Year-End Lists

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its author, at the source.
Movies TV Shows Music Books Poetry Podcasts

Highlights

2018
All Movies TV Shows Music Books Poetry Podcasts

No Depression: Favorite Roots Music Albums of 2018

28 December 2018

Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves

No Depression: Favorite Roots Music Albums of 2018, as selected by staffers, columnists, and reviewers

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

Common Ground

The List (alphabetical)

Hanif Abdurraqib: 47 Favorite Albums Of 2018

27 December 2018

Language - MNEK

Hanif Abdurraqib: 47 Favorite Albums Of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2017 • 2016]

  1. Language
    MNEK
  2. Whack World
    Tierra Whack
  3. Harlan & Alondra
    Buddy
  4. Hive Mind
    The Internet
  5. Joy as an Act of Resistance
    Idles
  6. Resistance Is Futile
    Manic Street Preachers
  7. Your Queen Is a Reptile
    Sons of Kemet
  8. Room 25
    Noname
  9. Be the Cowboy
    Mitski
  10. Historian
    Lucy Dacus
  11. soil
    serpentwithfeet
  12. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
    Sophie
  13. FM!
    Vince Staples
  14. Before You Go
    EXES
  15. Care for Me
    Saba
  16. Down Below
    Tribulation
  17. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
  18. Paraffin
    Armand Hammer
  19. Hold on to Your Heart
    The XCERTS
  20. In a Poem Unlimited
    U.S. Girls
  21. You Won't Get What You Want
    Daughters
  22. Honey
    Robyn
  23. Swimming
    Mac Miller
  24. Cold Devil
    Drakeo the Ruler
  25. Sister Cities
    The Wonder Years
  26. Pastoral
    Gazelle Twin
  27. Shawn Mendes
    Shawn Mendes
  28. Floating Features
    La Luz
  29. Nasty
    Rico Nasty
  30. Wouldn't It Be Great
    Loretta Lynn
  31. Jericho Sirens
    Hot Snakes
  32. Kids See Ghosts
    Kids See Ghosts
  33. Orpheus vs. The Sirens
    Hermit and the Recluse
  34. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
  35. boygenius
    boygenius
  36. Million Dollars to Kill Me
    Joyce Manor
  37. Sink
    Sudan Archives
  38. High As Hope
    Florence + The Machine
  39. Chris
    Christine and the Queens
  40. Everything's Fine
    Jeane Grae & Quelle Chris
  41. The Wolf of Grape Street
    03 Greedo
  42. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
  43. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
  44. Girl Code
    City Girls
  45. Double Negative
    Low
  46. Cocoa Sugar
    Young Fathers
  47. Veteran
    JPEGMAFIA

Jordan Cronk: Albums 2018

27 December 2018

Double Negative - Low

Jordan Cronk: Albums 2018, as posted to Twitter

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2017 • 2016]

  1. Double Negative
    Low
  2. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
    Sophie
  3. Clean
    Soccer Mommy
  4. 7
    Beach House
  5. Knock Knock
    DJ Koze
  6. 2012-2017
    Against All Logic
  7. Twin Fantasy
    Car Seat Headrest
  8. Freedom
    Amen Dunes
  9. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
  10. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
  11. Aviary
    Julia Holter
  12. Yolk in the Fur
    Wild Pink
  13. Lush
    Snail Mail
  14. Konoyo
    Tim Hecker
  15. Violet Psalms
    Frog Eyes
  16. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
  17. American Dollar Bill - Keep Facing Sideways, You're Too Hideous To Look At Face On
    Sumac and Keiji Haino
  18. Rausch
    Gas
  19. boygenius
    boygenius
  20. Nearer My God
    Foxing
  21. Singularity
    Jon Hopkins
  22. Cruel Practice
    Shygirl
  23. How to Socialise & Make Friends
    Camp Cope
  24. Sugar & Spice
    Hatchie
  25. Nothing 2 Loose
    DJ Healer
  26. Let Night Come On Bells End the Day
    Sarah Davachi
  27. Gave In Rest
    Sarah Davachi
  28. IRISIRI
    Eartheater
  29. Now Only
    Mount Eerie
  30. Hello People
    Chris Reimer
  31. Future Me Hates Me
    The Beths

