Year-End Lists

Stephen Thompson: Top 10 Albums of 2017, as posted by NPR

[see also 2011]

1. What Now
   Sylvan Esso
2. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Rainbow
   Ke$ha
4. Capacity
   Big Thief
5. Ctrl
   SZA
6. Year of the Rabbit
   Allison Pierce
7. Joan Shelley
   Joan Shelley
8. The Nashville Sound
   Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
9. Stranger in the Alps
   Phoebe Bridgers
10. Sleep Well Beast
    The National

Robin Hilton: Top 10 Albums of 2017, as posted by NPR

[see also 2019]

1. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Pleasure
   Feist
3. Capacity
   Big Thief
4. Melodrama
   Lorde
5. In Search of Lost Time
   Partner
6. Hiss Spun
   Chelsea Wolfe
7. A Crow Looked at Me
   Mount Eerie
8. Halo
   Juana Molina
9. A Ghost Story (Original Soundtrack Album)
   Daniel Hart
10. Pure Comedy
    Father John Misty

Bob Boilen: Top 12 Albums of 2017, as posted by NPR

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2011]

1. Capacity
   Big Thief
2. Party
   Aldous Harding
3. Aromanticism
   Moses Sumney
4. Young
   Overcoats
5. RELAXER
   alt-J
6. Silence
   Tom Adams
7. Semper Femina
   Laura Marling
8. Gracie and Rachel
   Gracie and Rachel
9. Wide Open
   Weaves
10. You & I
    ALA.NI

Honorable Mentions

• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Remix)
  The Beatles
• Reflection
  Brian Eno

Austin Town Hall: Top 50 Albums of 2017

[see also 2018 • 2016 • 2012 • 2011]

• Antisocialites
  Alvvays
• Dedicated To Bobby Jameson
  Ariel Pink
• Dada
  B Boys
• Somersault
  Beach Fossils
• Capacity
  Big Thief
• New Kind of Normal
  Cayetana
• Apocalipstick
  Cherry Glazerr
• Lotta Sea Lice
  Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile
• Spirit
  Depeche Mode
• ken
  Destroyer
• New Work
  Dinner
• Plunge
  Fever Ray
• Crack-Up
  Fleet Foxes
• Abysma
  Geotic
• Painted Ruins
  Grizzly Bear
• Out of Range
  Gun Outfit
• Screen Memories
  John Maus
• Turn Out the Lights
  Julien Baker
• Other Towns Than Ours
  Last Leaves
• Lo Tom
  Lo Tom
• Night Drive
  Night Drive
• Reborn
  Nite
• Multi-Task
  Omni
• Relatives in Descent
  Protomartyr
• S/T
  Rainer Maria
• Rays
  Rays
• English Tapas
  Sleaford Mods
• Permo
  Spinning Coin
• Doris and the Daggers
  Spiral Stairs
• Hot Thoughts
  Spoon
• MASSEDUCTION
  St. Vincent
• Lost World
  Star Tropics
• Themes for Dying Earth
  Teen Daze
• The Courtneys II
  The Courtneys
• Abysmal Thoughts
  The Drums
• Blue Field
  The Luxembourg Signal
• 50 Song Memoir
  The Magnetic Fields
• Sleep Well Beast
  The National
• Snow
  The New Year
• The Echo of Pleasure
  Pains of Being Pure at Heart
• I See You
  The xx
• Rare Feeling
  Twain
• Full Flower
  Us and Only Us
• A Deeper Understanding
  The War on Drugs
• Out in the Storm
  Waxahatchee
• The World’s Best American Band
  White Reaper
• Expect the Best
  Widowspeak
• Silver / Lead
  Wire
• Cry Cry Cry
  Wolf Parade
• Willowbank
  Yumi Zouma

