SPIN's 50 Best Albums of 2014

With the Salad Days of 2014 long gone, we're looking back on the music that defined the past 12 months. We've already counted down the year's 101 Best

Published: December 09, 2014 13:30 Source

# 1

Lost In The Dream by The War on Drugs

Album • Mar 18 / 2014 Heartland Rock Indie Rock Neo-Psychedelia

# 2

Sunbathing Animal by Parquet Courts

Album • Jun 03 / 2014 Indie Rock Post-Punk

# 3

Run the Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels + Killer Mike + EL-P

Album • Oct 27 / 2014 Hardcore Hip Hop

# 4

The Voyager by Jenny Lewis

Album • Jul 25 / 2014 Pop Rock

# 5

Our Love by Caribou

Album • Oct 07 / 2014 Deep House

# 6

Benji by Sun Kil Moon

Album • Aug 19 / 2014 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 7

Singles by Future Islands

Album • Mar 24 / 2014 Synthpop

# 8

Aquarius by Tinashe

Album • Oct 01 / 2014 Alternative R&B

# 9

Nikki Nack by Tune-Yards

Album • May 06 / 2014 Art Pop Progressive Pop

# 10

Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers

Album • Aug 25 / 2014 Power Pop Indie Pop

# 11

Take Me When You Go by Betty Who

Album • Oct 06 / 2014 Synthpop Alt-Pop

# 12

They Want My Soul by Spoon

Album • Aug 05 / 2014 Indie Rock

# 13

What Is This Heart? by How to Dress Well

Album • Jun 23 / 2014 Alternative R&B

# 14

Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!

Album • Jan 21 / 2014 Punk Rock

# 15

1000 Forms of Fear by Sia

Album • Jul 04 / 2014 Electropop Alt-Pop

# 16

It's Album Time by Todd Terje

Album • Apr 08 / 2014 Nu-Disco Electro-Disco

# 17

To Be Kind by Swans

Album • May 13 / 2014 Experimental Rock Post-Rock

# 18

My Krazy Life by YG

Album • Mar 18 / 2014 Gangsta Rap West Coast Hip Hop Ratchet Music

# 19

Platinum by Miranda Lambert

Album • Jun 02 / 2014 Contemporary Country

# 20

Varsity EP by ASTR

Single • Jan 21 / 2014

# 21

LP1 by FKA twigs

Album • Aug 12 / 2014 Art Pop Alternative R&B

# 22

Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings

Album • Apr 01 / 2014 Post-Hardcore Indie Rock

# 23

Syro by Aphex Twin

Album • Sep 22 / 2014 IDM

# 24

Under Color of Official Right by Protomartyr

Album • Apr 08 / 2014 Post-Punk Garage Punk

# 25

Piñata by Freddie Gibbs + Madlib

Album • Mar 18 / 2014 Gangsta Rap

# 26

St. Vincent by St. Vincent

Album • Feb 25 / 2014 Art Pop Art Rock

# 27

Foundations of Burden by Pallbearer

Album • Aug 19 / 2014 Doom Metal

# 28

Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams

Album • Sep 09 / 2014 Singer-Songwriter Pop Rock

# 29

Down to Earth by Flight Facilities

Album • Oct 27 / 2014 Nu-Disco House

# 30

pom pom by Ariel Pink

Album • Nov 17 / 2014 Hypnagogic Pop Psychedelic Pop

# 31

Sylvan Esso by Sylvan Esso

Album • May 13 / 2014 Indietronica Electropop Alt-Pop

# 32

Never Hungover Again by Joyce Manor

Album • Jul 22 / 2014 Pop Punk Indie Rock

# 33

Faith in Strangers by Andy Stott

Album • Nov 17 / 2014 Deconstructed Club UK Bass

# 34

1989 by Taylor Swift

Album • Oct 27 / 2014 Synthpop Electropop Dance-Pop

# 35

Hallways by Homeboy Sandman

Album • Feb 09 / 2014 East Coast Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 37

Lose by Cymbals Eat Guitars

Album • Aug 26 / 2014 Indie Rock

# 38

Broke with Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks

Album • Nov 07 / 2014 Hip House East Coast Hip Hop

# 39

Do to the Beast by The Afghan Whigs

Album • Apr 15 / 2014 Alternative Rock

# 40

Atlas by Real Estate

Album • Mar 03 / 2014 Jangle Pop

# 41

Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

Album • Jan 01 / 2014 Dream Pop Art Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 42

Salad Days by Mac DeMarco

Album • Apr 01 / 2014 Jangle Pop Psychedelic Pop Bedroom Pop

# 43

SUCKER by Charli XCX

Album • Dec 15 / 2014 Pop Rock Electropop

# 44

Lese Majesty by Shabazz Palaces

Album • Jul 29 / 2014 Experimental Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop

# 45

The Outsiders by Eric Church

Album • Jan 01 / 2014 Contemporary Country Country Rock

# 46

The Moon Rang Like a Bell by Hundred Waters

Album • May 27 / 2014 Art Pop Folktronica Downtempo Indietronica

# 47

Seeds by TV on the Radio

Album • Nov 14 / 2014 Indie Rock

# 48

A U R O R A by Ben Frost

Album • May 27 / 2014 Electronic Post-Industrial

# 49

NVM by Tacocat

Album • Feb 25 / 2014 Indie Pop Power Pop

# 50

Oxymoron by ScHoolboy Q

Album • Jan 01 / 2014 West Coast Hip Hop Gangsta Rap Hardcore Hip Hop