Best Music of 2024: Staff Picks
2024 was an incredible year for new music. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at these wildly varied lists of the year’s 10 best albums, as chosen by more than 40 members of Rolling Stone’s staff across all departments. These lists feature pop blockbusters, DIY faves, and everything in between. Think of them as a counterpart to our official tally of the year’s best albums — a peek behind the curtain at the people who work here, and all the many kinds of sounds we love.
Sage Anderson, Commerce Editor
1. Magdalena Bay, Imaginal Disk
2. Charli XCX, Brat
3. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
4. Porter Robinson, Smile! : D
5. Remi Wolf, Big Ideas
6. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
7. PREP, The Programme
8. TWRP, Digital Nightmare
9. Chromeo, Adult Contemporary
10. Yung Bae, 6AE
More from Rolling Stone
As I stared at my phone, head hung low with the knowledge that I was somehow, some way, in the top 0.005 percent of listeners of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” according to Spotify Wrapped, I asked myself this: Have we reached the inevitable conclusion of Poptimism? Let’s be real here, if you keep scrolling, you’ll probably see a lot of the three People’s Princesses of Pop (including Chappell Roan, whose triumphantly mainstream sapphic yearning reigned supreme over my headphones, though sadly it missed the cut for our annual list). And yes, maybe that does mean that in a way “pop won,” both in the charts and in our hearts. That’s that we espresso. But there was something else simmering under the surface of a lot of my top album roster this year, something often considered lacking from pop — questions of authenticity. Porter Robinson’s Smile! : D examined the parasocial relationships between fan and artist, artist and self. Magdalena Bay made a dreamy concept album about a character inserting an alien disk into her forehead to transform into her ideal self asking, “What are we?” How can we remain true to ourselves in a world where inauthenticity is what’s being bought and sold, onstage and online? Even Charli’s drunk-girl-in-the-bathroom soul-baring on Brat eventually catapulted the record into a nigh-unavoidable zeitgeist that ultimately outshone its own thesis — one of insecurities about resignation to pop’s middle class (or in other internet terms, simply being “gay famous”). Maybe we all need a good, hard look in the mirror next year, or maybe we just need to shake our asses. Or maybe it’s both.
Yaasmiyn Alam, Executive Assistant
1. Charli XCX, Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat
2. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
3. Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine (slightly deluxe)
4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
5. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
6. Wicked Cast, Wicked: The Soundtrack
7. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
8. Victoria Monét, Jaguar II: Deluxe
9. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
10. St. Vincent, All Born Screaming
2024 has been a delightful year for music. Charli XCX made us all 365 partygirls and gave us lethal remixes with features to melt our faces off. Cowboy Carter’s thrilling ear candy “Ya-Ya” is one of the best Beyoncé songs ever made, with a chef’s kiss transition into “OH LOUISIANA” followed by the funky harmonic “DESERT EAGLE”. Miss Ariana had one of the busiest years — starting the year strong with her beautiful Eternal Sunshine, collaborating with music royalty (Mariah, Brandy, Monica), a feature on Charli’s Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat, and ending with her perfect performance as Glinda in Wicked alongside the stunningly talented Cynthia Erivo. This was also a year for unreal moments in music: a surprise Oasis reunion finally ending their 15-year sibling rivalry; an ignited Drake vs. Kendrick feud gifting us with the summer anthem “Not Like Us” (plus the November surprise album GNX); Chappell Roan’s meteoric rise as the world discovered last year’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess; Victoria Monét’s well-deserved Best New Artist and Best R&B album wins at the Grammy Awards; Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars releasing the solid-gold timeless love song “Die With a Smile”; and quite literally any Doechii performance is the moment.
Jonathan Bernstein, Senior Research Editor
1. Willi Carlisle, Critterland
2. Lizzie No, Halfsies
3. Bonny Light Horseman, Keep me On Your Mind/See You Free
4. Meshell Ndegeocello, No More Water:The Gospel of James Baldwin
5. Medium Build, Country
6. Sarah Jarosz, Polaroid Lovers
7. Yasmin Williams, Acadia
8. John Moreland, Visitor
9. Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin, symbiont
10. Katie Pruitt, Mantras
I’m not sure what, if anything, these albums have in common. They contain songs about finding solace and safety in your teenage bedroom, songs about stirring porridge, songs about watching your peers grasp for something — anything — to believe in, songs about begging a police officer to not kill you, songs about the world being on fire, songs with no words at all. Some of these records are returns-to-form from longtime favorites (John Moreland). Some are from rising stars blooming into should-be stardom with their most accomplished work (Lizzie No, Medium Build). Some are veteran geniuses still challenging and expanding their art decades into their career (Meshell Ndegeocello). One of them contains my single favorite song of the year (try listening to “Higher Lonesome” by Willi Carlisle, especially that final verse, without being moved to tears). Some were boldly experimental (Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin’s excellent LP) and others lean into pop sugar-rush melodicism (Sarah Jarosz). All I know is that I couldn’t stop learning from, listening, and returning to these 10 records, time and time and time again, over this past year.
Jon Blistein, Staff Writer
1. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
2. Sturgill Simpson, Why Not? tour recordings
3. Cindy Lee, Diamond Jubilee
4. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
5. Arooj Aftab, Night Reign
6. Being Dead, Eels
7. Magdalena Bay, Imaginal Disk
8. Dummy, Free Energy
9. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
10. Nilüfer Yanya, My Method Actor
Because what else is left to say about Manning Fireworks, I’ll just start with my Number Two, which isn’t even an album. Nothing against Passage du Desir (it’s fantastic), but Sturgill Simpson’s Why Not? Tour was somehow even better, and every show was professionally recorded: three hours of music drawn from an immaculate solo catalog and a few sublime covers, delivered by a band capable of reinventing the setlist every night. Those shows are like a world unto themselves, which is what I loved too about the cosmic after-hours explorations on Arooj Aftab’s Night Reign; the dirt-in-your-throat/guitar-strings road trip Hurray for the Riff Raff documents on The Past is Still Alive; the out-there sci-fi saga Magdalena Bay explore with phantasmagorical alterna-pop on Imaginal Disk; and the out-of-time rock & roll portal Cindy Lee pries open on Diamond Jubilee. Waxahatchee somehow keeps getting better — love that elder millennial, settling-into-your-thirties representation, which felt somehow in dialog with Nilüfer Yanya’s visions and versions becoming on My Method Actor. Dummy’s Free Energy is a mesmerizing journey through all things psychedelia, and Being Dead’s Eels strikes that perfect balance between off-kilter irreverence and emotional clarity: “Rock & roll hurts, baby” — you bet it does.
Elise Brisco, Social Media Editor
1. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
2. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
3. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
4. Flo Milli, Fine Ho, Stay
5. Anycia, Princess Pop That
6. Clairo, Charm
7. Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism
8. Lola Young, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway
9. Foushée, Pointy Heights
10. BadBadNotGood, Mid Spiral
While it may not be reflected on this list, 2024 was all about being a student of music. A big part of my weekly routine this year included listening to everything under the sun to see what stuck by spending New Music Fridays running through lists of the latest or stopping to discreetly ask Siri “What’s This Song” when I was running the city on a night out. While my favorite icons didn’t disappoint (see: Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar in the top 2 spots), I spent a lot of time with new artists and artists new to me like Clairo, Lola Young and Fousheé. Flo Milli and Anycia satisfied my need for sexy rap, with no holds barred on confidence and charisma and BadBadNotGood kept my ear tuned to the pleasures of leaning on instruments and phrasing instead of lyrics to convey feeling. And listen, Dua Lipa scored my life on a personal level that only she and I can understand. I will not be explaining further than a simple: The girls who get it, get it.
