Let's do it. Let's finish it. Let's complete this List Week 2024. It's Anthony Fantano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd. We have finally reached the end of List Week for 2024, going over the best and worst of the year, musically speaking.

Here we are, finally, finally, finally, at the top 50 best albums albums list. Like with every year's List Week, 50 whole records is a lot of records, but if any of them pique your interest, there are reviews for all of them linked down below. I will be going through the first half of the list pretty quickly and speaking just a touch more about these albums as we near the top of the list. Without any further ado, let's get into the Top 50.

50) Yeat - 2093

At number 50, that's going to be Yeat with 2093, a very good, futuristic, psychedelic, conceptual album for the viral rapper.

49) Joey Valence & Brae - No Hands

At 49, it is jokes, it is bangers, it is pure fun on the Joey Valence & Brae album, No Hands. If you are looking for some hip hop with a bit of attitude and a tongue-in-cheek demeanor, look no further than this one.

48) Grande Mahogany - As Grande As

At 48, it is going to be Grande Mahogany, As Grande As, which is a very forward-thinking, fuzzy, psychedelic bedroom-spun rock album with some contemporary production and good songwriting. Think Jimi Hendrix, reborn for the internet DIY era.

47) Krallice - Inorganic Rites

Then at 47, it is Krallice with Inorganic Rights. This experimental avant-garde New York metal act comes through with one of their most cinematic and synthesified albums yet.

46) Floating Points - Cascade

At 46, it is some of the headiest and most contemplative electronic music I've heard this year on Floating Points with the Cascade album.

45) Future Islands - People Who Aren't There Anymore

And 45, shout out to Future Islands with People Who Aren't There Anymore. These guys have been a long-time synth-pop act, really been running the indie circuit for quite a while now, and I just feel like this is their best album to date, not only in terms of songwriting, but production quality, too. The band has really been fine-tuning their sound for years and years and years at this point, and truly paid off on this record.

44) Brittany Howard - What Now

At 44, amazing singer and talented songwriter, Brittany Howard gives us her new solo outing with What Now, an extremely colorful record loaded with creativity and a lot of variety, too, bringing in elements of rock and funk and soul and everything in between.

43) Mach-Hommy - RICHAXXHAITIAN

Then at 43, Mach-Hommy comes through with what I think is his best record to date on RICHAXXHAITIAN. Grimey vibes, mixtape-type flow, good production, thoughtful bars. What more could you ask for?

42) Lupe Fiasco - Samurai

At 42, we have the also very thoughtful Lupe Fiasco with his Samurai album, his concept hip hop album, which is not just an ode to the craft, but also tangentially inspired by Amy Winehouse.

41) NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) - Why Lawd?'

Then at number 41, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, rapper, Anderson .Paak, teams up once again with producer knowledge on their new record, Why Lawd? Okay. Great album. A divorce record for Anderson, which is interesting, but really all the magic that made their last collaboration, great, but it's a bit more dense, personally. It's a bit more I would say, of an emotional experience.

40) Lust$ickPuppy - CAROUSEL FROM HELL

Then moving on from there at number 40, we have Lust$ickPuppy, giving us nonstop pure chaos and insanity on CAROUSEL FROM HELL. One of the few albums in this list, I think you could say that truly, truly, truly lives up to its title. It's just 100% accuracy.

39) The Lemon Twigs - A Dream is All We Know

At 39, shout out to nostalgia kings The Lemon Twigs on A Dream is All We Know. Once again, the band is giving us lots of vintage singer-songwriter music and pop rock with loads of great production. Killer vocal harmonies, too. Lots and lots and lots of old-school flavor on this one.

38) Cheekface - It’s Sorted

At 38, it is Cheekface with It's Sorted. America's local band is back with their trademark blend of funky rock groups and talk, song, vocals, and absurd lyrics, while also wearing their influences a bit more on their sleeves this time around. A bit of cake vibes coming through on some of these tracks, but yeah, pretty great album from them. They're super consistent and still killing it.

