Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 by 
babyBlueSedan 
Guess it's about time I make one of these. I've been pretty ambivalent about listening to music lately so I haven't listened to much from 2018, but I'll throw what I have heard here. If you want to know how this chart works check my other recent year charts because I'm too lazy to paste it here. Basically check out anything I rated 65 or above.
Now 45% less apathetic, with (mostly nonsensical) genres!
**Update 2/19/20: The first post-2018 update has arrived. Only messed with the stuff at 70 or higher
- Chart updated: 02/20/2020 01:45
- (Created: 03/24/2018 16:39).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 4 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 7 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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75/100
Industrial noise rock
Anthony Fan-ten-o called this one of the scariest albums he's heard, and I just don't see that. And he's not the only one - this album has been getting a lot of praise. But while it's very in-your-face and noisy, it never feels as hopeless or demented as something like Have a Nice Life or Swans. That said, it's more energetic than the former and more interesting than the latter. I did really like it, and I'm excited to hear it again. Just perplexed by the hype I guess. [First added to this chart: 11/19/2018]
Industrial noise rock
Anthony Fan-ten-o called this one of the scariest albums he's heard, and I just don't see that. And he's not the only one - this album has been getting a lot of praise. But while it's very in-your-face and noisy, it never feels as hopeless or demented as something like Have a Nice Life or Swans. That said, it's more energetic than the former and more interesting than the latter. I did really like it, and I'm excited to hear it again. Just perplexed by the hype I guess. [First added to this chart: 11/19/2018]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,196
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
59
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75/100
Post doom sludge
I was expecting some riffs and instead got some doom riffs mixed with Neurosis-style atmospheric sludge. I am not a fan of Neurosis, but YOB do their style well. The first couple tracks are more traditional stoner-doom, and in the middle it slows down into the atmospheric sludge territory. It ends with a bang though. Beauty in Falling Leaves is my favorite song, and the title track ends the album with a bang. Would have a higher rating if not for the more meandering stuff in the middle. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2018]
Post doom sludge
I was expecting some riffs and instead got some doom riffs mixed with Neurosis-style atmospheric sludge. I am not a fan of Neurosis, but YOB do their style well. The first couple tracks are more traditional stoner-doom, and in the middle it slows down into the atmospheric sludge territory. It ends with a bang though. Beauty in Falling Leaves is my favorite song, and the title track ends the album with a bang. Would have a higher rating if not for the more meandering stuff in the middle. [First added to this chart: 06/09/2018]
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75/100
Glitch dance
Listening to this makes me what to go back and give No Now a second chance because this is such great, unpredictable dance music. [First added to this chart: 10/29/2018]
Glitch dance
Listening to this makes me what to go back and give No Now a second chance because this is such great, unpredictable dance music. [First added to this chart: 10/29/2018]
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75/100
Sample house
Hey, I like house now
Sample house
Hey, I like house now
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,268
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75/100
Dance hop
While finalizing this list at the start of December I almost ranked this near the bottom of the 70s, but I decided to give it another listen since I hadn't heard it since April or May. And I had forgotten just how great this is. This is danceable synth pop with quite a bit of edge, not only in the music but in the lyrics. Incidental Boogie is a super fun dance track, and you'd be forgiven if you missed the lyrics about domestic violence, her boyfriend hitting her but not one seeing the marks, and "to be brutalized means you don't have to think." Pearly Gates is basically a hip hop beat with R&B vocals over the top of it, and lyrics about...well, I'll let you find out for yourself. Pretty much every song is a bop, but the seven minute outro Time might be the biggest highlight. [First added to this chart: 04/05/2018]
Dance hop
While finalizing this list at the start of December I almost ranked this near the bottom of the 70s, but I decided to give it another listen since I hadn't heard it since April or May. And I had forgotten just how great this is. This is danceable synth pop with quite a bit of edge, not only in the music but in the lyrics. Incidental Boogie is a super fun dance track, and you'd be forgiven if you missed the lyrics about domestic violence, her boyfriend hitting her but not one seeing the marks, and "to be brutalized means you don't have to think." Pearly Gates is basically a hip hop beat with R&B vocals over the top of it, and lyrics about...well, I'll let you find out for yourself. Pretty much every song is a bop, but the seven minute outro Time might be the biggest highlight. [First added to this chart: 04/05/2018]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
839
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75/100
Post industrial slowcore
I've been trying to get into Low ever since I started liking slowcore, but so far they haven't clicked. They've just always been too slow with not enough variety. Which still sounds like something I'd like; I even saw them live at a festival and it was a great experience. But their albums haven't done much for me.
That said, this is the album of theirs that I liked the most, and I hope it gets me into the band. The "glitchy" "experimental" parts aren't a lot to write home about on their own, but combined with the vocals and slow pace it makes for a good atmosphere. There are a couple traditional slowcore songs as well, and they end up being my favorite things here. [First added to this chart: 10/19/2018]
Post industrial slowcore
I've been trying to get into Low ever since I started liking slowcore, but so far they haven't clicked. They've just always been too slow with not enough variety. Which still sounds like something I'd like; I even saw them live at a festival and it was a great experience. But their albums haven't done much for me.
That said, this is the album of theirs that I liked the most, and I hope it gets me into the band. The "glitchy" "experimental" parts aren't a lot to write home about on their own, but combined with the vocals and slow pace it makes for a good atmosphere. There are a couple traditional slowcore songs as well, and they end up being my favorite things here. [First added to this chart: 10/19/2018]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,357
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75/100
Post hardcore punk
The fact that I listened to Never Fight a Man With a Perm a million times in 2019 and not 2018 proves I'm always a year behind on things.
Post hardcore punk
The fact that I listened to Never Fight a Man With a Perm a million times in 2019 and not 2018 proves I'm always a year behind on things.
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,297
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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75/100
Raw garage punk
You know that thing Noel Gallagher said about Thom Yorke farting into a light bulb and the critics eating it up? Well I think that scenario would also apply to me and Cloud Nothings. I've enjoyed everything they've done since their top-20 all time Attack on Memory, even though the quality has dipped a bit since then. But their work is always defined by energy, Baldi's underrated voice (which is great when he's angry and singing cleaning), and themes of trying to improve yourself. Some people have claimed this to be a return to a messy sound after the very clean Life Without Sound, but honestly they've never done anything this raw. I would say that if you add this to Life Without Sound you'd get their two previous albums - it's the energy to Life Without Sound's focus. But it's still really good. [First added to this chart: 11/19/2018]
Raw garage punk
You know that thing Noel Gallagher said about Thom Yorke farting into a light bulb and the critics eating it up? Well I think that scenario would also apply to me and Cloud Nothings. I've enjoyed everything they've done since their top-20 all time Attack on Memory, even though the quality has dipped a bit since then. But their work is always defined by energy, Baldi's underrated voice (which is great when he's angry and singing cleaning), and themes of trying to improve yourself. Some people have claimed this to be a return to a messy sound after the very clean Life Without Sound, but honestly they've never done anything this raw. I would say that if you add this to Life Without Sound you'd get their two previous albums - it's the energy to Life Without Sound's focus. But it's still really good. [First added to this chart: 11/19/2018]
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70/100
Indie art rock pop
I wasn't a big fan of Puberty 2 but I really liked the early tracks Geyser and Nobody. After about four listens, which is more than I give most albums I'm unsure of, I still can't say that I love this. There are a couple more tracks I really like besides the early singles (Two Slow Dancers, Me and My Husband) but the rest feel really underdeveloped. A comparison I've been making is Bee Thousand - not because of sound (they sound nothing alike) but because of song length and how it jumps between ideas. But while Bee Thousand has a bunch of tightly constructed pop songs, the songs here never really get going and feel like demos. Bee Thousand is also an album that's greater than the sum of its parts, and for this one to work it would have to be the same way. However, it flies by in half and hour and I remember very little of it.
List-season relisten: I've come around to this and upped it to a 70. All of the above criticisms hold true, which is why I didn't delete them. But for as short as the album is, the standout tracks are able to carry it, and the lesser ones fly by. And maybe it's because I've just listened to this so much, but even some of the tracks I didn't like at first (Washing Machine Heart especially) have grown on me. [First added to this chart: 08/30/2018]
Indie art rock pop
I wasn't a big fan of Puberty 2 but I really liked the early tracks Geyser and Nobody. After about four listens, which is more than I give most albums I'm unsure of, I still can't say that I love this. There are a couple more tracks I really like besides the early singles (Two Slow Dancers, Me and My Husband) but the rest feel really underdeveloped. A comparison I've been making is Bee Thousand - not because of sound (they sound nothing alike) but because of song length and how it jumps between ideas. But while Bee Thousand has a bunch of tightly constructed pop songs, the songs here never really get going and feel like demos. Bee Thousand is also an album that's greater than the sum of its parts, and for this one to work it would have to be the same way. However, it flies by in half and hour and I remember very little of it.
