Throughout the month of December, KEXP has been counting down our top albums. From Top 10 lists from our DJs to the Top 90.3 of 2018 voted by listeners, we’ve chronicled a wide array of some of this year’s most thrilling released. Now we’re turning the mic over to our behind the scenes staff, volunteers, and interns who help keep the station running. Here are their favorite albums of 2018. How do their lists line-up with yours? (And stay tuned for Part 2, launching tomorrow.)
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empress Of | Us | Terrible Records PD |
| 2 | Haley Heynderickx | I Need To Start A Garden | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
| 3 | The Marías | Superclean, Vol II | Superclean Records |
| 4 | Mitski | Be The Cowboy | Dead Oceans |
| 5 | Tatiana Hazel | Toxic | self-released |
| 6 | boygenius | boygenius | Matador |
| 7 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Virgin EMI |
| 8 | Chancha Via Circuito | Bienaventuranza | Wonderwheel Recordings |
| 9 | Soccer Mommy | Clean | Fat Possum |
| 10 | Alex Andwandter | Latinoamericana | Nacional Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOPHIE | oil of every pearl's un-insides | Transgressive Records |
| 2 | yves tumor | safe in the hands of love | Warp Records |
| 3 | The Internet | Hive Mind | Columbia |
| 4 | Marie Davidson | Working Class Woman | Ninja Tune |
| 5 | Oneohtrix Point Never | Age Of | Warp Records |
| 6 | JPEGMAFIA | Veteran | Deathbomb Arc |
| 7 | IC3PEAK | Сказка | self-released |
| 8 | Daniel Avery | Song For Alpha | Phantasy Sound |
| 9 | Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Sex & Food | Jagjaguwar |
| 10 | JIL | Emotional Heat 4A Cold Generation | self-released |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Bad Boy Records |
| 2 | Brandi Carlile | By the Way, I Forgive You | Low Country Soung |
| 3 | Thunderpussy | Thunderpussy | Monkeywrench Records |
| 4 | Leon Bridges | Good Thing | Columbia |
| 5 | Courtney Barnett | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Milk! Records |
| 6 | Neko Case | Hell-On | ANTI- |
| 7 | Death Cab For Cutie | Thank You 4 Today | Atlantic Records |
| 8 | Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar | Ninja Tune |
| 9 | The True Loves | Famous Last Words | Warhen Records |
| 10 | First Aid Kit | Ruins | Columbia |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christine & The Queens | Chris | Because Music |
| 2 | Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar | Ninja Tune |
| 3 | Car Seat Headrest | Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) | Matador Records |
| 4 | IDLES | Joy As an Act of Resistance | Partisan Records |
| 5 | Cumulus | Comfort World | Trans Records |
| 6 | boygenius | boygenius | Matador Records |
| 7 | Empress Of | Us | Terrible Records |
| 8 | Bodega | Endless Scroll | What's Your Rupture? |
| 9 | Ezra Furman | Transangelic Exodus | Bella Union |
| 10 | Lucy Dacus | Historian | Matador Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitski | Be the Cowboy | Dead Oceans |
| 2 | Lykke Li | so sad so sexy | RCA |
| 3 | Blood Orange | Negro Swan | Domino |
| 4 | Shame | Songs of Praise | Dead Oceans |
| 5 | Thom Yorke | Suspiria soundtrack | XL |
| 6 | Empress Of | Us | Terrible |
| 7 | Yves Tumor | Safe in the Hands of Love | Warp |
| 8 | SOPHIE | Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides | Transgressive/Future Classic |
| 9 | How to Dress Well | The Anteroom | Domino |
| 10 | Idles | Joy as an Act of Resistance | Partisan |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ariana Grande | sweetener | Republic |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. |
| 3 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Rinse Recordings, Virgin Records, and Universal Music Group. |
