Manchester Orchestra's A Black Mile to the Surface pulled the upset and won 2017. Let's see who wins 2018. Not the best year. Billboard chart-topping albums of 2018: Eminem - Revival (cont. from 2017) Taylor Swift - Reputation (cont. from 2017) Soundtrack - The Greatest Showman (cont. from 2017) Camila Cabello - Camila Fall Out Boy - Mania Migos - Culture II Justin Timberlake - Man of the Woods Kendrick Lamar - Black Panther Bon Jovi - This House is Not For Sale (cont. from 2016?) Logic - Bobby Tarantino II XXXTentacion - ? Jack White - Boarding House Reach The Weeknd - My Dear Melancholy Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy Jason Aldean - Rearview Town J. Cole - KOD Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys BTS - Love Yourself: Tear Shawn Mendes - Shawn Mendes Kanye West - Ye Dave Matthews Band - Come Tomorrow 5 Seconds of Summer - Youngblood Panic! At the Disco - Pray for the Wicked Drake - Scorpion Travis Scott - Astroworld Ariana Grande - Sweetener BTS - Love Yourself: Answer Eminem - Kamikaze Paul McCartney - Egypt Station Carrie Underwood - Cry Pretty Brockhampton - Iridescence Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born Andrea Bocelli - Si Metro Boomin - Not All Heroes Wear Capes Kane Brown - Experiment Mumford and Sons - Delta Meek Mill - Championships XXXTentacion - Skins Kodak Black - Dying to Live Billboard chart-topping singles of 2018: Ed Sheeran - Perfect (cont. from 2017) Camila Cabello - Havana Drake - God's Plan Drake - Nice for What Childish Gambino - This is America Post Malone - Psycho XXXTentacion - Sad Cardi B - I Like It Drake - In My Feelings Maroon 5 - Girls Like You Ariana Grande - Thank You Next Travis Scott - Sicko Mode What are your top three albums for 2018? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 2. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 3. The Dirty Nil - Master Volume What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
rest of the top 10: 4. Father John Misty - God’s Favorite Customer 5. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born 6. Wild Pink - Yolk in the Fur 7. Ben Howard - Noonday Dream 8. Turnstile - Time & Space 9. Pusha T - Daytona 10. Ruston Kelly - Dying Star honorable mentions: Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog Anderson Paak - Oxnard The Armed - Only Love The Beths - Future Me Hates Me The Carters - Everything is Love Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel Cult Leader - A Patient Man Dawes - Passwords Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love Drug Church - Cheer Eric Church - Desperate Man Fiddlehead - Springtime and Blind Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog Iceage - Beyondless Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance Interpol - Marauder Jack White - Boarding House Reach Jim James - Uniform Distortion John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness Jonathan Wilson - Rare Birds Low - Double Negative Lucy Dacus - Historian Mastersystem - Dance Music Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch Okkervil River - In the Rainbow Rain Oso Oso - The Yunahon Mixtape Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! Sleep - The Sciences Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt Willie Nelson - Last Man Standing stuff to check out: All Them Witches - ATW Behemoth - I Loved You at Your Darkest Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You First Aid Kit - Ruins Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending Jeff Rosenstock - Post- Jon Hopkins - Singularity Lily Allen - No Shame Meek Mill - Championships Mitski - Be the Cowboy Snail Mail - Lush Ty Segall - Freedom’s Goblin
1. Foxing - Nearer my god 2. Mitski - be the cowboy 3 the 1975 - a brief inquiry 4. Beach house - 7 5. Joyce manor - million dollars to kill me
1. MewithoutYou - [Untitled] 2. Perfume - Future Pop 3. Mo - Forever Neverland lots and lots of good stuff this year.
1. mewithoutYou - [Untitled] 2. now, now - saved 3. charmer - charmer 4. the story so far - proper dose 5. beach house - 7 6. joyce manor - million dollars to kill me 7. greyhaven - empty black 8. vein - error zone 9. soccer mommy - clean 10. pianos become the teeth - wait for love 11. idles - joy as an act of restistance 12. frontierer - unloved 13. cursive - vitriola 14. vince staples - fm! 15. the beths - future me hates me 16. saintseneca - pillar of na 17. sectioned - annihilated
Fickle Friends - You Are Someone Else Murder by Death - the Other Shore Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Japamyu Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love Elohim - s/t Christine and the Queens - Chris Noname - Room 25 Dessa - Chime My Brightest Diamond - A Million and One Foxing - Nearer My God Yasutaka Nakata - Digital Native Pianos Become the Teeth - Wait for Love Ariana Grande - Sweetener (half of it) Vein - Errorzone Kids See Ghost - s/t Polyphia - New Levels New Devils This year was responsible for the song of my dreams.
