Year-End Lists

Robert Christgau: Dean's List 2019

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2012]

1. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
   Billie Eilish
2. Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3
   Todd Snider
3. The Big Day
   Chance the Rapper
4. Purple Mountains
   Purple Mountains
5. Buck Up
   Carsie Blanton
6. No Home Record
   Kim Gordon
7. uknowhatimsayin¿
   Danny Brown
8. Battery Park, NYC July 4th 2008
   Sonic Youth
9. Open Book
   Kalie Shorr
10. A Goddamn Impossible Way of Life
    The Paranoid Style
11. Springsteen on Broadway
    Bruce Springsteen
12. Un Autre Blanc
    Salif Keita
13. Beware of the Dogs
    Stella Donnelly
14. Two Hands
    Big Thief
15. I Was Real
    75 Dollar Bill
16. The Terror End of Beauty
    Harriet Tubman
17. Schlagenheim
    black midi
18. Toothsayer
    Tanya Tagaq
19. The Imperial
    The Delines
20. Punk
    CHAI
21. Rainford
    Lee "Scratch" Perry
22. 27 passports
    The Ex
23. Old LP
    that dog
24. Country Squire
    Tyler Childers
25. Capitalist Blues
    Leyla McCalla
26. The Center Won't Hold
    Sleater-Kinney
27. Bad Wiring
    Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage
28. From Memphis to New Orleans
    Alex Chilton
29. Twelve Nudes
    Ezra Furman
30. Cuz I Love You
    Lizzo
31. Rhythm of the Griot
    Diabel Cissokho
32. Wildcard
    Miranda Lambert
33. I Need a New War
    Craig Finn
34. Young Enough
    Charly Bliss
35. GREY Area
    Little Simz
36. Sweetener
    Ariana Grande
37. Eve
    Rapsody
38. I Am Easy to Find
    The National
39. The Best of Dualtone Years
    Guy Clark
40. History
    Youssou N'Dour
41. Je Suis Africain
    Rachid Taha
42. Lover
    Taylor Swift
43. Ballébé
    Hama Sankaré
44. Phoenix
    Pedro the Lion
45. Malibu Ken
    Malibu Ken, Aesop Rock & TOBACCO
46. The Devil You Know
    The Coathangers
47. Send Aid
    Chuck Cleaver
48. I Love You Inna
    Oumar Konaté
49. This Was Supposed to Be Fun
    Epic Beard Men
50. LEGACY! LEGACY!
    Jamila Woods
51. How Could a Man
    Derek Senn
52. Miri
    Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
53. Conexão
    Amber Mark
54. Queen
    Nicki Minaj
55. U.F.O.F.
    Big Thief
56. Nothing Great About Britain
    slowthai
57. Live on Red Barn Radio I & II
    Tyler Childers
58. 1000 gecs
    100 gecs
59. Athena
    Sudan Archives
60. Três
    Thiago Nassif
61. The Seduction of Kansas
    Priests
62. Care for Me
    Saba
63. Madame X
    Madonna
64. Pushin Too Hard (Original Soundtrack)
    The Seeds
65. Jimmy Lee
    Raphael Saadiq
66. Free Spirit
    Khalid
67. Guns
    Quelle Chris
68. Milano
    Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts
69. Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
    Lewis Capaldi
70. Wisdom Teeth
    Jealous of the Birds
71. Nūr
    Dua Saleh
72. Highway Hypnosis
    Sneaks
73. Remind Me Tomorrow
    Sharon Van Etten
74. Ocean Club '77
    Alex Chilton
75. Dennis 6e
    Serengeti
76. Sunshine Rock
    Bob Mould

Vibe Magazine: The 30 Best Albums of 2019

[see also 2018 • 2017]

1. Shea Butter Baby
   Ari Lennox
2. The Plugs I Met
   Benny the Butcher
3. The Lion King: The Gift
   Beyoncé
4. Homecoming: The Live Album
   Beyoncé
5. African Giant
   Burna Boy
6. KIRK
   DaBaby
7. CASE STUDY 01
   Daniel Caesar
8. uknowhatimsayin¿
   Danny Brown
9. Hot Pink
   Doja Cat
10. Revenge of the Dreamers III
    Dreamville
11. Bandana
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
12. Diaspora
    GoldLink
13. Drip or Drown 2
    Gunna
14. LEGACY! LEGACY!
    Jamila Woods
15. El Capo
    Jim Jones
16. Gilda
    Kemba
17. May the Lord Watch
    Little Brother
18. Painted
    Lucky Daye
19. Kiwanuka
    Michael Kiwanuka
20. Jimmy Lee
    Raphael Saadiq
21. Eve
    Rapsody
22. Port of Miami 2
    Rick Ross
23. Chasing Summer
    SiR
24. - Ugh, those feels again
    Snoh Aalegra
25. When I Get Home
    Solange
26. Over It
    Summer Walker
27. IGOR
    Tyler, The Creator
28. Wow... That's Crazy
    Wale
29. So Much Fun
    Young Thug
30. The Lost Boy
    YBN Cordae

