Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2018

Most of our favorite music this year came from longtime underdogs, or from artists who weren’t even on our radar a couple of years ago.

Published: December 04, 2018 15:00 Source

# 1

Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

Album • Mar 30 / 2018 Country Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 2

Lush by Snail Mail

Album • Jun 08 / 2018 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 3

Sweetener by Ariana Grande

Album • Aug 17 / 2018 Contemporary R&B Electropop

# 4

Invasion of Privacy by Cardi B

Album • Apr 06 / 2018 Trap East Coast Hip Hop

# 5

7 by Beach House

Album • May 11 / 2018 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 6

Constant Image by Flasher

Album • Jun 08 / 2018 Indie Rock Post-Punk Post-Punk Revival

# 7

Clean by Soccer Mommy

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

# 8

Double Negative by Low

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Ambient Pop Glitch Pop

# 9

God's Favorite Customer by Father John Misty

Album • Jun 01 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Pop

# 10

Be the Cowboy by Mitski

Album • Aug 17 / 2018 Art Pop Indie Rock

# 11

DAYTONA by Pusha T

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

# 12

Honey by Robyn

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Dance-Pop Electropop House

# 13

Historian by Lucy Dacus

Album • Mar 02 / 2018 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 14

FM! by Vince Staples

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

# 15

And Nothing Hurt by Spiritualized

Album • Sep 07 / 2018 Neo-Psychedelia Art Rock

# 16

iridescence by BROCKHAMPTON

Album • Sep 21 / 2018 Experimental Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 17

Lavender by Half Waif

Album • Apr 27 / 2018 Art Pop Synthpop Alt-Pop

# 18

Bark Your Head Off, Dog by Hop Along

Album • Apr 06 / 2018 Indie Rock

# 19

Kiss Yr Frenemies by illuminati hotties

Album • May 11 / 2018 Indie Rock Indie Pop

# 20

At Weddings by Tomberlin

Album • Aug 10 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 21

El Mal Querer by ROSALÍA

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

# 22

Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It by Rolo Tomassi

Album • Mar 02 / 2018 Post-Hardcore Mathcore

# 23

Room 25 by noname

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Jazz Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 24

Yolk in the Fur by Wild Pink

Album • Jul 20 / 2018 Indie Rock

# 25

Dose Your Dreams by Fucked Up

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Art Punk Post-Hardcore Rock Opera

# 26

In A Poem Unlimited by U.S. Girls

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

# 27

abysskiss by Adrianne Lenker

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 28

Isolation by Kali Uchis

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

# 29

K.T.S.E. by Teyana Taylor

Album • Jun 23 / 2018 Contemporary R&B Neo-Soul

# 30

Beyondless by Iceage

Album • May 04 / 2018 Post-Punk Art Punk

# 31

Only Love by The Armed

Album • Apr 27 / 2018 Post-Hardcore Noise Rock

# 32

Devotion by Tirzah

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

# 33

Skulls Example by Dear Nora

Album • May 25 / 2018 Indie Pop Indie Folk

# 34

Heaven and Earth by Kamasi Washington

Album • Jun 22 / 2018 Spiritual Jazz

# 35

Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt

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

# 36

Deafman Glance by Ryley Walker

Album • May 18 / 2018 Psychedelic Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 37

We Already Lost the World by Birds In Row

Album • Jul 13 / 2018 Post-Hardcore Screamo

# 38

Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe

Album • Apr 27 / 2018 Contemporary R&B Art Pop

# 39

Little Dark Age by MGMT

Album • Feb 09 / 2018 Synthpop Neo-Psychedelia Psychedelic Pop

# 40

Cocoa Sugar by Young Fathers

Album • Mar 09 / 2018 Indietronica Neo-Soul

# 41

How to Socialise and Make Friends by Camp Cope

Album • Mar 02 / 2018 Indie Rock

# 42

Death Spells by Holy Fawn

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Post-Metal Shoegaze

# 43

Age Of by Oneohtrix Point Never

Album • Jun 01 / 2018 Progressive Electronic

# 44

TA13OO by Denzel Curry

Album • Jul 27 / 2018 Southern Hip Hop Trap

# 45

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975

Album • Nov 30 / 2018 Art Pop

# 46

Singularity by Jon Hopkins

Album • May 04 / 2018 Tech House Microhouse

# 47

Drip Harder by Lil Baby + Gunna

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Trap Southern Hip Hop

# 48

Cheer by Drug Church

Album • Nov 02 / 2018 Post-Hardcore

# 49

OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES by SOPHIE

Album • Jun 15 / 2018 Bubblegum Bass Deconstructed Club

# 50

Nasty by Rico Nasty

Album • Jun 15 / 2018 Trap Hardcore Hip Hop