For my 16th consecutive year of reviewing my favorite music, I’m bringing you another curated, eclectic playlist that winds its way through the new tracks and albums I loved. Look back at 2018 with me in this signature special feature.
Like the year before it, 2018 proved to be quite a tumultuous trip in which music was a much-needed escape. In recent years, artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Banks, Adele, and Lights claimed #1 on my year-end music reviews—now it’s time again to share my personal highlights from the past year. As ever, you might discover some music that you missed out on the first time around.
Below, you’ll find a list of many of the year’s other hot tracks sorted by release date, followed by my top 40 albums. Tap or click on any track or album to listen to it on Apple Music and read their editors’ synopsis. Let’s get started!
Tracks
Bruno Mars f/ Cardi B
“Finesse (Remix)”
Kendrick Lamar f/ SZA
“All The Stars”
Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey
“The Middle”
ALMA f/ Tove Styrke
“Good Vibes”
Flight Facilities f/ Nïka
“Need You”
Hook N Sling f/ Lauren Aquilina
“Shoot Down The Sun”
Childish Gambino
“This Is America”
Frank Turner
“Make America Great Again”
Clean Bandit f/ Demi Lovato
“Solo”
Billie Eilish
“you should see me in a crown”
The Chainsmokers f/ Emily Warren
“Side Effects”
City Girls
“I’ll Take Your Man”
Sheryl Crow f/ Annie Clark
“Wouldn’t Want to Be Like You”
bülow f/ DUCKWRTH
“SAD AND BORED”
Dustin Atlas and Erin Bowman
“Fake Ass Friends”
Silk City and Dua Lipa
“Electricity”
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan
“1999”
Little Mix f/ Nicki Minaj
“Woman Like Me”
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
“Shallow”
Ellie Goulding and Diplo
“Close To Me”
Lauren Jauregui
“Expectations”
Carly Rae Jepsen
“Party For One”
Adia Victoria
“Dope Queen Blues”
Julia Michaels
“In This Place”
Billie Eilish
“come out and play”
Grimes f/ HANA
“We Appreciate Power”
Mark Ronson f/ Miley Cyrus
“Nothing Breaks Like A Heart”
Melissa Villaseñor
“Dreamin’ You Up”
Top 40 albums
38
Cardi B
Invasion of Privacy
35
Christine and the Queens
Chris
33
Hop Along
Bark Your Head Off, Dog
32
Florence & The Machine
High As Hope
30
Courtney Barnett
Tell Me How You Really Feel
28
Marissa Nadler
For My Crimes
24
Emily Warren
Quiet Your Mind
20
Alessia Cara
The Pains of Growing
17
The Aces
When My Heart Felt Volcanic
15
Kero Kero Bonito
Time ‘n’ Place
13
The Beths
Future Me Hates Me
12
Kacey Musgraves
Golden Hour
6
Janelle Monáe
Dirty Computer
3
Pale Waves
My Mind Makes Noises
1
Bishop Briggs
Church of Scars
Summary
The future is female and so is almost every artist on my playlist this year, which reflects my ever-solidifying personal taste in new music more than it speaks any purposeful message about the ongoing state of our world—though I’m sure my subconscious would have something to say about that. In a year that included plenty of returning favorites, it was ultimately a trio of debut albums that topped my list, a testament to the emerging and breakout artists that make discovering new music forever exciting. I can’t wait to hear what the next year will bring.
To hear more about why I chose some of the tracks and albums you saw here, listen to this year’s episode of TC & RED: LIVE. I hope you enjoy these selections as much as I did. Thanks for checking out my top 40 albums of 2018!