37) Logic - Ultra 85

At 37, surprised to enjoy this one as much as I did, but that would be Logic with Ultra 85. But when you consider the quality rap the great production, as well as the many personal angles and themes that Logic takes on this album really is an impressive record. An emotionally impactful one at points, too, as he really unpacks not just his fraught relationships with his mom and his dad, which he has addressed on past records and tracks, but the ways in which his love of media, film, and hip hop music, and so on and so forth, allowed him to cope through the various traumas that he was struggling through in his youth. I mean, considering the place Logic usually operates from emotionally in his music and on social media, sometimes laughing off the hard times and maybe the ridiculous criticisms of his biraciality. It was interesting to see him dig as deep as he did on this album because in a lot of respects, it really does run almost like a therapy session of sorts, a pretty intense one here and there.

36) Nails - Every Bridge Burning

Intensity is also a word I would use for our number 36 record. That is going to be freaking Nails with Every Bridge Burning. We went from this amazing classic crushing power violence record, You Will Never Be One Of Us, this sharp, succinct statement on in-group/out-group mentality to a record that has thinned out the herd even further to essentially just whittle it down to, I am alone. Every bridge has been burned I don't give a fuck. Yeah, if you're looking for something loud, ultra-aggressive, and antisocial, this is your thing.

35) The Chisel - What a Fucking Nightmare

And speaking of direct and confrontational, but in this case, a lot more catchy, we have our number '35 record that is going to be The Chisel with What a Fucking Nightmare. Really one of the best, most cut and dry meat and potatoes, anthemic, hard-hitting, badass punk rock albums to come out of the UK in years and years and years. Just really some classic British punk rock with some modern, hardcore flares thrown in here and there.

34) Kim Gordon - The Collective

It's great. Then at 34, shout out to none other than underground rock legend, Kim Gordon, on her new record, The Collective. Kim is back with an album that is challenging, is abrasive, is dark, but also sees her rapping in a way over these very noisy, almost no wave-inspired instrumentals that have some nods to trap music here and there. It's absolutely nuts. Very gutsy, totally genre-bending, and crazy to have someone like Kim Gordon as deep into her career as she is. She's not only still coming out with killer stuff, but stuff that's actually pushing boundaries.

33) Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves

At number 33, the new Julia Holter album, I also found to be difficult to comprehend at points, as yes, it's also pretty surreal and odd. That is Something in the Room She Moves. And yes, to this day, nobody pulls together an artsy, spacy, surreal, dreamy, and also otherworldly pop album in quite the way Julia does, that's for sure.

32) Moor Mother - The Great Bailout

At number 32, we have Moor Mother with The Great Bailout, a record that brings together avant-garde, drone music, as well as the African diaspora, and a storyline that recontextualizes Britain's hand in the slave trade, as well as ending it in a way that you could argue is far more accurate.

31) Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Then at 31, we have Blood Incantation with Absolute Elsewhere It's an album that you could argue is the most colorful and versatile death metal record of the year, with not only some really unique sci-fi themes coming through on the lyrics, but you also have elements of progressive electronic music and progressive rock flowing throughout the multi-phase tracklist of this album, too.

30) death's dynamic shroud & galen tipton - You Like Music

At number 30, Death's Dynamic Shroud teams up with producer Galen Tipton for the You Like Music record, a jittery, mind-bending and disorienting electronic music record and dance music record that is thrilling from front to back.

29) Vince Staples - Dark Times

At 29, Vince Staples gives us one of his best and most thoughtful records to date with lyricism. Great tunes, lyricism, and low-key charisma all over that album.

28) Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo

At 28, Iglooghost pulls together what is essentially the most insane, oceanic DJ set of all time, blending numerous genres together all at once.

27) Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia

And 27, Tyler, the Creator gets lyrical and quite thematic for song after song after song after song. Very personal in some pockets, too. On his new record, Chromakopia, where he struggles in front of us with his sexuality, being honest with himself, paranoia as well as his daddy issues.

26) Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

Then at 26, and we are getting to the halfway point here, we have Beyoncé with Cowboy Carter. The Queen Bee's ode to country music comes through on this one with one fantastic tune after the next. Some awesome country and hip hop blends throughout the record, too. Impressive features, cutting edge production, and of course, amazing vocal performances. While it is a bit of a dense album, and there are some points where it seems very desperate to appeal to the country demographic. Still, it's an incredible record and an impressive addition to this trilogy she is currently in the midst of finishing. Here we go. Getting into the top half.

25) Chat Pile - Cool World

We are going to with Chat Pile at 25. Cool World, one of the heaviest and most dystopian loud rock records that you will hear this year. I guarantee it. Dark lyrics, punishing riffs, freakish vocal performances. Yeah, Chat Pile continues to be a magical band.

24) Porter Robinson - Smile

Also quite magical is the new Porter Robinson album, Smile. Porter gives us some of the most sugary production of his year so far on this collection of pop and rock bangers that feel like they are back to the 2000s, nostalgic. But very present day are the album's lyrics and themes as Porter is very much going over his life trajectory through the ups and downs of fame and coming to grips with that.

23) Denzel Curry - King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2

At number 23, we have Denzel Curry with King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, a record that Denzel says himself on it. He's dumbing things down. Yeah, while it's not as personal or as lyrical as some recent albums that Denzel has dropped, it's still an incredible, focused, and in many ways, conceptual project, as Denzel focuses more on the style of the tracks on this record and the esthetics on this album in order to create what is essentially a lofi, chaotic, and colorful tribute to the classic sounds of Memphis style rap, really taking it back to all of those grimy, '90s gems that have seen a passionate resurgence on the internet these days. It's just amazing to hear how in tune with that sound he is on this record and how well he revives it.

22) Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future

At 22, it is Adrianne Lenker with Bright Future, handily one of the best singer-singer-songwriter records of the year. If you're looking for something that is low-key, is acoustic, is intimate, is well-sung and written as well as something that is just really going to rip your heart out at some key points, too. This is definitely worth a spin.

21) The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy

Then one notch higher than that at 21, it is one of the most fun and dramatic and extravagant pop and rock records that I have heard this year. That is going to be The Last Dinner Party's Prelude to Ecstasy. Something you could argue is handily one of the best debuts of this year, and not only is it great, but there is still so much more room to grow from here as well. I'm even more excited to hear what the band comes out with next, especially since they seem to be starting in such a strong place.

20) MGMT - Loss of Life

At number 20, we are going to go with MGMT on their Loss of Life record, an incredible stylistic and thematic switch up from the duo that not only sees them diving into some really shimmery, extravagant, almost arena rock type tracks and ballads, but also wrestling with a lot of these feelings of weariness around aging and feeling as if the world is moving on without you and needing to catch up with it. It's really one of the more emotional experiences in the MGMT catalog, and it's received some mixed reception, as numerous records from them in the past have. I wonder if this album, too, down the road, people will warm up to it slowly.

19) Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee

At number 19, we have Cindy Lee with Diamond Jubilee, really a triumph of lofi music and vintage rock and roll as well as pop. Nobody is doing nostalgia quite in the way that Cindy Lee is right now, especially on this very dense two-disc album really brings back the magic of classic rock and roll as well as the Brill Building era, and then feeds all of that through a very messy, chaotic, warped lens that leaves this sound, this vibe, feeling like a distant memory or dream. But what else can you expect from an artist who was once a part of the band Women, who specialized in exactly that thing, but with more of an indie rock and post-punk sound?

18) Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown

At number 18, we have singer Beth Gibbons of Portishead Fame, giving us the amazing Lives Outgrown album, a stunning and beautiful and lustily-produced album that sees Beth really giving us some interesting lyrical meditations on aging and the passage of time. It is very much a dark and twilight years type album.

17) Joanna Wang - Hotel la Rut

With 17, we are going with singer-songwriter Joanna Wang on her Hotel la Rut record, an album that in one breath is a total onslaught of tracks and a variety of music styles ranging from jazz to pop rock to ska. So many basses covered on the 20 plus tracks on this album, plus all the narratives across these songs. You have tracks about killing flies. You have tracks about falling in love with the boy next door. You have tracks about falling in love with a killer. So many different points of view and storylines lines and characters on this record, but it's all fed through this very funny, silly, tongue-and-cheek, playful, theatrical lens that makes the abundance of sounds and material on this project just easy to digest because it's coming from just such an absurd and frankly, a highly entertaining place. Just the rawness and the creativity that this album brings to the table is really something to behold, and not to mention the excellent very beautiful vocal performances that Joanna brings to the record as well.

