Listed below are the best albums of 2026 (so far) as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 1 hour ago).
"Once again, Gorillaz come up with something that is impossible to confuse with work by any comparable outfit and is yet totally original. This is the best new album I have heard this year, so far."Reply
"Their first album didn't do much for me beyond appreciating the technical side of things. This second album, however, managed to capture my attention from the very beginning. I think it's much more interesting, psychedelic, and fun."Reply
"Each new dry cleaning album is a lottery of surreal images, memories and notes from everyday life that vocalist Florence Shaw generates in her head. hardly any big language model can predict her train of thought throughout "secret love". "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a horse," she says in the...""Each new dry cleaning album is a lottery of surreal images, memories and notes from everyday life that vocalist Florence Shaw generates in her head. hardly any big language model can predict her train of thought throughout "secret love". "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a horse," she says in the opening song of the new release, "Hit My Head All Day." "onions, carrots and celery," Florence adds, explaining about her favorite lunch menu. Her monotonous voice, as always, is accompanied by muffled drums and a pronounced, funky bass in the style of Tina Weymouth from the band talking heads. "Ha ha ha, I'm always banging my head," comes the third minute, when the melody finally seeps into the song, "la la la, blood is flowing from the stone."
For those who are hearing the band for the first time, all these lines seem like the ravings of a madman. For those who have come across the music of dry cleaning before, this idea is also supported by the appearance of Florence shaw. however, lost in time and space, the phlegmatic vocalist, who constantly hides behind her long red hair, worries about this much less than the others. after all, in the bizarre world of the band, its appearance is not at all bizarre — it is a healthy reaction to the current normality."[+]Reply
"Boards of Canada in 2026. While it still has that vintage electronics feel that they're recognized by, it interestingly has this high-definition quality to it as well. This album has some of the best mastering and mixing from an electronic album I have ever heard. I've listened to it on streaming...""Boards of Canada in 2026. While it still has that vintage electronics feel that they're recognized by, it interestingly has this high-definition quality to it as well. This album has some of the best mastering and mixing from an electronic album I have ever heard. I've listened to it on streaming, 24bit lossless, and vinyl and each format has been incredible. Not to mention the songs themselves are so delectable to listen to. A lot of people point to Geogaddi as its most similar sounding companion, and I would agree, not only in the darker, ominous tones, but also the fact that this album is a *trip*. It's a total odyssey. It starts off somewhat innocently enough with Introit and Prophecy at 1420 MHz still does not quiet feel like the beginning of a journey, but suddently as your listening you realize you are worlds away. Look, I have no idea if this is their last album because supposedly their contract with Warp was for 5 studio albums. However, if it is it's definitely a hell of an ending. If not, then yay for more Boards of Canada. By the way this album ends, both avenues make sense."[+]Reply
"Oliva''s Blue Valentine Well that's one obvious point of reference, though comparisons to Billie's recent Hard-Soft are also apt- not so much necessarily that they sound really similar, but they have a similar thematic structure mixed with a very glistening, attractive sheen that will certainly a...""Oliva''s Blue Valentine
Well that's one obvious point of reference, though comparisons to Billie's recent Hard-Soft are also apt- not so much necessarily that they sound really similar, but they have a similar thematic structure mixed with a very glistening, attractive sheen that will certainly appeal to many (but also why a not insignificant people may find it underwhelming), but also is held back by a few inescapable fundemental flaws. After the very Aughties-style of her previous albums, which mostly mixed snarky and energetic Mall Punk inspired numbers with piano ballads, this takes a bit of a different turn towards trying to capture that distinctly 90s moody singer-songwriter style, mixing dreamy and stripped-down strum-happy numbers with a tougher foundation. There are a few different influences in here (the new Wave promised in the opening track is more sparse though can definitely be felt at points, especially in the quirky Penultimate track that feels like something off GUTS if it were remade by Thomas Dolby, some wistful yacht-rock/80s soft rock which She directly name-drops and the strange Garbage/Cardigans homage of My Way) it for the most part stays stylistically consistient, and yeah it can even feel like something a younger and much more direct Juliana Hatfield might have toyed with back in the day. It's also got an ambitous goal to upend the typical breakup album, in mainly wanting the two sides to show both the giddiness and uncertainty of falling in love mixed with the actual comedown, but sonically the two sides don't have enough contrast to give the impression that she's living both in the moment. The difference is just in the direct lyrical details, where as all the songs have an incredibly similar tempo and shape that evoke a lot of the same moods when they should come together as a more serpentine electrical shock, rarely emoting feelings beyond yearning and resignation. It never quite captures the early fire of romance, which is why the second "you seem so sad" half feels more authentic.
