2019
Vibe Magazine: The 30 Best Albums of 2019
- Ari Lennox — Shea Butter Baby
- Benny the Butcher — The Plugs I Met
- Beyoncé — The Lion King: The Gift
- Beyoncé — Homecoming: The Live Album
- Burna Boy — African Giant
- DaBaby — KIRK
- Daniel Caesar — CASE STUDY 01
- Danny Brown — uknowhatimsayin¿
- Doja Cat — Hot Pink
- Dreamville — Revenge of the Dreamers III
- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib — Bandana
- GoldLink — Diaspora
- Gunna — Drip or Drown 2
- Jamila Woods — LEGACY! LEGACY!
- Jim Jones — El Capo
- Kemba — Gilda
- Little Brother — May the Lord Watch
- Lucky Daye — Painted
- Michael Kiwanuka — Kiwanuka
- Raphael Saadiq — Jimmy Lee
- Rapsody — Eve
- Rick Ross — Port of Miami 2
- SiR — Chasing Summer
- Snoh Aalegra — - Ugh, those feels again
- Solange — When I Get Home
- Summer Walker — Over It
- Tyler, The Creator — IGOR
- Wale — Wow... That's Crazy
- Young Thug — So Much Fun
- YBN Cordae — The Lost Boy
Robin Hilton: Best Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR
[see also 2017]
- Sharon Van Etten — Remind Me Tomorrow
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Holly Herndon — PROTO
- Microwave — Death is a Warm Blanket
- Ada Lea — what we say in private
- Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
- Tiny Ruins — Olympic Girls
- Great Grandpa — Four of Arrows
- Molly Sarlé — Karaoke Angel
- Kate Davis — Trophy
Bob Boilen: Best Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR
- Big Thief — Two Hands
- Big Thief — U.F.O.F.
- Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
- Better Oblivion Community Center — Better Oblivion Community Center
- Aldous Harding — Designer
- Lankum — The Livelong Day
- Mdou Moctar — Ilana (The Creator)
- Kate Davis — Trophy
- Joan Shelley — Like the River Loves the Sea
- The Good Ones — Rwanda, You Should Be Loved
Ann Powers: Favorite Albums of 2019, as posted by NPR
[see also 2020, 2017, 2016, 2011]
- Angel Bat Dawid — The Oracle
- Adia Victoria — Silences
- Mereba — The Jungle Is the Only Way Out
- Mekons — Deserted
- Philip Bailey — Love Will Find a Way
- Jazzmeia Horn — Love and Liberation
- Hiss Golden Messenger — Terms of Surrender
- Matthew Halsall — Oneness
- Erin Enderlin — Faulkner County
- Joe Henry — The Gospel According to Water
Reverse Shot: Best Films of 2019
[see also 2010s, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2011]
- The Irishman — Martin Scorsese
- The Souvenir — Joanna Hogg
- Parasite — Bong Joon-ho
- Atlantics — Mati Diop
- Uncut Gems — Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie
- Transit — Christian Petzold
- A Hidden Life — Terrence Malick
- High Life — Claire Denis
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire — Céline Sciamma
- Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood — Quentin Tarantino