Year-End Lists

Brooklyn Vegan: Top 50 Albums of 2018

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

1. How to Socialise & Make Friends
   Camp Cope
2. Double Negative
   Low
3. In a Poem Unlimited
   U.S. Girls
4. Be the Cowboy
   Mitski
5. Nearer My God
   Foxing
6. Invasion of Privacy
   Cardi B
7. Daytona
   Pusha T
8. Time & Space
   Turnstile
9. Honey
   Robyn
10. Hope Downs
    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
11. Room 25
    Noname
12. Down Below
    Tribulation
13. I’m All Ears
    Let’s Eat Grandma
14. Bark Your Head Off, Dog
    Hop Along
15. Magus
    Thou
16. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
17. Knock Knock
    DJ Koze
18. Some Rap Songs
    Earl Sweatshirt
19. El Mal Querer
    Rosalía
20. boygenius
    boygenius
21. Clean
    Soccer Mommy
22. Tell Me How You Really Feel
    Courtney Barnett
23. Capture the Flag
    War on Women
24. Post-
    Jeff Rosenstock
25. TA13OO
    Denzel Curry
26. FM!
    Vince Staples
27. Historian
    Lucy Dacus
28. You Won't Get What You Want
    Daughters
29. iridescence
    BROCKHAMPTON
30. Everything Is Love
    The Carters
31. Freedom
    Amen Dunes
32. Nasty
    Rico Nasty
33. Head Cage
    Pig Destroyer
34. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
    Arctic Monkeys
35. For My Crimes
    Marissa Nadler
36. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
37. Ephorize
    cupcakKe
37. Eden
    cupcakKe
38. Eternal Return
    Windhand
39. soil
    serpentwithfeet
40. Future Me Hates Me
    The Beths
41. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
42. To the Sunset
    Amanda Shires
43. Wanderer
    Cat Power
44. [Untitled]
    mewithoutYou
45. Quarterthing
    Joey Purp
46. Dead Magic
    Anna von Hausswolff
47. A Laughing Death in Meatspace
    Tropical Fuck Storm
48. Vide Noir
    Lord Huron
49. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
    The 1975
50. Now! (In a Minute)
    Audiobooks

The 405: Top 50 Albums of 2018

[see also 2017]

1. Daytona
   Pusha T
2. Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
   Sophie
3. Be the Cowboy
   Mitski
4. Age Of
   Oneohtrix Point Never
5. Room 25
   Noname
6. Konoyo
   Tim Hecker
7. Veteran
   JPEGMAFIA
8. Childqueen
   Kadhja Bonet
9. 2012-2017
   Against All Logic
10. In a Poem Unlimited
    U.S. Girls
11. Joy as an Act of Resistance
    Idles
12. Communion
    Park Jiha
13. Orpheus vs. The Sirens
    Hermit and the Recluse
14. Double Negative
    Low
15. Negro Swan
    Blood Orange
16. Swimming
    Mac Miller
17. İstikrarlı Hayal Hakikattir
    Gaye Su Akyol
18. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
19. Fever
    Black Milk
20. Jord
    Mol
21. Golden Hour
    Kacey Musgraves
22. Con Todo El Mundo
    Khruangbin
23. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
24. You Won't Get What You Want
    Daughters
25. Now Only
    Mount Eerie
26. Someone Out There
    Rae Morris
27. Beyondless
    Iceage
28. Working Class Woman
    Marie Davidson
29. Heaven and Earth
    Kamasi Washington
30. Queen of Golden Dogs
    Vessel
31. How Many Times Have You Driven By
    Hana Vu
32. FM!
    Vince Staples
33. Asobi
    Aseul
34. Devotion
    Tirzah
35. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
36. From When I Wake the Want Is
    Kathryn Joseph
37. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
38. WOMAN - The 9th Album
    BoA
39. Wide Awake!
    Parquet Courts
40. I Live Inside a Burning House
    Body Void
41. Lavender
    Half Waif
42. Your Queen Is a Reptile
    Sons of Kemet
43. qp
    Ichiko Aoba
44. Some Rap Songs
    Earl Sweatshirt
45. Premonitions
    Miya Folick
46. Warning
    Sunmi
47. Reese LaFlare
    Reese LaFlare
48. Summer Nights
    Twice
49. At Weddings
    Tomberlin
50. boygenius
    boygenius