Robin Hilton: Best Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR

[see also 2017]

1. Remind Me Tomorrow
   Sharon Van Etten
2. Norman Fucking Rockwell!
   Lana Del Rey
3. PROTO
   Holly Herndon
4. Death is a Warm Blanket
   Microwave
5. what we say in private
   Ada Lea
6. Titanic Rising
   Weyes Blood
7. Olympic Girls
   Tiny Ruins
8. Four of Arrows
   Great Grandpa
9. Karaoke Angel
   Molly Sarlé
10. Trophy
    Kate Davis

Bob Boilen: Best Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2018 • 2017 • 2011]

1. Two Hands
   Big Thief
2. U.F.O.F.
   Big Thief
3. All Mirrors
   Angel Olsen
4. Better Oblivion Community Center
   Better Oblivion Community Center
5. Designer
   Aldous Harding
6. The Livelong Day
   Lankum
7. Ilana (The Creator)
   Mdou Moctar
8. Trophy
   Kate Davis
9. Like the River Loves the Sea
   Joan Shelley
10. Rwanda, You Should Be Loved
    The Good Ones

Ann Powers: Favorite Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2017 • 2016 • 2011]

1. The Oracle
   Angel Bat Dawid
2. Silences
   Adia Victoria
3. The Jungle Is the Only Way Out
   Mereba
4. Deserted
   Mekons
5. Love Will Find a Way
   Philip Bailey
6. Love and Liberation
   Jazzmeia Horn
7. Terms of Surrender
   Hiss Golden Messenger
8. Oneness
   Matthew Halsall
9. Faulkner County
   Erin Enderlin
10. The Gospel According to Water
    Joe Henry

Northern Transmissions: Top 20 Albums of 2019

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017]

1. Dogrel
   Fontaines D.C.
2. Purple Mountains
   Purple Mountains
3. Better Oblivion Community Center
   Better Oblivion Community Center
4. Magdalene
   FKA twigs
5. Norman Fucking Rockwell!
   Lana Del Rey
6. Titanic Rising
   Weyes Blood
7. Nothing Great About Britain
   slowthai
8. Father of the Bride
   Vampire Weekend
9. Deceiver
   DIIV
10. All Mirrors
    Angel Olsen
11. Bandana
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
12. Two Hands
    Big Thief
13. House of Sugar
    (Sandy) Alex G
14. Schlagenheim
    black midi
15. Remind Me Tomorrow
    Sharon Van Etten
16. IGOR
    Tyler, The Creator
17. Designer
    Aldous Harding
18. Lux Prima
    Karen O & Danger Mouse
19. Ghosteen
    Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
20. No Home Record
    Kim Gordon

Clémence Polès: Top Ten Albums of 2019

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2018]

1. Born 2 Rap
   The Game
2. The Sacrificial Code
   Kali Malone
3. Meet the Woo
   Pop Smoke
4. Uncut Gems - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
   Daniel Lopatin
5. Agora
   Fennesz
6. Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
   Bill Callahan
7. Big Bad
   Giggs
8. Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars
   Sarah Louise
9. Hope is Leaving the Club
   Charolastra
10. Assume Form
    James Blake

Notable mentions

• New Rain Duets
  Mary Lattimore & Mac McCaughan
• Occam Ocean 2
  Éliane Radigue
• Tracing Back the Radiance
  Jefre Cantu-Ledesma
• This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You)
  Lambchop
• Le son d'après
  Lala &ce
• Quiet Signs
  Jessica Pratt
• No Home Record
  Kim Gordon
• Sylva
  Benoît Pioulard