David Browne, Senior Writer
1. Maggie Rogers, Don’t Forget Me
2. The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
3. Manu Chao, Viva Tu
4. Willi Carlisle, Critterland
5. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
6. Shaboozey, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
7. Charli XCX, Brat
8. Linda Thompson, Proxy Music
9. Future and Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You
10. Kim Gordon, The Collective
Once I compiled this list, I started to wonder what any of them had in common. And at first, hell if I knew what united Rogers’ disarmingly direct and gorgeously desperate ruminations, Chao’s multinational and effortless world music, the Last Dinner Party’s insouciant glam-pop, and Linda Thompson recruiting others to cover her songs now that she can no longer sing. If this was the year AI music began announcing its scary ascent, here overall were examples of actual humans taking vintage forms — singer-songwriter pop, Latin, alt rock, dance music, troubadour folk, hip-hop blends — and regenerating them on their own. Their intelligence was genuine.
Rick Carp, Research Editor
1. Cime, The Cime Interdisciplinary Music Ensemble
2. Missouri Executive Order 44, Salt Sermon
3. Senza, Celestial Body
4. Alora Crucible, Oak Lace Apparition
5. Still House Plants, If I Don’t Make It, I Love U
6. Chat Pile, Cool World
7. Basque, Pain Without Hope of Healing
8. Straw Man Army, Earthworks
9. Heavenly Blue, We Have the Answer
10. Casket Dealer, Letters From the Dead
I had an annoying 2024, but that wasn’t due to a lack of good music. It was hard to cut this down to 10 albums, but these are not really in any particular order anyway. I was able to attend a lot of really good shows, particularly enjoying some opening acts on the bills like Mamaleek, Stress Spells, Trophy Hunt, and the Homeless Gospel Choir. Next year we are getting a Portraits of Past reunion. Friends and family have lately been interested in playing music, so putting it out here: My 2025 New Year’s resolution is to pick the guitar up again. Hold me to it, folks, and have a good holiday season.
Julia Demorest, Creative Marketing Manager
1. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
2. Wild Rivers, Never Better
3. Valley, Songs That Got Lost in Translation
4. Donovan Woods, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now
5. Ben Howard, I Forget Where We Were (10th Anniversary Deluxe)
6. Three on the Tree, Inkom
7. Quin XCII, Breakfast EP
8. Del Water Gap, I Miss You + I Haven’t Left Yet (Deluxe)
9. Khalid, Sincere
10. STRFKR, Parallel Realms
I’ll never forget learning the word “melancholy.” It first appeared in my life on the pages of Because of Winn-Dixie, capturing a feeling that I, up until that point, didn’t realize had a name. In 2024, the albums that meant the most to me harkened back to that grade-school reading assignment with their ability to capture and define the ineffable. Yes, I heard my fair share of “I’m so Julia” jokes, and have admittedly had “Espresso” stuck in my head on more than one occasion, but, for better or worse, wistful music has always caught my ear more — and this year was no exception. Wild Rivers’ title track “Never Better” perfectly captures the feeling of desperately trying to relive the excitement of a long-expired relationship. Three on the Tree’s “Blue Ridge Run” details one of the band’s early tours, evoking a winding drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains with instrumentals that rise and fall like the landscape to which it pays tribute. Ben Howard’s “I Forget Where We Were” (a 10th-anniversary release) evokes a melancholic, painful realization that a relationship is about to end, despite having amassed deep importance in a short period of time. This song continually comes back around for me – which feels in keeping with the “what’s-old-is-new” renaissance we’ve seen in pop culture this year.
Jon Dolan, Reviews Editor
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
3. Floating Points, Cascade
4. The Hard Quartet, The Hard Quartet
5. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
6. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
7. Liquid Mike, Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot
8. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
9. Allegra Krieger, Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine
10. Being Dead, Eels
A few of these were inevitable blockbusters and/or breakthroughs from people who’ve been trending in that direction for a while (Charli, Doechii, MJ, Mannequin Pussy). A couple are just people who can’t miss for me (Floating Points, Stephen Malkmus in the Hard Quartet). Being Dead do zippy low-fi kitchen-sink catchiness as well as anyone since the Guided By Voices of Bee Thousand. Liquid Mike is the Replacements. Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra is Bob Dylan. Albums are awesome.
Brenna Ehrlich, Chief Research Editor
1. Drug Church, PRUDE
2. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
3. Knocked Loose, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
4. Nick Cave, Wild God
5. Regional Justice Center, Freedom, Sweet Freedom
6. Chat Pile, Cool World
7. Arooj Aftab, Night Reign
8. Pearl Jam, Dark Matter
9. Guided By Voices, Strut of Kings
10. Man Man, Carrot on Strings
I was in the mood for brain-obliterating music in 2024, and folks like Knocked Loose, Drug Church, Chat Pile, and Regional Justice Center did not disappoint. Add in the exquisite lyricism of Nick Cave, the honeyed melodies of Arooj Aftab, and the sheer creativity of Man Man, and you have a pretty good insight into what made me tick this year. Oh, yeah, and of course there’s some GBV. Plus, Kendrick came in right at the last moment to show you why you shouldn’t make your EOY lists before the holidays.
Andre Gee, Staff Writer
Boldy James and Nicholas Craven, Penalty of Leadership
Cavalier, Different Type Time
Che Noir, The Lotus Child
Chris Patrick, The Calm
GloRilla, Glorious
John Wells, Whole World Burnin’ Down
Ka, The Thief Next to Jesus
Little Simz, Drop 7
Mach-Hommy, Richaxxhaitian
Westside Gunn, Still Praying
If you’ve followed me on Twitter (God bless you), you may have seen me state that I don’t care much to evaluate music in terms of “best” or “worst.” For me, art, specifically hip-hop, is an engagement of emotion, aspiration, craft, and so many other things that are just too abstract to be stacked on top of each other — especially if the sounds are nothing alike. That said, this year was an amazing year for hip-hop. Artists from so many disparate scenes dropped exciting work. I wanted to highlight some of the projects that didn’t get on our end-of-year lists that I really enjoyed.