16) Xiu Xiu - 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips

At number 16, though, we have Xiu Xiu with 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips. Yes, Xiu Xiu, the experiment rental rock outfit is back, and giving us another run of new tracks featuring their new drummer, and they are really making use of him on this record with some of the biggest and most blown-out beats to ever be on any record the once duo has ever dropped. And these massive beats are often matched with some of the catchiest and most rocking songs the band has released in years. But even though there is an accessibility and visceral sound to this album, make no mistake, you are getting those typical, very dark Xiu Xiu vibes coming off of these tracks, which continue to be very noise rock-adjacent, goth-adjacent. But yeah, if you're looking to get into Xiu Xiu, this is a great album to start, truly and honestly.

15) Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat

At number 15, we are going with Laura Marling on Patterns in Repeat, a gorgeous singer-singer-songwriter record that is essentially a second helping of all of the very low-key, intimate tunes and recordings that made Laura's last record so amazing. She not only continues to give us very mature and killer vocal performances and great guitar work, but also expands on a lot of the emotional themes and storytelling of the last album, too. We go further into her feelings on motherhood as well as switching from breaking apart and leaving relationships to instead falling in love and longing for a connection.

14) Mount Eerie - Night Palace

An even denser singer-songwriter record, though, is the new Mount Erie album at 14, Night Palace. Phil Elvrum gives us a record that is very self-aware, really hands over a density of material that rivals that of classics in his discography like The Glow Pt. 2. So yes, once again, the unique lofi appeal of Phil's songwriting and production style is here. A lot of his meditations on nature, the state of the world, the vastness of the world that we exist in. That is also touched upon, but there's also some revelations on topics such as impermanence and death, things that he's been writing about for years and years and years, but he seemingly has a new perspective on. As a long-time fan, it's just really interesting to hear that progression over the course of so many albums.

13) JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

Also, a lot of progression is to be had on the new JPEGMAFIA record, I Lay Down My Life For You, where Peggy proves himself once again to be a one-of-a-kind songwriter, rapper, as well as producer, bringing in all of these rock elements on many of the tracks on this record. Heavy guitar riffs and drums that actually go over very well and match with his rap style that has always been pretty punk adjacent to begin with. It makes for a very unique record that does the whole rap and rock combination in a modern sense correctly, while also giving us some insane bangers with some very odd, and I wonder if it's fully cleared, sample material. But yeah, super special record, amazing closing back to... Peggy continues to smash it on this one.

12) Quadeca - Scrapyard

At number 12, shout out also to a one-of-a-kind producer that would be Quadeca on Scrapyard. Quadeca continues to test his metal as a true multi-talent, even on this album that has pretty much been packaged as, yes, a bunch of straps or extras that were either left over from his last album cycle or just wouldn't fit into any other album cycle, that is. Quadeca, if you didn't know, is somebody who at one point was merely just known as a YouTube rapper, and he has really evolved quite quickly into somebody who also dabbles quite a bit in experimental music, in pop music, in very weird niche indie adjacent internet genres. And all that comes together, plus some singer-songwriter music, some emo too on this Scrapyard record. And it's an album where not only are you getting very well-produced and cohesive, well-thought-out songs, but a lot of these tracks just feature numerous styles of music collapsing onto each other all at once. And yet it all makes sense way more than it should. With another impressive record under his belt, you just have to sit on the edge of your seat wondering what the heck is Quadeca going to do next.

11) Civerous - Maze Envy

At number 11, we have the super killer, Civerous album, Maze Envy, an amazing, amazing doom metal album with some killer string touches. Absolutely punishing riffs, a stellar mix. Gruff, death metal vocals, powerful drumming, too. Again, if you like your death metal, your doom metal, anything brutal and gruesome and heavy with some extra touches of atmosphere and this whole like, maze concept coming out of the storytelling, give this one a listen.