Sasha Frere-Jones: Music I Enjoyed in 2018

24 December 2018

Sasha Frere-Jones: Music I Enjoyed in 2018, organized chronologically

[see also 2022 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

Time Out New York: 16 Best Albums of 2018

22 December 2018

Time Out New York: 16 Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2017]

gal-dem: Favourite Albums of 2018

22 December 2018

Invasion of Privacy - Cardi B

gal-dem: Favourite Albums of 2018, in no particular order

[see also 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

Honourable Mentions

Northern Transmissions: Top 10 Albums of 2018

22 December 2018

Joy as an Act of Resistance - Idles

Northern Transmissions: Top 10 Albums of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017]

  1. Joy as an Act of Resistance
    Idles
  2. Songs of Praise
    Shame
  3. Wide Awake!
    Parquet Courts
  4. 7
    Beach House
  5. Negro Swan
    Blood Orange
  6. Beyondless
    Iceage
  7. Be the Cowboy
    Mitski
  8. Some Rap Songs
    Earl Sweatshirt
  9. God’s Favorite Customer
    Father John Misty
  10. Dose Your Dreams
    Fucked Up

Honorable mentions

Okayplayer: Best Albums of 2018

21 December 2018

K.T.S.E. - Teyana Taylor

Okayplayer: Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2022]

  1. K.T.S.E.
    Teyana Taylor
  2. Whack World
    Tierra Whack
  3. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
  4. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
  5. Piano & a Microphone 1983
    Prince
  6. Some Rap Songs
    Earl Sweatshirt
  7. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
  8. Queen
    Nicki Minaj
  9. Daytona
    Pusha T
  10. Caution
    Mariah Carey
  11. Outside
    Burna Boy
  12. Nasty
    Rico Nasty
  13. Swimming
    Mac Miller
  14. FM!
    Vince Staples
  15. Care for Me
    Saba
  16. Championships
    Meek Mill
  17. Heaven and Earth
    Kamasi Washington
  18. Tha Carter V
    Lil Wayne

Boston Globe: Terence Cawley: Best Albums of 2018

21 December 2018

Double Negative - Low

Terence Cawley: Best Albums of 2018, as published by The Boston Globe

Guardian: 50 Best Albums of 2018

21 December 2018

Chris - Christine and the Queens

The Guardian: 50 Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

  1. Chris
    Christine and the Queens
  2. Honey
    Robyn
  3. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
  4. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
  5. Be the Cowboy
    Mitski
  6. Joy as an Act of Resistance
    Idles
  7. Heaven and Earth
    Kamasi Washington
  8. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
  9. Double Negative
    Low
  10. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
    Arctic Monkeys
  11. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
    Sophie
  12. Your Queen Is a Reptile
    Sons of Kemet
  13. Hive Mind
    The Internet
  14. Room 25
    Noname
  15. The Future and the Past
    Natalie Prass
  16. Cocoa Sugar
    Young Fathers
  17. Daytona
    Pusha T
  18. I’m All Ears
    Let’s Eat Grandma
  19. Aviary
    Julia Holter
  20. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
  21. Isolation
    Kali Uchis
  22. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
  23. Wide Awake!
    Parquet Courts
  24. Songs of Praise
    Shame
  25. Ecstatic Arrow
    Virginia Wing
  26. Saturn
    Nao
  27. Tell Me How You Really Feel
    Courtney Barnett
  28. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
  29. Negro Swan
    Blood Orange
  30. Hope Downs
    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
  31. El Mal Querer
    Rosalía
  32. Confident Music For Confident People
    Confidence Man
  33. Devotion
    Tirzah
  34. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
    The 1975
  35. MITH
    Lonnie Holley
  36. Lush
    Snail Mail
  37. Bloom
    Troye Sivan
  38. In a Poem Unlimited
    U.S. Girls
  39. Le Kov
    Gwenno
  40. No Shame
    Lily Allen
  41. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
  42. Compro
    Skee Mask
  43. May Your Kindness Remain
    Courtney Marie Andrews
  44. Broken Politics
    Neneh Cherry
  45. soil
    serpentwithfeet
  46. Record
    Tracey Thorn
  47. Con Todo El Mundo
    Khruangbin
  48. Wanderer
    Cat Power
  49. Singularity
    Jon Hopkins
  50. Goat Girl
    Goat Girl

Recent Lists

By Year

By Category

Trending Works

Archive

About

Year-end lists are fingerprints; aggregate statistics are smudges. Therefore, I make no tallies.