Maya Georgi, Assistant Editor
1. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
2. Illuminati Hotties, Power
3. Charli XCX, Brat
4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
5. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology
6. The Marias, Submarine
7. Pom Pom Squad, Mirror Starts Moving Without Me
8. The Story So Far, I Want to Disappear
9. Halsey, The Great Impersonator
10. RaiNao, Capicu
This year, everything music offered was fun — even if the world around it was anything but. 2024 was jam-packed with so many things: pop girl domination, indie-rock comebacks, and artists that pushed music to new boundaries. It was a challenge trying to slim this list down to just 10 albums (I mean, we got two new Taylor Swift albums, after all), but my Number One was easy. After five years of waiting, I’m still spellbound by how Mannequin Pussy makes rage sound pretty on I Got Heaven. Last year, my top 10 albums mainly consisted of women, and I emphasized how 2023 represented music’s embrace of femininity. Well, 2024 put that notion into overdrive — and I relished every facet of pop girl summer’s glitzy offerings from Charli XCX’s soul-baring Brat to Sabrina Carpenter’s cheeky Short n’ Sweet. Bands like the Story So Far and Pom Pom Squad returned from years-long breaks with hard-hitting emotional rollercoasters that were well worth the wait. Meanwhile, the Marias and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter RaiNao released some of the most underrated albums of the year, bending sonic possibilities into shapes and sounds I never could have imagined. I know I’m going to look back on this year of music and just be grateful I was around to live through it.
Kory Grow, Senior Writer
1. Grace Cummings, Ramona
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Wild God
3. Kerry King, From Hell I Rise
4. Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch
5. Bruce Dickinson, The Mandrake Project
6. The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
7. Mdou Moctar, Funeral for Justice
8. Víkingur ólafsson, Continuum
9. John Cale, POPtical Illusion
10. Kim Deal, Nobody Loves You More
“Love is just a thing that I’m trying to live without.” Grace Cummings was clearly lying to herself, to you, to the world when she wrote those words (just listen to the anguish in her voice as she tries to convince herself of that fact), but the complexity of that lyric, and the way she sang it, was the most moving thing I heard all year. Apple Music tells me Ramona was my most-played record this year. It should be yours, too. I also deeply felt Nick Cave opining, “We’ve all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy,” and for what it’s worth (uh, nothing), I’ve been chewing on that nugget long before Bob Dylan. Other moments of beauty included Kim Deal singing, “Now is the time for me to get what I want/And when I figure it out, consider it bought”; the entirety of the Cure’s soul-warming Songs of a Last World; the doleful way Víkingur ólafsson plays the opening chords of Bach’s “Komm, sü?er Tod” (a.k.a. the opening volume swells before Metallica’s “Damage Inc.”); and the sheer joy of John Cale’s POPtical Illusion. Who could live without all this love?
Julia Hardie, Branded Social Content Manager
1. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
2. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
3. Gracie Abrams, The Secret of Us
4. Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
5. Remi Wolf, Big Ideas
6. Charli XCX, Brat
7. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
8. Benson Boone, Fireworks & Rollerblades
9. Wicked Cast, Wicked: The Soundtrack
10. Steve Wright, Visitors from the Black
In past years, I’ve struggled to put together a solid top 10 list, but this year, narrowing it down felt almost impossible. Taylor Swift, of course, takes the Number One spot. As a ride-or-die fan, it’s no surprise her music continues to resonate with me year after year. Meanwhile, many of my favorites, like Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, and Benson Boone, had breakthrough moments, earning their place at the forefront of the industry. A special shoutout goes to Chappell Roan, who has continued to soar since making my list last year, and to Steve Wright, whose work on my tenth pick highlights the incredible talent that often flies under the radar. Wicked: The Soundtrack earned a last-minute spot on my list, exceeding my expectations, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivering vocals just as powerful as the Broadway original. Overall, my 2024 music evolution mirrored my personal growth, finding comfort in emotional tracks before shifting to the upbeat pop anthems that better reflected my mood for the year. From longtime favorites to bold new discoveries, my top 10 albums blend sounds that capture this year’s highs, lows, and unforgettable moments.
Mitch Herskowitz, Partnerships
1. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
2. Jacob Collier, Djesse Vol 4
3. Soweto Gospel Choir, History of House
4. Tyla, Tyla
5. Charley Crockett, $10 Cowboy
6. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
7. Post Malone, F-1 Trillion
8. Jamie XX, In Waves
9. Tems, Born in The Wild
10. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
Afrobeats makes its presence felt more than ever. Watch out in ’25.
Christian Hoard, Executive Music Editor
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
3. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
4. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
5. This Is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star
6. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
7. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
8. Rema, Heis
9. llluminati Hotties, Power
10. Ayra Starr, The Year I Turned 21
In one of the bannerest of banner years for pop, it’s only right to salute Charli XCX, whose Brat distilled so many things she’s done so well for so long, then added some new moves and a dollop of zeitgeist. Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal was exciting as hell, and portends great things from her. I got tons of pleasure out of any number of indie-rock albums (speaking of genres that had a banner year), three in particular: the wizardly catchy Illuminati Hotties, the tenderly tuneful This Is Lorelei, and MJ Lenderman, who is not doing anything particularly new, but is nonetheless extremely damn good at it. Cowboy Carter was an event album that holds up. Tyler, the Creator proved, in case there were any doubts, that he’s one of the handful of greatest artists of this century. Short n’ Sweet was as sharp as the hit singles suggested it would be. And two Nigerian leading lights, Ayra Starr and Rema, pushed Afrobeats forward in thrilling ways. Happy new year.
Joseph Hudak, Senior Music Editor
1. Koe Wetzel, 9 Lives
2. Silverada, Silverada
3. Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies, Passage Du Desir
4. Various Artists, Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin
5. Fantastic Cat, Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat
6. Sophie Gault, Baltic Street Hotel
7. The Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards
8. The Mavericks, Moon & Stars
9. Scotty McCreery, Rise & Fall
10. Battlesnake, The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple
Kendrick’s GNX knocked me out, I’m finally coming around to Manning Fireworks, and my most played new song this year was “Good Luck, Babe!” — but these 10 albums were my all-around favorites of ’24, led by Koe Wetzel’s dark and dangerous 9 Lives. Wetzel, a burly Texan with a rowdy rep, sang about self-medicating and self-sabotaging, with a little self-mythologizing along the way. It was intoxicating and frequently damn funny. Silverada, the Texas group FKA Mike and the Moonpies, gambled on a name change to help them leave their comfort zone. Songs like the jammy “Eagle Rare” proved to me that it worked. And Sturgill Simpson took on his own new persona — Johnny Blue Skies — and delivered an anthem for all my off-the-grid escapist fantasies, “Scooter Blues” (“When people say, are you him?/I’ll say not anymore!”). I also loved the second album by New York tricksters Fantastic Cat, a pop-rock record that was as light on its feet as the band’s pet name, and the comeback bravado of Black Crowes’ Happiness Bastards. The Mavericks put out yet another dazzling effort, and Scotty McCreery dropped an LP that answers the question: “Where did real country music go?” Check out Nashville’s Sophie Gault as well: The singer-guitarist’s Baltic Street Hotel was full of promise, especially the Stonesy opener “Kick the Devil Away” — my second-most-played song this year. Shout out to all the artists, from Springsteen to Susanna Hoffs, who rallied for Jesse Malin’s benefit album Silver Patron Saints, too. Finally, I couldn’t stop throwing up the devil horns every time I cranked The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple by Australian metalheads Battlesnake. As my colleague Kory Grow messaged me, “This is such a Joe Hudak album.” Thanks, Kory, for seeing me.