Maura Johnston: Best Albums of 2018, as published by The Boston Globe

[see also 2023]

• Exorcism
  Jenny Wilson
• Honey
  Robyn
• Ventriloquism
  Meshell Ndegeocello
• Immortelle
  Say Lou Lou
• Daphne & Celeste Save the World
  Daphne & Celeste
• Chris
  Christine and the Queens
• Record
  Tracey Thorn
• Interstate Gospel
  Pistol Annies
• Isolation
  Kali Uchis
• Across the Meridian
  Pram

Bob Boilen: Top Ten Albums of 2018, as published by NPR’s NPR Music

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2017 • 2011]

1. Historian
   Lucy Dacus
2. Superorganism
   Superorganism
3. re:member
   Ólafur Arnalds
4. Extralife
   Darlingside
5. abysskiss
   Adrianne Lenker
6. American Utopia
   David Byrne
7. Oceanic
   Niklas Paschburg
8. The Tree of Forgiveness
   John Prine
9. soil
   serpentwithfeet
10. The Salt Doll Went to Measure the Depth of the Sea
    The Low Anthem

Vinyl Me, Please: Best Albums of 2018

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

1. Be the Cowboy
   Mitski
2. soil
   serpentwithfeet
3. Golden Hour
   Kacey Musgraves
4. Room 25
   Noname
5. Some Rap Songs
   Earl Sweatshirt
6. Dirty Computer
   Janelle Monáe
7. Care for Me
   Saba
8. Whack World
   Tierra Whack
9. LONER
   Caroline Rose
10. Paraffin
    Armand Hammer
11. 7
    Beach House
12. Con Todo El Mundo
    Khruangbin
13. Veteran
    JPEGMAFIA
14. Songs of the Plains
    Colter Wall
15. Chris
    Christine and the Queens
16. Invasion of Privacy
    Cardi B
17. Negro Swan
    Blood Orange
18. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
19. Orquesta Akokán
    Orquesta Akokán
20. Nasty
    Rico Nasty
21. Our Raw Heart
    YOB
22. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
    Arctic Monkeys
23. Safe in the Hands of Love
    Yves Tumor
24. Dream Girl
    Ness Nite
25. Die Lit
    Playboi Carti
26. Lush
    Snail Mail
27. El Mal Querer
    Rosalía
28. abysskiss
    Adrianne Lenker
29. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
30. Freedom
    Amen Dunes
31. TA13OO
    Denzel Curry
32. God’s Favorite Customer
    Father John Misty
33. Now Only
    Mount Eerie
34. Heaven and Earth
    Kamasi Washington
35. boygenius
    boygenius
36. Daytona
    Pusha T
37. Voicenotes
    Charlie Puth
38. Origami Harvest
    Ambrose Akinmusire
39. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
40. A Star Is Born Soundtrack
    Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

