This is a highly personal and niche overview of 2024 in music, spotlighting 20 albums that stood out to me. It’s a mix of my favorite releases, some of the year’s most iconic and influential records, and a few discoveries that left a lasting impression. Of course, this list is far from exhaustive, so apologies if your favorite album, or the one you feel defined the year, is missing (sorry, Sabrina Carpenter—Short n’ Sweet truly is a bop!).
January started with an absolute BANG! The Irish alternative-rock quintet Sprints released their debut album, Letter To Self, on the 5th of January. It is not a revolutionary album per se, but the fact that it never intended to be one is what makes it especially great. The record consists of twelve tracks straight out of the ’90s, brimming with attitude and tinged with influences from fellow Irishmen: The Pogues and Fontaines D.C.
The new year also saw Green Day‘s triumphant return with Saviors—a dense and intense record that nods to their earliest production while building on the success of their acclaimed American Idiot, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The fifteen songs explore social and personal struggles but never lose the ability to deliver a light-hearted laugh.
On February 11th, during Super Bowl LVII, Beyoncé announced her upcoming album with two lead singles: the country-infused “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages.” With Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé reclaimed and celebrated country music’s Black roots. “Texas Hold ’Em” made Beyoncé the first Black woman to achieve a number-one country song on Billboard. Cowboy Carter has been nominated for Best Record at the 2025 Grammys, alongside “Texas Hold ’Em,” which received nominations for both Best Song and Best Country Song.
2024 was a marvellous year for ex-Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, who released two solid records under their new name The Smile, alongside drummer Tom Skinner. Wall Of Eyes came out in February and demonstrated—once again—their capability to transcend the confines of being “just” Radiohead members. Wall Of Eyes is a solid art-rock record infused with Skinner’s jazz drumming and the kaleidoscopic talents of Yorke and Greenwood. When Cutouts was released in October, many assumed it would be a collection of B-sides that didn’t make the cut for Wall Of Eyes, only to be proven wrong. While Cutouts is not as thematically uniform, it is far from a raw or unfinished product. Among its arabesque guitars and heavenly brass sections, their Radiohead roots peek through, but the distance is still deliberate and well-marked.
March brought some incredible music, including Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker releasing her solo album, Bright Future. This record elevates Lenker into the pantheon of the 21st century’s most influential singer-songwriters. Tracks like “Vampire Empire” and “Free Treasure,” which featured in many Big Thief setlists throughout 2023, stand alongside more intimate songs like “Real House” and “Candleflame,” which evoke a proper Dylan-esque tone.
On the same day, folk-rocker Waxahatchee released her third studio album, Tigers Blood, featuring M.J. Lenderman on guitar. Her latest effort feels like a natural continuation of her pivotal album Saint Cloud. Tigers Blood is deeply rooted into that southern rock that Waxahatchee only recently made her own and perfects is. To my surprise, Tigers Blood didn’t make my Spotify Wrapped, given the number of times I played it!
April was a standout month, headlined by Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, the best-selling album of 2024. Swift surprised fans by revealing upon launch its nature as a double album, featuring fifteen extra tracks in addition to the previously announced sixteen. Spanning over two hours, the album—despite its glowing reception—felt slightly redundant in places. Sharing the spotlight was Leeds-based quintet English Teacher, whose Mercury Prize-winning album, This Could Be Texas, blended influences ranging from, and not limited to, Arctic Monkeys to Regina Spektor under the expert production of Marta Salogni.
April also marked the return of St. Vincent with her latest art-pop masterpiece, All Born Screaming. Her richly crafted album proved well worth the wait, offering yet another layer of her artistic evolution. With All Born Screaming, St. Vincent reaffirms her status as one of modern music’s most fearless innovators – for once not bound to tight schemes. All Born Screaming is an album which looks back at St Vincent’s past (see the album Marry Me) without losing the emotional core of her work. Especially emotional is the ending with the singer repeating ad libitum the title phrase.
Billie Eilish returned on May 17th with Hit Me Hard And Soft, an album that dives deeply into her soul. Coming off a double Academy Award win, Eilish delivered her most authentic songwriting yet, backed by a richly layered production. Sceptics doubted she could outdo her debut album, but she surpassed expectations.
Just a week earlier, Knocked Loose dropped their third album, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. Known for their TikTok fame, the hardcore punk band defied fears of mellowing out. The album features special guests like Poppy and Motionless in White, and even ventures into experimental territory with a reggaeton-inspired breakdown on “Suffocate.” This record cements Knocked Loose as a world-class act. Ever wonder what the world would be like if everyone loved extreme music? Knocked Loose dared to find out!