Jeff Ihaza, Senior Music Editor
1. Skaiwater, #gigi
2. Nourished by Time, Catching Chickens
3. SahBabii, Saaheem
4. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
5. FearDorian, FearDorian
6. Mk.gee, Two Star & the Dream Police
7. Nia Archives, Silence is Loud
8. Fimiguerrero, Len, and Lancey Foux, Conglomerate
9. Nettspend, Bad Ass Fucking Kid
10. Blair, Blair II
This year, I found myself drawn to music that seemed to exist in its own world, like Skaiwater’s #gigi, which features drums that straddle the technical limits of listeners’ headphones and manages to transport you to a place straight from the 24-year-old artist’s imagination. Or Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia, which plays out with the cinematic elegance that Tyler spent his career cultivating. FearDorian, an 18-year-old producer and rapper from Atlanta, released a debut this year that, for me, felt like a portal opening to a new dimension and the first signs of what the next generation of digital natives might construct to reimagine the world. Perhaps because the present seems as confusing as ever, I spent the year listening to music that made the future seem exciting.
Meagan Jordan, Research Editor
1. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
2. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
3. Leon Thomas, Mutt
4. GloRilla, Glorious
5. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
6. JT, City Cinderella
7. Wizkid, Morayo
8. SiR, Heavy
9. Clairo, Charm
10. Monaleo, Throwing Bows
Although this list is in numerical order, it really doesn’t reflect a best to least (although I’d argue my top three are some of the best albums of 2024). This list mostly indicates my musical moods and shows what projects were on loop in my car, headphones, and home at different parts of the year. This year’s collective theme seemed to be authenticity, whether it was cussing folks out and upping the hatred against our enemies (side-eyes K. Dot) or breaking out creatively to show different layers of our personality and passions. For artists like GloRilla and JT, the world really got to see why their voices are special in our musical times. Despite their tension with one another in the earlier part of the year, both ladies exhibited swag, persona, and raw delivery on their projects respectively. City Cinderella felt like a personal signature for JT, whose songs “90’s Baby”, “Sideways,” and “Okay” were personal faves and overall standouts. Glo’s Glorious had preachers implementing her lyrics in pulpits. The blend of turn-up and gospel is a relatable touch to my life, being that I’m very much outside and in the church for praise and worship on Sunday mornings — it’s called duality and humanity. Doechii really came out this year in the last quarter swangin’. “Nissan Altima’s,” released in the summer, provided a little taste but surprisingly didn’t capture the full essence of Doechii’s pizzazz. Each song on Alligator Bites Never Heal has a personality of its own, making Doechii’s range even more dynamic. Seeing her pair with Tyler, the Creator for his beautiful storytelling on Chromakopia felt even more magical and dynamic. Leon Thomas has been that dude, and I’m happy the world seems to be catching up. I discovered Clairo by accident, and honestly I’m pretty obsessed. Charm is perfect moody music that you can sing and dance to — take “Sexy to Someone,” which makes insecurity sound so damn good. And last but not least, Monaleo deserves her respect. Throwing Bows is a gritty piece of work, which combines elements of rock and soul with hip-hop. But Ms. Leo is really that girl and makes music for the ladies who keeps it classy but isn’t above giving someone an ass-whooping if needed. It is my prayer for 2025 that her rhythmic version of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” moves from the realms of TikTok to a streaming platform near me, because that shit sounds “fireeeeeee.”
Miles Klee, Staff Writer
1. Shaboozey, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
2. LOW-RES, Happiness
3. Pale Waves, Smitten
4. Orville Peck, Stampede
5. Charly Bliss, Forever
6. Wild Pink, Dulling the Horns
7. Cigarettes After Sex, X’s
8. Dehd, Poetry
9. GloRilla, Glorious
10. Pixey, Million Dollar Baby
For me, 2024 was a year of fantastic power-pop: Charly Bliss and Pale Waves returned with accomplished albums of heart-on-sleeve hooks that keep you coming back for more, demonstrating the artistic command that comes with having a couple LPs under your belt. (CB, by the way, play a brilliant live set that will have you smiling the whole time.) Pixey, meanwhile, dropped an ear-candy debut that surely puts her in the conversation with those bands. Returning at the top of their game were Wild Pink, whose sparkling-yet-grungy sound continues to dazzle, and Cigarettes After Sex, once again demonstrating mastery of the slow, ethereal dream-pop that somehow sells out arenas. The latest from prolific Chicago veterans Dehd is my pick for rootsier indie rock, and GloRilla’s full-length breakout struck an incredible balance for a rapper, starting off as a hard-edged score for a night of dangerous decisions before opening up into moments of soul and introspection. My dark horse pick is the new effort from LOW-RES, out of Stockholm, packed with stellar collaborators and psychedelic noise. Lastly, a tip of the ten-gallon hat to Orville Peck and Shaboozey, two irresistible talents showing us everything country can and should be. The latter is my Number One because Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going is so much more than its record-breaking single, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” A damn good tune, but anything else on this tracklist could easily get stuck on repeat.
Daniel Kreps, Staff Writer
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. Beth Gibbons, Lives Outgrown
3. Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch
4. The Smile, Wall of Eyes
5. The Smile, Cutouts
6. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
7. The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
8. Loma, How Will I Live Without a Body?
9. Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies, Passage Du Desir
10. Grandaddy, Blu Wav
The masses finally caught up to Charli XCX, whose Brat threw one last dance party before the end of the world as we know it. It’s not a perfect album — the Lorde and Robyn remixes should’ve made the main LP, and its legacy was perhaps unfairly tarnished when its “Is Brat”-ness was co-opted by a losing presidential campaign — and maybe it’s not even Charli’s best album, but it’s the one that finally gave her the recognition she’s long deserved. Other highlights for me: long-awaited, late-career ruminations on mortality from Beth Gibbons and the Cure, the Smile’s almost-Kid A/Amnesiac, Sturgill Simpson’s alias’ alt-country-via-Elephant 6, and a Kendrick Lamar album I admittedly haven’t fully absorbed yet.
Sacha Lecca, Deputy Photo Editor
1. IDLES, Tangk
2. The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
3. Fontaines D.C., Romance
4. Beth Gibbons, Lives Outgrown
5. Kneecap, Fine Art
6. Fat White Family, Forgiveness Is Yours
7. Porridge Radio, Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me
8. Yard Act, Where’s My Utopia
9. Kim Gordon, The Collective
10. Hinds, Viva Hinds
Bonus:
2024 EP shout-out: Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Eazy Peazy
2025 crystal ball: Looking forward to Lambrini Girls, Who Let the Dogs Out
This year’s Rolling Stone list of the 100 best albums gets it right, highlighting releases by Doechii, Adrianne Lenker, Nick Cave, Beyonce, MJ Lenderman, Hinds, Waxahatchee, Cindy Lee, and more. Our Number One selection was not unexpected, and while I like Charli XCX and many of my colleagues had Brat Summers, I had a Tangk Summer (and spring and fall and winter). Tangk by IDLES hit in February, and it’s remained my personal favorite the whole year. Fontaines D.C. and IDLES, over time, have become a couple of major food groups for me, and unsurprisingly, Fontaines’ Romance also ranks high on my list. What moved me the most though, is Songs of a Lost World, by one of my all-time faves (and nearly lifelong companions), The Cure. Released last month, this album hooked me on the very first line: “This is the end of every song we sing.” Perfect gorgeous gloom for the end of a complicated year.
