The Guardian's 50 Best Albums of 2024

Topped with Charli xcx’s swaggering yet vulnerable Brat, here are the year’s finest LPs as decided by 26 Guardian music writers

Published: December 20, 2024 14:00 Source

# 1

BRAT by Charli XCX

Album • Jun 07 / 2024 Electropop Electronic Dance Music

# 2

Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat by Charli xcx

Album • Oct 11 / 2024 Electronic Dance Music Bubblegum Bass Electropop

# 3

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish

Album • May 17 / 2024 Alt-Pop

# 4

Charm by Clairo

Album • Jul 12 / 2024 Soft Rock Sophisti-Pop

# 5

COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé

Album • Mar 29 / 2024 Country Pop

# 6

My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya

Album • Sep 13 / 2024 Indie Rock

# 7

Romance by Fontaines D.C.

Album • Aug 23 / 2024 Indie Rock Alternative Rock

# 8

CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, The Creator

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

# 9

Short n' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter

Album • Aug 23 / 2024 Pop

# 10

The Collective by Kim Gordon

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

# 11

Songs of a Lost World by The Cure

Album • Jan 01 / 2023 Gothic Rock Alternative Rock

# 12

Sentir Que No Sabes by Mabe Fratti

Album • Jun 28 / 2024 Avant-Folk Art Pop

# 13

Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman

Album • Sep 06 / 2024 Alt-Country Slacker Rock

# 14

If I Dont Make It, I Love U by Still House Plants

Album • Apr 12 / 2024 Experimental Rock Post-Rock

# 15

Silence Is Loud by Nia Archives

Album • Apr 12 / 2024 Liquid Drum and Bass Jungle

# 16

Two Star & The Dream Police by Mk.gee

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

# 17

Fabiana Palladino by Fabiana Palladino

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

# 18

Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee

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

# 19

Night Reign by Arooj Aftab

Album • May 31 / 2024 Chamber Folk Chamber Jazz

# 20

Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Album • Aug 30 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Art Rock

# 21

Nonetheless by Pet Shop Boys

Album • Apr 26 / 2024 Synthpop Dance-Pop

# 22

ORQUÍDEAS by Kali Uchis

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

# 23

What A Devastating Turn of Events by Rachel Chinouriri

Album • May 03 / 2024 Indie Rock Pop Rock

# 24

eternal sunshine by Ariana Grande

Album • Mar 08 / 2024 Contemporary R&B Pop

# 25

Patterns in Repeat by Laura Marling

Album • Oct 25 / 2024 Chamber Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 26

Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves

Album • Mar 15 / 2024 Folk Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 27

Sentiment by claire rousay

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

# 28

TYLA by Tyla

Album • Mar 01 / 2024 Afropiano Contemporary R&B

# 29

Fine Art by Kneecap

Album • Jun 14 / 2024 Political Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 30

Endlessness by Nala Sinephro

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

# 31

My Light, My Destroyer by Cassandra Jenkins

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

# 32

Iechyd Da by Bill Ryder-Jones

Album • Jan 12 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Pop

# 33

Girl by Coco & Clair Clair

Album • Aug 30 / 2024 Pop Rap Cloud Rap

# 34

Cartoon Darkness by Amyl and The Sniffers

Album • Oct 25 / 2024 Garage Punk

# 35

Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

Album • Apr 05 / 2024 Indie Rock Chamber Pop

# 36

#Richaxxhaitian by Mach-Hommy

Album • May 17 / 2024 Abstract Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop

# 37

No Name by Jack White

Album • Aug 02 / 2024 Garage Rock Revival Hard Rock

# 38

For Your Consideration by Empress Of

Album • Mar 22 / 2024 Alt-Pop Dance-Pop

# 39

Challengers (Original Score) by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Album • Apr 26 / 2024 Techno Film Score

# 40

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

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

# 41

Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt

Album • May 03 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 42

You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To by Knocked Loose

Album • May 10 / 2024 Metalcore

# 43

13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips by Xiu Xiu

Album • Sep 27 / 2024 Experimental Rock Neo-Psychedelia

# 44

In Waves by Jamie xx

Album • Sep 20 / 2024 House Future Garage

# 45

Funeral for Justice by Mdou Moctar

Album • May 03 / 2024 Tishoumaren Psychedelic Rock

# 46

World of Work by Clarissa Connelly

Album • Apr 12 / 2024 Progressive Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 47

Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker

Album • Mar 22 / 2024 Singer-Songwriter Contemporary Folk

# 48

All Hell by Los Campesinos!

Album • Jul 19 / 2024 Indie Rock

# 49

Cool World by Chat Pile

Album • Oct 11 / 2024 Noise Rock Sludge Metal

# 50

Love Is a Flame In the Dark by Karl D'Silva

Album • Oct 04 / 2024