1. Nap Eyes - I’m Bad Now 2. John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness 3. Jennifer Castle - Angels of Death 4. Amen Dunes - Freedom 5. Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile 5. Phil Cook - People Are My Drug 6. Noname - Room 25 7. Richard Swift - The Hex 8. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In 9. Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar 10. Maisha - There is a Place
1. Caitlyn Smith - Starfire 2. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 3. Lori McKenna - The Tree Tough cuts: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Upside Down Flowers Ruston Kelly - Dying Star Donovan Woods - Both Ways Matt Nathanson - Sings His Sad Heart Dawes - Passwords Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers The Night Game - self-titled Tenille Townes - The Living Room Worktapes Bruce Springsteen - Springsteen on Broadway Also love: Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today Brothers Osborne - Port Saint Joe Catherine McGrath - Talk of This Town The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Dumb Album Titles Ashley McBryde - Girl Going Nowhere Honorables: Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You Dashboard Confessional - Crooked Shadows The Dangerous Summer - self-titled Dierks Bentley - The Mountain Eric Church - Desperate Man Field Report - Summertime Songs Jillian Jacqueline - Side A/Side B LANCO - Hallelujah Nights Snail Mail - Lush Snow Patrol - Wildness Steve Moakler - Born Ready Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain Ashley Monroe - Sparrow American Aquarium - Things Change Adam Hood - Somewhere In Between
Crazy, crazy good year. 1. Now, Now - Saved 2. Donovan Woods - Both Ways 3. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers HM: Ruston Kelly - Dying Star The Dangerous Summer - S/T Petal - Magic Gone Spanish Love Songs - Schmaltz Twenty One Pilots - Trench William Ryan Key - Thirteen mewithoutyou - [Untitled] Rainbow Kitten Surprise - How to: Friend, Love, Freefall Pianos Become the Teeth - Wait for Love Story So Far - Proper Dose Real Friends - Composure Foxing - Nearer My God Chvrches - Love is Dead Andrew McMahon - Upside Down Flowers
1. illuminati hotties - Kiss Yr Frenemies 2. Lucy Dacus - Historian 3. Foxing - Nearer My God Pianos Become the Teeth - Wait for Love mewithoutYou - [Untitled] Gregory Alan Isakov - Evening Machines Wild Pink - Yolk in the Fur Son Lux - Brighter Wounds Mae - Multisensory Aesthetic Experience All Get Out - No Bouquet Holy Fawn - Death Spells The Collection - Entropy Twenty One Pilots - Trench Death Cab For Cutie - Thank You For Today Beach House - 7 EPs: The Oh Hellos - Eurus My Epic - Ultraviolet mewithoutYou - [untitled] Ratboys - GN Boygenius - S/T
1. Lake Street Dive - Free Yourself Up 2. Ruston Kelly - Dying Star 3. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain 4. Brandi Carlile - By the Way, I Forgive You 5. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 6. Glorietta - Glorietta 7. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers 8. The Night Game - The Night Game 9. Public Access TV - Street Safari 10. Mt. Joy - Mt. Joy 11. Lori McKenna - The Tree 12. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 13. Rhett Miller - The Messenger 14. Houndmouth - Golden Age 15. The Longshot - Love is for Losers 16. Dawes - Passwords 17. The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl 18. Kyle Craft - Full Circle Nightmare 19. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel 20. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus
1. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships 2. Mac Miller - Swimming 3. Amy Shark - Love Monster 4. The Story So Far - Proper Dose 5. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V 6. Coheed and Cambria - The Unheavenly Creatures 7. Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You For Today 8. The Dangerous Summer - The Dangerous Summer 9. Camp Cope - How to Socialize and How to Make Friends 10. Hellogoodbye - S'Only Natural 11. Soccer Mommy - Clean 12. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 13. Pusha T - Daytona 14. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts 15. Ariana Grande - Sweetener 16. First Aid Kit - Ruins 17. Eminem - Kamikaze 18. Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises 19. Drake - Scorpion 20. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour EDIT: Had to update my list because I forgot about Camp Cope and Hellogoodbye (wiki's album lists are always missing something!). Had to cut Doja Cat and Logic.
1. IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance 2. Press To MECO - Here's To The Fatigue 3. Spanish Love Songs - Schmaltz
1. The Blue Stones - Black Holes 2. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers 3. Coheed and Cambria - Vaxis 1: Unheavenly Creatures
This year is interesting. My musical tastes finally started expanding enough that I listened to a shitload of different albums and songs, but deeply attached to less. 1. BROCKHAMPTON - iridescence I love this album so much. It's dark, ugly, catchy, and all sorts of weird things in between. Despite being 15 tracks long, this is one that I listen to from start to finish whenever I happen upon one of the tracks. It also has one of the best blends of each member's contributions. Maybe their only album that feels like it has enough of everybody. 2. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour I also love this album so much. Was my #1 back in 2018 and it still holds up. It just sounds like a happier time in life. 3. Tove Styrke - Sway An interesting album. 8 songs, 1 of which is a Lorde cover, but I really love 4 of these songs. This had to go #3 just because of how many times I listened to it back in 2018. Pure comfort pop. Honorable Mentions The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships I've actually cooled on this album a bit since it was released. I really love some of the songs, but the sequencing makes the back half a little bit of a chore and there are some songs I wish weren't there altogether (Be My Mistake). Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer Man, this album was EVERYWHERE. And rightfully so. Solid pop bangers! Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed? Trio makes their best offering since... Crimson? The Midnight - Kids Fun, nostalgic pop that sounds huge. Fall Out Boy - MANIA One of their most divisive albums, both in reception and in actual sound. Love a couple tracks on here, don't like a couple. The Dirty Nil - Master Volume Excellent rock album. Joyce Manor - A Million Dollars to Kill Me This band doesn't really do any wrong. Can see why older fans wouldn't love it though. The Night Game - The Night Game This was extremely close to cracking my top 3. Just a beast of a pop album. Panic! At the Disco - Pray For the Wicked Also a beast of a pop album and one of the most consistent Panic! releases. Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness - Upside Down Flowers The slower, more introspective pop sound really works here. Lord Huron - Vide Noir After perfecting their old sound, it was necessary for Lord Huron to expand a little bit and I'm very glad they did. Others A Vulture Wake - The Appropriate Level of Outrage A solid punk album. Frank Turner - Be More Kind What the fuck was this man thinking with this album? One of the worst offerings from someone who has either completely lost the ability to read the room or never had it in the first place. Jack White - Boarding House Reach Strange rock. Some great songs. Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past Fun indie funk. Santigold - I Don't Want Excited for a new proper Santigold album this year, but I like this one well enough. The Sonder Bombs - Modern Female Rockstar I think this "album" rocks and is way better than the actual album they ended up releasing a few years later. This just hits harder and is a better showcase for the frontperson's insane voice. No Rome - RIP Indo Hisashi Pretty obvious student of The 1975, but definitely more interested in pushing the sound forward instead of looking back. Hellogoodbye - S'Only Natural Some good songs here! Not the direction I think anyone on this website wanted Forrest to go. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers One of the more disjointed Fallon records, but I like it. Caitlyn Smith - Starfire Some awesome songs here and a powerhouse voice. Wet - Still Run Really love like 3 songs from this album. Could take or leave the rest.
I just kinda think his other two solo records pick a vibe and stick with it the whole time while this one has a lot of different sounds that never coalesce as an entire project. There are also more songs on this album that I just don't remember what they sound like, like "Neptune" or "Watson."
1. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 2. Caitlyn Smith - Starfire 3. Noname - Room 25 4. mewithoutYou - [untitled] 5. Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises 6. Camp Cope - How to Socialise & Make Friends 7. Anthony Green - Would You Still Be in Love 8. The Night Game - The Night Game 9. Panic! at the Disco - Pray for the Wicked 10. Brockhampton - Iridescence 11. Gunship - Dark All Day 12. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer 13. Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes - Wind Up Bird 14. The Wonder Years - Sister Cities 15. Hellogoodbye - S'Only Natural 16. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 17. Denzel Curry - TA13OO 18. Chvrches - Love is Dead 19. Greyhaven - Empty Black 20. Mae - Multisensory Aesthetic Experience 21. Kamelot - The Shadow Theory 22. Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You for Today 23. Saba - Care for Me 24. Soccer Mommy - Clean 25. Justin Courtney Pierre - In the Drink
1. Troye Sivan - Bloom 2. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer 3. DJDS - Big Wave More Fire 4. Tove Styrke - Sway 5. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 6. MØ - Forever Neverland 7. Panic! At The Disco - Pray For The Wicked 8. Camila Cabello - Camila 9. HONNE - Love Me / Love Me Not 10. Lykke Li - So Sad So Sexy 11. Wet - Still Run 12. Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis - Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures 13. Dirty Projectors - Lamp Lit Prose 14. Hayley Kiyoko - Expectations 15. Saves The Day - 9 16. Empress Of - Us 17. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 18. Various Artists - Black Panther: The Album 19. Christine and the Queens - Chris 20. Anthony Green - Would You Still Be In Love
1. Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog 2. Pusha T - Daytona 3. Snail Mail - Lush HM: Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs Might just have been a lazy year for me but god this one feels weak compared to most of the rest of the decade
1. Foxing - Nearer My God 2. MewithoutYou - [Untitled] 3. Drug Church - Cheer Close Ones: Turnstile - Time & Space Holy Fawn - Death Spells Vein - Errorzone Honorable Mentions: Ben Howard - Noonday Dream Fiddlehead - Springtime and Blind Jack White - Boarding House Reach Jon Hopkins - Singularity Pianos Become the Teeth- Wait for Love Rainbow Kitten Surprise - How to: Friend, Love, Freefall Rich Brian - Amen Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile Story So Far - Proper Dose
Definitely a weaker year 1. Wild Pink - Yolk in the Fur 2. boygenius - boygenius (not sure it counts, but this is where I'd rank it) 3. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 4. Mitski - Be the Cowboy 5. Arctic Monkey - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino 6. Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer 7. Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog 8. Lucy Dacus - Historian 9. Snail Mail - Lush 10. Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams 11. Robyn - Honey 12. Low - Double Negative 13. Iceage - Beyondless 14. Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers 15. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears