My Favorite Albums of 2022

20 - 11

20. Mitski - Laurel Hell Watch: "Stay Soft" Watch: "Love Me More"

19. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia Watch: "A Couple Across the Way" Watch: "Roman Holiday"

18. Brutus - Unison Life Watch: "What Have We Done" Watch: "Victoria"

17. Gilla Band - Most Normal Watch: "Post Ryan" Watch: "Backwash"

16. Amber Mark - Three Dimensions Deep Watch: "Bliss" Watch: "What It Is"

15. Naima Bock - Giant Palm Watch: "Campervan" Watch: "Toll"

14. Bartees Strange - Farm to Table Watch: "Cosigns" Watch: "Heavy Heart"

13. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Watch: "Count Me Out" Watch: "Rich Spirit"

12. Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler - For All Our Days That Tear the Heart Watch: "For All Our Days That Tear the Heart" Watch: "Seven Red Rose Tattoos"

11. Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork Watch: "No Decent Shoes for Rain" Watch: "Anna Calls from the Arctic"

My Top 10

	10. Tove Lo - Dirt Femme Watch: "Grapefruit" Watch: "No One Dies from Love"
	9. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs Watch: "We Go Back" Watch: "Strung with Everything"
	8. Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen Watch: "OMG BRITT" Watch: "NBPQ (Topless)"
	7. Aldous Harding - Warm Chris Watch: "Tick Tock" Watch: "Fever"
	6. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii Watch: "Remembering Me" Watch: "Typical Love"
	5. Andrew Bird - Inside Problems Watch: "Make a Picture" Watch: "Underlands"
	4. Alex G - God Save the Animals Watch: "Cross the Sea" Watch: "Runner"
	3. Rosalía - MOTOMAMI Watch: "HENTAI" Watch: "Chicken Teriyaki"
	2. Yaya Bey - Remember Your North Star Watch: "Big Daddy Ya" Watch: "keisha"
	1. SZA - S.O.S. Watch: "I Hate U" Watch: "Kill Bill"

My Favorite Albums of 2019

20. Anna Meredith - FIBS Watch: "Sawbones" Watch: "Inhale Exhale" Watch: "Paramour"

19. James Blake - Assume Form Watch: "I'll Come Too" Watch: "Can’t Believe the Way We Flow" Watch: "Barefoot in the Park" (featuring ROSALÍA)

18. Wand - Laughing Matter Watch: "Scarecrow" Watch: "Rio Grande" Watch: "Walkie Talkie"

17. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You Watch: "Cuz I Love You" Watch: "Good as Hell" Watch: "Tempo" (featuring Missy Elliott)

16. Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow Watch: "Jupiter 4" Watch: "No One’s Easy to Love" Watch: "Seventeen"

15. The New Pornographers - In the Morse Code of Brake Lights Watch: "Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile" Watch: "The Surprise Knock"

14. Priests - The Seduction of Kansas Watch: "Good Time Charlie" Watch: "Jesus’ Son"

13. Denzel Curry - ZUU Watch: "RICKY" Watch: "SPEEDBOAT"

12. Aldous Harding - Designer Watch: "Zoo Eyes" Watch: "The Barrel" Watch: "Fixture Picture"

11. Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? Watch: "Timebends" Watch: "Death in Midsummer"

10. Charly Bliss - Young Enough The pop-punk of the 90s is probably one of my least favorite styles of music. I would not have thought that a throwback to that sound would become one of my favorites for the year, but Charly Bliss found a way to elevate the sound above what preceded it over two decades ago. Watch: "Young Enough" Watch: "Hard to Believe" Watch: "Chatroom"

9. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors I accidentally pre-ordered two copies of this album when it was announced last year. The strength of her music convinced a friend who had never heard her before to take the second copy. Angel Olsen's music has always had a cinematic quality to it, but she takes it to a new level with her fourth album. Watch: "Lark" Watch: "All Mirrors"

8. Vagabon - Vagabon There's a gorgeous synth melody underscoring "Water Me Down." The earworm was the major element that drew me into Vagabon's second album. Of course, every moment of every track is great! Watch: "Every Woman" Watch: "Water Me Down" Watch: "Flood"

