Ok, a quick thing here. First, where is Chappell Roan? As noted in the Songs entry, her album was actually released last year and it made my list then. Also noted in the Songs entry, I loved several Sabrina Carpenter songs this year but the album as a whole just didn’t come together for me. That’s why she’s repped in Songs, but not here. As for anyone else you like, just assume they barely missed the list. Except Ariana Grande. Can’t trust her.

Now let’s drop the needle and hear what made the Best Albums of 2024!

Aww, sunbeam kitty. (Cult Music Records)

20. Can We Please Have Fun by Kings of Leon- Sometimes a band you liked drops an album that reminds you why you liked them.

19. Underwater by Joshua Radin- I’m not sure what to call Radin’s subgenre (Post-Nick Drake, perhaps) but you can pretty much count on at least one album on my annual top 20 fitting in it.

18. The Forest is the Path by Snow Patrol

17. Saviors by Green Day

16. The Great Impersonator by Halsey

15. The Warriors by Lin-Manuel Miranda et al- Is it cringe? Probably. But it is musical theatre as a concept album so what the hell would it be?

14. The Collective by Kim Gordon

13. Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations by The Vaccines- Under Songs, I gave you Sam Fender doing Bleachers better than Bleachers. Here’s an album of the Vaccines doing the same.

12. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again by The Decemberists- I love my sad, literate bastards.

11. Songs of a Lost World by The Cure- Best record since their imperial period, by a long shot.

10. The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift- It grew and grew and grew on me over the course of the year.

9. Permanent Pleasure by Joywave- The band is as weird and lively as ever.

8. Haven by Marianas Trench- Hello again you former scene/emo fellas from up north. Welcome back from your hiatus.

7. GNX by Kendrick Lamar

6. Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

5. Don’t Forget Me by Maggie Rogers

4. Challengers Score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross- I don’t tend to feature scores here, that’s more a thing my buddy Tim does. But I didn’t write to any other music this year as much as I wrote to this album.

3. Hit Me Hard and Soft by Billie Eilish

2. & by Bastille- Possibly my favorite active band?

1. brat by Charlie XCX- We had to name the summer after this album for a reason, didn’t we?

Worst of 2024

Vultures 1 & 2- I had no choice, but this hurts a decade ago me so badly.

Light Verse by Iron & Wine- As is often the case, this is probably more about disappointment than truly being bad, but this one was a huge letdown for me.

Most Anticipated in 2025

Perverts by Ethel Cain- Out at this point and GREAT!

Lumineers (Rumored)- Who knows if this’ll happen but I hope so.