Wet Leg, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and more: Yahoo Entertainment staff picks for best albums of 2022
It’s that most wonderful time of a not-so-wonderful year, when we make our lists and check them twice... our year-end best albums lists, that is!
With concerts still on hold for much of 2022, we often had to get our music fixes safely at home — but thankfully, many talented artists across genres provided the ideal shut-in soundtracks. The albums that helped Yahoo Entertainment’s writers, editors, and staffers power through another fraught year are extremely wide-ranging, and you can scroll down to see all those individual lists. But there is some consensus, now that all of the entries are tallied — with women and indie-rock artists making their strongest showings in years.
In at No. 10 is indie-rock veteran Natalie Laura Mering, aka Weyes Blood, with And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, her most critically acclaimed album yet. And Mering isn’t the only American female singer-songwriter ranking high on our overall power list: Our No. 9 spot goes to Angel Olsen’s aptly titled sixth album, Big Time, while Taylor Swift’s inward-looking twee-pop collection Midnights is at No. 8. Classic indie is also represented by fourth-place lifers Spoon’s 10th album, Lucifer on the Sofa, which our writer Robert Burke describes “a record full of near-perfect songcraft… 10 songs built on irresistible riffs, catchy melodies, and straightforward rock 'n' roll grit.”
Elsewhere on our countdown, pop, R&B, and dance music of all kinds dominates. The Weeknd’s Dawn FM (which our music editor Lyndsey Parker describes as a “purgatorial anti-hero’s journey” and the singer’s “most ambitious and fully realized to date”) is at No. 7; Latin superstar Bad Bunny’s blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti comes in at No. 6; and Kendrick Lamar’s comeback LP Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (by an artist that our own Kevin Polowy declares “one of the dopest and deepest raconteurs in rap music”) is at No. 5. And of course, Beyoncé’s vibrant house music opus, Renaissance (“one of the most delightful joys of the pandemic,” according to our writer Billy Johnson Jr., and a "true masterpiece" according to Sara Metcalf), is way up there at No. 3.
But in the end, there was a British invasion of sorts this year — with two English pop provocateurs claiming our list’s top spots.
Harry Styles narrowly missed hitting No. 1 with his exquisite concept record, Harry’s House, but it was the sassy, saucy twosome of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, aka Wet Leg, who triumphed with their raucous, rockin’, self-titled debut. Wet Leg was the top pick for several of our voters: Lori Majewski called it “a perfect first record” and “simply badass”; Janine Schaults said “its short, punchy songs laced with acid-tongued lyrics made me learn to love rock again”; and Craig Rosen even proclaimed Teasdale and Chambers “the most exciting rock duo since the White Stripes.”
And there you have it! Check out all of our diverse album picks below, and here’s to more great music in 2023.
Yahoo Entertainment’s overall top 10
1. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
3. Beyoncé – Renaissance
4. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
5. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
6. Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
7. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
8. Taylor Swift – Midnights
9. Angel Olsen – Big Time
10. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Lyndsey Parker, Yahoo Entertainment music editor
1. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
2. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
3. Tears for Fears – The Tipping Point
4. Lucius – Second Nature
5. Orville Peck – Bronco
6. The London Suede – Autofiction
7. Sloan – Steady
8. Miles Kane – Change the Show
9. Trixie Mattel – The Blonde & Pink Albums
10. Daniel Johns – FutureNever
Radio did not kill the video star… but Abel Tesfaye certainly brushes with death on his mellow-tarnished-gold concept album, the mother-effin’ Starboy’s most ambitious and fully realized to date. On Dawn FM, the Weeknd embarks on a purgatorial anti-hero’s journey, with nothing but late-night adult-contemporary radio DJ Jim Carrey’s creepy narration to guide him on a daft-punky, death-disco drive towards the afterlife’s light. The result is a harrowing morning-after record, as the accelerated-aging Tesfaye spirals out and faces — unbandaged, unflinching, unfiltered — the consequences of the previous evening’s After Hours debauchery. What will happen when Tesfaye reaches his final destination? I’m already excited for the next nihilistic saga from the most thrillingly, darkly creative man in pop. –LP
Ethan Alter, Yahoo Entertainment senior writer
1. Unanimous Goldmine – Neptune Frost soundtrack
2. Robin Carolan & Sebastian Gainsborough – The Northman soundtrack
3. “Weird Al” Yankovic – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story soundtrack
4. Various artists – Tar soundtrack
5. Various artists – Girls5Eva Season 2 soundtrack
6. Various artists – Elvis soundtrack
7. Theodore Shapiro – Severance Season 1 soundtrack
8. Various artists – Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack
9. Various artists – Turning Red soundtrack
10. Various artists – Stranger Things Season 4 soundtrack
This year’s hottest Afrofuturist musical has everything: ethereal electronic beats, spoken-word poetry with deep roots in African mythology, crazy DIY sci-fi flourishes, and the backing of none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Neptune Frost soundtrack shares the movie’s singular vision, transporting you to an aural futurescape that’s consistently surreal and surprising. Cult musical fans, take note — you’re gonna want to stay Frosty. –EA
The Reverend Shawn Amos, writer
JD Allen – Americana, Vol. 2
Robert Glasper – Black Radio III
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Arctic Monkeys – The Car
SZA – SOS
Florence + the Machine – Dance Fever
The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
The Suffers – It Starts With Love
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If
Tenor saxophonist JD Allen’s follow up to 2016’s Americana continues his reclamation project. Allen summons blues ghosts and without one lyric, tells the story of Black America in haunted, broken soundscapes. –SA
David Artavia, Yahoo Life/Entertainment reporter
Lizzo – Special
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Taylor Swift – Midnights
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
FKA Twigs – Caprisongs
Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Charli XCX – Crash
Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Alex G – God Save the Animals
Lizzo’s body-positive, self-affirming, all-inclusive message has always resonated with me, but when I blast her latest album, Special — in the shower, on the subway, on the treadmill, etc. — I’m teleported to a childlike instinct that puts “adulting” on pause for a much-needed dance break. Sure, the album has been accused of being boxed in by the "Lizzo brand," but with hook-filled breakouts like “About Damn Time,” “2 Be Love (Am I Read),” and my favorite, “I Love You Bitch” (which has become the ultimate song in my house), Special doesn’t really try to be anything that it’s not. At its core, it gives permission for listeners to forget their reality for just a moment to invoke deep feelings of belonging, forgiveness, and clarity. –DA
Robert Burke, writer
1. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
2. Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful
3. Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Boy Named If
4. The Mars Volta – The Mars Volta
5. Angel Olsen – Big Time
6. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention
7. Built to Spill – When the Wind Forgets Your Name
8. Beach House – Once Twice Melody
9. Arcade Fire – We
10. Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
Just when you assumed it impossible for Spoon to improve on what is a stunning discography, they deliver a record full of near-perfect songcraft on their 10th album, Lucifer on the Sofa — 10 songs built on irresistible riffs, catchy melodies, and straightforward rock 'n' roll grit. –RB
Dave DiMartino, writer
1. Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band – Dear Scott
2. Momus – Smudger
3. GNAC – Continental Balcony Twilight, Pt. 1
4. Peel Dream Magazine – Pad
5. The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field
6. Seatbelts – A World Inbetween
7. Van Morrison – What’s It Gonna Take
8. Papercuts – Past Life Regression
9. Brian Eno – Foreverandevernomore
10. Yumi Zouma – PresentTense
Michael Head has been making wonderful music since his days in England’s Pale Fountains in the early ‘80s. Since then, there has been Shack, interludes backing Arthur Lee, the Strands, and a nonstop array of enlightened and mysterious music nobody else seems to be making. This is his best record ever, and you’ll need to hear it more than once. –DD
Eric Duran, Yahoo audience development producer
Rosalía – Motomami
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Demi Lovato – Holy Fvck
Kim Petras – Slut Pop
Drake – Honestly, Nevermind
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Taylor Swift – Midnights
Maggie Rogers – Surrender
Tove Lo – Dirt Femme
Rosalía’s Motomami may be one of the riskiest albums of 2022. After winning critical acclaim for her 2018 album El Mal Querer, the Spanish artist could have built on the success of her pop-flamenco sound. Instead, she came out with her third studio album, Motomami, full of contradictions and a medley of genres, like the stripped-down ballad “Hentai” and the experimental “CUUUUuuuuuute.” At first listen ridiculous, then unforgettable. –ED
Marcus Errico, Yahoo Entertainment & Life editor-in-chief
1. Father John Misty – Chlo? and the Next 20th Century
2. Angel Olsen – Big Time
3. Wilco – Cruel Country
4. Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
5. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
6. Orville Peck – Bronco
7. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
8. Beth Orton – Weather Alive
9. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
10. Arctic Monkeys – The Car
Father John Misty’s Chlo? and the Next 20th Century is a sonically stunning soundtrack to the greatest Hollywood films never made. –ME
Jim Farber, writer
1. The Bad Plus – The Bad Plus
2. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
3. Cecille McLorin Salvant – Ghost Song
4. Dawes – Misadventures of Doomscroller