Sophie Lobl, Vice President, Rolling Stone Live
1. The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
2. Ella Langley, Hungover
3. Linkin Park, From Zero
4. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
5. Mk.gee, Two Star & the Dream Police
6. Rufus Du Sol, Inhale / Exhale
7. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
8. The Red Clay Strays, Made by These Moments
9. Gary Clark Jr, JPEG Raw
10. Gracie Abrams, The Secret of Us
2024 was the year of the female pop star, with so many women making their mark across genres — on my list, that includes everyone from Ella Langley to Gracie Abrams to Linkin Park’s Emily Armstrong. But the Last Dinner Party’s debut stood above all the rest.
John Lonsdale, Commerce Editor
1. Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well: Deeper Into the Well
2. Kings of Leon, Can We Please Have Fun
3. Pearl Jam, Dark Matter
4. Mk.gee, Two Stars & the Dream Police
5. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
6. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
7. Charli XCX, Brat
8. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
9. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
10. Ray LaMontagne, Long Way Home
Honorable Mentions: Kendrick Lamar, GNX; Clairo, Charm; Fontaines D.C., Romance
Earlier this year, I headed over to the Troubadour to hear Pearl Jam’s new album, Dark Matter. “No hyperbole, I think this is our best work,” Eddie Vedder told the crowd in January. It was a rocking start to 2024 and a chance to get a first listen to what became one of my favorite projects of the last 12 months — one big, emotional, reflective piece of music that’s among the band’s best. My top albums had their fair share of special live moments, too, from hearing Billie Eilish play “Birds of a Feather” at her L.A. listening party to seeing Charli XCX perform Brat tracks at the Forum. I played so many albums nonstop, like Kacey’s excellent extended edition of Deeper Well, and saw Kings of Leon play cuts from their sleek LP Can We Please Have Fun — a phrase I’m taking into the new year.
Julyssa Lopez, Deputy Music Editor
1. Mabe Fratti, Sentir Que No Sabes
2. John Cale, POPtical Illusion
3. Saramalacara, Heraldica
4. NSQK, ATP
5. Mediopicky, El Precio De La Yuca
6. The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
7. Quevedo, Buenas Noches
8. RaiNao, Capicu
9. Alvaro Diaz, Sayonara
10. Judeline, Bodhiria
During a year that had a lot of highs and lows, I gravitated toward people whose brains surprise me. I’ve always gone back to John Cale and loved to see him as creative as ever on Poptical Illusion, an album I played constantly sitting in my yard. Elsewhere, I was intrigued by a lot of newcomers, especially in Spanish-language parts of the world: Judeline’s Bodhiria was a haunting, unexpected ride; Mediopicky’s El Precio De La Yuca made my head explode with face-melting merengue-metal hybrids, Saramalacara’s Heraldica felt like brat’s weirder, goth-y little sister. The cellist Mabe Fratti impressed me again with her range of ideas, and more upbeat stuff — Alvaro Diaz’s futuristic take on reggaeton on Sayonara, Quevedo’s guttural pop delivery on Buenas Noches — changed the energy when I needed it.
Griffin Lotz, Deputy Photo Editor
1. IDLES, Tangk
2. Fontaines D.C., Romance
3. This is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star
4. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
5. Gift, Illuminator
6. Lip Critic, Hex Dealer
7. Mdou Moctar, Funeral for Justice
8. Glass Beams, Mahal EP
9. Wunderhorse, Midas
10. Thus Love, All Pleasure
Honorable Mentions:
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Flight b741
Hinds, Viva Hinds
Sunflower Bean, Shake EP
Yard Act, Where’s My Utopia?
Grace Cummings, Ramona
Charley Crockett, $10 Cowboy
Narrowing down my 10 favorite albums of 2024 was hard, and thusly I had to include a few honorable mentions. At least half of the albums were shoo-ins that I had basically predicted would end up on this list from the moment their first singles came out (Idles, Fontaines, This Is Lorelei, Mannequin Pussy, Lip Critic, and the mysterious Glass Beams). In the case of Thus Love and Wunderhorse, both albums had songs that brought such intense feelings that I couldn’t stop listening. For Mdou Moctar and Gift, old favorites stayed true to themselves, while evolving enough to keep things fresh on each listen. These were the 10 I listened to most this year.
As for the honorable mentions… KGLW is one of my favorite bands, but on first listen, Flight b741 was fun, but wasn’t the monster that their last few offerings were, to me at least. But by December, nearly every track was in rotation on my playlist. Hinds bounced back after a tough run of things during Covid with one of the most fun albums to listen to (and to see played live). Sunflower Bean went back to their “doom-ier” roots, Yard Act kept up their viciously witty wordplay, and Grace Cummings’ amazingly soulful voice roared into my earbuds. And lastly, what’s a 2024 list without a little real country music, from the $10 Cowboy himself, Charley Crockett.
Leah Lu, Senior Social Media Editor
1. Fontaines D.C., Romance
2. Adrianne Lenker, Bright Future
3. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
4. Charli XCX, Brat
5. This Is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star
6. Babehoven, Water’s Here in You
7. Clairo, Charm
8. Christian Lee Hutson, Paradise Pop. 10
9. The Marias, Submarine
10. Wunderhorse, Midas
All of the artists on this list (and many more) accompanied me through 2024 in all of its glory and grief, through single nights that changed the course of my life and drawn-out binges that got their claws in me. Some of these albums nursed my heart back to health. Others were catalysts of reconciliation, sending telepathic messages to people when I couldn’t find the right words myself. They also inspired fun and play while maintaining total earnestness. This was the year of romance — it was the whole thesis of my Number One pick, and the undercurrent of nearly every other record on this list. As Charli XCX so plainly put it…. Everything IS romantic! Fall in love again and again.
Gabrielle Macafee, Web Producer
1. Saya Gray, Qwerty II
2. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
3. Charli XCX, Brat
4. Fontaines D.C., Romance
5. Amyl and the Sniffers, Cartoon Darkness
6. Magdalena Bay, Imaginal Disk
7. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
8. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
9. Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch
10. Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives — Vol. 3: The Asylum Years
Weaving through 2024 with these albums as my guiding lights made for a year redolent of some larger chaos. My year began with the delightful discovery of Saya Gray’s QWERTY II, a record that flickers with glitchy textures and plays with song structure without ostracizing the listener. Mannequin Pussy’s brazen examination of femininity with I Got Heaven was bookended by Amyl and the Sniffers’ petulant and bombastic Cartoon Darkness. The bright spot at the center of it all — a Brat Summer was indeed had, with Fontaines D.C.’s desire and Romance on the comedown — “maybe romance is a place” echoing throughout the end of the year. Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Disk, a funk-injected space odyssey, proved that fated and fleeting romance can also be found outside of reality. But oh, Doechii — a star of supernova proportions and fellow Florida girl — collided in my ears with Tyler’s Chromakopia. On the other side of the pendulum swing, Jessica Pratt’s hypnotic sound pulled me into her warmth with Here in the Pitch as the cold came rolling in. As the year closes out, I’ve been living inside the bittersweet comfort of feeling seen by Joni Mitchell’s latest archive release. Overall, it was a year of narrowing in, parsing through chaos to seek out the thread tying it all together. Wherever I was, these records followed.