| 4 | Father John Misty | God's Favorite Customer | Sub Pop |
| 5 | Mia Day | Gold | self-released |
| 6 | BROCKHAMPTON | iridescence | RCA |
| 7 | Cal & West | Kerosene Queen | self-released |
| 8 | Tierra Whack | Whack World | UMG Recordings |
| 9 | Leon Bridges | Good Thing | Columbia Records |
| 10 | The Internet | Hive Mind | Columbia Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofi Tukker | Treehouse | Ultra Music |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Bad Boy |
| 3 | Post Malone | Beerbongs & Bentleys | Republic Records |
| 4 | CHVRCHES | Love is Dead | Glassnote, Virgin |
| 5 | Lykki Li | So Sad So Sexy | RCA |
| 6 | Florence and the Machine | High As Hope | Virgin |
| 7 | Interpol | Maurader | Matador |
| 8 | St. Vincent | MASSEDUCATION (Piano) | Loma Vista |
| 9 | Alt-J | Reduxer | Atlantic |
| 10 | Robyn | Honey | Konichiwa, Interscope |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hookworms | Microshifts | Domino |
| 2 | Saba | Care For Me | SR |
| 3 | Boygenius | ST | Matador |
| 4 | Deafheaven | Ordinary Corrupt Human Love | -Anti |
| 5 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake | Rough Trade |
| 6 | Lucy Dacus | Historian | Matador |
| 7 | Wild Pink | Yolk in the Fur | Tiny Engines |
| 8 | Jenn Champion | Single Rider | Hardly Art |
| 9 | Hovvdy | Cranberry | Double Double Whammy |
| 10 | Mitski | Be the Cowboy | Dead Oceans |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pete International Airport | Safer With The Wolves | A Recordings |
| 2 | Gorillaz | The Now Now | Parlophone |
| 3 | The Good, The Bad & The Queen | Merrie Land | Studio 13 |
| 4 | Christine and the Queens | Chris | Because Music |
| 5 | Soft Science | Maps | Test Pattern Records |
| 6 | Charles Bradley | Black Velvet | Daptone Records |
| 7 | Leon Bridges | Good Thing | Columbia Records |
| 8 | Thunderpussy | Thunderpussy | Stardog |
| 9 | The Internet | Hive Mind | Columbia Records |
| 10 | Neneh Cherry | Broken Politics | Smalltown Supersound |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amen Dunes | Freedom | Sacred Bones |
| 2 | Matthew Dear | Bunny | Ghostly |
| 3 | Liz Cooper & The Stampede | Window Flowers | Sleepyhead Records |
| 4 | Smokey Brights | Different Windows | Freakout Records |
| 5 | Phosphoresecent | C'est La Vie | Dead Oceans |
| 6 | Flavien Berger | Contre-Temps | A+LSO |
| 7 | The Brian Jonestown Massacre | Something Else | a' Records |
| 8 | Thomas Fehlmann | Los Lagos | Kompakt |
| 9 | Charles Bradley | Black Velvet | Daptone |
| 10 | Yuno | Moodie | Sub Pop |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardi B | Invasion of Privacy | Atlantic |
| 2 | Dilly Dally | Heaven | Partisan Records |
| 3 | Black Panther | Varios | TDE & various |
| 4 | Kurt Vile | Bottle It In | Matador |
| 5 | Courtney Barnett | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Milk Records |
| 6 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | Mercury Nashville |
| 7 | Robyn | Honey | Ricochet |
| 8 | Soccer Mommy | Clean | Fat Possum |
| 9 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake | Rough Trade |
| 10 | Hibou | Something Familiar | Barsuk |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kamasi Washington | Heaven and Earth | Young Turks |
| 2 | IDLES | Joy as an Act of Resistance | Partisan |
| 3 | Kikagaku Moyo | Masana Temples | Guruguru Brain |
| 4 | Damien Jurado | The Horizon Just Laughed | Secretly Canadian |
| 5 | Adrianne Lenker | abysskiss | Saddle Creek |
| 6 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake! | Rough Trade |
| 7 | Ty Segall | Freedom's Goblin | Drag City |
| 8 | A.A.L. (Against All Logic) | 2012-2017 | Other People |
| 9 | Amen Dunes | Freedom | Sacred Bones |
| 10 | serpentwithfeet | soil | Secretly Canadian |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idles | Joy as an Act Of Resistance | Partisan |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Wondaland/Epic/Sony |