PopMatters: 60 Best Albums of 2017

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

1. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Melodrama
   Lorde
3. Plunge
   Fever Ray
4. Okovi
   Zola Jesus
5. american dream
   LCD Soundsystem
6. Process
   Sampha
7. I See You
   The xx
8. Take Me Apart
   Kelela
9. New Energy
   Four Tet
10. Black Origami
    Jlin
11. The Underside of Power
    Algiers
12. Slowdive
    Slowdive
13. MASSEDUCTION
    St. Vincent
14. Sleep Well Beast
    The National
15. Neō Wax Bloom
    Iglooghost
16. Crack-Up
    Fleet Foxes
17. Pure Comedy
    Father John Misty
18. The Nashville Sound
    Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
19. No Shape
    Perfume Genius
20. A Deeper Understanding
    The War on Drugs
21. Big Fish Theory
    Vince Staples
22. Arca
    Arca
23. All American Made
    Margo Price
24. A Crow Looked at Me
    Mount Eerie
25. Brutalism
    Idles
26. World Eater
    Blanck Mass
27. The OOZ
    King Krule
28. The Order of Time
    Valerie June
29. Hot Thoughts
    Spoon
30. The Navigator
    Hurray for the Riff Raff
31. The Kid
    Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
32. Face Your Fear
    Curtis Harding
33. Run the Jewels 3
    Run the Jewels
34. Freedom Highway
    Rhiannon Giddens
35. Ctrl
    SZA
36. Gargoyle
    Mark Lanegan Band
37. Drunk
    Thundercat
38. Love What Survives
    Mount Kimbie
39. Life Will See You Now
    Jens Lekman
40. Freedom Is Free
    Chicano Batman
41. Fin
    Syd
42. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
    Open Mike Eagle
43. Capacity
    Big Thief
44. Antisocialites
    Alvvays
45. Hang
    Foxygen
46. Aromanticism
    Moses Sumney
47. Villains
    Queens of the Stone Age
48. Uyai
    Ibibio Sound Machine
49. Sidelong
    Sarah Shook & the Disarmers
50. Soft Sounds from Another Planet
    Japanese Breakfast
51. Rocket
    (Sandy) Alex G
52. After Laughter
    Paramore
53. Lust for Life
    Lana Del Rey
54. Flower Boy
    Tyler, The Creator
55. Guppy
    Charly Bliss
56. The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
    Lee Ann Womack
57. How Did I Find Myself Here?
    The Dream Syndicate
58. Stubborn Persistent Illusions
    Do Make Say Think
59. A Fever Dream
    Everything Everything
60. Stop Mute Defeat
    White Hills

Billboard: 50 Best Albums of 2017

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Ctrl
   SZA
3. Melodrama
   Lorde
4. 4:44
   JAY-Z
5. American Teen
   Khalid
6. reputation
   Taylor Swift
7. Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
   Calvin Harris
8. Culture
   Migos
9. Process
   Sampha
10. Harry Styles
    Harry Styles
11. Take Me Apart
    Kelela
12. MASSEDUCTION
    St. Vincent
13. Luv Is Rage 2
    Lil Uzi Vert
14. I See You
    The xx
15. After Laughter
    Paramore
16. Rainbow
    Ke$ha
17. HNDRXX
    Future
18. Big Fish Theory
    Vince Staples
19. Residente
    Residente
20. A Deeper Understanding
    The War on Drugs
21. More Life
    Drake
22. From A Room: Volume 1
    Chris Stapleton
23. american dream
    LCD Soundsystem
24. SweetSexySavage
    Kehlani
25. Nothing Feels Natural
    Priests
26. ÷
    Ed Sheeran
27. No Shape
    Perfume Genius
28. hopeless fountain kingdom
    Halsey
29. Flower Boy
    Tyler, The Creator
30. Beautiful Trauma
    Pink
31. Freudian
    Daniel Caesar
32. Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
    Japandroids
33. Fin
    Syd
34. Mura Masa
    Mura Masa
35. Nervous System
    Julia Michaels
36. Laila’s Wisdom
    Rapsody
37. Life Changes
    Thomas Rhett
38. Guppy
    Charly Bliss
39. Golden
    Romeo Santos
40. Tell Me You Love Me
    Demi Lovato
41. About U
    Muna
42. 9
    Cashmere Cat
43. Dua Lipa
    Dua Lipa
44. Drunk
    Thundercat
45. The OOZ
    King Krule
46. Everybody Works
    Jay Som
47. 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time
    Big K.R.I.T.
48. Lust for Life
    Lana Del Rey
49. Without Warning
    21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin
50. Meaning of Life
    Kelly Clarkson

Spencer Kornhaber: 10 Best Albums of 2017, as published by The Atlantic

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021]

1. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
2. A Deeper Understanding
   The War on Drugs
3. 50 Song Memoir
   The Magnetic Fields
4. Culture
   Migos
5. All American Made
   Margo Price
6. A Crow Looked at Me
   Mount Eerie
7. Ctrl
   SZA
8. Nothing Feels Natural
   Priests
9. Kelly Lee Owens
   Kelly Lee Owens
10. 4:44
    JAY-Z

Amanda Petrusich: 10 Best Albums of 2017, in no particular order, as published by The New Yorker

[see also 2023 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018]

• Capacity
  Big Thief
• What in the Natural World
  Jake Xerxes Fussell
• Sousoume Tamachek
  Mdou Moctar
• Ctrl
  SZA
• DAMN.
  Kendrick Lamar
• A Deeper Understanding
  The War on Drugs
• Utopia
  Björk
• The Weather Station
  The Weather Station
• Culture
  Migos
• Big Bad Luv
  John Moreland

Albumism: 50 Best Albums of 2017

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018]

1. Home Counties
   Saint Etienne
2. Something’s Changing
   Lucy Rose
3. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
4. Sleep Well Beast
   The National
5. Wallflower
   Jordan Rakei
6. Other
   Alison Moyet
7. 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time
   Big K.R.I.T.
8. Utopia
   Björk
9. Popular
   Van Hunt
10. Crack-Up
    Fleet Foxes
11. Rest
    Charlotte Gainsbourg
12. Colors
    Beck
13. Jupiter Calling
    The Corrs
14. Truth Is a Beautiful Thing
    London Grammar
15. Glasshouse
    Jessie Ware
16. Little Fictions
    Elbow
17. Humanz
    Gorillaz
18. The Order of Time
    Valerie June
19. Laila’s Wisdom
    Rapsody
20. Somewhere in Between
    VÉRITÉ
21. Slowdive
    Slowdive
22. Native Invader
    Tori Amos
23. Automaton
    Jamiroquai
24. MASSEDUCTION
    St. Vincent
25. 4:44
    JAY-Z
26. Visions of a Life
    Wolf Alice
27. Pollinator
    Blondie
28. If All I Was Was Black
    Mavis Staples
29. Imperius Rex
    Sean Price
30. Nat King Cole & Me
    Gregory Porter
31. Shake the Shudder
    !!!
32. All Things Work Together
    Lecrae
33. Just the Beginning
    Grace VanderWaal
34. Willowbank
    Yumi Zouma
35. Mental Illness
    Aimee Mann
36. Radio Silence
    Talib Kweli
37. Love in Beats
    Omar
38. I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone
    Chastity Belt
39. Soul Run
    Tanika Charles
40. Emperor of Sand
    Mastodon
41. Recycle Love
    Izzi Dunn
42. Melodrama
    Lorde
43. YGWY$4
    Tanya Morgan
44. Mister Mellow
    Washed Out
45. Greasy Listening
    J-Zone and Pablo Martin Are the Du-Rites
46. The Sum of a Man
    Sadat X
47. Soul of a Woman
    Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
48. Stitch of the World
    Tift Merritt
49. Plunge
    Fever Ray
50. Jump on Board
    Texas

Time Out New York: 29 Best Albums of 2017

[see also 2018]

1. DAMN.
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Flower Boy
   Tyler, The Creator
3. Slowdive
   Slowdive
4. Shaneera
   Fatima Al Qadiri
5. Rocket
   (Sandy) Alex G
6. Melodrama
   Lorde
7. Ctrl
   SZA
8. After Laughter
   Paramore
9. Hug of Thunder
   Broken Social Scene
10. Arca
    Arca
11. Phantom Brickworks
    Bibio
12. Turn Out the Lights
    Julien Baker
13. Black Origami
    Jlin
14. Hot Thoughts
    Spoon
15. Narkopop
    Gas
16. Harmony of Difference
    Kamasi Washington
17. Ty Segall
    Ty Segall
18. Sleep Well Beast
    The National
19. No Mountains in Manhattan
    Wiki
20. async
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
21. Forced Witness
    Alex Cameron
22. Echolocations: River
    Andrew Bird
23. Plum
    Wand
24. SweetSexySavage
    Kehlani
25. Stellular
    Rose Elinor Dougall
26. Bedouine
    Bedouine
27. Orc
    Oh Sees
28. Bronze Mystic
    Gallops
29. Toss
    Shugo Tokumaru