Charisma Madarang, News Editor
1. Illest Morena, Morenita
2. Erick the Architect, I’ve Never Been Here Before
3. Judas Priest, Invincible Shield
4. Remi Wolf, Big Ideas
5. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
6. Megan Thee Stallion, Megan
7. St. Vincent, All Born Screaming
8. Leyla McCalla, Sun Without the Heat
9. Myles Smith, A Minute…
10. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
This year felt like we got three for one. Often, Monday would come and in an instant, Thursday would arrive, and in a blink, Friday would tumble into the weekend. Then, it would all start again. Every month brought something new, and I experienced joy, love, hope, and grief at magnitudes I’d never thought possible. During this time, I reached for music that could reach these depths, songs that had the ability to envelop me in the kinship of their lyrics and the rush of their sounds. Thank goodness for the music, a constant in the chaos.
Angie Martoccio, Senior Writer
1. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
2. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
3. Eliza McLamb, Going Through It
4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
5. Clairo, Charm
6. Father John Misty, Mahashmashana
7. Charli XCX, Brat
8. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
9. Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch
10. Haley Heynderickx, Seed of a Seed
I kept it dumb and poetic this year, diving headfirst into all the singer-songwriter albums I could get my hands on — from newcomers like MJ Lenderman and Eliza McLamb to curmudgeon veterans like Father John Misty. Everyone will remember 2024 as a damn good year for pop, which will always make me think of that meme of Sabrina, Chappell, and Charli XCX as the Powerpuff Girls. (Though The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess came out last year, Chappell is on my list in spirit.) In the end, though, my Number One predictably goes to Waxahatchee, who made another masterpiece I haven’t grown tired of. Tigers Blood and Brat both contain tracks titled “365.” But don’t confuse them, or I’ll have to call up Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, OK?
Tomás Mier, Staff Writer
1. Charli XCX, Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not
2. Normani, Dopamine
3. Camila Cabello, C, XOXO (Magic City Edition)
4. Kali Uchis, Orquídeas
5. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
6. Magdalena Bay, Imaginal Disk
7. Maude Latour, Sugar Water
8. Conan Gray, Found Heaven
9. Allie X, Girl With No Face
10. Omar Apollo, God Said No
2024: the year of the pop girl. Charli XCX’s Auto-Tuned voice on Brat was inescapable all year, Chappell Roan made a sapphic anthem loved by all, and what can we say about Sabrina’s “Juno” poses and coffee lines? The girls ate all year long, and my favorite albums of the year are LPs from some underrated pop queens. Conan’s Found Heaven and Allie’s Girl With No Face invoked a sense of nostalgia for an era I never lived in: the Eighties. Cabello created a record that — I’m calling it now! — will become a cult classic years from now. (Sampling Pitbull on a ballad is insane, but it fricken worked!) And Magdalena Bay took us on a rollercoaster of emotions I never wanted to leave on Imaginal Disk. (Also: honorary mention to Club Heat, the EP by Tove Lo and SG Lewis that fueled one too many nights out partying. SG and Tove, can we get an album next?)
Larisha Paul, Staff Writer
1. Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
2. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
3. Griff, Vertigo
4. Porter Robinson, Smile
5. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
6. Luke Hemmings, Boy
7. Rachel Chinouriri, What a Devastating Turn of Events
8. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
9. Omar Apollo, God Said No
10. Mk.gee, Two Star & the Dream Police
There are often patterns that emerge in my yearly listening activity, like when all of my favorite albums of 2023, in some eerie and unexpected way, were deeply reminiscent of my favorite albums from 2013. This year, I was intrigued by the timeline of when these albums arrived. I know it seemed as though Ariana Grande’s expertly crafted Eternal Sunshine was swallowed in the sea of pop releases that followed it. But its early-year release is precisely what made it a home base for me, something consistent and familiar to return to. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter arrived a few weeks later but on the opposite end of that spectrum. It’s been noted all year that the record has dissertation-like qualities, which never read as a negative to me. Kendrick Lamar’s late arrival with GNX feels the same, in some ways. Great art should teach you something, if not about yourself then about the external complexities around you. Most of these albums did both.
Griff’s Vertigo and Porter Robinson’s Smile arrived within weeks of each other in July, picking up my existential dissection where Luke Hemmings’ Boy left off four months prior. Each reminded me of the distance that grows between the present self and the version of myself that existed six months ago, or eight years, or 20. Omar Apollo’s God Said No functioned similarly, but specifically highlighted how the people I’ve encountered have contributed to those changes. At a pivotal moment in May, it made me question who deserves to wield that influence. Rachel Chinouriri’s What a Devastating Turn of Events conducted similar interrogations about external power being siphoned from within you.
Sabrina Carpenter’s summer smash Short n’ Sweet unravels in a much more pristine pop way, re-centering a lighthearted spirit without sacrificing emotional confrontation. Mk.gee’s Two Star & the Dream Police is the earliest release on this list, but I encountered it much later. It’s the most fitting for the colder months. It sounds like everything he’s doing is somehow wrong in some technical sense, but it feels right. They both hold so much creative authority in how they showcase their personality. Maybe that’s the thread that connects all of these albums — reclamation and release, like the changing of the seasons.
Steven Pearl, Copy Chief
1. Thus Love, All Pleasure
2. The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
3. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
4. Black Keys, Ohio Players
5. Sheryl Crow, Evolution
6. Alice Merton, Heron and Heron II
7. Los Bitchos, Talkie Talkie
8. Kiko Bun, “Rainbow Darling”
9. John Grant, The Art of the Lie
10. Dehd, Poetry
First, I gotta give it up for some folks whose albums are not on this list, namely a few DJ-producers whose 2024 releases consistently pulled together some of my favorite sounds of the year: Yuksek’s Dance ‘O’ Drome 011, LP Giobbi’s Dotr, and Higher Ground: Diplo in Antarctica all rose to the next level. When it comes to my favorite artist releases of the year, these albums make for a better circle than a list, a perpetual cyclone of sounds to keep on spinning around. I loved listening to the crash-and-bloom of Thus Love, the Last Dinner Party, and Dehd, indie rockers delivering track after track of good old, grungy, live-out-loud yearning, fronted by sex-forward leads spurting out tales of the heart with majestic growls that speak across generations. I also gravitated to sounds from abroad, welcoming funky electronica from America’s favorite export to Iceland, John Grant, and listened to lots of music coming out of the U.K. — pan-continental dance-rockers Los Bitchos, too fun to resist; London’s Kiko Bun, who, technically released only singles but without whose sunny dancehall reggae I wouldn’t have made it through the year; and soaring vocals from introspective songsmith Alice Merton. Finally, I spent hours on end with a trio of masters: Sheryl Crow and the Black Keys, both back with classic, career-showcasing, singalong hooks; and Beyoncé, weaving, surfing, and romping through a host of American genres, never failing to remind us why she’s still the queen. These are my top 2024 hot-to-go’s.
