Year-End Lists

Magnet Magazine: Top 25 Albums of 2014

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Rips
   Ex Hex
2. Freeman
   Aaron Freeman
3. The Both
   The Both
4. Lost in the Dream
   The War on Drugs
5. Transgender Dysphoria Blues
   Against Me!
6. They Want My Soul
   Spoon
7. Somewhere Else
   Lydia Loveless
8. Singles
   Future Islands
9. Brill Bruisers
   The New Pornographers
10. St. Vincent
    St. Vincent
11. Seeds
    TV on the Radio
12. Manipulator
    Ty Segall
13. Cool Planet
    Guided By Voices
13. Motivational Jumpsuit
    Guided By Voices
14. Way Out Weather
    Steve Gunn
15. Nikki Nack
    Tune-Yards
16. Teeth Dreams
    The Hold Steady
17. Here and Nowhere Else
    Cloud Nothings
18. Syro
    Aphex Twin
19. Sunbathing Animal
    Parquet Courts
20. To Be Kind
    Swans
21. Ultraviolence
    Lana Del Rey
22. Commonwealth
    Sloan
23. Too Bright
    Perfume Genius
24. Ryan Adams
    Ryan Adams
25. Do to the Beast
    The Afghan Whigs

IndieWire Poll: Top 50 Films of 2014 (as voted by 220 critics)

NOTE: Although there appear to be a few ties in the list when you examine the scores, IndieWire presents the films in this order, with no ties.

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
2. Under the Skin
   Jonathan Glazer
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
4. Birdman
   Alejandro G. Iñárritu
5. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
6. Goodbye to Language
   Jean-Luc Godard
7. Ida
   Pawel Pawlikowski
8. Whiplash
   Damien Chazelle
9. Only Lovers Left Alive
   Jim Jarmusch
10. Selma
    Ava DuVernay
11. Gone Girl
    David Fincher
12. Two Days, One Night
    Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
13. The Immigrant
    James Gray
14. Force Majeure
    Ruben Östlund
15. Snowpiercer
    Bong Joon-ho
16. Nightcrawler
    Dan Gilroy
17. Listen Up Philip
    Alex Ross Perry
18. Mr. Turner
    Mike Leigh
19. The Babadook
    Jennifer Kent
20. Citizenfour
    Laura Poitras
21. MANAKAMANA
    Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
22. Stranger by the Lake
    Alain Guiraudie
23. Stray Dogs
    Tsai Ming-liang
24. Calvary
    John Michael McDonagh
25. We Are the Best!
    Lukas Moodysson
26. A Most Violent Year
    J.C. Chandor
27. Closed Curtain
    Kambuzia Partovi and Jafar Panahi
28. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
    Isao Takahata
29. Winter Sleep
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
30. Foxcatcher
    Bennett Miller
31. Norte, the End of History
    Lav Diaz
32. Mommy
    Xavier Dolan
33. Blue Ruin
    Jeremy Saulnier
34. Leviathan
    Andrey Zvyagintsev
35. Life Itself
    Steve James
36. The Strange Little Cat
    Ramon Zürcher
37. Love is Strange
    Ira Sachs
38. The Lego Movie
    Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
39. Interstellar
    Christopher Nolan
40. National Gallery
    Frederick Wiseman
41. The Overnighters
    Jesse Moss
42. Guardians of the Galaxy
    James Gunn
43. Locke
    Steven Knight
44. What Now? Remind Me
    Joaquim Pinto
45. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
    Ana Lily Amirpour
46. Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1
    Lars von Trier
47. The Missing Picture
    Rithy Panh
48. The Imitation Game
    Morten Tyldum
49. The Last of the Unjust
    Claude Lanzmann
50. Wild
    Jean-Marc Vallée

