Let’s be honest – trying to sum up a year in music is like attempting to explain Matty Healy to your grandparents or giving a sensible answer when someone asks you, ‘What kind of music do you like?’. It’s messy, it’s subjective and someone is definitely going to disagree with you in the comments.
But here we are again, Dear Reader, doing what we do best: Ranking things and having opinions about them. 2024 has been the kind of year that makes music journalists reach for increasingly elaborate metaphors – a year where artificial intelligence tried to write pop songs (badly), where every other week brought another “unexpected” collaboration, and where pop girlies ruled all.
From bedroom pop breakthroughs to stadium-sized statements, from heartbreak to hyperpop, we’ve listened to it all. Multiple times. Probably while crying in the shower or doing our silly little tasks or commuting to our silly little jobs. These are the albums that made 2024 feel less like a simulation and more like somewhere we actually want to be – ranked meticulously, debated passionately, and served up with a signature side of mild sass. Strap in. Things are about to get opinionated.
50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
30. BLOSSOMS – Gary
Just when you thought Stockport’s finest couldn’t get any more delightfully bonkers, they’ve gone and named their album after a stolen fibreglass gorilla. As you do. Between the 80s-soaked sugar rush of ‘What Can I Say After I’m Sorry’ and the pure pop perfection of ‘Cinnamon’, it’s like stumbling into the best fancy dress party in town – where everyone’s wearing shoulder pads and singing their hearts out. Proof that sometimes the best kind of ambition is just having a proper good time.
Top Track: ‘Gary’
Fun Fact: Blossoms’ top pop mate Rick Astley appears in videos for the album, as does Everton manager Sean Dyche. There’ll be no points deducted for that.
Pick up a copy of our September issue featuring Blossoms on the cover
29. GIRL IN RED – I’m Doing It Again Baby!
Marie Ulven’s latest chapter reads like midnight confessions, where heartache transforms into healing through shimmering production. It’s a raw and introspective album that delves into themes of heartbreak and healing, pairing vulnerable lyrics with lush, melancholic production. The album showcases Girl In Red’s growth as an artist, balancing emotional honesty with sonic experimentation. ‘I’m Doing It Again Baby!’ is a compelling portrait of resilience and self-discovery.
Top Track: ‘Too Much’
Fun Fact: Sabrina Carpenter was very enthusiastic about guesting on ‘You Need Me Now?’, saying she’d even burp on a song if it was what Marie wanted.
Pick up a copy of our April 2024 issue featuring Girl In Red on the cover
28. GEORDIE GREEP – The New Sound
Black Midi’s ringmaster goes solo with delightfully twisted results. Geordie Greep’s ‘The New Sound’ is a mesmerising blend of avant-garde experimentation and razor-sharp wit, an album that challenges and intrigues, like a dance through the funhouse mirrors of Greep’s imagination where conventional song structures dissolve into brilliant chaos. His theatrical delivery and unconventional arrangements make ‘The New Sound’ an exhilarating and unpredictable listening experience, solidifying his reputation as one of music’s most fearless innovators.
Top Track: ‘Holy, Holy’
Fun Fact: Greep is a boxing enthusiast.
27. WAXAHATCHEE – Tigers Blood
Katie Crutchfield’s latest feels like finding a perfectly worn-in leather jacket in a thrift store – familiar enough to feel like home, but still packed with surprises in every pocket. Working with producer Brad Cook and indie-rock dream team (hello, MJ Lenderman), she’s crafted something that feels as warm as sunset in Alabama but as fresh as tomorrow morning. When ‘Evil Spawn’ kicks in, you’ll be reaching for your imaginary steering wheel – this is proper windows-down, singing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs stuff.
Top Track: ‘Right Back To It’
Fun Fact: ‘Tigers Blood’ has won Waxahatchee her first Grammy nomination, for Best Americana Album.