| 3 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake! | Rough Trade |
| 4 | Ty Segall | Fudge Sandwich | In The Red |
| 5 | Bodega | Endless Scroll | What's Your Rupture? |
| 6 | Soundtrack | Black Panther The Album Music From And Inspired By | TDE/Aftermath/Interscope |
| 7 | Shame | Songs of Praise | Dead Oceans |
| 8 | Death Valley Girls | Darkness Rains | Suicide Squeeze |
| 9 | Richard Thompson | 13 Rivers | New West |
| 10 | Brandi Carlile | By the Way, I Forgive You | ATO |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IDLES | Joy as an Act of Resistance | Partisan Records |
| 2 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake! | Rough Trade |
| 3 | Kikagaku Moyo | Masana Temples | Guruguru Brain |
| 4 | Khruangbin | Con Todo El Mundo | Dead Oceans |
| 5 | Mint Field | Pasar de la Luces | Innovative Leisure |
| 6 | Altin Gün | On | Bongo Joe |
| 7 | Low | Double Negative | Sub Pop |
| 8 | Cat Power | Wanderer | Domino |
| 9 | La Luz | Floating Features | Hardly Art |
| 10 | Just Mustard | Wednesday | Pizza Pizza Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | MCA Nashville |
| 2 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Virgin |
| 3 | Hop Along | Bark Your Head Off, Dog | Saddle Creek |
| 4 | Mitski | Be The Cowboy | Dead Oceans |
| 5 | Pusha T | Daytona | Def Jam / GOOD Music |
| 6 | Saba | Care For Me | Saba Pivot LLC |
| 7 | Beach House | 7 | Sub Pop |
| 8 | A.A.L. | 2012-2017 | Other People |
| 9 | Rosalia | El Mal Querer | Sony Music España |
| 10 | illuminati hotties | kiss yr frenemies | Tiny Engines |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let's Eat Grandma | I'm All Ears | Transgressive |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Wondaland/Epic/Sony |
| 3 | Brandi Carlile | By the Way I Forgive You | ATO |
| 4 | Christine and the Queens | Chris | Because |
| 5 | The Breeders | All Nerve | 4AD |
| 6 | Justice | Woman Worldwide | Ed Banger/Because |
| 7 | Sink Ya Teeth | Sink Ya Teeth | Hey Buffalo |
| 8 | Chvrches | Love is Dead | Glassnote |
| 9 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Virgin |
| 10 | Lykke Li | so sad so sexy | RCA |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAVVI | Ultra | Hush Hush Records |
| 2 | Sudan Archives | Sink | Stones Throw Records |
| 3 | Chatham Rise | Meadowsweet | Picture In My Ear Records |
| 4 | Marbiou State | Kingdoms In Colour | Counter Records |
| 5 | Jungle | For Ever | XL Records |
| 6 | Dilly Dally | Heaven | Partisan Records |
| 7 | White Ring | Gate of Grief | Rocket Girl Records |
| 8 | Still Corners | Slow Air | Wrecking Light Records |
| 9 | Thomas Fehlmann | Los Lagos | Kompakt Records |
| 10 | Makeup and Vanity Set | Shadow Circuit | Electric Dream Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IDLES | Joy as an Act of Resistance | Partisan |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Wondaland/Epic/Sony |
| 3 | Santigold | I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions | Downtown |
| 4 | Kamasi Washington | Heaven and Earth | Young Turks |
| 5 | Mirabou State | Kingdoms in Coulour | Counter |
| 6 | Thunderpussy | Thunderpussy | Stardog/Republic |
| 7 | Soundtrack | Black Panther Music From and Inspired By | TDE/Aftermath/Interscope |
| 8 | Car Seat Headrest | Twin Fantasy | Matador |
| 9 | Naked Giants | Sluff | New West |
| 10 | Angelique Kidjo | Remain in Light | Cravenworks |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lord Huron | Vide Noir | Republic Records |
| 2 | Django Django | Marble Skies | Because Records |
| 3 | Bob Moses | Battle Lines | Domino Recording Co Ltd |
| 4 | Jenn Champion | Single Rider | Hardly Art |
| 5 | Black Rebel Motorcycle Club | Wrong Creatures | Vagrant Records |