Austin Town Hall: Top 50 Albums of 2018

[see also 2017 • 2016 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Kill the Lights
   Tony Molina
2. We’re Not Talking
   The Goon Sax
3. Room Inside the World
   Ought
4. This Is Glue
   Salad Boys
5. More or Less
   Dan Mangan
6. Bell House
   Shy Boys
7. Parallel Universe Blues
   Papercuts
8. Songs of Praise
   Shame
9. Freedom
   Amen Dunes
10. Siesta
    Hater
11. Sleeping Lessons
    Alien Boy
12. Could It Be Different?
    The Spook School
13. 7
    Beach House
14. LP5000
    Restorations
15. O.Y. in Hi-Fi
    Optiganally Yours
16. Proto Retro
    Dot Dash
17. Where We Were Together
    Say Sue Me
18. LONER
    Caroline Rose
19. A Prayer For War
    Borzoi
20. Tell Me How You Really Feel
    Courtney Barnett
21. Indigo
    Wild Nothing
22. Ethers
    Ethers
23. Future Me Hates Me
    The Beths
24. Modern Meta Physic
    Peel Dream Magazine
25. Years
    Sun June
26. New Material
    Preoccupations
27. In the Break
    Night Shop
28. You're an Ugly Person
    Karen Meat
29. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
    Deafheaven
30. Model Minority
    Lingua Franca
31. Rose Mercie
    Rose Mercie
32. Used to Yesterday
    Smokescreens
33. First Flower
    Molly Burch
34. Dinner Dates for the End of Days
    Scarves
35. Olden Yolk
    Olden Yolk
36. Rest in Peace
    Boys
37. Wide Awake!
    Parquet Courts
38. In Heaven
    Dick Stusso
39. Lush
    Snail Mail
40. In the Lover's Corner
    The Love-Birds
41. Sun on the Square
    The Innocence Mission
42. How to Solve Our Human Problems
    Belle and Sebastian
43. No Fool Like an Old Fool
    Caroline Says
44. Fear / Nothing
    The Belle Game
45. Loma
    Loma
46. Lost and Found
    En Attendant Ana
47. Hope Downs
    Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
48. Trickster Blues
    RF Shannon
49. Hypnic Jerks
    The Spirit Of The Beehive
50. Her
    Totally Mild

Ken Tucker: Favorite Albums of 2018, as aired on NPR’s Fresh Air

[see also 2020 • 2019]

1. Record
   Tracey Thorn
2. Golden Hour
   Kacey Musgraves
3. Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By
   Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, SZA
4. The Old Guys
   Amy Rigby
5. Invasion of Privacy
   Cardi B
6. Interstate Gospel
   Pistol Annies
7. Dirty Computer
   Janelle Monáe
8. The Tree of Forgiveness
   John Prine
9. Tell Me How You Really Feel
   Courtney Barnett
10. Is It Still Good to Ya?: Fifty Years of Rock Criticism, 1967-2017 by Robert Christgau

XLR8R: Top Releases of 2018

[see also 2011]

• Safe in the Hands of Love
  Yves Tumor
• Hundreds of Days
  Mary Lattimore
• Persona
  Rival Consoles
• Everywhere At The End Of Time – Stage 4
  The Caretaker
• Everywhere At The End Of Time – Stage 5
  The Caretaker
• NTS Sessions 1-4
  Autechre
• XLR8R+003
  various artists
• No. 4
  Christina Vantzou
• Stargate Music
  Ras G & The Afrikan Space Program
• Selva Oscura
  William Basinski + Lawrence English
• Debiasing
  Barker
• Double Negative
  Low
• Am I Using Content Or Is Content Using Me?
  Raime
• In Death's Dream Kingdom
  various artists
• Cocoon Crush
  Objekt
• Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
  Sophie
• Nothing 2 Loose
  DJ Healer
• Somewhere Decent To Live
  Space Afrika
• Rebirth
  Farai
• Knock Knock
  DJ Koze
• Singularity
  Jon Hopkins
• Compro
  Skee Mask
• Word Color
  Gacha Bakradze
• Kasper Bjørke Quartet: The Fifty Eleven Project
  Kasper Bjørke
• All Melody
  Nils Frahm
• Trivial Occupations
  Francis Harris
• Mutant Beat Dance
  Mutant Beat Dance
• Invisibility
  SIT
• Sonder Somatic
  Bruce
• Infinite Moment
  The Field
• 15 Years of the Bunker
  various artists
• Collapse
  Aphex Twin
• Working Class Woman
  Marie Davidson
• Tidal River
  Albrecht La'Brooy
• Portrait With Firewood
  Djrum

