Chris Richards: Best Music of 2019, as published by The Washington Post
Pitchfork: The 50 Best Albums of 2019
[see also 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010s]
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- FKA twigs — Magdalene
- Big Thief — U.F.O.F.
- Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
- Solange — When I Get Home
- Bad Bunny — X 100PRE
- Helado Negro — This Is How You Smile
- Fennesz — Agora
- Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
- Purple Mountains — Purple Mountains
- Jamila Woods — LEGACY! LEGACY!
- Brittany Howard — Jaime
- Big Thief — Two Hands
- Beyoncé — Homecoming: The Live Album
- Bill Callahan — Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
- Bon Iver — i,i
- (Sandy) Alex G — House of Sugar
- Clairo — Immunity
- Jessica Pratt — Quiet Signs
- Jenny Hval — The Practice of Love
- Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Cate Le Bon — Reward
- Tyler, The Creator — IGOR
- Kim Gordon — No Home Record
- Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
- Burna Boy — African Giant
- Florist — Emily Alone
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Ghosteen
- Ariana Grande — thank u, next
- Oso Oso — basking in the glow
- Mike — Tears of Joy
- Sharon Van Etten — Remind Me Tomorrow
- Polo G — Die a Legend
- slowthai — Nothing Great About Britain
- Mannequin Pussy — Patience
- Denzel Curry — ZUU
- Nilüfer Yanya — Miss Universe
- Rap — Export
- Aldous Harding — Designer
- Thom Yorke — Anima
- Blood Incantation — Hidden History of the Human Race
- 100 gecs — 1000 gecs
- Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats — Anger Management
- Holly Herndon — PROTO
- DaBaby — Baby on Baby
- CHAI — Punk
- Barker — Utility
- Danny Brown — uknowhatimsayin¿
- Faye Webster — Atlanta Millionaires Club
- Floating Points — Crush
Michael Silverblatt: Best Books of 2019, as posted by KCRW
Three books by Eve Babitz
Two books by Dave Eggers
Carl Wilson: The Best Albums of 2019, as published by Slate, in alphabetical order by artist
- Better Oblivion Community Center — Better Oblivion Community Center
- Jaimie Branch — Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Brittany Howard — Jaime
- Miranda Lambert — Wildcard
- Cate Le Bon — Reward
- Purple Mountains — Purple Mountains
- Sleater-Kinney — The Center Won't Hold
- Jamila Woods — LEGACY! LEGACY!
- Big Thief — Two Hands
- Leonard Cohen — Thanks for the Dance
- Céline Dion — Courage
- Steve Earle & The Dukes — GUY
- FKA twigs — Magdalene
- Fontaines D.C. — Dogrel
- Kim Gordon — No Home Record
- Mary Halvorson & John Dieterich — A Tangle of Stars
- Ariana Grande — thank u, next
- Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated
- Jenny Lewis — On the Line
- Lightning Bolt — Sonic Citadel
- Lingua Ignota — Caligula
- Mekons — Deserted
- Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom — Glitter Wolf
- Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
- Bruce Springsteen — Western Stars
- Sudan Archives — Athena
- Taylor Swift — Lover
- Tropical Fuck Storm — Braindrops
- Tanya Tucker — While I'm Livin'
- Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
- Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
- Yola — Walk Through Fire
- Young Thug — So Much Fun
25 Other Favorites
The Atlantic: The 18 Best Albums of 2019
[see also 2018]
- FKA twigs — Magdalene
- Burna Boy — African Giant
- Megan Thee Stallion — Fever
- Torche — Admission
- Maxo Kream — Brandon Banks
- Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Chris Farren — Born Hot
- Ari Lennox — Shea Butter Baby
- Barker — Utility
- Sleaford Mods — Eton Alive
- Summer Walker — Over It
- Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated
- DaBaby — KIRK
- 100 gecs — 1000 gecs
- Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
- The Highwomen — The Highwomen
- Bad Bunny — X 100PRE
Ken Tucker: Top 10 Albums of the Year, as aired on NPR’s Fresh Air
[see also 2018]
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Lizzo — Cuz I Love You
- Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Carsie Blanton — Buck Up
- Megan Thee Stallion — Fever
- Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated
- Maren Morris — GIRL
- Beyoncé — Homecoming: The Live Album
- Sharon Van Etten — Remind Me Tomorrow
- Jenny Lewis — On the Line
Flood Magazine: The Best Albums of 2019
- Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
- Charly Bliss — Young Enough
- FKA twigs — Magdalene
- Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Oso Oso — basking in the glow
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Ghosteen
- Denzel Curry — ZUU
- Big Thief — Two Hands
- (Sandy) Alex G — House of Sugar
- PUP — Morbid Stuff
- Mannequin Pussy — Patience
- Jamila Woods — LEGACY! LEGACY!