| 6 | Kyle Craft | Full Circle Nightmare | Sub Pop Records |
| 7 | Jungle | For Ever | XL Recordings Limited |
| 8 | John Butler Trio | Home | Nettwerk |
| 9 | Beach House | 7 | Sub Pop Records |
| 10 | Yuno | Moodie | Sub Pop Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Father John Misty | God's Favorite Customer | Sub Pop Records |
| 2 | Kurt Vile | Bottle It In | Matador |
| 3 | MGMT | Little Dark Age | Columbia |
| 4 | Gorillaz | The Now Now | Parlophone & Warner Bros |
| 5 | Courtney Barnett | Tell Me How You Really Feel | Milk! & Mom + Pop |
| 6 | The Good, the Bad & the Queen | Merrie Land | Studio 13 |
| 7 | Thom Yorke | Suspiria Soundtrack | Xl Recordings |
| 8 | David Byrne | American Utopia | Nonesuch Records |
| 9 | Melody's Echo Chamber | Bon Voyage | Fat Possum |
| 10 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Virgin |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood Orange | Negro Swan | Domino |
| 2 | Horse Feathers | Appreciation | Kill Rock Stars |
| 3 | Damien Jurado | The Horizon Just Laughed | Secretly Canadian |
| 4 | Now, Now | Saved | Trans |
| 5 | Amen Dunes | Freedom | Sacred Bones |
| 6 | Christine and the Queens | Chris | Because |
| 7 | The Internet | Hive Mind | Columbia |
| 8 | Father John Misty | God's Favorite Customer | Sub Pop |
| 9 | IDLES | Joy as an Act of Resistance | Partisan |
| 10 | Sunflower Bean | Twentytwo In Blue | Mom+Pop |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitski | Be The Cowboy | Dead Oceans |
| 2 | Thou | Magus | Sacred Bones Records |
| 3 | Snail Mail | Lush | Matador Records |
| 4 | 6LACK | East Atlanta Love Letter | LVRN Records |
| 5 | boygenius | boygenius EP | Matador Records |
| 6 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Virgin EMI Records |
| 7 | Cult Leader | A Patient Man | Deathwish Inc. |
| 8 | Anderson .Paak | Oxnard | Aftermath |
| 9 | The Internet | Hive Mind | Columbia Records |
| 10 | YOB | Our Raw Heart | Relapse Records |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mammoth Indigo | Wilt | self-released |
| 2 | Wild Pink | Yolk In The Fur | Tiny Engines |
| 3 | The Greeting Committee | This Is It | Harvest Records |
| 4 | Sloucher | Be True | Swoon Records |
| 5 | Shame | Songs Of Praise | Dead Oceans |
| 6 | Constant Mongrel | Living In Excellence | self-released |
| 7 | Erika Wennerstrom | Sweet Unknown | Partisan Records |
| 8 | Haley Heynderickx | I Need To Start A Graden | Mama Bird Recording Co. |
| 9 | The Sea Atlas | Goodbye | Lost Volcano |
| 10 | Yoshi Flower | American Raver | self-released |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardi B | Invasion Of Privacy | Atlantic |
| 2 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer | Atlantic |
| 3 | Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar | Ninja Tune |
| 4 | Kali Uchis | Isolation | Interscope Records |
| 5 | Christine & The Queens | Chris | Because Music |
| 6 | Ravyn Lenae | Crush EP | Atlantic |
| 7 | CHVRCHES | Love Is Dead | Glassnote Records |
| 8 | Playboi Carti | Die Lit | Interscope Records |
| 9 | Travis Scott | ASTROWORLD | Epic |
| 10 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | MCA Nashville |
| rank | artist | album | label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tune-Yards | I can feel you creep into my private life | 4AD |
| 2 | U.S. Girls | In A Poem Unlimited | 4AD |
| 3 | Beach House | 7 | Sub Pop |
| 4 | SOPHIE | Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides | Transgressive/Future Classic |
| 5 | The Breeders | All Nerve | 4AD |
| 6 | Mirah | Understanding | Absolute Magnitude |
| 7 | Cat Power | Wanderer | Domino |
| 8 | Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar | Ninja Tune |
| 9 | Robyn | Honey | Konichiwa/Interscope |
| 10 | Christine and the Queens | Chris | Because Music |