And while for the most part the songwriting is very consistiently solid if sometimes constrained by the very polished production (the only major whatdafuckisthis exception being what should've been the most hyped, the Robert Smith duet, where I can only feel is that having is name seemed awesome enough but also the most costly, so apparently they cold only afford one take on a Casio, it's so jarringly out of place on the album that it briefly sucks all the momentum it's been gaining), I also am noticing the best ideas and most attractive hooks are almost always placed very early in the song, which is a problem when they all seem to peak before they hit the chorus. It's why I can see The Cure has gotten a lot of individual praise, not only is it easily the best in capturing that melancholy 90s vibe but it's actually an ambitious number that keeps growing and expanding and taking the listener somewhere new, and end's up being the most profound. A lot may be noted about Olivia's maturing lyrics here, though really I think it's just a good thing they're clearly aging with her as songs as the previous many numbers about not being able to quit bad but exciting relationships, and instead constrasting the feeling of importance toward romance & love when it's something so inherently emphermal.
So yeah it's fine, previously I always found that her spunkier and spikier pop numbers were vastly superior to her ballads (which may have a lot to do with her vocal range), but this proves she can handle the quieter stuff. It just still feels like it's a little too tight-lidded to really let all the rawer feelings come out and thrive, it's a solid relationship post-morturm that probably wanted to have a much wider scope. I mean far be it for me to suggest fucking with the million dollar formula, I would like to see a producer's change-up sooner than later, I feel like with her growing Cachet she should find somebody who's willing to let her take more risks and be geniunely messy which could greatly help her get across the emotions she's clearly trying to evoke on these releases. This feels very much like a transitional album, not just in going from teenage-angst to young adulthood, but as a musician and performer (hopefully) as well. "[+]Reply
"As a Peppers fan, and also one who has read Flea's book, Acid For The Children, I never thought I'd be this interested in a Flea solo album. I wasn't a big fan of one of the first singles from the album, with vocals from some buddy named Thom Yorke. I know they have worked together in other proje...""As a Peppers fan, and also one who has read Flea's book, Acid For The Children, I never thought I'd be this interested in a Flea solo album.
I wasn't a big fan of one of the first singles from the album, with vocals from some buddy named Thom Yorke. I know they have worked together in other projects, but this really didn't spark interest. I know of his first instrument love with the trumpet, and that he was realizing and following a dream to get back to the trumpet.... so when the album came out I had to hear what he wanted to get out.
First listen, I thought it was a little all over the place and no flow. I mean, I was pleasantly surprised on A Plea (rhymes with Flea, eh?) when his own vocals showed up. It was unexpected, but turns out a highlight after repeated listens. With the aforementioned Thom Yorke song, Tragic Lights next and then a few instrumental jazz tracks, I was confused on what kind of album Flea was making.
I left it for a couple of weeks, and, with some of it's album tracks popping up in some of my shuffled Playlists, I decided to give it another front to back listen. I am hearing new things every listen now, and even up until writing this comment, am impressed more and more with such an original album flow and the choices Flea makes. Whether it's that Plea for love, or experimental jazz in Morning Cry, the bravery in jazz standards or fun with the closing track, Free as I want To Be, Flea shows he is in control of a vision and does what he wants to do. His bass work here is excellent, as the album starts with incredible bass lines, then slowly rolls out his trumpet and has many surprising arrangements and moments that may not be realized until multiple listens.
Maggot Brain and Thinkin Bout You ( A Frank Ocean cover, which i learned later) are definitely favorites now along with others I have mentioned. And, yes, I still think that first single... with Thom Yorke, is a weaker track on the album. But the album has become my #1 (so far) of 2026, where at one time I thought I wouldn't think would be such a record I'd give so much attention too."[+]Reply
"An astonishingly mature album that doesn't try to win you over right away, but rather grows on you over time and leaves a lasting impression. It also takes courage to record these songs without copying other indie bands. They did a great job of it."Reply
"This is probably Slayyyter's strongest LP offering so far, I love her aesthetic and her sound direction, she's definitely going in the right direction. I'm enjoying this album a lot and I think she is one of the more interested up and coming pop girls."Reply
lleon79 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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CaptainPain | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Anti | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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cestuneblague | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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