The Independent's Albums of the Year 2018

Spanning every genre, from electro-pop to country, hip hop to metal, and produced by artists from every corner of the world, here are The Independent’s 40 favourite albums of the year

Published: December 19, 2018 10:37 Source

# 1

Chris by Christine and the Queens

Album • Sep 21 / 2018 Synthpop Alt-Pop

# 2

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys

Album • May 11 / 2018

# 3

Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe

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

# 4

Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

Album • Mar 30 / 2018 Country Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 5

Black Panther The Album by Various Artists

Album • Feb 09 / 2018 Film Soundtrack West Coast Hip Hop

# 6

Songs of the Plains by Colter Wall

Album • Oct 12 / 2018 Outlaw Country Americana

# 7

Swimming by Mac Miller

Album • Aug 03 / 2018 Pop Rap Alternative R&B

# 8

Amir by Tamino

Album • Mar 08 / 2019 Singer-Songwriter Art Pop

# 9

BASIC VOLUME by Gaika

Album • Jul 27 / 2018 Experimental Hip Hop UK Hip Hop UK Bass

# 10

Songs of Praise by shame

Album • Jan 12 / 2018 Post-Punk Indie Rock

# 11

Noonday Dream by Ben Howard

Album • Jun 01 / 2018 Indie Folk Singer-Songwriter Indie Rock

# 12

Bloom by Troye Sivan

Album • Aug 31 / 2018 Electropop Alt-Pop

# 13

Astroworld by Travis Scott

Album • Aug 03 / 2018 Trap Pop Rap Southern Hip Hop

# 14

Saturn by Nao

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Alternative R&B

# 15

DAYTONA by Pusha T

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

# 16

Love Is Magic by John Grant

Album • Oct 12 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Minimal Synth Synthpop

# 17

Elephants on Acid by Cypress Hill

Album • Sep 28 / 2018 West Coast Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 18

Ghetto Gospel: The New Testament by Ghetts

Album • Sep 14 / 2018 Grime Conscious Hip Hop UK Hip Hop

# 19

I'm All Ears by Let's Eat Grandma

Album • Jun 29 / 2018 Art Pop Synthpop Electropop

# 20

Invasion of Privacy by Cardi B

Album • Apr 06 / 2018 Trap East Coast Hip Hop

# 21

Negro Swan by Blood Orange

Album • Aug 24 / 2018 Alternative R&B Sophisti-Pop

# 22

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Courtney Barnett

Album • May 18 / 2018 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 23

Palo Santo by Years & Years

Album • Jul 06 / 2018 Electropop Dance-Pop

# 24

Be the Cowboy by Mitski

Album • Aug 17 / 2018 Art Pop Indie Rock

# 25

Camila by Camila Cabello

Album • Jan 12 / 2018 Pop Contemporary R&B

# 26

All Melody by Nils Frahm

Album • Jan 26 / 2018 Post-Minimalism Electronic

# 27

Novelist Guy by Novelist

Album • Mar 26 / 2019 Grime

# 28

Heaven and Earth by Kamasi Washington

Album • Jun 22 / 2018 Spiritual Jazz

# 29

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975

Album • Nov 30 / 2018 Art Pop

# 30

K.T.S.E. by Teyana Taylor

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

# 31

High As Hope by Florence + the Machine

Album • Jun 29 / 2018 Art Pop

# 32

Honey by Robyn

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Dance-Pop Electropop House

# 33

Holy Hell by Architects

Album • Nov 09 / 2018 Metalcore

# 34

Wanderer by Cat Power

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 35

The Blue Hour by The London Suede

Album • Sep 21 / 2018 Alternative Rock Art Rock

# 36

Premonitions by Miya Folick

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Synthpop Indie Pop

# 37

All That Divides by Black Peaks

Album • Oct 05 / 2018 Post-Hardcore Progressive Rock

# 38

Providence Canyon by Brent Cobb

Album • May 11 / 2018 Americana Neo-Traditionalist Country

# 39

Marauder by Interpol

Album • Aug 24 / 2018 Post-Punk Revival

# 40

Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film) by Thom Yorke

Album • Oct 26 / 2018 Film Score Ambient