Best Albums of the Year

Chicago rapper Juice WRLD, born Jarad Higgins, died this December at the age of 21. In March, the musician released his most popular album to date, “Death Race For Love.” The melodic and oftentimes experimental record hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, buoyed by the inclusion of the singles “Robbery” and “Hear Me Calling.”

The rapper who also goes by “Young Sinatra,” released in 2019 his third No. 1 album, “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.” The album included the singles “Homicide” and “Keanu Reeves.”

Country singer Maren Morris displayed her pop music chops with this year’s “GIRL” which also offered something for country fans. Guest artists on the album include popular country acts Brothers Osborne and Brandi Carlile. “GIRL” also won Album of the Year at the most recent CMA Awards.

Perhaps the most surprising record to top the charts this year is the Backstreet Boys’ “DNA.” The boy band — who last released a No. 1 album in the year 2000 — has updated its sound to fit in with today’s pop landscape with much success. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” the lead single from “DNA,” was even nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Group Performance.

Clocking in at just around 40 minutes in total length, ScHoolboy Q’s fifth full-length studio album is a relatively short listen. The album is introspective, socially conscious, and finds the L.A. rapper performing at a slower pace.

Future is among the most popular rappers working today. He’s released six chart-topping records to date, with the most recent being 2019’s “Future Hndrxx Presents: The Wizrd.” The 20-track album features guest appearances by Young Thug, Gunna, and Travis Scott and includes the singles “Crushed Up,” “Jumpin on a Jet,” and “First Off,” each of which charted on the Hot 100.

“The Big Day” is Chance the Rapper’s best-performing album to date, having peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 this past August. It’s also his debut studio album, as previous efforts have been independently created mixtapes. The album’s themes include family and commitment, and the album’s many guest artists include Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, En Vogue, and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

P!nk has had a total of nine albums chart on the Billboard 200 throughout her career. “Hurts 2B Human” is her third No. 1. Reviewing the album for Variety, critic Chris Willman states that “the amount of emotion [P!nk] puts into even the less worthy numbers reminds you why she remains one of our worthiest superstars.”

“Father of 4” is the debut studio solo album from Migos member Offset. The Atlanta rapper’s relationship with wife Cardi B has been the subject of much discussion, and Offset doesn’t shy away from it here, with Cardi even appearing on the song “Clout.” The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby released two albums this past year: “Baby on Baby” and “KIRK.” The latter reached the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, due in part to the popular singles “Intro” and “Bop.” Among other attributes, critics praised DaBaby’s emotional maturation reflected in the album’s lyrics.

BTS is at the forefront of the growing market for K-pop (Korean pop) in the United States. Their seven-track mini-album, “Map of the Soul: Persona,” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in April 2019 and sold more than 2.6 million copies prior to its release.

After a six-year hiatus, the Jonas Brothers returned with their third chart-topping album, the varied “Happiness Begins.” The album contains the group’s only No. 1 song to date, “Sucker” — a catchy pop rock tune that is quickly closing in on 600 million streams on Spotify.

“So Much Fun” is Atlanta rapper Young Thug’s debut studio album following years of mixtapes. Produced by J. Cole, the album features appearances by some of the biggest names currently working in rap, including Quavo, Future, 21 Savage, and Travis Scott. The album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in August.

At only 24 years of age, Post Malone has become one of pop music’s biggest stars with four No. 1 hits and nine top 10 hits under his belt. “Hollywood’s Bleeding” is the rapper’s second chart-topping album and sees him moving further in the direction of pop.

Taylor Swift’s most recent album is also her most highly rated by critics on Metacritic. The singer’s seventh studio album blends bright pop and political messaging that was once absent from the formerly apolitical entertainer’s work. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in September.

Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion broke into the Billboard 200 top 10 with her debut studio album, “Fever,” just a week after her mixtape “Tina Snow” reached its peak on the chart at No. 166. The raw and ribald raps help establish Megan Thee Stallion as a leading figure in Southern hip hop.

Proggressive metal band Tool released “Fear Inoculum” more than 13 years after its previous album, “10,000 Days.” The seven-track, near-80 minute release may not appeal to all listeners, but fans sent it to the top of the Billboard 200. Music magazine Kerrang! described it as “the most intricate and densely-layered album Tool have yet made.”

Impish rapper Tyler, The Creator won over critics and fans with his self-produced “IGOR.” The album, which trades in some of the anger of past releases for soulful emotion, topped the Billboard 200 in June.

In the six years following the release of their critically acclaimed 2013 album “Modern Vampires of the City” — during which founding member Rostam Batmanglij left the band — Vampire Weekend crafted another upbeat and catchy album, though this time it was peppered with somewhat darker lyrical content. The album peaked at the top of the Billboard 200 in May and was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys.

Gen Z superstar, teenager Billie Eilish’s major label debut “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” hit No. 1 in April 2019 and spawned the No. 1 single “Bad Guy.” The album, which blends pop, indie, hip-hop, and electronic influences, has been nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

While Lizzo’s debut album came out in 2013, it wasn’t until this past year that the Texas musician began burning up the charts. Her album “Cuz I Love You” peaked at No. 4 in September, thanks in part to the deluxe version’s inclusion of the No. 1 hit “Truth Hurts.” As the Chicago Tribune notes, “Lizzo and her producers […] aim for radio singles rather than cohesive statements.” Based on the album’s popularity — it works.

R&B artist Summer Walker’s debut studio album “Over It” shows the singer working at a slower tempo than her previous work. The ballad-laden record peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and included the Hot 100-charting singles “Playing Games” and “Stretch You Out.”

Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in February. It also launched with the biggest streaming week ever for a pop album, with the equivalent of 307 million audio streams in a week. The album features Grande’s only two No. 1 singles: “7 Rings” and the title track.

Lana Del Rey’s impolitely titled sixth album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in September. The album received near universal positive reviews from critics on Metacritic, with Pitchfork editor Jenn Pelly writing that the album establishes Del Rey “as one of America’s greatest living songwriters.”

Beyoncé released this album alongside her Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary/concert film to great critical and fan acclaim. The 40-track album captures the singer’s 2018 Coachella festival performance and has a near-perfect score on Metacritic (98/100). Various critics have referred to “Homecoming” as “awe-inspiring,” “a cultural touchstone,” and “genius.”