According to Complex: For most, this year in music can be summed up in four words — Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. But if you zoom out and take a broader view, things get more complicated. American female pop stars dominated the year, with artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX leaving the biggest cultural impact. Rap, on the other hand, was more scattershot—take away the beef and we had a year with few transcendent, unifying moments, songs, or albums. That’s not to say there weren’t good albums; they were just more niche and on the fringes. Which meant that, despite the constant flow of rap music, it often felt like we were in a drought.
We’ll say this about 2024: The variety of music available to fans is stunning. This year has seen a healthy mix of releases from glittering superstars, seasoned underground veterans, and edgy rookies, across a wide array of genres. Taken as a whole, it can feel chaotic trying to capture the essence of the year. How do you tell the story of contemporary music, balancing the commercially digestible “big moments” with the distinct, thriving pockets within pop and hip-hop, each pushing boundaries in their own unique way?
Well, we tried. With thousands of albums released and consumed, here is our ranking of the best albums of 2024.
1. GNX – Kendrick Lamar
2. Chromakopia – Tyler, The Creator
3. We Don’t Trust You – Future and Metro Boomin
4. Alligator Bites Never Heal -Doechii
5. Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish
6. The Thief Next to Jesus – Ka
7. Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé
8. The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) – Eminem
9. Gap Year! – Laila!
10. Blue Lips – Schoolboy Q
11. Saaheem – SahBabii
12. The Year I Turned 21 – Ayra Starr
13. We Still Don’t Trust You – Future and Metro Boomin
14. Born in the Wild – Tems
15. Glorious – GloRilla
16. Brat – Charli XCX
17. Take Care – BigXthaPlug
18. Almighty So 2 – Chief Keef
19. Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
20. Vultures 1 – ¥$, Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign
21. Might Delete Later – J. Cole
22. 2093 – Yeat
23. Hardstone Psycho – Don Toliver
24. Two Star & The Dream Police – Mk.gee
25. Please Don’t Cry – Rapsody
26. #RICHAXXHAITIAN – Mach-Hommy
27. #gigi – skaiwater
28. HEIS – Rema
29. American Dream – 21 Savage
30. 9 – Kenny Mason
31. Sugar Honey Iced Tea – Latto
32. Dark Times – Vince Staples
33. Princess Pop That – Anycia
34. The Drive Home – Samara Cyn
35. Soul Burger – Ab-Soul
36. Mixtape Pluto – Future
37. Tyla – Tyla
38. One of Wun – Gunna
39. Last Lap – Rod Wave
40. The FORCE – LL Cool J
41. Pointy Heights – Fousheé
42. Sex Drive – Chow Lee
43. You Only Die 1nce – Freddie Gibbs
44. C,XOXO – Camila Cabello
45. The Calm – Chris Patrick
46. Gemini! – Lucki
47. King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2 – Denzel Curry
48. Plan A – Lil Tecca
49. Orquídeas – Kali Uchis
50. Coyote – Tommy Richman