AllMusic: Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2023 • 2021 • 2020 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• The Crossing
  Alejandro Escovedo
• Blueprint
  Alice Bag
• Sweetener
  Ariana Grande
• Sparrow
  Ashley Monroe
• NTS Sessions 1-4
  Autechre
• The Big Bad Blues
  Billy F Gibbons
• Negro Swan
  Blood Orange
• Port Saint Joe
  Brothers Osborne
• A Soprano's Schubertiade
  Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton
• Chris
  Christine and the Queens
• The Horizon Just Laughed
  Damien Jurado
• Monte Sagrado
  Draco Rosa
• Open Here
  Field Music
• Aftering
  Fred Thomas
• Prequelle
  Ghost
• Gilbert O'Sullivan
  Gilbert O'Sullivan
• Stravinsky: Orchestral Works
  Gustavo Gimeno and Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg
• See You Around
  I’m With Her
• Dirty Computer
  Janelle Monáe
• The Tree of Forgiveness
  John Prine
• Singularity
  Jon Hopkins
• Aviary
  Julia Holter
• Golden Hour
  Kacey Musgraves
• Childqueen
  Kadhja Bonet
• Isolation
  Kali Uchis
• Heaven and Earth
  Kamasi Washington
• Kids See Ghosts
  Kids See Ghosts
• Power
  Lotic
• Dirty Pictures, Pt. 2
  Low Cut Connie
• Sculptor
  Luluc
• Ravel & Duparc: Aimer et mourir – Danses et mélodies
  Magdalena Kožená and Robin Ticciati
• Universal Beings
  Makaya McCraven
• Songs of Resistance 1942 - 2018
  Marc Ribot
• Bon Voyage
  Melody’s Echo Chamber
• Be the Cowboy
  Mitski
• Now Only
  Mount Eerie
• Third
  Nathan Salsburg
• Hell-On
  Neko Case
• Room 25
  Noname
• Volunteer
  Old Crow Medicine Show
• Age Of
  Oneohtrix Point Never
• Tru
  Ovlov
• Interstate Gospel
  Pistol Annies
• Honey
  Robyn
• Hope Downs
  Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
• El Mal Querer
  Rosalía
• The Official Body
  Shopping
• Midnight Marker
  Shy Layers
• Your Queen Is a Reptile
  Sons of Kemet
• Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
  Sophie
• What a Time to Be Alive
  Superchunk
• Superorganism
  Superorganism
• The Midnight Hour
  The Midnight Hour / Ali Shaheed Muhammad / Adrian Younge
• Silver Dollar Moment
  The Orielles
• ASTROWORLD
  Travis Scott
• Arvo Pärt
  Viktoria Mullova / Paavo Järvi
• FM!
  Vince Staples
• Ecstatic Arrow
  Virginia Wing
• Dirt
  Yamantaka//Sonic Titan
• Our Raw Heart
  YOB

Vibe Magazine: 30 Best Albums of 2018

[see also 2019 • 2017]

1. East Atlanta Love Letter
   6LACK
2. iridescence
   BROCKHAMPTON
3. Harlan & Alondra
   Buddy
4. Invasion of Privacy
   Cardi B
5. Everything Is Love
   The Carters
6. Scorpion
   Drake
7. Ella Mai
   Ella Mai
8. Lovers Rock
   Estelle
9. Hive Mind
   The Internet
10. KOD
    J. Cole
11. DiCaprio 2
    JID
12. Village
    Jacob Banks
13. Dirty Computer
    Janelle Monáe
14. Redemption
    Jay Rock
15. Tha Carter V
    Lil Wayne
16. Swimming
    Mac Miller
17. Lady Lady
    Masego
18. Championships
    Meek Mill
19. Victory Lap
    Nipsey Hussle
20. Room 25
    Noname
21. Daytona
    Pusha T
22. There You Have It
    Reason
23. Book of Ryan
    Royce da 5'9"
24. Care for Me
    Saba
25. November
    SiR
26. K.T.S.E.
    Teyana Taylor
27. Whack World
    Tierra Whack
28. ASTROWORLD
    Travis Scott
29. Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By
    Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, SZA
30. Stay Dangerous
    YG