American Songwriter: Top 25 Albums of 2019, listed alphabetically

[see also 2023 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• House of Sugar
  (Sandy) Alex G
• All Mirrors
  Angel Olsen
• Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
  Bill Callahan
• Jaime
  Brittany Howard
• Mint Condition
  Caroline Spence
• I Need a New War
  Craig Finn
• Duster
  Duster
• Renegade
  Dylan LeBlanc
• This Land
  Gary Clark Jr.
• On the Line
  Jenny Lewis
• Tales of America
  J.S. Ondara
• The Saint of Lost Causes
  Justin Townes Earle
• White Noise / White Lines
  Kelsey Waldon
• Work To Do
  Marc Cohn & The Blind Boys of Alabama
• Kiwanuka
  Michael Kiwanuka
• Purple Mountains
  Purple Mountains
• Stronger Than the Truth
  Reba McEntire
• there is no Other
  Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi
• Remind Me Tomorrow
  Sharon Van Etten
• Sound & Fury
  Sturgill Simpson
• South of Reality
  The Claypool Lennon Delirium
• The Highwomen
  The Highwomen
• III
  The Lumineers
• Help Us Stranger
  The Raconteurs
• Walk Through Fire
  Yola

Other Great Albums of 2019

• Blood
  Allison Moorer
• When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
  Billie Eilish
• i,i
  Bon Iver
• I Made a Place
  Bonnie “Prince” Billy
• Western Stars
  Bruce Springsteen
• Seneca
  Charles Wesley Godwin
• Out of the Blue
  Dan Luke and the Raid
• No.6 Collaborations Project
  Ed Sheeran
• Traveling Mercies
  Emily Scott Robinson
• Faulkner County
  Erin Enderlin
• Magdalene
  FKA twigs
• So Divine
  Horse Jumper of Love
• Love & the Dark
  Jason Hawk Harris
• Bad Wiring
  Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage
• Fever Breaks
  Josh Ritter
• Norman Fucking Rockwell!
  Lana Del Rey
• Thanks for the Dance
  Leonard Cohen
• Why Me? Why Not.
  Liam Gallagher
• Painted Image
  Liz Brasher
• We Get By
  Mavis Staples
• Desert Dove
  Michaela Anne
• When You're Ready
  Molly Tuttle
• Colorado
  Neil Young
• Ghosteen
  Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Room 41
  Paul Cauthen
• invisibility
  people-proof
• Morbid Stuff
  PUP
• Hot Spring
  Spencer Radcliffe
• The Unseen In Between
  Steve Gunn
• Eraserland
  Strand of Oaks
• Lover
  Taylor Swift
• I Am Easy to Find
  The National
• Father of the Bride
  Vampire Weekend

XXL: 50 of the Best Hop-Hop Projects of 2019

[see also 2020]

• AI YoungBoy 2
  YoungBoy Never Broke Again
• Anger Management
  Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats
• Baby on Baby
  DaBaby
• Bandana
  Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
• Bartier Bounty
  Sada Baby
• Brandon Banks
  Maxo Kream
• Covered N Blood
  Shy Glizzy
• Cuz I Love You
  Lizzo
• Death Race for Love
  Juice WRLD
• Diaspora
  GoldLink
• Die a Legend
  Polo G
• Die For My Bitch
  Baby Keem
• El Capo
  Jim Jones
• Eve
  Rapsody
• Everythings for Sale
  Boogie
• Father of 4
  Offset
• Fever
  Megan Thee Stallion
• Foto
  Kota the Friend
• Ghetto Gospel
  Rod Wave
• GREY Area
  Little Simz
• Guns
  Quelle Chris
• Herstory in the Making
  Young M.A
• Hollywood's Bleeding
  Post Malone
• Hot Pink
  Doja Cat
• IGOR
  Tyler, The Creator
• Is He Real?
  IDK
• KIRK
  DaBaby
• Long Live Mexico
  Lil Keed
• May the Lord Watch
  Little Brother
• Mirrorland
  EarthGang
• One of the Best Yet
  Gang Starr
• Perfect Ten
  Mustard
• Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial
  Roddy Ricch
• Port of Miami 2
  Rick Ross
• Psychodrama
  Dave
• Purple Haze 2
  Cam'ron
• Rap or Go to the League
  2 Chainz
• Retropolitan
  Skyzoo & Pete Rock
• Revenge of the Dreamers III
  Dreamville
• Sli'merre
  Young Nudy & Pi'erre Bourne
• So Much Fun
  Young Thug
• The Lost Boy
  YBN Cordae
• The Plugs I Met
  Benny the Butcher
• uknowhatimsayin¿
  Danny Brown
• UNFUCCWITABLE
  Asian Da Brat
• Ventura
  Anderson .Paak
• Wow... That's Crazy
  Wale
• WWCD
  Griselda
• You Can't Sit With Us
  Pivot Gang
• ZUU
  Denzel Curry

Under the Radar: Top 100 Albums of 2019

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2011]