Kalia Richardson, Entertainment Reporter
1. Odesza, The Last Goodbye Tour Live
2. Jamie XX, In Waves
3. Kaytranda, Timeless
4. Justice, Hyperdrama
5. John Summit, Comfort in Chaos
6. Fred Again, USB
7. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
8. Charli XCX, Brat
9. Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia
10. Chanel Tres, Head Rush
As 2024 came and went, it quickly became about sitting with the memories that are easier to let go of and setting them free on the dance floor. I practiced that release often, watching more than half of these artists perform live. As the Washington state duo Odesza closed the cap on their album The Last Goodbye, released in 2022, touring cities from New Orleans to Oklahoma city, they gifted fans who missed their explosive productions with a live album. The 27-track project, which featured a healthy helping of their melodic hits, taught me to look inward with the drum-driven track “Behind the Sun” and reminded listeners to take it “One day at a time,” a verse that echoes throughout the VIP remix of “One Day They’ll Know.” Others, like Jamie XX’s In Waves, Charli XCX’s Brat, and Fred Again’s USB, yanked my arm onto the dance floor and forced me to feel. Last night at a white elephant party, an In Waves vinyl record became the hottest commodity, which speaks to the album’s innate power to put experimental dance fans into a crowd-swaying trance. Jamie XX serves as something like a metaphorical big brother to John Summit, whose Comfort in Chaos borrows the XX member’s moody ballads and anthemic dance hits, while also sticking to Summit’s own “bread ‘n’ butter,” as he told me: techno-house bangers. And Justice’s Hyperdrama is a joyride through the cosmos making pit stops at disco-funk synths and hardcore techno basslines. When it comes to exemplary storytelling and incredible penmanship, that prize goes to Channel Tres, Doechii, and Tyler, The Creator — see “Head Rush,” “Denial is a River,” and “Take Your Mask Off” for reference. And then there’s Kaytranada’s Timeless, which seamlessly gels soulful R&B house with supple, savory vocals. It’s no surprise that dance music’s low-key legend continues to make the top five list on my Spotify Wrapped year after year.
Maria-Juliana Rojas, Photo Editor
1. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
2. Kali Uchis, Orquídeas
3. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
4. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
5. Elyanna, WOLEDTO
6. Junior Zamora, Joyas del Barrio
7. Charli XCX, Brat
8. The Marias, Submarine
9. Hinds, Viva Hinds
10. Raveena, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain
2024 was the year of delightful nostalgia. In my favorite song of the year, “Boiled Peanuts,” Doechii romanticizes the humidity and deranged nature of my home state, Florida. In the rest of Alligator Bites Never Heal, the “Swamp Princess” delivers an unmatched range in 19 beautifully executed tracks, making it my favorite album of the year. Meanwhile, Junior Zamora celebrates Cali, Colombia’s vibrant salsa scene in Joyas del Barrio and kicks off the album with a vulnerable homage to the city in “Mama.” Colombian queens Kali Uchis and Karol G made my dreams come true in “Labios Mordidos,” a queer duet between the two featured on Orquídeas. Kali Uchis perfectly concludes the album with “Dame Beso // Muévete”, a timeless track bridging the gap between Latin youth and tias. What more could I ask for!
Alexis Mikulski Ruiz, Commerce Writer
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
3. Eminem, The Death of Slim Shady
4. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
5. John Summit, Comfort in Chaos
6. Megan Thee Stallion, Megan
7. Rüfüs Du Sol, Inhale/Exhale
8. Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism
9. Justice, Hyperdrama
10. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
For me — and so many others — Brat Summer was not just a moment but a movement. There was an undeniable sense of freedom in letting “365” and “Guess” blast in my AirPods during my morning commute, my fellow subway passengers none the wiser. This vibe continued on for months, even seeping into my bachelorette party in August, with Charli XCX serving as the inspiration for my besties and I getting matching tattoos (one of their names is even Julia, how fitting). Besides the impact that Brat had on my ears — and I guess now permanently on my body — this past year, Cowboy Carter, Short n’ Sweet, and The Death of Slim Shady were also major standouts for me. We saw the resurgence of bubblegum pop (thanks, Miss Sabrina), which I so desperately missed, witnessed Queen Bey reclaim her rightful place on a throne, but this time a rather unconventional one, and listened to Eminem staying true to his roots and doing what he does best. I also want to give a special shout-out to Justice, who create the type of music you want to dance your face off to in a Brooklyn warehouse…which is exactly what I did. Of course, as much as I can claim the albums listed above were my favorite of 2024, if you asked my Spotify Wrapped, it would say that my top record was (and likely will always be) Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man.
Rob Sheffield, Contributing Writer
1. Charli XCX, Brat / Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat
2. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology
3. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
4. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
5. Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven
6. Rosie Tucker, Utopia Now!
7. The Cure, Songs of a Lost World
8. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
9. Magdalena Bay, Imaginal Disk
10. The Softies, The Bed I Made
One of the things that makes loving music the ultimate lifelong romance: Every year, crazy things happen that have never happened before. Charli XCX, after years of well-meaning, radio-pandering pop, finally brats down, then raises the stakes by trading voice notes with Lorde and lunch recipes with Billie. Taylor Swift dreams up a complex 31-part song cycle in her spare time, in the middle of history’s biggest tour, and creates the world’s favorite 2024 music. Beyoncé walks a country mile in Nancy Sinatra’s boots, the Cure drop one of their most classic albums after a 16-year wait, Doechii leaves her own toothmarks on the alligator, MJ Lenderman dares to challenge the milkshake/smoothie dichotomy. None of these albums sound alike; all sound fiercely alive. In a great music year, these are the ones I cherish most.
Brittany Spanos, Senior Writer
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
3. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
4. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers (Original Score)
5. Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine
6. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
7. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
8. Stereophonic Cast, Stereophonic (Original Cast Recording)
9. Halsey, The Great Impersonator
10. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
What an absolute banger of a year this was for pop music. The girls really owned it, from Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth album-turned-honorary debut to Beyoncé’s Americana opus. The year rightfully belonged to Charli XCX, whose album was not only her best yet but also one of the most brilliant rollouts in years. Each version was in conversation with the last, and her guests weren’t just for show: They were well-placed characters in her musical yarn about the music industry, falling in love (again and again), and getting older. I was surprised by how many excellent soundtracks came out this year as well. The Challengers score has been on repeat since I saw the film (the first time…) and Will Butler’s Seventies pastiche songs for the Tony-winning play Stereophonic are absolutely sublime.
Tessa Stuart, Senior Writer, Politics
1. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
2. Mustafa, Dunya
3. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
4. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
5. Tems, Born in the Wild
6. Tyla, Tyla
7. Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch
8. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
9. Omar Apollo, God Said No
10. Kali Uchis, Orquídeas
I love my job, but there are occupational hazards. One of them is that if you go to enough campaign events, the candidate’s stump speech will eventually haunt your dreams, and certain songs will be forever ruined for you by association. I’ll probably never find joy in the opening notes of “Freedom” again (ditto “Femininomenon” and, frankly, any track off Brat), but luckily there were more than enough excellent new releases in 2024 — including a truly exceptional contribution from Beyoncé herself — to fill those holes in my heart. When I needed an escape this year, I lost myself in the shimmering disco Kali Uchis conjured on ORQUíDEAS, found refuge in Mustafa’s gentle poetry, or allowed Jessica Pratt to transport me to a dreamy, ’60s-era Laurel Canyon. I treasured new music from old favorites like Waxahatchee and Hurray for the Riff Raff, and delighted at minor discoveries, like the fact that all other tracks on Short n’ Sweet are just as good as the singles.