The Guardian: 40 Best Albums of 2014

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. St. Vincent
   St. Vincent
2. Lost in the Dream
   The War on Drugs
3. LP1
   FKA twigs
4. Syro
   Aphex Twin
5. Our Love
   Caribou
6. Trouble in Paradise
   La Roux
7. Run the Jewels 2
   Run the Jewels
8. Morning Phase
   Beck
9. You’re Dead!
   Flying Lotus
10. Divide and Exit
    Sleaford Mods
11. Salad Days
    Mac DeMarco
12. 1989
    Taylor Swift
13. Everybody Down
    Kate Tempest
14. Singles
    Future Islands
15. Burn Your Fire For No Witness
    Angel Olsen
16. Present Tense
    Wild Beasts
17. Dead
    Young Fathers
18. The Voyager
    Jenny Lewis
19. Souled Out
    Jhené Aiko
20. In Conflict
    Owen Pallett
21. So It Goes
    Ratking
22. After the End
    Merchandise
23. Small Town Heroes
    Hurray for the Riff Raff
24. Goddess
    Banks
25. Ghettoville
    Actress
26. Aquarius
    Tinashe
27. Otherness
    Kindness
28. Everyday Robots
    Damon Albarn
29. Pom Pom
    Ariel Pink
30. Total Strife Forever
    East India Youth
31. Popular Problems
    Leonard Cohen
32. Lese Majesty
    Shabazz Palaces
33. Soused
    Scott Walker & Sunn O)))
34. Carry On the Grudge
    Jamie T
35. Everything Changes
    Peggy Seeger
36. Rips
    Ex Hex
37. Piñata
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
38. Toumani & Sidiki
    Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté
39. Are We There
    Sharon Van Etten
40. Adrian Thaws
    Tricky

A.O. Scott: Top 21 Films of 2014, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
2. Ida
   Pawel Pawlikowski
3. Citizenfour
   Laura Poitras
4. Leviathan
   Andrey Zvyagintsev
5. Selma
   Ava DuVernay
6. Love is Strange
   Ira Sachs
7. We Are the Best!
   Lukas Moodysson
8. Mr. Turner
   Mike Leigh
9. Dear White People
   Justin Simien
10. The Babadook
    Jennifer Kent

Runners-up (alphabetically)

• Beyond the Lights
  Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Bird People
  Pascale Ferran
• The Dance of Reality
  Alejandro Jodorowsky
• Jodorowsky’s Dune
  Frank Pavich
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
  Wes Anderson
• A Most Violent Year
  J.C. Chandor
• Particle Fever
  Mark Levinson
• Snowpiercer
  Bong Joon-ho
• Top Five
  Chris Rock
• Two Days, One Night
  Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
• Wild
  Jean-Marc Vallée

Slant Magazine: 25 Best Films of 2014

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Under the Skin
   Jonathan Glazer
2. Stranger by the Lake
   Alain Guiraudie
3. The Immigrant
   James Gray
4. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
5. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
6. Two Days, One Night
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
8. Only Lovers Left Alive
   Jim Jarmusch
9. Stray Dogs
   Tsai Ming-liang
10. Force Majeure
    Ruben Östlund
11. Mr. Turner
    Mike Leigh
12. Goodbye to Language
    Jean-Luc Godard
13. Listen Up Philip
    Alex Ross Perry
14. National Gallery
    Frederick Wiseman
15. The Strange Little Cat
    Ramon Zürcher
16. MANAKAMANA
    Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
17. Closed Curtain
    Kambuzia Partovi and Jafar Panahi
18. The Story of My Death
    Albert Serra
19. Ida
    Pawel Pawlikowski
20. The Naked Room
    Nuria Ibañez

Manohla Dargis: 20 Best Movies of 2014 (listed alphabetically, as published by The New York Times)

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• American Sniper
  Clint Eastwood
• Beyond the Lights
  Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Birdman
  Alejandro G. Iñárritu
• Boyhood
  Richard Linklater
• The Dog
  Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
• Edge of Tomorrow
  Doug Liman
• Gloria
  Sebastián Lelio
• Goodbye to Language
  Jean-Luc Godard
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
  Wes Anderson
• Inherent Vice
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Interstellar
  Christopher Nolan
• Listen Up Philip
  Alex Ross Perry
• MANAKAMANA
  Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
• Manila in the Claws of Light
  Lino Brocka
• The Missing Picture
  Rithy Panh
• National Gallery
  Frederick Wiseman
• Selma
  Ava DuVernay
• Snowpiercer
  Bong Joon-ho
• Violette
  Martin Provost
• Top Five
  Chris Rock

Under the Radar: Top 140 Albums of 2014 (in which they list 100 albums)

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2011]