Okay, that's it. We are in the top 10, officially in the top 10. Let's get it. Let's go.

10) Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk

At number 10, 10, 10, we have Magdalena Bay with Imaginal Disk, one of the most versatile, most colorfully produced, most thoughtful and conceptual pop records to drop this year. It really has been taking the underground by force, and there is a very good reason why. It's sweet. It's endlessly catchy. There's so many layers to it as well. This thing rewards with more and more listens, and I've been coming back to it again and again with glee.

9) Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us

Then at number nine, that is going to be Vampire Weekend with Only God Was Above Us. The band truly is back, not just in the sense that they are making a new album, but back with their classic classic sound, sounding better than ever. Once again, you have that messy, colorful mid-five production, those baroque touches, the pop rock bits, the folk bits, the West African influences here and there as well. Lots of catchy puns and turns of phrase from Ezra coming through on the lyrical side. And really, in my opinion, the best crop of songs the band has released on a single album since Contra. So with all of that considered, it should be no surprise that this album landed in my top 10.

8) Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She

It should also be no surprise that we are seeing at number 8, Chelsea Wolfe, with She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She. I had lots and lots of praise to give this very dark, very impenetrable, very heavy and crushing new album from her, which sees her continuing to travel down this very dark and heavy rabbit hole with her music, but this time around embracing some grooves and production ideas from the worlds of trip hop as well is industrial music. This record is definitely Chelsea's most slow moving, syrupy, bassy, and synthetic release to date. Her beckoning lead vocals also sound fantastic in these mixes, too. It's just amazing how Chelsea continues at this point in her career to just evolve with each record and stick to, again, some very dark sounds and vibes while also giving us something new each time in the process.

7) Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To

At number 7, we also have something very loud and punishing coming through on the new Knocked Loose album, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To. One of the most amazing and frankly heaviest gifts we have gotten in a long time from the metal was seen. The production on this thing is absolutely insane. Not only do the drums sound killer and the vocal sound killer, but these guitars are – my fucking God – they're one of a kind. The density of the riffs, and the bass, and the everything on these tracks is truly just something to behold. I don't know what they did. Maybe they put some crack in this record. I don't know to make it sound as heavy as it does, but this thing is really, truly a punisher. And not only that, but the song structures are great. They only add to the visceral vibe of the album by just placing those grooves and those transitions and those starts and stops and just all the right places. In addition to that, you just have amazing breakdown after amazing breakdown being put together with a bunch of tracks that give some very aggressive but also thoughtful critiques of spirituality and organized religion.

6) Geordie Greep - The New Sound

At number 6, out to none other than Geordie Greep, The New Sound. Amazing album. Geordie Greep, once known for his contributions to the experimental and avant-prog outfit from the UK, Black Midi, has come through since they called the hiatus very quickly with a new solo record. It's one that brings together elements of art rock and progressive rock and jazz rock and Latin jazz and samba. The guy even connected with a bunch of great Brazilian studio musicians to capture some of these performances, too. Pair that with his one-of-a-kind, super theatrical, over-the-top vocal style. And you have just an outlandish, very vibrant sound that delves into a lot of storytelling surrounding just very eccentric, misogynistic characters. But yeah, it's just a very strange but also spell-binding album, I'll say that.

