I have ranked 50 albums at the end of year from 2015-’17, but I found that just keeping it at 50 limited me to practically the same albums everyone else picks. I wanted to really encapsulate an entire year of music and show some love for overlooked artists and genres, so I increased my ranking to 100. I hope all 100 of these albums were major parts of your 2018 listening experience or at least that you will plan on getting around to them.
Enjoy!
100. Hailu Mergia – Lala Belu
99. Aqueduct Ensemble – Improvisations on an Apricot
98. BbyMutha – BbyShoe
97. Empath – Liberating Guilt and Fear
96. Witch Prophet – The Golden Octave
95. The Armed – Only Love
94. Warm Bodies – Warm Bodies
93. No Age – Snares Like a Haircut
92. DJ Healer – Nothing 2 Loose
91. Ski Mask The Slump God – BEWARE THE BOOK OF ELI
90. Lucrecia Dalt – Anticlines
89. Shopping – The Official Body
88. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs
87. Wild Pink – Yolk in the Fur
86. Anenon – Tongue
85. Pig Destroyer – Head Cage
84. Nao – Saturn
83. The Caretaker – Everywhere At the End of Time – Stage 4
82. Junglepussy – Jp3
81. Jeff Rosenstock – Post-
80. Shy Layers – Midnight Marker
79. Virginia Wing – Ecstatic Arrow
78. Jenny Hval – The Long Sleep
77. Shygirl – Cruel Practice
76. Freddie Gibbs – Freddie
75. Kelly Moran – Ultraviolet
74. Smerz – Have Fun
73. Tomberlin – At Weddings
72. Lolina – The Smoke
71. BlocBoy JB – Simi
70. Mount Eerie – Now Only
69. CupcakKe – Ephorize
68. Maxo Kream – Punken
67. Miya Folick – Premonitions
66. Sleep – The Sciences
65. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Sparkle Hard
64. Aphex Twin – Collapse
63. Kate NV – FOR
62. Peggy Gou – Once
61. Payroll Giovanni & Cardo – Big Bossin Vol. 2
60. Skee Mask – Compro
59. Julia Holter – Aviary
58. Charli XCX – Pop 2
57. Channel Tres – Channel Tres
56. Adrianne Lenker – abysskiss
55. Rico Nasty – Nasty
54. Jon Hopkins – Singularity
53. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
52. Oneohtrix Point Never – Age Of
51. Vince Staples – FM!
50. 03 Greedo – The Wolf of Grape Street / God Level
49. Helena Hauff – Qualm
48. serpentwithfeet – soil
47. Ravyn Lenae – Crush
46. Amber Mark – Conexão
45. MorMor – Heaven’s Only Wishful
44. Ariana Grande – Sweetener
43. Christine and the Queens – Chris
42. Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
41. Tim Hecker – Konoyo
40. JPEGMAFIA – Veteran
39. Joey Purp – QUARTERTHING
38. Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy
37. The Internet – Hive Mind
36. Jorja Smith – Lost & Found
35. SOB X RBE – GANGIN
34. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer
33. Tirzah – Devotion
32. The Carters – EVERYTHING IS LOVE
31. DJ Koze – Knock Knock
30. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer
29. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
28. Jean Grae x Quelle Chris – Everything’s Fine
27. boygenius – boygenius
26. Sheck Wes – MUDBOY
25. Tierra Whack – Whack World
24. Blood Orange – Negro Swan
23. U.S. Girls – In a Poem Unlimited
22. Saba – CARE FOR ME
21. Playboi Carti – Die Lit
20. Soccer Mommy – Clean
19. Iceage – Beyondless
18. Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears
17. Amen Dunes – Freedom
16. Kali Uchis – Isolation
15. Robyn – Honey
14. Low – Double Negative
13. Snail Mail – Lush
12. Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs
11. Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
10. Pusha T – DAYTONA
9. SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES
8. Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love
7. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
6. Rosalía – El Mal Querer
5. Mitski – Be the Cowboy
4. Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy
3. Against All Logic – 2012-2017
2. Noname – Room 25
1. Beach House – 7
Bitter Melodies 