Pitchfork's 50 Best Albums of 2018

From Snail Mail to CupcakKe, Earl Sweatshirt to Jon Hopkins, these are the very best albums of the year

Published: December 11, 2018 06:00 Source

# 1

Be the Cowboy by Mitski

Album • Aug 17 / 2018 Art Pop Indie Rock

# 2

Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

Album • Mar 30 / 2018 Country Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 3

Knock Knock by DJ Koze

Album • May 04 / 2018 House Deep House

# 4

Honey by Robyn

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Dance-Pop Electropop House

# 5

Lush by Snail Mail

Album • Jun 08 / 2018 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 6

El Mal Querer by ROSALÍA

Album • Nov 02 / 2018 Flamenco Pop Flamenco nuevo Art Pop

# 7

Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt

Album • Nov 30 / 2018 Abstract Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop

# 8

Double Negative by Low

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Ambient Pop Glitch Pop

# 9

Whack World by Tierra Whack

Album • May 30 / 2018 Pop Rap Alternative R&B East Coast Hip Hop

# 10

Safe in the Hands of Love by Yves Tumor

Album • Sep 07 / 2018 Neo-Psychedelia Post-Industrial

# 11

Sweetener by Ariana Grande

Album • Aug 17 / 2018 Contemporary R&B Electropop

# 12

Ephorize by cupcakKe

Album • Jan 05 / 2018 Trap Hardcore Hip Hop

# 13

Devotion by Tirzah

Album • Aug 10 / 2018 Alternative R&B Art Pop

# 14

Freedom by Amen Dunes

Album • Mar 30 / 2018 Neo-Psychedelia Singer-Songwriter

# 15

Room 25 by noname

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Jazz Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 16

Singularity by Jon Hopkins

Album • May 04 / 2018 Tech House Microhouse

# 17

DAYTONA by Pusha T

Album • May 25 / 2018 Hardcore Hip Hop Southern Hip Hop

# 18

OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES by SOPHIE

Album • Jun 15 / 2018 Bubblegum Bass Deconstructed Club

# 19

Invasion of Privacy by Cardi B

Album • Apr 06 / 2018 Trap East Coast Hip Hop

# 20

7 by Beach House

Album • May 11 / 2018 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 21

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975

Album • Nov 30 / 2018 Art Pop

# 22

In A Poem Unlimited by U.S. Girls

Album • Feb 16 / 2018 Art Pop Neo-Psychedelia Psychedelic Pop

# 23

Astroworld by Travis Scott

Album • Aug 03 / 2018 Trap Pop Rap Southern Hip Hop

# 24

Aviary by Julia Holter

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Progressive Pop Art Pop Experimental Ambient Pop

# 25

Die Lit by Playboi Carti

Album • May 11 / 2018 Trap Southern Hip Hop Cloud Rap

# 26

FM! by Vince Staples

Album • Nov 02 / 2018 West Coast Hip Hop Trap Hardcore Hip Hop

# 27

Clean by Soccer Mommy

Album • Mar 02 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Indie Pop Indie Rock

# 28

Ordinary Corrupt Human Love by Deafheaven

Album • Jul 13 / 2018 Blackgaze Post-Metal

# 29

Boygenius by boygenius

EP • Oct 26 / 2018 Indie Rock Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 30

Chris by Christine and the Queens

Album • Sep 21 / 2018 Synthpop Alt-Pop

# 31

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys

Album • May 11 / 2018

# 32

I'm All Ears by Let's Eat Grandma

Album • Jun 29 / 2018 Art Pop Synthpop Electropop

# 33

MUDBOY by Sheck Wes

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Trap East Coast Hip Hop

# 34

Broken Politics by Neneh Cherry

Album • Oct 19 / 2018 Art Pop

# 35

2012 - 2017 by Against All Logic

Album • Feb 17 / 2018 Deep House

# 36

Nasty by Rico Nasty

Album • Jun 15 / 2018 Trap Hardcore Hip Hop

# 37

Veteran by JPEGMAFIA

Album • Jan 19 / 2018 Experimental Hip Hop Glitch Hop Industrial Hip Hop

# 38

Isolation by Kali Uchis

Album • Apr 06 / 2018 Neo-Soul Contemporary R&B

# 39

Hive Mind by The Internet

Album • Jul 20 / 2018 Neo-Soul

# 40

Beyondless by Iceage

Album • May 04 / 2018 Post-Punk Art Punk

# 41

MIH-TY by Jeremih + Ty Dolla $ign

Album • Oct 26 / 2018

# 42

abysskiss by Adrianne Lenker

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 43

The Sciences by Sleep

Album • Apr 20 / 2018 Stoner Metal Doom Metal

# 44

How to Socialise and Make Friends by Camp Cope

Album • Mar 02 / 2018 Indie Rock

# 45

Wanderer by Cat Power

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 46

Negro Swan by Blood Orange

Album • Aug 24 / 2018 Alternative R&B Sophisti-Pop

# 47

Compro by Skee Mask

Album • May 15 / 2018 Breakbeat Ambient Techno

# 48

Heaven and Earth by Kamasi Washington

Album • Jun 22 / 2018 Spiritual Jazz

# 49

Overload by Georgia Anne Muldrow

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Neo-Soul

# 50

GANGIN by SOB X RBE

Album • Feb 23 / 2018 West Coast Hip Hop Hyphy Gangsta Rap