1. All Mirrors
   Angel Olsen
2. Titanic Rising
   Weyes Blood
3. Ghosteen
   Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4. Anima
   Thom Yorke
5. Eraserland
   Strand of Oaks
6. Miss Universe
   Nilüfer Yanya
7. Remind Me Tomorrow
   Sharon Van Etten
8. Keepsake
   Hatchie
9. U.F.O.F.
   Big Thief
10. Fibs
    Anna Meredith
11. Purple Mountains
    Purple Mountains
12. Lost Girls
    Bat for Lashes
13. Anak Ko
    Jay Som
14. Magdalene
    FKA twigs
15. Two Hands
    Big Thief
16. Father of the Bride
    Vampire Weekend
17. It Won/t Be like This All the Time
    The Twilight Sad
18. Crushing
    Julia Jacklin
19. Norman Fucking Rockwell!
    Lana Del Rey
20. A New Illusion
    Rose Elinor Dougall
21. The Practice of Love
    Jenny Hval
22. Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
    Deerhunter
23. Designer
    Aldous Harding
24. I Am Easy to Find
    The National
25. Beware of the Dogs
    Stella Donnelly
26. Any Human Friend
    Marika Hackman
27. This Is Not a Safe Place
    Ride
28. On the Line
    Jenny Lewis
29. When I Get Home
    Solange
30. Schlagenheim
    black midi
31. At the Party with My Brown Friends
    Black Belt Eagle Scout
32. Giants of All Sizes
    Elbow
33. Deceiver
    DIIV
34. Kiwanuka
    Michael Kiwanuka
35. Jaime
    Brittany Howard
36. Patience
    Mannequin Pussy
37. The Center Won't Hold
    Sleater-Kinney
38. i,i
    Bon Iver
39. Reward
    Cate Le Bon
40. My Finest Work Yet
    Andrew Bird
41. IGOR
    Tyler, The Creator
42. Closer to Grey
    Chromatics
43. The Best of Luck Club
    Alex Lahey
44. Cuz I Love You
    Lizzo
45. Dogrel
    Fontaines D.C.
46. SASAMI
    SASAMI
47. Brickbat
    Piroshka
48. Better Oblivion Community Center
    Better Oblivion Community Center
49. Diviner
    Hayden Thorpe
50. The Talkies
    Girl Band
51. Charli
    Charli XCX
52. Bandana
    Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
53. uknowhatimsayin¿
    Danny Brown
54. Office Politics
    The Divine Comedy
55. Ode to Joy
    Wilco
56. Nothing Great About Britain
    slowthai
57. American Football (LP3)
    American Football
58. Forever Turned Around
    Whitney
59. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
    Billie Eilish
60. Health
    C Duncan
61. Metronomy Forever
    Metronomy
62. Twelve Nudes
    Ezra Furman
63. Serfs Up!
    The Fat White Family
64. House of Sugar
    (Sandy) Alex G
65. Part 2 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
    Foals
66. Late Night Feelings
    Mark Ronson
67. Memory Emotion
    Electric Youth
68. Animated Violence Mild
    Blanck Mass
69. Distress Signals
    Earthquake Lights
70. The Competition
    Lower Dens
71. Don't You Think You've Had Enough?
    Bleached
72. Vagabon
    Vagabon
73. Return to Center
    Kirin J Callinan
74. Hot Motion
    Temples
75. Birth of Violence
    Chelsea Wolfe
76. Miami Memory
    Alex Cameron
77. Lost Wisdom, Pt. 2
    Mount Eerie feat. Julie Doiron
78. Pang
    Caroline Polachek
79. Quiet Signs
    Jessica Pratt
80. Young Enough
    Charly Bliss
81. Grim Town
    SOAK
82. LEGACY! LEGACY!
    Jamila Woods
83. No Geography
    The Chemical Brothers
84. Girl
    Girl Ray
85. A Bath Full of Ecstasy
    Hot Chip
86. The Soft Cavalry
    The Soft Cavalry
87. Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
    Bill Callahan
88. Both-And
    Luke Temple
89. Until The Tide Creeps In
    Penelope Isles
90. Wheeltappers and Shunters
    Clinic
91. Atlanta Millionaires Club
    Faye Webster
92. Emily Alone
    Florist
93. Part 1 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
    Foals
94. This Is How You Smile
    Helado Negro
95. Dissolution
    Jaakko Eino Kalevi
96. Jules
    Julien Chang
97. No Home Record
    Kim Gordon
98. All My Heroes Are Cornballs
    JPEGMAFIA
99. PROTO
    Holly Herndon
100. GREY Area
     Little Simz