7. FKA twigs - MAGDALENE FKA twigs videos are just as important an element as the lyrics or music in telling the stories her songs convey. It's one way that she's able to express pain, both physical and emotional, in a way that seems almost sensual. Like with her debut, her sound is a mix of just about everything style out there, but this time through is a much more emotional journey. Watch: "home with you" Watch: "holy terrain" (featuring Future) Watch: "cellophane"

6. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride I was skeptical about the future of this band when it was announced that founding member Rostam Batmanglij would be leaving. The release of their fourth album removed those concerns. It the largest shift in their sound, certainly, but a number of well-used collaborations with the likes of HAIM and Steve Lacy, as well as Rostam's continued involvement (just not as a band member), make it an amazing listen. Watch: "This Life" Watch: "Sunflower" (featuring Steve Lacy) Watch: "Harmony Hall"

5. Solange - When I Get Home It still amazes me to think of the cultural forces that both of the Knowles sisters have become. Certainly, Beyoncé has the ear of the masses, but Solange has stood out with a more low-key sound. She produces a sound that evokes jazz while being rooted in old-school R&B, and has followed up one amazing record with another. Watch: "Almeda" Watch: "Binz"

4. Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel There is little I love more than rock sung in a heavy accent, and this Dublin-based band definitely delivers on that. The stand-out track on their debut is its opener, "Big," a short-burst of a punk track with an aspirational feel. Watch: "Sha Sha Sha" Watch: "Roy’s Tune" Watch: "Big"

3. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! Over her past few albums, Lana Del Rey has easily disproven much of the skepticism that seemed to surround her early in her career. Her cover of Sublime's "Doin' Time" alone could be enough to position this album as one of my favorites, but excellent writing and an underscoring sense of California cool seal its position. Watch: "Doin’ Time" Watch: "Fuck It I Love You"/"The Greatest" Watch: "Venice Bitch"

2. Brutus - Nest An incredible live video for album track "War" initially drew me into this Belgium band. They have a kick-ass lead singer, who also serves as the band's drummer. While I don't use my car very often, this album was my go-to driving record through the first few months of the year. Watch: "Cemetery" Listen: "War"

1. Jamila Woods - LEGACY! LEGACY! Jamila Woods came onto my radar as a guest vocalist on Chance The Rapper's "Sunday Candy." It wasn't long after that I began to notice her solo work, starting with her debut album, Heavn. With her sophomore record, she moves into a new level among my favorite artists, with a work that honors generations of black creators that came before. Watch: "BALDWIN" Watch: "ZORA" Watch: "GIOVANNI"

The Best Albums of 2018

Every year, I compile the year-end music lists published by a variety of news, music, and entertainment blogs and magazines in order to determine a broad consensus of the best ranked albums of the year. I consult a variety of sources of try to capture the wide variety of styles covered by these publications.

I look at the ranking of each list and assign a number of points to each album based on its placement on the list. For placements within the top ten, each album gets the number of points inverse to its position; a number one spot gets ten points, number ten gets one point, and so on. Beyond the top ten, albums receive a fraction of a point, the value of which depends on the album's placement. I start at 0.5 points for spots 11 through 20, going down one-tenth of a point for each group of ten. Once I hit 0.1 points, any remaining albums on the list will receive that value.

Last year, I finally got around to adding the first tool to my belt to make tracking and calculating this a bit easier (though, clearly it didn't help me get this posted any faster). I created a database with tables for Artist, Album, Publication, and Publication List, as well as a linking table for Album to Publication List that included the album's placement on the list. Using a fairly simple query, I was then able set the of point gained for each album placement, then sum those up to get the scores.