List-season relisten: I've come around to this and upped it to a 70. All of the above criticisms hold true, which is why I didn't delete them. But for as short as the album is, the standout tracks are able to carry it, and the lesser ones fly by. And maybe it's because I've just listened to this so much, but even some of the tracks I didn't like at first (Washing Machine Heart especially) have grown on me. [First added to this chart: 08/30/2018]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,085
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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70/100
Sinister folk
This one really surprised me. Ballen has a very high-pitched voice and a unique style of singing where it sounds like she's trying really hard to whisper everything she's saying. In some cases this makes her sound really serious, like she's a nut case who's one bad break away from snapping (see: "Fucking"). In other songs it's even more frightening: "Black Cloud" is pretty much the closest you'll get to a suspense thriller in the form of indie folk. A pretty close comparison would be Lisa Germano's Geek the Girl, except Ballen sounds more likely to lash out while Germano's album focuses mostly inward.
The lyrics are really good too. Despite the sinister sounding singing, the lyrics are mostly self-deprecating and longing. Take "Fucking," a song about not being able to be with the person you want. "Rainer" is the same idea only sweeter, with Ballen talking about wishing they could talk to someone so she could tell them about her coffee. Man, imagine being so infatuated with someone that you can't wait to tell them about something as mundane as your coffee. [First added to this chart: 09/22/2018]
Sinister folk
This one really surprised me. Ballen has a very high-pitched voice and a unique style of singing where it sounds like she's trying really hard to whisper everything she's saying. In some cases this makes her sound really serious, like she's a nut case who's one bad break away from snapping (see: "Fucking"). In other songs it's even more frightening: "Black Cloud" is pretty much the closest you'll get to a suspense thriller in the form of indie folk. A pretty close comparison would be Lisa Germano's Geek the Girl, except Ballen sounds more likely to lash out while Germano's album focuses mostly inward.
The lyrics are really good too. Despite the sinister sounding singing, the lyrics are mostly self-deprecating and longing. Take "Fucking," a song about not being able to be with the person you want. "Rainer" is the same idea only sweeter, with Ballen talking about wishing they could talk to someone so she could tell them about her coffee. Man, imagine being so infatuated with someone that you can't wait to tell them about something as mundane as your coffee. [First added to this chart: 09/22/2018]
Total albums: 100. Page 2 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Iceage | 1 | 1% | |
| Half Waif | 1 | 1% | |
| Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y & The Alchemist | 1 | 1% | |
| Whitney Ballen | 1 | 1% | |
| Thou | 1 | 1% | |
| The Weeknd | 1 | 1% | |
| Jean Grae X Quelle Chris | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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|
|
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| |
69 | 69% | |
 |
13 | 13% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
5 | 5% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
 Up 7 from 14th to 7thDaytona by Pusha T |
| Up 5 from 10th to 5th How To Socialise & Make Friends by Camp Cope |
| Up 1 from 12th to 11th You Won't Get What You Want by Daughters |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 8 from 8th to 16th Double Negative by Low |
| Down 7 from 21st to 28th Room 25 by Noname |
| Down 5 from 17th to 22nd Veteran by JPEGMAFIA |
| New entries |
|---|
 Your Queen Is A Reptileby Sons Of Kemet |
| 2012-2017 by Against All Logic |
| Joy As An Act Of Resistance. by Idles |
| Leavers |
|---|
 The Honeybearby Hampshire & Foat |
| Dream Songs by Devon Welsh |
| Hive Mind by The Internet |
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Other year charts (from the 2010s) by babyBlueSedan
Top 100 Music Albums of 2019 by babyBlueSedan (2020)Top 100 Music Albums of 2017 by
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babyBlueSedan (2020)Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 ratings
91/100 (from 7 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 7 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100/100  | 01/12/2021 11:19 |  Larcx13 | | 86/100 |
95/100 | 10/31/2020 10:26 | TheKing | | 90/100 |
100/100 | 02/21/2020 02:12 | DJENNY | | 100/100 |
 95/100 | 12/31/2018 04:21 | asyty7 | | 81/100 |
| 90/100 | 12/13/2018 10:30 |  Arthurknight | | 89/100 |
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Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 comments
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95/100
From TheKing 10/31/2020 10:26
Mattdup took the words out of my mouth. I really enjoy reading your comments.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From asyty7 12/31/2018 04:22
Nice album diversity and personal insight into rankings.
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100/100
From 
Mattdup279 12/08/2018 04:21
Mattdup279 12/08/2018 04:21
I could read your write-ups all day
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100/100
From 
travelful 09/05/2018 19:51
travelful 09/05/2018 19:51
Thanks for the Whitney Ballen rec...this shit is amazing.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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