Krystal Sullivan, Events Coordinator
1. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
2. Charli XCX, Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat
3. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
4. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
5. Victoria Monét, Jaguar II: Deluxe
6. Clairo, Charm
7. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
8. Doja Cat, Scarlet 2 Claude
9. Kelela, RAVE:N, The Remixes
10. Hiatus Kaiyote, Love Heart Cheat Code
This was such an exciting year in music, and as you can see from my list, an especially exciting year for women in music yet again. They dominated the pop, country, and rap charts, just to name a few. I don’t normally listen to pop/mainstream albums in their entirety, or haven’t in a while, aside from Beyonce’s Renaissance (lol). I usually replay a new song I like over and over again or revert back to older music — but this year, the pop songs and albums were definitely in my rotation. Whether it was “Espresso” by Sabrina, “Nissan Altima” by Doechii, “Sweet Honey Buckin” by Beyonce, or “360” by Charli… The list could go on, because the girlies kept us DANCING!
Other albums I enjoyed were Clairo’s, Hiatus Kaiyote’s, and Doja’s and Victoria’s deluxe albums. I’ve listened to these artists for a while and they never disappoint with their eclectic and imaginative sounds. I also love when artists reinterpret their music like Charli and Kelela did this year. Kelela always does an amazing remix album, working with phenomenal producers. Both women, in my opinion, are truly pioneers of the dance music landscape we have now.
Alligator Bites and GNX were two of the best rap albums of the year. I can’t believe Doechii made the mixtape in a month, it’s truly a masterpiece. Doechii has her own unique sound but the album was reminiscent of old-school rap, which I loved! The GOAT, Kendrick, kept us fed this year with his diss tracks, but I was so happy to see a new album from him. Loving it so far and excited to explore the album more.
I don’t claim to be an astrologer, but for the people who like and follow it, Pluto is in Aquarius for the next couple of decades. This is usually a time of creativity and unprecedented change! I look forward to seeing how the landscape of music will evolve and unfold. With the enthusiasm and buzz this year, I know this is the beginning of an innovative and revolutionary time in music.
I know I’m missing some but here are a few honorable mentions:
Kaytranada, Timeless
NxWorries, Why Lawd
GloRilla, Glorious
Grace Troutman, Marketing Manager
1. Remi Wolf, Big Ideas
2. STRFKR, Parallel Realms
3. Maggie Rogers, Don’t Forget Me
4. Abby Sage, The Rot
5. Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us
6. Gracie Abrams, The Secret of Us (Deluxe)
7. Dominic Fike, 14 minutes
8. Clairo, Charm
9. Slenderbodies, The Sugar Machine
10. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers (Original Score)
2024 was a year dominated by fierce, emotion-driven songs that physically moved me. At the top of the list is Big Ideas by Remi Wolf — cracking open a new identity, her vulnerable voice shines through, topped with her signature electric energy that had me hooked. STRFKR’s Parallel Realms was the soundtrack of my summer; it not only became one of my favorite albums of the year, but of all time. Maggie Rogers gave us exactly what we hoped for with Don’t Forget Me, capturing her fears and coming-of-age storytelling. My top songs included Slenderbodies’ “sunny eyes (anymore),” Abby Sage’s “Three Floors, Three Doors,” Gracie Abrams’ “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” and Dominic Fike’s addictive 1:14-minute tune, “misses.” Vampire Weekend and Clairo became my go-to commute companions, resurfacing memories of transformative years, and the Challengers motion picture soundtrack completely altered my reality. While my Top 10 had me dancing in the streets, 2024 was a decade-defining year — from the pop reign to Brat Summer to rap battles. This euphoric cross-cultural unity among strangers had me often reminding myself why I wanted to work in music in the first place.
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Deputy Music Editor
1. Charli XCX, Brat
2. This Is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star
3. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
4. Fontaines D.C., Romance
5. Allegra Krieger, Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine
6. Kim Gordon, The Collective
7. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
8. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks
9. Common and Pete Rock, The Auditorium, Vol. 1
10. Thus Love, All Pleasure
Grian Chatten was onto something about this numb, nihilistic moment when he sang about feeling nothing on Fontaines D.C.’s Romance, a daring leap into alt-rock theatrics that probably would have placed equally well on my list of the best albums of 1998 if it had come out then. But I’d rather remember things the way they were in our shared summer of bright-green sweat and A.G. Cook beats, wouldn’t you? As a fan of Charli’s for many years, I’ve long felt that she’s a generational talent. It was satisfying to see the rest of the world catch on at the exact moment when she stopped caring what anyone else thought. Elsewhere on my list, you’ll find rising songwriters with stunningly unique perspectives (This Is Lorelei, Allegra Krieger), old favorites making intriguing swerves (Kim Gordon, Kendrick Lamar), and albums full of mature wisdom and the uncontainable madness of youth. It really was an exceptional year for music, if nothing else. See you in 2025!
Alison Weinflash, Managing Editor
1. Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
2. Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
3. Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
4. Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
5. The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy
6. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
7. Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
8. St. Vincent, All Born Screaming
9. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
10. Brittany Howard, What Now
Yes, I know my top pick is a song, but I spent a lot of time in 2024 listening to both Chappell Roan’s 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and to her new song “Good Luck, Babe!” Her ability to blend infectious pop music with raw, heartfelt storytelling kept me listening over and over. My most surprising pick, and the artist I currently can’t stop listening to, is Doechii. I first noticed her after an awards show performance about a year ago, but it wasn’t until her incredible set at Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians event this November that I truly fell in love with her music. Tracks like “Denial Is a River” and “Nissan Altima” showcase her talent and charisma, making her one of my favorite discoveries of the year.
Jonathan Zavaleta, Commerce Writer
1. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood
2. Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies, Passage Du Desir
3. Kendrick Lamar, GNX
4. Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us
5. Michael Kiwanuka, Small Changes
6. Father John Misty, Mahashmashana
7. Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
8. Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
9. Sierra Ferrell, Trail of Flowers
10. Future Islands, People Who Aren’t There Anymore
This was the year of moody alt-country for me. Tigers Blood felt like driving on a dirt road in the summer, Sturgill Simpson (under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies) drifted through space, and Hurray for the Riff Raff brought a political urgency to country music. Outside of country, three of my favorite artists — Kendrick Lamar, Michael Kiwanuka, and Father John Misty — released albums on the same day. Kendrick Lamar made his most defiantly L.A. album; the “Dodger Blue” lyric “Don’t say you hate L.A. when you don’t travel past the 10” is just one example (and not the first time Kendrick has name-checked the 10). Meanwhile, Father John Misty pushed his sound in new directions, Kiwanuka made his most mellow record to date, and Future Islands proved that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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