The Questyen

My favorites:

1. Lorde - Melodrama
2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
3. Julia Michaels - Nervous System
4. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3
5. Taylor Swift - Reputation
6. Paramore - After Laughter
7. Katy Perry - Witness
8. CyHi the Prince - No Dope on Sundays
9. Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom
10. Wu-Tang Clan - The Saga Continues

cdollaz

The best albums I heard this year:
Crystal Fairy - Crystal Fairy
At The Drive-In - In*ter*a*li*a
Swans - Deliquescence

Also quite good:
Buckingham/Mcvie - Buckingham/Mcvie
Roger Waters - Is This The Life We Really Want
U2 - Songs Of Experience
OMD - The Punishment Of Luxury
Quicksand - Interiors
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers
Thurston Moore - Rock N Roll Consciousness
LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
Death From Above 1979 - Outrage Is Now
Liam Gallagher - As You Were
Melvins - A Walk With Love And Death

Decent:
Mogwai - Every Country's Sun
The Charlatans - Different Days
Primus - The Desaturating Seven
Flaming Lips - Ozcy Mlody
Styx - The Mission
Queens Of The Stone Age - Villians
Sparks - Hippopotamus
Foo Fighters - Concrete And Gold
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Who Built The Moon?

Disappointing:
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
Mastodon - Emperor Of Sand
Living Colour - Shade
Beck - Colors
Morrissey - Low In High School
Gary Numan - Savage

james2025a

Wow...i can't remember the last year where there were 10 albums i liked released in it. Only two this year for me that i even give the time of day to come from Carbon Based Lifeforms and Unkle.

The music industry is a wasteland of talentless shit these days. The last decent decade for music was the 90s and since then its been a move to godawful RnB and crappy pop.

mphtrilogy

jason isbell & the 400 unit - the nashville sound
war on drugs - a deeper understanding
beck - colors
the new pornographers - whiteout conditions
portugal the man - woodstock
hippo campus - landmark
tennis - yours conditionally
BNQT - Volume 1

The Questyen

I don't envy your life. To be that bitter and sad must be tough.

stvn1974

My Top Ten

Neil Young And The Promise Of The Real - The Visitor
Roger Waters - Is The Life We Really Want?
The Flaming Lips- Oczy Mlody
Mastodon - Emperor Of Sand
Pallbearer - Heartless
Danzig - Black Laden Crown
Bob Dylan - Triplicate
Robert Plant - Carry Fire
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - Vietnam Official Soundtrack
The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips Onboard The International Space Station For Peace

musick

tops: Slowdive self titled .... amazing unexpected comeback release, their best to day

runner up: The National "Sleep Well Beast"

biggest letdown: Arcade Fire "Everything Now"

kefrank

Heck yeah. Such a good album!

I'm usually not all that current with music, but these are some other releases from this year that I really enjoyed:
The National - Sleep Well Beast
Chuck Berry - CHUCK
Lo Tom - Lo Tom
Lee Bozeman - The Majesty of the Flesh EP
Future Islands - The Far Field

hdnmickey

Roger Waters - Is The Life We Really Want?
Robert Plant - Carry Fire
Kadavar - Rough Times
Black Country Communion - BCCIV
Steven Wilson - To The Bone
Haim - Something To Tell You
Lorde - Melodrama
Cheap Trick - We're All Alright!
Eclipse - Momentum
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

story

I haven't heard a lot of new music this year and these lists are helpful as we started Amazon Music Unlimited this fall so I'll check some of them out. I'd have to go back and think of what I've heard that came out this year to make a proper list. We also have the Beck and Foo Fighters CDs under the tree.

beavis69

You do realize there are other avenues of music than the radio correct? Also I'm pretty sure RnB hasn't been big since about 2005. I would say pop, pop country, and pop rap are what is big right now.

Anyways my favorites are (no order)

Dying Fetus- Wrong One to Fudge With
Wolves in the Throne Room- Thrice Woven
Archspire- Relentless Mutation
Suffocation- ....Of the Dark Light
Obituary- Obituary
Power Trip- Nightmare Logic
Bell Witch- Mirror Reaper
Pallbearer- Heartless
Chelsea Wolfe- Hiss Spun
Necrot- Blood Offerings
Spectral Voice- Eroded Corridors of Unbeing
Exhumed- Death Revenge

Top three are probably Archspire, Power Trip, and Exhumed. Can't stop playing that Exhumed album, so good and the insert to the cd is really well done.

Phodg

In no particular order :

Black Country Communion - BCCIV
Entombed - Clandestine/Malmo
Mork - Eremittens Dal
Vallenfyre - Fear Those Who Fear Him
Memoriam - For The Fallen
Skyclad - Forward Into The Past
Witchery - I Am Legion
Municipal Waste - Slime And Punishment
The Haunted - Strength In Numbers (probably my #1)
Eloy - The Vision, The Sword And The Pyre (Part 1)
Desultory - Through Aching Aeons
Entrails - World Inferno

pezsoup

In no particular order....