1. Lost in the Dream
   The War on Drugs
2. St. Vincent
   St. Vincent
3. Singles
   Future Islands
4. Atlas
   Real Estate
5. Burn Your Fire For No Witness
   Angel Olsen
6. Our Love
   Caribou
7. They Want My Soul
   Spoon
8. Are We There
   Sharon Van Etten
9. Shriek
   Wye Oak
10. This Is All Yours
    alt-J
11. Salad Days
    Mac DeMarco
12. Run the Jewels 2
    Run the Jewels
13. LP1
    FKA twigs
14. You’re Dead!
    Flying Lotus
15. The Voyager
    Jenny Lewis
16. Total Strife Forever
    East India Youth
17. Syro
    Aphex Twin
18. Brill Bruisers
    The New Pornographers
19. I Never Learn
    Lykke Li
20. The Future’s Void
    EMA
21. Sunbathing Animal
    Parquet Courts
22. To Be Kind
    Swans
23. Alvvays
    Alvvays
24. Stay Gold
    First Aid Kit
25. Complete Surrender
    Slow Club
26. Too Bright
    Perfume Genius
27. Pom Pom
    Ariel Pink
28. Wonder Where We Land
    SBTRKT
29. Racy
    Hooray for Earth
30. More Than Any Other Day
    Ought
31. “What Is This Heart?”
    How to Dress Well
32. Here and Nowhere Else
    Cloud Nothings
33. Ruins
    Grouper
34. Gist Is
    Adult Jazz
35. Too True
    Dum Dum Girls
36. Loom
    Fear of Men
37. Lose
    Cymbals Eat Guitars
38. The Take Off And Landing Of Everything
    Elbow
39. Love Letters
    Metronomy
40. Luminous
    The Horrors
41. Benji
    Sun Kil Moon
42. Morning Phase
    Beck
43. It’s Album Time
    Todd Terje
44. La Isla Bonita
    Deerhoof
45. Time Is Over One Day Old
    Bear In Heaven
46. Nikki Nack
    Tune-Yards
47. Sand + Silence
    The Rosebuds
48. Nausea
    Craft Spells
49. The Shadow of Heaven
    Money
50. Zaba
    Glass Animals
51. Ices
    Lia Ices
52. Present Tense
    Wild Beasts
53. Tough Love
    Jessie Ware
54. Plowing Into the Field of Love
    Iceage
55. The Hum
    Hookworms
56. Manipulator
    Ty Segall
57. Days of Abandon
    The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
58. Typical System
    Total Control
59. The Moon Rang Like a Bell
    Hundred Waters
60. In Conflict
    Owen Pallett
61. Piñata
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
62. Clark
    Clark
63. Neuroplasticity
    Cold Specks
64. Chiaroscuro
    I Break Horses
65. Lazaretto
    Jack White
66. Not Art
    Big Scary
67. HEAL
    Strand of Oaks
68. Ryan Adams
    Ryan Adams
69. Wig Out At Jagbags
    Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
70. Sun Structures
    Temples
71. Conversations
    Woman's Hour
72. Breakfast
    Teleman
73. Sea When Absent
    A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74. Portico
    The Mary Onettes
75. American Interior
    Gruff Rhys
76. Galore
    Thumpers
77. El Pintor
    Interpol
78. This Is My Hand
    My Brightest Diamond
79. Everyday Robots
    Damon Albarn
80. The Dew Lasts An Hour
    Ballet School
81. Seeds
    TV on the Radio
82. Mandatory Fun
    "Weird Al" Yankovic
83. Arcadia
    Ramona Lisa
84. Sukierae
    Tweedy
85. Jungle
    Jungle
86. Encyclopedia
    The Drums
87. Hell Can Wait
    Vince Staples
88. Warpaint
    Warpaint
89. Soft Friday
    Coves
90. Mess
    Liars
91. …And Star Power
    Foxygen
92. Sylvan Esso
    Sylvan Esso
93. Sound Mirror
    Syd Arthur
94. Futurology
    Manic Street Preachers
95. World Peace Is None Of Your Business
    Morrissey
96. Rave tapes
    Mogwai
97. Honeyblood
    Honeyblood
98. Wild Onion
    Twin Peaks
99. Lacuna
    Childhood
100. Cheatahs
     Cheatahs

Fandor: Top 25 Films of 2014 (as voted by 100 of Keyframe’s favorite critics and cineastes)

1. Boyhood
   Richard Linklater
2. Goodbye to Language
   Jean-Luc Godard
3. Under the Skin
   Jonathan Glazer
4. Inherent Vice
   Paul Thomas Anderson
5. Ida
   Pawel Pawlikowski
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
   Wes Anderson
7. Citizenfour
   Laura Poitras
8. Only Lovers Left Alive
   Jim Jarmusch
9. Birdman
   Alejandro G. Iñárritu
10. Winter Sleep
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
11. Love is Strange
    Ira Sachs
12. Gone Girl
    David Fincher
13. MANAKAMANA
    Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
14. Stranger by the Lake
    Alain Guiraudie
15. Whiplash
    Damien Chazelle
16. Blue Ruin
    Jeremy Saulnier
16. Force Majeure
    Ruben Östlund
16. Listen Up Philip
    Alex Ross Perry
19. Mr. Turner
    Mike Leigh
19. National Gallery
    Frederick Wiseman
21. Snowpiercer
    Bong Joon-ho
22. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
    Ana Lily Amirpour
22. The Dance of Reality
    Alejandro Jodorowsky
24. Maidan
    Sergei Loznitsa
25. Stray Dogs
    Tsai Ming-liang

