEIS by Rema

Album • Jul 10 / 2024 Afrobeats

# 39

Big Ideas by Remi Wolf

Album • Jul 12 / 2024 Pop Rock Dance-Pop

# 40

Utopia Now! by Rosie Tucker

Album • Mar 22 / 2024 Power Pop

# 41

Grande-Terre by Roy Hargrove

Album • Oct 18 / 2024

# 42

Short n' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter

Album • Aug 23 / 2024 Pop

# 43

BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q

Album • Mar 01 / 2024 West Coast Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 44

Born in the Wild by Tems

Album • Jun 08 / 2024 Contemporary R&B

# 45

Songs of a Lost World by The Cure

Album • Jan 01 / 2023 Gothic Rock Alternative Rock

# 46

TYLA by Tyla

Album • Mar 01 / 2024 Afropiano Contemporary R&B

# 47

CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, The Creator

Album • Oct 28 / 2024 West Coast Hip Hop Neo-Soul

# 48

Compassion by Vijay Iyer + Linda May Han Oh + Tyshawn Sorey

Album • Feb 02 / 2024 Post-Bop Avant-Garde Jazz

# 49

Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee

Album • Mar 22 / 2024 Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter

# 50

Acadia by Yasmin Williams

Album • Oct 04 / 2024 American Primitivism Contemporary Folk