John Moreland - Big Bad Luv
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound
Colter Wall - Colter Wall
Tyler Childers - Purgatory
Jade Jackson - Gilded
Cory Branan - Adios
Turnpike Troubadours - Along Way From Your Heart
The Afghan Whigs - In Spades
Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow
Sarah Shook and the Disarmers - Sidelong

Throwing Copper

In no particular order:

Lorde "Melodrama"
Kesha "Rainbow" (really stunned at this comeback & how good the record is)
Liam Gallagher "As You Were"
The National "Sleep Well Beast"
Beck "Colors"
Wu-Tang "The Saga Continues..." (not great, but good if you like them, although this is more of a compilation)

maxfisher

I thought it was a pretty solid year overall. It cracks me up to see anyone say, 'music today sucks, I don't like any of it.' We're at the point where anyone can find great music being made, regardless of their taste. Barring some kind of civilization-ending calamity, I can't imagine ever having another year where I don't find at least 20-30 albums I really like. Anyway, my top 10:

1. The National - Sleep Well Beast
2. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
3. Broken Social Scene - Hug of Thunder
4. Spoon - Hot Thoughts
5. Arcade Fire - Everything Now
6. Jason Isbell - The Nashville Sound
7. POS - Chill, Dummy
8. Iron Chic - You Can’t Stay Here
9. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
10. Portugal. The Man - Woodstock

Geofferson

I don't have 10, but here's what I've enjoyed most this year (in no particular order).

Robert Plant - Carry Fire
Ray Davies - Americana
Chuck Berry - Chuck
Bleachers - Gone Now
Kid Rock - Sweet Southern Sugar
LCD Soundsystem - American Dream
The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful

Gdrlv

The first 2 are definitely numbers 1 and 2. The others are really in no particular order. And the Gang of Youths album is probably the best thing I've heard in several years. It's absolutely fantastic. I'm really surprised it isn't getting more attention in the US.

Gang of Youths - Go Farther in Lightness
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Lorde - Melodrama
Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps
John Moreland - Big Bad Luv
Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights
Tyler Childers - Purgatory
The National - Sleep Well Beast
Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life
Craig Finn - We All Want the Same Things

Honorable mentions: Run the Jewels - RTJ3; Nicole Atkins - Goodnight Rhonda Lee; Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow; St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION; White Reaper - The World's Best American Band

Disappointments: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound; Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice; Portugal. The Man - Woodstock

Jason

I can't remember when I bought ten albums released in that calendar year.

Adam Tyner

I only bought 5 albums this year, so this is my list by default, ranked:

1. Charly Bliss - Guppy
2. Sløtface - Try Not to Freak Out
3. Hollerado - Born Yesterday
4. The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
5. Partner - In Search of Lost Time

#2 and #3 would probably swap places depending on when you ask me. I'm sure I'll have at least one more (the PEARS / Direct Hit split album) before the year's out.

I'm kind of ashamed by how little music I bought, but it's been a transitional year (preparing to move, moving, building a house, moving again), so media has fallen by the wayside somewhat. Far fewer video games played and movies watched as well.

Edited to add videos!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kKl8Gw68awY" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sGtXrKwaX84" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a37nKM4TSc4" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZAlHISTNbwY" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/81gPPWA58m0" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

printerati

Very Good
Alvvays - Antisocialites
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

Good
Hollerado - Born Yesterday
The National - Sleep Well Beast
The New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions
The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Wild

Not As Good
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Echo Of Pleasure
Spoon - Hot Thoughts
Stars - There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light
Sylvan Esso - What Now
The xx - I See You

Not Good
Arcade Fire - Everything Now
The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful


I'm probably forgetting a few.

Chrisedge

Looking in iTunes sort by year:

Liked
U2 - Songs Of Experience
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains (got the album title right at least, based on Josh's recent actions)
LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

Fair
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Superscope (I love all their other albums)
John Mayer - The Search for Everything
Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold
Cage The Elephant - Unpeeled

Didn't Like
Morrissey - Low In High School
Jack Johnson - All The Light Above It Too
Depeche Mode - Spirit

The other albums I added, I didn't listen to enough or are live recordings of various U2 shows or whatnot.

bunkaroo

Steven Wilson - To The Bone
Anathema - The Optimist
Daniel Cavanagh - Monochrome
Blackfield - Blackfield V
The Birthday Massacre - Under Your Spell
Arch Enemy - Will To Power
Bullet Height - No Atonement
KMFDM - HELL YEAH
Lunatic Soul - Fractured

The Questyen

It's cool to see so much variety and so little overlap in our lists compared to film or television.

islandclaws

Wolves in the Throne Room - Thrice Woven
Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Johnny Jewel - Windswept
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Sketches of Brunswick East
Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid
V/A - Stranger Things 2 OST
The Black Dahlia Murder - Nightbringers
Marilyn Manson - Heaven Upside Down
Chelsea Wolfe - Hiss Spun
V/A - Twin Peaks: Music from the Limited Event Series & Limited Event Series Soundtrack
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

mndtrp

- Derelicts

Yeah, all those.

Mors Principium Est - Embers of a Dying World
The Lillingtons - Stella Sapiente