Consequence: Top 50 Albums of 2014

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Lost in the Dream
   The War on Drugs
2. Run the Jewels 2
   Run the Jewels
3. Burn Your Fire For No Witness
   Angel Olsen
4. Here and Nowhere Else
   Cloud Nothings
5. Our Love
   Caribou
6. Transgender Dysphoria Blues
   Against Me!
7. LP1
   FKA twigs
8. St. Vincent
   St. Vincent
9. They Want My Soul
   Spoon
10. Piñata
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
11. Benji
    Sun Kil Moon
12. In Conflict
    Owen Pallett
13. Ultraviolence
    Lana Del Rey
14. HEAL
    Strand of Oaks
15. I Never Learn
    Lykke Li
16. Everything Will Be Alright In the End
    Weezer
17. Are We There
    Sharon Van Etten
18. Beyoncé
    Beyoncé
19. It’s Album Time
    Todd Terje
20. Welcome to Fazoland
    Lil Herb
21. Dude Incredible
    Shellac
22. Too Bright
    Perfume Genius
23. Lateness of Dancers
    Hiss Golden Messenger
24. Manipulator
    Ty Segall
25. Oxymoron
    Schoolboy Q
26. Bestial Burden
    Pharmakon
27. My Favourite Faded Fantasy
    Damien Rice
28. To Be Kind
    Swans
29. Badillac
    Together Pangea
30. Syro
    Aphex Twin
31. You’re Dead!
    Flying Lotus
32. Singles
    Future Islands
33. No Mythologies to Follow
    MØ
34. Tomorrow’s Hits
    The Men
35. Xen
    Arca
36. My Krazy Life
    YG
37. Pup
    PUP
38. Wonder Where We Land
    SBTRKT
39. You’re Gonna Miss It All
    Modern Baseball
40. Same Sex Symbol
    Cameron Esposito
41. More Than Any Other Day
    Ought
42. Word O.K.
    Kool A.D.
43. Ryan Adams
    Ryan Adams
44. Blue Planet Eyes
    Preatures
45. DSU
    (Sandy) Alex G
46. Cadillactica
    Big K.R.I.T.
47. Seek Warmer Climes
    Lower
48. Faith In Strangers
    Andy Stott
49. Warpaint
    Warpaint
50. After the End
    Merchandise

Powell's Books: Best Fiction of 2014

[see also Best Nonfiction of 2023 • Best Fiction of 2023 • Best Nonfiction of 2022 • Best Fiction of 2022 • The 14 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021 • The 18 Best Novels of 2021 • Best Fiction of 2020 • Best Nonfiction of 2020 • Best Fiction of 2019 • Best Nonfiction of 2019 • Best Fiction of 2018 • Best Nonfiction of 2018 • Best Nonfiction of 2017 • Best Fiction of 2017 • Best Fiction of 2016 • Best Nonfiction of 2016 • Best Nonfiction Books of 2015 • Best Fiction Books of 2015 • Best Nonfiction of 2014]

• 10:04
  Ben Lerner
• Three Hundred Million
  Blake Butler
• All the Light We Cannot See
  Anthony Doerr
• All My Puny Sorrows
  Miriam Toews
• The Bone Clocks
  David Mitchell
• The Book of Unknown Americans
  Cristina Henríquez
• The Enchanted
  Rene Denfeld
• Fourth of July Creek
  Smith Henderson
• Frog Music
  Emma Donoghue
• I Loved You More
  Tom Spanbauer
• In Certain Circles
  Elizabeth Harrower
• Karate Chop
  Dorthe Nors
• Lila
  Marilynne Robinson
• The Martian
  Andy Weir
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North
  Richard Flanagan
• The Paying Guests
  Sarah Waters
• The Rathbones
  Janice Clark
• Station Eleven
  Emily St. John Mandel
• The Sun Is God
  Adrian McKinty
• Talking to Ourselves
  Andrés Neuman
• An Unnecessary Woman
  Rabih Alameddine
• We Are Not Ourselves
  Matthew Thomas
• Wolf in White Van
  John Darnielle