The 2024 calendar year has officially come to a close, and before we look too far out on the horizon towards 2025 releases, let’s take a minute and reflect on all of the amazing music that we got from the monumental year that was 2024. Here are my top-10 favorite albums released in 2024. (The top 10 won’t include EPs or holiday projects, just regularly released albums or deluxe editions.)
But first, let’s run through some honorable mentions and projects that were either holiday-focused or weren’t full-length.
Best EPs/Holiday Albums (No particular order)
Just Before Dawn by Trent Liptak
signals by Ellis
A Very 1999 Christmas by Jschlatt
Honorable Mentions (No particular order)
100 Cowboys by Carter Vail
Dark Times by Vince Staples
BRAT by Charli xcx
SCRAPYARD by Quadeca
Better Me Than You by Big Sean
Ultra 85 by Logic
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU by JPEGMAFIA
Charm by Clairo
10 - GUTS (Spilled) by Olivia Rodrigo
The deluxe edition of Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore record dropped March 22 and boosted the already great album with five more songs, including the viral hit “obsessed.” The album is well-rounded and strong with some intense emotional tracks all around, whether somber, angry, or joyful. There’s really no shortage of good music on this record, and the deluxe just makes it better as the five added songs are just as great as many of those on the original release. It’s a strong second album, and I’m hoping to see more great music from Olivia in the future. 86/100
9 - Persona by half•alive
half•alive’s third album was also a great one, adding to a catalogue that’s hard to improve upon. It capitalized on an updated and impressive production style that sounds pretty different from past works by the band, proving an electric return for them. It’s characteristically emotional yet a blast to listen to, just as their last was, with some more focus on heavier guitar elements and more intense vocal performances. half•alive has what I consider a near-perfect discography, and seeing a solid and refreshing addition to it this year is great. 86/100
8 - HARDSTONE PSYCHO by Don Toliver
HARDSTONE PSYCHO is what I think great genre fusions should sound like. In this fusion of rock and trap, Don Toliver proves that he’s still got it and can experiment any way he wants. The guitar is amazingly fun and adds an element to the album that completes it. There are few songs that are misses, and the songs that aren’t are absolutely amazing with electric production and great bars. I’m excited to see where Don goes from here seeing as this is probably my favorite project from him. 87/100
7 - No Name by Jack White
I’ve not listened to much garage rock in my life, but I can tell you that Jack White is doing a great job at it. White is a former member of the White Stripes, and his solo career has gained solid traction as well. His new album is everything you could want from the vocal performances, to the lyrics, to the guitar playing. It’s a really fun listen, and there are certainly no bad songs on the record. I haven’t listened to much Jack White in the past, but this album makes me really want to check out his other music. 88/100
6 - NO HANDS by Joey Valence & Brae
NO HANDS is some of the most enjoyable Hardcore/East Coast Hip-Hop I’ve ever heard. JVB really brings their all to this project, whether it be their infectious energy, crazy and fun bars, or popular references. Every song on this album will have you nodding your head along with the incredibly fun and unique production style employed on the album as well as the constantly amazing flow coming from the raps. Overall, the record is meant to be fun, loose, and unserious, and it succeeds so well in being great at these ideas. 90/100
5 - Chromakopia by Tyler, the Creator
Chromakopia is Tyler’s densest and most introspective work so far. It built up an insane amount of hype during the album’s rollout helped by its fantastically interesting theming and mysterious teasers. It lived up to its expectations as it proved to be another great album from Tyler. He opens up and makes himself vulnerable to his audience, and it’s a beautiful album all the way through. He opens up on topics like his childhood, his sexuality, and his life as a public figure. It’s a great record musically as well, and Tyler has crafted another truly great album. 90/100
4 - Samurai by Lupe Fiasco
The biggest thing that’s wrong about this album is how short it is. Through and through, there are no misses at all, and all of the songs are fun listens. Where Lupe shines though, as he does on really every album, is his lyricism and flows. His lyricism is one-of-a-kind, and his flow matches it perfectly. From melodic raps to quick, lyrical ones, this album shows that even this late into his discography Lupe isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and it’s an amazing show of the talent he still has. It’s a delight to listen to. 91/100
3 - GNX by Kendrick Lamar
GNX was a surprise drop with only a teaser dropping minutes before the entire album. For Kendrick, this album was the cap on a generational year: from the victory in the Drake beef to the announcement that he’d be performing in the Super Bowl. GNX is a tribute to West Coast Hip-Hop with banger after banger, something that’s usually unlike Kendrick’s album style. He does manage to squeeze in the analogous songs and storytelling songs that he’s peppered through other albums, and they’re just as great as the rest of the album. It’s a fun, hard-hitting listen, and I’d recommend it to most anyone. 91/100
2 - SMILE! :D by Porter Robinson
SMILE! :D is just another amazing album produced and released by Porter. It’s emotional yet wild and electronic, fun yet also sad at times. Porter’s pouring all of himself and his experiences out on the table here from the regret felt in “Year of the Cup” to his feelings on parasocial relationships on “Cheerleader.” It’s no surprise that the album did really well; it’s such a fun listen and from my experience just about infinitely replayable. 95/100
1 - Clancy by Twenty One Pilots
Clancy is not quite Twenty One Pilots’ magnum opus, but it’s close. It’s a fantastic listen from beginning to end, and it carries on the story that they’ve been building over the latter half of their career quite well, bringing it towards its end. From the fun, silly moments on the album like “Lavish,” to the exciting rock elements on “Vignette” and the more somber parts such as “The Craving (Jenna’s Version), this album is a wonderful exhibition of Twenty One Pilots’ far-ranging talent. This album can be listened to carefully or for fun, whether you’re there for the story or for the consistently great music that Twenty One Pilots are making. It’s the best album of 2024, and I’d recommend it to anyone. 97/100