26. JAMIE XX – In Waves
A decade of waiting for album two, and Jamie’s gone and made something worth every second of thumb-twiddling anticipation. This is what happens when you take everything great about UK club culture, stick it in a blender with some serious emotion, and serve it up with a twist of proper pop magic. From the garage-tinged euphoria of ‘Wanna’ to that xx reunion you’ve been dreaming about (yes, really), it’s like someone’s bottled the feeling of 6AM on the best night of your life.
Top Track: ‘Baddy On The Floor’
Fun Fact: Jamie previewed the album at ten consecutive London parties alongside a secret, personally-curated lineup of collaborators and friends.
25. WILLOW – empathogen
Talk about your unexpected plot twists – WILLOW’s gone from pop-punk princess to sonic sorceress faster than you can say, “Genre boundaries? Never heard of them.” Teaming up with Jon Batiste and St. Vincent (now there’s a dinner party we’d like to crash), she’s crafted something that sounds like what might happen if Kate Bush started producing for Flying Lotus. When ‘b i g f e e l i n g s’ drops, it hits you like a metaphysical sugar rush – consider your third eye well and truly opened.
Top Track: ‘symptom of life’
Fun Fact: Willow released her iconic debut single ‘Whip My Hair’ when she was just nine years old. What were you doing at that age?
Pick up a copy of our May 2024 issue of Dork with Willow on the cover
24. LIME GARDEN – One More Thing
‘One More Thing’ by Lime Garden is an irresistible slice of indie-pop brilliance, packed with jangly guitars and catchy choruses. ‘After Midnight’ and ‘Silver Lines’ showcase the band’s knack for blending breezy melodies with sharp, introspective lyrics. The album feels vibrant and fresh, capturing the spirit of youthful optimism and uncertainty. Lime Garden’s ability to craft songs that are both fun and emotionally grounded, bottling the essence of youth without the growing pains, makes ‘One More Thing’ a standout debut.
Top Track: ‘I Want To Be You’
Fun Fact: Annabel once got her hair cut by Caroline Polachek’s hairdresser: “Best haircut she’s ever had.”
23. A. G. COOK – Britpop
Just when you thought you knew what Britpop meant, PC Music’s mad scientist has gone and turned the whole thing inside out like a sonic sock. It’s the kind of record that makes Blur vs Oasis look like a playground scuffle – glitchy, gorgeous, and absolutely gagging for a fight with your preconceptions. Imagine Damon Albarn getting trapped in a computer game designed by aliens who’d only ever heard about British culture through scrambled radio signals. Yeah, it’s that good.
Top Track: ‘Britpop’
Fun Fact: A. G. is also part of Thy Slaughter, a collaboration project with pal Finn Keane (fka Easyfun).
Read our May 2024 cover feature with A. G. Cook here
22. KATIE GAVIN – What A Relief
Temporarily breaking away from MUNA must feel like moving out of the world’s most supportive share house, but Katie’s gone and turned that nervous energy into pure gold. From the heart-on-sleeve honesty of ‘I Want It All’ to the Mitski-assisted magnificence of ‘As Good As It Gets’, this is the kind of record that feels like reading someone’s diary and finding your own secrets in there. It’s like the best 3AM conversation you’ve ever had, set to a soundtrack that makes vulnerability feel like a superpower.
Top Track: ‘Aftertaste’
Fun Fact: Like MUNA’s latest, the album was released through Phoebe Bridgers’ record label, Saddest Factory Records.
Read our cover feature with Kate Gavin
21. SALUTE – TRUE MAGIC
Imagine finding a lost crate of Japanese car adverts from 1986, setting them to a soundtrack of pure future-funk, and then running the whole thing through a modern club system. That’s about 10% of what this record sounds like – the other 90% is even better. It’s the kind of electronic album that reminds you why we started making computers make music in the first place. Proper transcendent stuff, this.
Top Track: ‘saving flowers’
Fun Fact: Across the 14-track album, salute collaborates with Rina Sawayama, Karma Kid, Disclosure, Empress Of, Sam Gellaitry and more.
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