Here is the top ten ranking for 2018 albums:

10. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino: 35.1 points (7 list inclusions; 4 top ten appearances; 1 number one spot)
9. IDLES - Joy As an Act of Resistance: 35.9 points (8 list inclusions; 6 top ten appearances)
8. Pusha T - Daytona: 37.6 points (15 list inclusions; 7 top ten appearances)
7. Christina and the Queens - Chris: 40.5 points (13 list inclusions; 7 top ten appearances; 1 number one spot)
6. Ariana Grande - sweeetener: 43.5 points (12 list inclusions; 6 top ten appearances; 1 number one spot)
5. Robyn - Honey: 49.3 points (16 list inclusions; 8 top ten appearances)
4. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer: 56.8 points (17 list inclusions; 8 top ten appearances; 1 number one spot)
3. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy: 58.4 points (15 list inclusions; 8 top ten appearances; 2 number one spots)
2. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour: 77.2 points (14 list inclusions; 10 top ten appearances; 2 number one spots)
1. Mitski - Be the Cowboy.: 79.9 points (17 list inclusions; 12 top ten appearances; 2 number one spots)

A few things stood out about this year's lists. The first was that this truly looked like the year of women. I first noticed the general dominance of female artists with NPR's list, of which the entire top ten were women. Of the final count, the top seven are women!

It was also a great year for acclaimed pop music. The top albums included both established artists like Robyn and newer pop darlings in Ariana Grande.

It was not, however, Kanye's year. In past years, when he released an album, it was the number one rated of the year. His 2018 album, ye, made it onto only one list, where it placed 34th. His collaborative album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts, fared slightly better. It made it onto four lists, but placed no higher than 15th. He does have a tangential victory in Pusha T; he produced the rapper's Daytona, which did make it into the overall top ten.

It wasn't a runaway year for anyone, though. Usually, there's a clear leader. Last year's was Kendrick Lamar, with Damn., which led the next closest album by 50 points and 4 top ten placements. Mitski only just edged out Kacey Musgraves this year.

A few more lists from last year's albums:

The Next Ten

20. Travis Scott - Astroworld: 19.7 points
19. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!: 19.8 points
18. SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL's UN-INSIDES: 19.9 points
17. Rosalía - El Mal Querer: 21.3 points
16. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears: 22.1 points
15. Beach House - 7: 23.1 points
14. Snail Mail - Lush: 24.3 points
13. Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth: 29.1 points
12. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships: 33 points
11. Low - Double Negative: 33.8 points

Top Ten Albums By List Inclusions

8. (tie) Blood Orange - Negro Swan: 12 lists
8. (tie) Ariana Grande - sweetener: 12 lists
8. (tie) Noname - Room 25: 12 lists
7. Christine and The Queens - Chris: 13 lists
6. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour: 14 lists
4. (tie) Pusha T - Daytona: 15 lists
4. (tie) Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy: 15 lists
3. Robyn - Honey: 16 lists
1. (tie) Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer: 17 lists
1. (tie) Mitski - Be the Cowboy: 17 lists

Top Ten Albums (with No Top Ten Spots)

10. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts: 1.6 points
8. (tie) The Beths - Future Me Hates Me: 1.7 points
8. (tie) Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want: 1.7 points
7. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard: 1.8 points
6. The Internet - Hive Mind: 2.1 points
5. Elvis Costello - Look Now: 2.2 points
5. Vince Staples - FM!: 2.5 points
1. (tie) Brockhampton - Iridescence: 3 points
1. (tie) Jon Hopkins - Singularity: 3 points
1. (tie) U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited: 3 points

My Favorite Albums of 2018

25. Anna St. Louis - If Only There Was a River
24. The Carters - EVERYTHING IS LOVE
23. Mac Miller - Swimming
22. Neko Case - Hell-On
21. Vince Staples - FM!

20. Troye Sivan - Bloom Watch: "Lucky Strike" Watch: "Dance to This" (featuring Ariana Grande)

19. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships Watch: "It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You)" Watch: "Sincerity Is Scary"

18. Gorillaz - The Now Now Watch: "Tranz" Watch: "Fire Flies"

17. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Watch: "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" Watch: "Four out of Five"

16. Dream Wife - Dream Wife Watch: "Hey Heartbreaker" Watch: "Let’s Make Out"

15. Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past Watch: "The Fire" Watch: "Sisters"

14. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! Watch: "Freebird II" Watch: "Mardi Gras Beads"

13. LUMP - LUMP Watch: "May I Be the Light" Watch: "Late to the Flight"

12. Lucy Dacus - Historian Watch: "Addictions" Listen: "Night Shift"

11. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy Watch: "Money" Watch: "Ring" (featuring Kehlani)

10. Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs I was first drawn to Wye Oak with the release of their 2011 album Civilian. They've releases two other albums since, but this is the first that's really caught my ear following that earlier album. It's not too different from Civilian, Jenn Wasner's vocals are beautifully haunting, something that drew me to their music in the first place. Watch: "It Was Not Natural" Watch: "Lifer"

9. Phosphorescent - C’est la vie While not all of his songs are ballads, Phosphorescent makes some of the most achingly beautiful music I've ever heard. His latest is no different with gorgeous tracks like "My Beautiful Boy" and "There from Here." Perhaps the most beautiful, at least to me, is also one of the stranger tracks. On "Christmas Down Under," he harmonizes his own vocals with an auto-tuned voice. Stay with me...it's an amazing result. Watch: "Christmas Down Under" Watch: "C’est La Vie No. 2"

8. Lykke Li - so sad so sexy I've been with Lykke Li since her first album; each record has been even better the previous. I wasn't sure about this album at first, though. Pop's always been a big part of her sound, but it was mixed with electronic synths and arty avant garde styles. This album feels more like a modern pop album, incorporating the trap style that's been popular. As you'll see later, I've loved me some pop this year. That, I think, lifted my opinion of this album. Watch: "utopia" Watch: "deep end"

7. Amen Dunes - Freedom I've been struggling to pinpoint exactly why I liked this album so much, but it's one I kept returning to, especially in the early part of the year. I've listened to Amen Dunes for a few years, but this is the first album of his that's reached repeat status. Watch: "Believe" Watch: "Blue Rose"

6. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour My preferences in country have tended towards music made in the 60s and 70s, or artists who channel that sound (or, alt-country). Kacey Musgraves tends towards a pop-inflected sound, but sounds so much better than the pop-country that has defined the genre over the past couple of decades. It may be due to her ability to incorporate a variety of genres into a country-based sound. The stand-out track, "High Horse," is a combination I never knew I needed, country and disco! Watch: "High Horse" Watch: "Mother"

5. U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited U.S. Girls also incorporates disco into her sound, but with a very different result. Had I known about her previous record, Half Free, when it came out, it would have easily been one of my favorite albums of 2015. Fortunately, she followed it up with an even better album. Watch: "Pearly Gates" (featuring James Baley) Watch: "Velvet 4 Sale"

4. Ariana Grande - sweetener Before last year, it was easy to write Grande off as a typical pop star. She certainly exudes many of those stereotypical elements, but this album proved (at least to me) that she's a step above many other pop princesses. She had a lot going on over the previous couple of years and all of that makes it onto the album. It's a more personal album than we usually get from the pop world, which makes her a more endearing artist than many of her peers. Watch: "breathin" Watch: "God is a woman"

3. Mitski - Be the Cowboy Mitski is one of those few artists who writes lyrics that I feel I can truly relate to. Her previous record, Puberty 2, which was a favorite of 2016, dealt with themes of otherness. This one tackles loneliness, something the artist felt while touring for that previous record. She's an amazing lyricist who has a way of making the listener feel every emotion. Watch: "Washing Machine Heart" Watch: "Nobody"

2. Dirty Projectors - Lamp Lit Prose Dirty Projectors' previous record, Dirty Projectors, was a favorite of 2017, but seems weaker compared to this. The last album was dour and depressing, this one is much brighter. It also marks a return to the interplay of male and female vocals that previously defined their sound. While the former female members of the band have departed, that role now is taken on by new members and a few guest vocalists, including Syd, Amber Marks, Empress Of, and Haim. Watch: "That’s a Lifestyle" Watch: "Break-Thru"

1. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer Monáe's music has previously been presented through the voice of her alter ego, Cindi Mayweather. The character and concepts introduced Afrofuturism into popular music, but she steps away from those concepts here. It's her most personal record, but one that also speaks to both the LGBTQ and black communities. In relaying the black experience to a broad audience, it reminds me a bit of the albums from the Knowles sisters a couple of years back. Watch: "Crazy Classic Life" Watch: "I Like That"