The Alternative's Top 50 Albums of 2018

The Alternative staff rank their 50 top releases of the year! Another great year for music in the books.

Published: December 18, 2018 16:39 Source

Rank Album Artist Info
#1 Bark Your Head Off, Dog Hop Along Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock
#2 Be the Cowboy Mitski Aug-17-2018, Art Pop
#3 Nearer My God Foxing Aug-10-2018, Art Rock
#4 Nothing but Love Just Friends Dec-28-2018, Pop Punk
#5 Somewhat Literate Retirement Party May-25-2018, Indie Rock
#6 Sunset Blush Kississippi Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock
#7 How to Socialise and Make Friends Camp Cope Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock
#8 Boygenius boygenius Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock
#9 No Dogs Allowed Sidney Gish Dec-31-2017, Twee Pop
#10 Cheer Drug Church Nov-02-2018, Post-Hardcore
#11 A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships The 1975 Nov-30-2018, Art Pop
#12 Lush Snail Mail Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock
#13 POST- Jeff Rosenstock Jan-02-2018, Power Pop
#14 Clean Soccer Mommy Mar-02-2018, Singer-Songwriter
#15 [untitled] mewithoutYou Aug-17-2018, Indie Rock
#16 Hypnic Jerks SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE Sep-14-2018, Indie Rock
#17 Void Ripper Animal Flag Apr-13-2018, Alternative Rock
#18 Happiness Hours The Sidekicks May-18-2018, Power Pop
#19 Saved Now, Now May-18-2018, Synthpop
#20 Thank You for Today Death Cab for Cutie Aug-17-2018, Indie Pop
#21 Sister Cities The Wonder Years Apr-06-2018, Alternative Rock
#22 Music to Practice Safe Sex To Pool Kids Jul-13-2018, Midwest Emo
#23 Future Me Hates Me The Beths Aug-10-2018, Power Pop
#24 Yolk in the Fur Wild Pink Jul-20-2018, Indie Rock
#25 Million Dollars to Kill Me Joyce Manor Sep-21-2018, Power Pop
#26 Historian Lucy Dacus Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock
#27 Errorzone Vein.fm Jun-22-2018, Metalcore
#28 Swimming Mac Miller Aug-03-2018, Pop Rap
#29 Burnt Sugar Gouge Away Sep-28-2018, Post-Hardcore
#30 DAYTONA Pusha T May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop
#31 Schmaltz Spanish Love Songs Mar-30-2018, Pop Punk
#32 Wide Awake! Parquet Courts May-18-2018,
#33 Puppy Love Mom Jeans. Jul-03-2018, Emo-Pop
#34 Some Rap Songs Earl Sweatshirt Nov-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop
#35 Bay Dream Culture Abuse Jun-15-2018, Alternative Rock
#36 Waves Donovan Wolfington Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock
#37 Kiss Yr Frenemies illuminati hotties May-11-2018, Indie Rock
#38 Room 25 noname Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap
#39 what people call low self​-​esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you awakebutstillinbed Feb-08-2018, Midwest Emo
#40 Magic Gone Petal Jun-15-2018, Singer-Songwriter
#41 Grad Life Graduating Life Dec-14-2018, Pop Punk
#42 Dance on the Blacktop Nothing Aug-24-2018, Shoegaze
#43 Merci Save Face Jul-13-2018, Emo
#44 Slow Buzz Remember Sports May-18-2018, Pop Punk
#45 Besides Hodera Nov-16-2018, Indie Rock
#46 Love in the Time of E - Mail Antarctigo Vespucci Oct-26-2018, Power Pop
#47 Golden Hour Kacey Musgraves Mar-30-2018, Country Pop
#48 Astroworld Travis Scott Aug-03-2018, Trap
#49 's Favorite Friend Stove Oct-31-2018, Indie Rock
#50 MODERN FEMALE ROCKSTAR The Sonder Bombs Oct-12-2018, Pop Punk
Markdown

| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Hop Along | Album, Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #2 | Be the Cowboy | Mitski | Album, Aug-17-2018, Art Pop |
| #3 | Nearer My God | Foxing | Album, Aug-10-2018, Art Rock |
| #4 | Nothing but Love | Just Friends | Album, Dec-28-2018, Pop Punk |
| #5 | Somewhat Literate | Retirement Party | Album, May-25-2018, Indie Rock |
| #6 | Sunset Blush | Kississippi | Album, Apr-06-2018, Indie Rock |
| #7 | How to Socialise and Make Friends | Camp Cope | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Boygenius | boygenius | EP, Oct-26-2018, Indie Rock |
| #9 | No Dogs Allowed | Sidney Gish | Album, Dec-31-2017, Twee Pop |
| #10 | Cheer | Drug Church | Album, Nov-02-2018, Post-Hardcore |
| #11 | A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships | The 1975 | Album, Nov-30-2018, Art Pop |
| #12 | Lush | Snail Mail | Album, Jun-08-2018, Indie Rock |
| #13 | POST- | Jeff Rosenstock | Album, Jan-02-2018, Power Pop |
| #14 | Clean | Soccer Mommy | Album, Mar-02-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #15 | [untitled] | mewithoutYou | EP, Aug-17-2018, Indie Rock |
| #16 | Hypnic Jerks | SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE | Album, Sep-14-2018, Indie Rock |
| #17 | Void Ripper | Animal Flag | Album, Apr-13-2018, Alternative Rock |
| #18 | Happiness Hours | The Sidekicks | Album, May-18-2018, Power Pop |
| #19 | Saved | Now, Now | Album, May-18-2018, Synthpop |
| #20 | Thank You for Today | Death Cab for Cutie | Album, Aug-17-2018, Indie Pop |
| #21 | Sister Cities | The Wonder Years | Album, Apr-06-2018, Alternative Rock |
| #22 | Music to Practice Safe Sex To | Pool Kids | Album, Jul-13-2018, Midwest Emo |
| #23 | Future Me Hates Me | The Beths | Album, Aug-10-2018, Power Pop |
| #24 | Yolk in the Fur | Wild Pink | Album, Jul-20-2018, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Million Dollars to Kill Me | Joyce Manor | Album, Sep-21-2018, Power Pop |
| #26 | Historian | Lucy Dacus | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #27 | Errorzone | Vein.fm | Album, Jun-22-2018, Metalcore |
| #28 | Swimming | Mac Miller | Album, Aug-03-2018, Pop Rap |
| #29 | Burnt Sugar | Gouge Away | Album, Sep-28-2018, Post-Hardcore |
| #30 | DAYTONA | Pusha T | Album, May-25-2018, Hardcore Hip Hop |
| #31 | Schmaltz | Spanish Love Songs | Album, Mar-30-2018, Pop Punk |
| #32 | Wide Awake! | Parquet Courts | Album, May-18-2018,  |
| #33 | Puppy Love | Mom Jeans. | Album, Jul-03-2018, Emo-Pop |
| #34 | Some Rap Songs | Earl Sweatshirt | Album, Nov-30-2018, Abstract Hip Hop |
| #35 | Bay Dream | Culture Abuse | Album, Jun-15-2018, Alternative Rock |
| #36 | Waves | Donovan Wolfington | Album, Mar-02-2018, Indie Rock |
| #37 | Kiss Yr Frenemies | illuminati hotties | Album, May-11-2018, Indie Rock |
| #38 | Room 25 | noname | Album, Sep-14-2018, Jazz Rap |
| #39 | what people call low self​-​esteem is really just seeing yourself the way that other people see you | awakebutstillinbed | Album, Feb-08-2018, Midwest Emo |
| #40 | Magic Gone | Petal | Album, Jun-15-2018, Singer-Songwriter |
| #41 | Grad Life | Graduating Life | Album, Dec-14-2018, Pop Punk |
| #42 | Dance on the Blacktop | Nothing | Album, Aug-24-2018, Shoegaze |
| #43 | Merci | Save Face | Album, Jul-13-2018, Emo |
| #44 | Slow Buzz | Remember Sports | Album, May-18-2018, Pop Punk |
| #45 | Besides | Hodera | EP, Nov-16-2018, Indie Rock |
| #46 | Love in the Time of E - Mail | Antarctigo Vespucci | Album, Oct-26-2018, Power Pop |
| #47 | Golden Hour | Kacey Musgraves | Album, Mar-30-2018, Country Pop |
| #48 | Astroworld | Travis Scott | Album, Aug-03-2018, Trap |
| #49 | 's Favorite Friend | Stove | Album, Oct-31-2018, Indie Rock |
| #50 | MODERN FEMALE ROCKSTAR | The Sonder Bombs | Album, Oct-12-2018, Pop Punk |