Albums of 2018
The records from 2018 that made our lists.
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1Tranquility Base Hotel & CasinoArctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
A divisive lounge-and-piano reinvention, conceptual and wry. Bold and acclaimed. A brave left turn.
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2SweetenerAriana Grande
Sweetener
A bright, Pharrell-touched pop record balancing experimentation and hooks. Polished and assured. A turning point in her career.
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3Invasion of PrivacyCardi B
Invasion of Privacy
A sharp, hit-packed debut, home to 'Bodak Yellow'. Confident and huge. A breakthrough.
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4Some Rap SongsEarl Sweatshirt
Some Rap Songs
A dense, lo-fi art-rap peak of fractured loops. Bold and acclaimed. A creative high.
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5PrequelleGhost
Prequelle
A catchy, plague-themed hard-rock peak, home to 'Rats'. Tuneful and acclaimed. A high point.
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6Joy as an Act of ResistanceIDLES
Joy as an Act of Resistance
A cathartic, compassionate post-punk peak of fury and vulnerability. Loud and acclaimed. Their breakthrough.
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7Dirty ComputerJanelle Monae
Dirty Computer
A bright, defiant pop-funk record of identity and freedom, Prince-indebted and joyful. Polished and acclaimed. Her most accessible peak.
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8SingularityJon Hopkins
Singularity
A widescreen techno journey of peaks and ambient calm. Immersive and acclaimed. A high point.
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9Lost & FoundJorja Smith
Lost & Found
A soulful, assured UK-R&B debut. Smooth and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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10Golden HourKacey Musgraves
Golden Hour
A dreamy, crossover country-pop record of warmth and craft, blending disco shimmer and steel guitar. Beloved and acclaimed. Her masterpiece.
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11IsolationKali Uchis
Isolation
A vibrant, genre-blending debut of psychedelic R&B-pop. Bold and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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12Heaven and EarthKamasi Washington
Heaven and Earth
A vast, ambitious double album of widescreen spiritual jazz. Bold and acclaimed. A modern high point.
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13HistorianLucy Dacus
Historian
A literate, melodic indie peak of memory and grief. Warm and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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14SwimmingMac Miller
Swimming
A warm, jazzy late record of growth and vulnerability. Soulful and poignant. A beloved turning point.
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15Universal BeingsMakaya McCraven
Universal Beings
An inventive, improvisation-built modern-jazz peak. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.
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16Be the CowboyMitski
Be the Cowboy
A sharp, theatrical art-pop record of compressed emotion and stylistic range. Inventive and acclaimed. Her breakthrough.
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17Room 25Noname
Room 25
A sharp, soulful peak of witty, political rap. Smooth and acclaimed. A creative high.
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18Wide Awake!Parquet Courts
Wide Awake!
A punchy, danceable post-punk peak of wit and groove. Sharp and acclaimed. A standout.
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19A Matter of TimeProtoje
A Matter of Time
A sharp, modern reggae-revival peak. Warm and acclaimed. A standout.
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20DaytonaPusha T
Daytona
A lean, seven-track peak of coke-rap craft and Kanye's beats. Tight and acclaimed. A modern high point.
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21Oil of Every Pearl's Un-InsidesSOPHIE
Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
A radical, deconstructed pop landmark of plastic textures and beauty. Visionary and acclaimed. A singular record.
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22Care for MeSaba
Care for Me
A hushed, grief-soaked peak of intimate Chicago rap. Tender and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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23The SciencesSleep
The Sciences
A long-awaited stoner-doom comeback of crushing weight. Heavy and acclaimed. A worthy return.
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24LushSnail Mail
Lush
A sharp, melodic indie-rock debut of teenage clarity. Tuneful and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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25Your Queen Is a ReptileSons of Kemet
Your Queen Is a Reptile
A fierce, percussive UK-jazz peak of political fire. Bold and acclaimed. A modern landmark.
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26A Brief Inquiry into Online RelationshipsThe 1975
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
An ambitious, genre-hopping meditation on the digital age. Bold and acclaimed. Their most acclaimed record.
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27Whack WorldTierra Whack
Whack World
A dazzling, fifteen-one-minute-songs art-rap debut. Inventive and acclaimed. A singular record.
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28AstroworldTravis Scott
Astroworld
A widescreen, psychedelic rap record of immersive production and big guests, anchored by 'Sicko Mode'. Atmospheric and huge. His defining album.
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29FM!Vince Staples
FM!
A lean, sun-baked concept peak framed as a radio broadcast. Sharp and acclaimed. A creative high.