- Better Oblivion Community Center — Better Oblivion Community Center
- Taylor Swift — Lover
- Danny Brown — uknowhatimsayin¿
- Vampire Weekend — Father of the Bride
- Prince Daddy & the Hyena — Cosmic Thrill Seekers
- Tyler, The Creator — IGOR
- Carly Rae Jepsen — Dedicated
- JPEGMAFIA — All My Heroes Are Cornballs
- Bruce Springsteen — Western Stars
- Helado Negro — This Is How You Smile
- SASAMI — SASAMI
- The Flaming Lips — King's Mouth: Music and Songs
Benzine Magazine: The Best Films of the Decade 2010-2019, in roughly chronological order
- The Social Network — David Fincher
- Take Shelter — Jeff Nichols
- Oslo, August 31st — Joachim Trier
- Blue is the Warmest Color — Abdellatif Kechiche
- The Grand Budapest Hotel — Wes Anderson
- Under the Skin — Jonathan Glazer
- Boyhood — Richard Linklater
- Winter Sleep — Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Mommy — Xavier Dolan
- My Golden Days — Arnaud Desplechin
- Elle — Paul Verhoeven
- Manchester by the Sea — Kenneth Lonergan
- Moonlight — Barry Jenkins
- Burning — Lee Chang-dong
- Parasite — Bong Joon-ho
PopMatters: The 70 Best Albums of 2019
[see also 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011]
- FKA twigs — Magdalene
- slowthai — Nothing Great About Britain
- Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell!
- Fontaines D.C. — Dogrel
- Dave — Psychodrama
- Jamila Woods — LEGACY! LEGACY!
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Ghosteen
- Angel Olsen — All Mirrors
- Big Thief — U.F.O.F.
- Purple Mountains — Purple Mountains
- Little Simz — GREY Area
- Sharon Van Etten — Remind Me Tomorrow
- Baroness — Gold & Grey
- Jenny Hval — The Practice of Love
- Underworld — DRIFT Series 1 Sampler Edition
- Hot Chip — A Bath Full of Ecstasy
- Jordan Rakei — Origin
- Michael Kiwanuka — Kiwanuka
- Rapsody — Eve
- Jenny Lewis — On the Line
- Kano — Hoodies All Summer
- Gary Clark Jr. — This Land
- Durand Jones & The Indications — American Love Call
- Lingua Ignota — Caligula
- Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- Hælos — Any Random Kindness
- Hatchie — Keepsake
- The National — I Am Easy to Find
- Holly Herndon — PROTO
- Ekiti Sound — Abeg No Vex
- clipping. — There Existed an Addiction to Blood
- Vanishing Twin — The Age of Immunology
- Yola — Walk Through Fire
- Weval — The Weight
- JPEGMAFIA — All My Heroes Are Cornballs
- Opeth — In Cauda Venenum
- Brittany Howard — Jaime
- Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising
- Tyler, The Creator — IGOR
- Marika Hackman — Any Human Friend
- Mark Lanegan Band — Somebody's Knocking
- Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi — there is no Other
- Sampa the Great — The Return
- Sleaford Mods — Eton Alive
- Caroline Polachek — Pang
- Cate Le Bon — Reward
- Cherry Glazerr — Stuffed & Ready
- The Twilight Sad — It Won/t Be like This All the Time
- Sturgill Simpson — Sound & Fury
- 100 gecs — 1000 gecs
- Loraine James — For You and I
- Devin Townsend — Empath
- Blanck Mass — Animated Violence Mild
- Lizzo — Cuz I Love You
- Adia Victoria — Silences
- A Winged Victory For The Sullen — The Undivided Five
- Thom Yorke — Anima
- Anna Meredith — Fibs
- Boy Harsher — Careful
- Elbow — Giants of All Sizes
- Slayyyter — Slayyyter
- Solange — When I Get Home
- Jade Bird — Jade Bird
- black midi — Schlagenheim
- Charly Bliss — Young Enough
- Raphael Saadiq — Jimmy Lee
- Sleater-Kinney — The Center Won't Hold
- The Highwomen — The Highwomen
- Orville Peck — Pony
- Angel Bat Dawid — The Oracle