June belonged to Bonny Light Horseman, whose double album Keep Me On Your Mind / Set You Free was recorded during their 2023 residency in West Cork. The supergroup with Eric D. Johnson, Anaïs Mitchell, and Josh Kaufman crafted a deeply immersive soundscape of interwoven guitars and layered vocals, narrating of distant lands, lost loves, and ancient folk tales.
June also heralded a “brat summer,” courtesy of Charli XCX’s brat. Supported by a viral PR campaign that saw even Kamala Harris referencing it during her presidential campaign, brat is a solid album with flashes of brilliance. In one of its deluxe editions, it boasts striking collaborations with Ariana Grande, Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Bon Iver, and Billie Eilish.
The Irish staple Fontaines D.C. delivered romance in August, showcasing a bold reinvention that took fans and critics alike by surprise. Drawing heavily from late-20th-century aesthetics, the album debuted with the lush singles “Starbuster” and “Favourite,” signalling a departure from their earlier, grittier post-punk roots. Instead, romance leans into richly textured arrangements and expansive melodies, creating a soundscape that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Best experienced as an organic whole rather than cherry-picked singles, the record resists the modern urge for instant gratification, offering instead a deeply immersive listening experience.
Sharing the month’s spotlight was Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ return with Wild God, an album of infinite quality that aligns seamlessly with their legendary discography. The album is a poetic and spiritual exploration, rooted in themes of redemption, mortality, and human existence at its core. With its haunting arrangements and Cohen-coded lyricism, Wild God feels like a cathedral of sound delivering an experience that is simultaneously intimate yet grandiose.
As summer gives way to the most melancholic season of the year, beloved artists make their comebacks. The first is the legendary David Gilmour, who released Luck And Strange nine years after Rattle That Lock (2015). Luck And Strange is, by far, the best record of Gilmour’s solo career, with incisive and deeply personal lyrics written by his long-time partner Polly Samson. Much like Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker, Bowie’s Blackstar, and Paul Simon’s Seven Psalms, Luck And Strange delves into themes of time, life, and death—but unlike his contemporaries, Gilmour offers a much more optimistic view of the world.
One of my favorite debut albums of the year was released this September: Transparent Things by Gia Ford. Produced by Tony Berg, who worked on Phoebe Bridgers’ Stranger In The Alps and Punisher, Transparent Things is a collection of portraits seen through the eyes of a disillusioned narrator, layered over string-heavy bedroom-pop tracks. Ford showcases her talent with thoughtful songwriting and catchy guitar tones deeply inspired by St. Vincent. Interestingly, the album was released on the same day as fellow Britons London Grammar’s The Greatest Love, which feels like a sonic counterpart to Ford’s work.
Patterns in Repeat is Laura Marling’s eighth studio album, and it carries a more somber tone than her previous records. Here, Marling reflects on life, death, time, and their connection to parenthood, weaving them into the repeating patterns of everyday life in this concise record. Most of the album is stripped of elaborate embellishments, revealing the intimate nature of her songwriting, especially in the Waits-esque “Caroline.”
Songs Of A Lost World is perhaps the most unexpected release of the year, marking The Cure’s return with their first album since 4:13 Dream which came out in 2008. The record captures their signature ability to turn melancholy into art, with tracks like blending ethereal synths, swirling guitars, and Robert Smith’s haunting vocals. Exploring themes of longing and fragility, the album feels like a modern companion to their Disintegration era, reminding fans of their timeless brilliance while offering something distinctly fresh.
The final surprise of the year came in November, when Linkin Park—fresh off announcing Emily Armstrong as their new lead vocalist—released From Zero. Armstrong steps into the late Chester Bennington’s shoes with incredible poise despite her young age. Her vocals are similar enough to maintain the band’s identity but distinct enough to ensure she doesn’t feel like a mere replacement. From Zero features iconic tracks such as “The Emptiness Machine” and “Heavy Is The Crow,” proving Armstrong’s immense. The album was well-received by both longtime and new fans, setting a solid foundation for a long-term collaboration with Armstrong. The only downside is Mike Shinoda’s apparent restraint, as he rarely shines on From Zero. With Linkin Park evolving artistically beyond their Hybrid Theory phase, it would have been exciting to see them reconnect with their nu-metal roots, especially with the genre’s revival in full swing. Nevertheless, From Zero is a strong release that marks a promising new era for the band.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with me through this personal dive into the albums that shaped my 2024. From iconic comebacks to promising debuts, this list captures just a slice of what made the year so special. I wanted to also list a couple of albums that didn’t make the list, but left nonetheless a lasting impression on my year: The Past Is Still Alive by Hurray For The Riff Raff, Light Verse by Iron & Wine, Unprecedented Sh!t by Ani DiFranco and Long Way Home by Ray Lamontagne. Happy holidays, let’s keep celebrating the albums that defined this year whilst attending the new releases that await us in 2025!