5) Ka - The Thief Next to Jesus

At number five, I was also pretty entranced by this one once I eventually got around to it. That is the final album, presumed to be final, as he did pass shortly after dropping this album. Of course, I'm talking about The Thief Next to Jesus, the latest record from Brownsville rapper Ka, a record that in many respects, is pretty much everything we have come to expect from him as a one-of-a-kind artist. His super witty poetic bars, his amazing wordplay, and his super low-key delivery, as well as his typically drumless production that emphasizes space and atmosphere, cinematic sounds. But then in addition to that, you have one track after the next that is also an analysis of spirituality and organized religion. There's just something in the water with that this year. It's interesting to hear Ka as an artist at this point in his life taking a very balanced approach to these topics. There are some ways in which on this record, he is a man who wants to have faith and believe not only in a higher power, but in maybe brighter days coming down the road. But simultaneously, he is very much a man who is cynical and doesn't really see a whole lot of use for organized religion, or at least has lost faith in its capacity to do good in the world. He delivers a lot of these perspectives with bars and storytelling that deal in his youth, that deal in the progression of his life and religious scripture. It's just a very thoughtful record from, again, a one-of-a-kind artist. It's amazing that we got this album at the time that we did and that right up until the very end, his creative drive in mind was just still functioning at such a high peak.

4) Jack White - No Name

At number 4, I am going to put the Jack White album, No Name, a record that also is operating at a very high peak. This is Jack White's most badass killer solo album ever. Really rivals at least a few White Stripes albums in terms of their ferocity and just the amazing guitar play. The band chemistry, we have killer drums all over the record, too. Jack's vocal performances are going off. The songwriting is sharp, sharp, sharp on this record, too. It's all killer, no filler. What more can you say?

3) Kendrick Lamar - GNX

At number three, Kendrick Lamar, GNX. Kendrick gives us a catchy and hard-hitting ode to the L.A.C. And on this one, with some of his biggest bangers to date, as well as some of his most thoughtful and lyrical and conceptual tracks to date, too. As well as amazing soulful, sweet, low-key moments like "Luther" featuring Sza. It is a versatile record and a very interesting snapshot of a point in Kendrick's career where he is really riding on a high right now post his beef with Drake. Sure, while it may not be as narrative or as high-brow as some records he has dropped in the past. It makes up for those shortcomings with just sheer force and infectiousness.

2) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - NO​ ​TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28​,​340 DEAD

At number two, I am going to put the new Godspeed album, their No Title record, which also features the death count as of the time of the recording of the album in Palestine. And yes, as I said in my review of this album, this is certainly one of the most powerful and harrowing records that Godspeed has released to date. I think an album like this is indicative of just how odd of a year 2024 was, because while much of the time, it's true, we did have this very bright and blaring and bold and fun and very entertaining year for pop music. We also had a brutal, bloody and violent genocide screaming in our faces from January to December, too. And this album is obviously trying to be a reminder of that fact, while also reminding us that there's actually still quite a bit of gas left in the tank when it comes to Godspeed's particular strain of post-rock. This album is the power of music personified, especially considering there are no lyrics on this record outside of the reading of a poem on one track. This record really is, once again, like many other classics in the Godspeed catalog, a combination of rock music and classical music, with all of these tracks coming together as a holistic piece with multiple movements being explored throughout each song. We have intros, we have tension building moments, we have crescendos, we have peaks and valleys all over this record with thunderous highs, dark lows, and just a glimmer of hope at the very end, too, which again is why it's landing in my number two spot.

1) Charli XCX - BRAT

Then at number one, as if it's any surprise, we are going to go with Charli XCX. Yeah, I gave this album a 10 out of 10, I feel like it was going to land at number one. Either way, I think I've pretty much made my case for this album already in my review of the record, but I will state it again. I feel like this album is a sign of just the current era of pop music, what pop music – not what it has to be – but what it can be when it's being written well and produced boldly. I feel like this record in many ways is everything that Charli XCX as well as collaborators like AG Cook, have been fine-tuning things for for years. This was the ultimate destination, and now we're seeing both artistic and commercial success for Charli in the process of that. Culturally speaking, this record has proven to be a tour de force. The only people missing it are ones who are living under a rock at this point. But yes, the vocal performances, the song ideas, the personal moments, the anthems and bangers, the tracklist, and the dance-centric groups throughout the entire thing. Just what an amazing statement. What an amazing record. With the release of BRAT, Charli XCX is truly the queen of this modern pop era.

I'm going to leave it right there. That's my list. That's my top 10 and beyond. Thank you very much for watching. 2024 List Week. It's in the dust. It's done. Let me know what your favorite records of the year were down below. I know you will.

Anthony Fantano. List Week. Best Albums. Forever.