The Guardian's Best Albums of 2017

St Vincent tops our countdown of this year’s most outstanding sounds, from complex rap to moody rock, alt-R&B, inventive grime and more

Published: December 05, 2017 06:00 Source

# 1

MASSEDUCTION by St. Vincent

Album • Oct 13 / 2017 Art Pop Pop

# 2

DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar

Album • Apr 14 / 2017 West Coast Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 3

Ctrl by SZA

Album • Jun 09 / 2017 Alternative R&B Neo-Soul

# 4

Melodrama by Lorde

Album • Jun 16 / 2017 Synthpop Alt-Pop

# 5

No Shape by Perfume Genius

Album • May 05 / 2017 Art Pop

# 6

american dream by LCD Soundsystem

Album • Oct 06 / 2017 Dance-Punk New Wave

# 7

A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs

Album • Aug 25 / 2017 Heartland Rock Indie Rock

# 8

Drunk by Thundercat

Album • Feb 24 / 2017 Neo-Soul Psychedelic Soul

# 9

Take Me Apart by Kelela

Album • Oct 06 / 2017 Alternative R&B UK Bass

# 10

Peasant by Richard Dawson

Album • Jun 02 / 2017 Progressive Folk Avant-Folk

# 11

Modern Kosmology by Jane Weaver

Album • May 19 / 2017 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia Art Pop

# 12

Visions Of A Life by Wolf Alice

Album • Sep 29 / 2017 Indie Rock Dream Pop

# 13

Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator

Album • Jul 21 / 2017 West Coast Hip Hop Neo-Soul

# 14

Common Sense by J Hus

Album • May 12 / 2017 UK Hip Hop Afroswing Pop Rap

# 15

V by The Horrors

Album • Sep 22 / 2017 Neo-Psychedelia

# 16

Pure Comedy by Father John Misty

Album • Apr 07 / 2017 Singer-Songwriter Piano Rock Chamber Pop

# 17

More Life by Drake

Album • Mar 18 / 2017 Contemporary R&B Pop Rap

# 18

Gang Signs & Prayer by Stormzy

Album • Feb 24 / 2017 UK Hip Hop Grime

# 19

Semper Femina by Laura Marling

Album • Mar 10 / 2017 Chamber Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 20

Process by Sampha

Album • Feb 03 / 2017 Alternative R&B

# 21

Cigarettes After Sex by Cigarettes After Sex

Album • Jun 09 / 2017 Dream Pop Slowcore

# 22

The OOZ by King Krule

Album • Oct 13 / 2017 Art Rock

# 23

Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples

Album • Jun 23 / 2017 West Coast Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 24

Relatives In Descent by Protomartyr

Album • Sep 29 / 2017 Post-Punk

# 25

Sleep Well Beast by The National

Album • Sep 08 / 2017 Indie Rock Art Rock

# 26

After Laughter by Paramore

Album • May 12 / 2017 New Wave Pop Rock Alternative Dance

# 27

Im Not Your Man by Marika Hackman

Album • Jun 02 / 2017

# 28

Slowdive by Slowdive

Album • May 05 / 2017 Dream Pop Shoegaze

# 29

Antisocialites by Alvvays

Album • Sep 08 / 2017 Indie Pop Jangle Pop

# 30

Earl Grey by Girl Ray

Album • Aug 04 / 2017 Indie Pop

# 31

Rest by Charlotte Gainsbourg

Album • Nov 17 / 2017 Art Pop Synthpop

# 32

New Energy by Four Tet

Album • Sep 29 / 2017 Microhouse Ambient House

# 33

War & Leisure by Miguel

Album • Dec 01 / 2017 Contemporary R&B Alternative R&B

# 34

Halo by Juana Molina

Album • Apr 07 / 2017 Folktronica Art Pop

# 35

Green Twins by Nick Hakim

Album • May 19 / 2017 Psychedelic Soul Hypnagogic Pop

# 36

Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens

Album • Feb 24 / 2017 American Folk Music

# 37

Hippopotamus by Sparks

Album • Sep 08 / 2017 Art Pop Progressive Pop

# 38

Prince of Tears by Baxter Dury

Album • Oct 27 / 2017 Indie Pop Synthpop

# 39

Life Without Sound by Cloud Nothings

Album • Jan 27 / 2017 Indie Rock

# 40

Aromanticism by Moses Sumney

Album • Sep 22 / 2017 Art Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 41

Lotta Sea Lice by Courtney Barnett + Kurt Vile

Album • Oct 13 / 2017 Folk Rock Indie Rock

# 42

Not Even Happiness by Julie Byrne

Album • Jan 12 / 2017 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter

# 43

The Kid by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Album • Oct 06 / 2017 Art Pop Neo-Psychedelia Progressive Electronic Ambient Pop

# 44

I See You by The xx

Album • Jan 13 / 2017 Indietronica Alt-Pop

# 45

The Lost Art of Getting Down by Powerdance

Album • Jul 07 / 2017

# 46

République Amazone by Les Amazones d'Afrique

Album • Mar 10 / 2017 Mande Music Downtempo

# 47

A Crow Looked at Me by Mount Eerie

Album • Mar 24 / 2017 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 48

Far From Over by Vijay Iyer Sextet + Vijay Iyer

Album • Aug 25 / 2017 Post-Bop

# 49

Till April Is Dead - A Garland of May by Lisa Knapp

Album • Apr 28 / 2017 English Folk Music Progressive Folk

# 50

Ladilikan by Trio Da Kali + Kronos Quartet

Album • Sep 15 / 2017 Mande Music Chamber Music