5. Soft Cell – Happiness Not Included
6. Tommy McLain – I Ran Down Every Dream
7. Midlake – For the Sake of Bethel Woods
8. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
9. Barbra Streisand – Live at the Bon Soir
10. P.E. – The Leather Lemon
Great jazz players are ace improvisers. But in the last year, the core members of inventive jazz group the Bad Plus had to apply that flexible approach to their own lineup. The band, which made its name by radically re-imagining classic rock songs by artists from Rush to the Bee Gees, had always been a trio, with bass, drums, and piano. Things began to shift five years ago when they parted with their original keyboardist, the brilliant Ethan Iverson. Last year, they parted with his less brilliant replacement, Orrin Evans. But this time, they responded by remaking themselves almost entirely, becoming a quartet filled out by two instruments they’d never used before: guitar (Ben Monder) and sax (Chris Speed). The result honors the band’s singular mix of prog, fusion, and the avant-garde, while also giving it in a thrilling new spin. –JF
Laura Ferreiro, writer and founder of Story Harmony
1. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. RY X – Blood Moon
3. Mitski - Laurel Hell
4. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
5. FKA Twigs – Caprisongs
6. Beth Orton – Weather Alive
7. Beach House – Once Twice Melody
8. alt-J – The Dream
9. Rosalía – Motomami
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down
Anyone who thinks indie rock has had its day in the sun hasn’t been introduced to Wet Leg. The self-titled debut from the U.K. duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers is sarcastic and fun, lighthearted, and clever, and catchy as hell. Drawing comparisons to indie darlings Pavement and Elastica, Wet Leg manage to call back to some of the greats while standing in a class all their own. –LF
Beth Greenfield, Yahoo Life senior editor
1. Bitch – Bitchcraft
2. Harry Styles – Harry's House
3. Sabrina Carpenter – emails i can’t send
4. Brandi Carlile – In the Canyon Haze
5. Jake Wesley Rogers – Love EP
6. Taylor Swift – Midnights
7. Cavetown – Wormfood
8. Madonna – Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones
9. Lea Michele and cast – Funny Girl: New Broadway Cast Recording
10. Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – Live in Colorado
As a longtime fan, I was thrilled to revel in Bitch's comeback — both onstage and through this quirky, powerful synthpop confection, filled with her beautifully strong voice, classically trained violin skills, and witchy, witty, feminist force that the world needs now more than ever. –BG
Joel Huerto, Yahoo homepage editorial manager
1. Various artists – Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack
2. Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
3. Various artists – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack
4. Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
5. Blackpink – Born Pink
6. Jack Harlow – Come Home the Kids Miss You
7. Beyoncé – Renaissance
8. Red Velvet – The ReVe Festival 2022
9. Chris Brown - Breezy
10. Aespa – Savage
It's only appropriate that the biggest movie of 2022 also produced the best musical experience. From Kenny Loggins’s timeless “Danger Zone” to OneRepublic’s breezy “I Ain't Worried” to Lady Gaga's sentimental “Hold My Hand,” the soundtrack for Tom Cruise’s summer blockbuster was a wonderful nostalgic ride that you didn't want to end. –JH
Billy Johnson Jr., writer
1. Beyoncé – Renaissance
2. Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
3. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
4. SZA – SOS
5. GloRilla – Anyways, Life’s Great …
6. Ari Lennox – age/sex/location
7. Mount Westmore – Snoop, Cube, 40, $hort
8. Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
9. Metro Boomin’ – Heroes & Villains
10. Danger Mouse & Black Thought – Cheat Codes
Dance music has never gone away, but Beyoncé’s Renaissance brought even more attention to its varied sub-genres. Fans created the viral visuals, and journalists were motivated to celebrate the artists who inspired the works. Queen Bey’s masterful homage sparked one of the most delightful joys of the pandemic. –BJ
Makenna Katz, Yahoo Entertainment & Life social editor
1. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
2. Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
3. Drake – Honestly, Nevermind
4. Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
5. Demi Lovato – Holy Fvck
6. Harry Styles – Harry's House
7. Future – I NEVER LIKED YOU
8. Gunna – DS4EVER
9. Machine Gun Kelly – mainstream sellout
10. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
The Weeknd always sets the bar high and has never put out an album that isn't fantastic, and without a doubt, Dawn FM is a satisfying sequel to After Hours. Abel Tesfaye's work remains influential, and it was a treat to experience his After Hours til Dawn tour this year. –MK
Liz Kiernan, Yahoo commerce director
1. Bruce Springsteen – Only the Strong Survive
2. Elvis Costello & the Imposters – The Boy Named If
3. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
4. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
5. Todd Rundgren – Space Force
6. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
7. Guided by Voices – Tremblers in Goggles by Rank
8. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
9. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
10. Liam Gallagher – C’mon You Know
The Boss leaves E Street behind and travels back in time to Motown and beyond with this stellar collection of soul covers. He peppers this labor of love with chestnuts like the Four Tops’ “Seven Rooms of Gloom,” the Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain,” and the Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together,” while also including lesser-known gems like Tyrone Davis’s “Turn Back the Hands of Time” and the Walker Brothers’ blue-eyed classic “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore.” You’ll have to decide for yourself whether his choice of the Commodores’ “Nightshift” is bananas or brilliant. Me, I’m in the latter camp. –LK
Tristram Lozaw, writer
1. Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine
2. Florent Ghys – Ritournelles
3. Jussi Reijonen – Three Seconds / Kolme Toita
4. Robin Lane – Dirt Road to Heaven
5. Evgueni Galperine – Theory of Becoming
6. Vicky Chow – Philip Glass Piano Etudes
7. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
8. PJ Morton – Watch the Sun
9. Todd Rundgren – Space Force
10. Snarky Puppy – Empire Central
With a nasty vocal snarl leading the way for dense and frenetic tunefulness, Gogol Bordello's raw, energized, gypsy punk is a perfectly pointed rock assault for 2022. Ukrainian-born singer Eugene Hutz aptly calls it songs of "survival and perseverance," advancing unity over negativity and fist-raising. Hutz leads the NYC band's latest international lineup in nothing less than broad, exquisite romps that roll from detuned hardcore distortion to quasi-romantic anthem, while capturing some scorching burn of the live shows. –TL
Lori Majewski, writer
1 Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. Harry Styles – Harry's House
3. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
4. Tears for Fears – The Tipping Point
5. Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia
6. Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
7. Beebadoobie – Beatopia
8. Weyes Blood – And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
9. Angel Olsen – Big Time
10. Beth Orton – Weather Alive
Two young women living their best lives while living out their indie-rock dreams? Hell, yeah! Girls still just wanna have fun in 2022 — especially in 2022, following an endless pandemic and the rollback of Roe vs. Wade. However, with their self-titled debut, this duo from the Isle of Wight also wanna be giddy and cheeky and foul-mouthed — but never basic — and I was so here for it All. Year. Long! From the earworm “Chaise Longue” to the guy-gutting “Ur Mum” to the infectious “Wet Dream” — which also gave me my favorite lyric of the year: “What makes you think you're good enough/To think about me when you're touching yourself?” — Wet Leg is a perfect first record. Simply badass. –LM
Sara Metcalf, Yahoo social media editor
1. Beyoncé – Renaissance
2. Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
3. Drake – Honestly, Nevermind
4. SZA – SOS
5. Brent Faiyaz – Wasteland
6. Harry Styles – Harry's House
7. Rosalía – Motomami
8. Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
9. Burna Boy – Love, Damini
10. Kehlani – Blue Water Road
She's one of one, she's number one, she's the only one. Beyoncé delivered a true masterpiece with Renaissance. From the ultra-smooth transitions between songs, expert vocal arrangements, and evolution of sounds, there's nothing out there quite like it. Any time I tried to break away and listen to another artist or album, I always found myself right back at Renaissance, no skips. –SM
Ryan Miller, aka DJ Ryan Midnight, Yahoo News & Entertainment senior SEO manager
The Bruce Lee Band – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Stop the Presses – Got It
Buster Shuffle – Go Steady
The Fuss – In Person
The Slackers – Don't Let the Sunshine Fool Ya
Chainska Brassika – Tales of a Londoner
David Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven – Plague Doctor
Joker's Republic – Necessary Evil
The Step Daughters – The Right Sound
The Magnetics – Cocktails & Fairy Tales
After several EPs and singles, the Bruce Lee Band returns for its first full-length since 2014, and it is everything a modern ska fan could ask for. At the forefront, band leader Mike Park hits us with lyrical punches focusing on politics, financial inequality, turmoil, and emotional outpouring — all hallmarks of the genre's focus, and becoming all the more powerful through the voice of an Asian American artist. Sonically, the album almost acts as its own ska mixtape, checking off most of the style variations over its running time, with irresistible skanking beats and grooving melodies. Through the album's guests and featured artists — Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Jeff Rosenstock, and Jeremy Hunter — inspiration looks back and forward. This is ska in 2022, and it still has something to say! –RM
Rob O’Connor, writer
1. Damien Jurado – Reggae Film Star
2. Aoife Nessa Frances – Protector
3. The Rolling Stones – Live at the El Mocambo, 1977
4. Tomberlin – I Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This
5. Karen Dalton – Shuckin’ Sugar
6. Loop – Sonancy
7. Aerosmith – The Road Starts Hear
8. The Reds, Pinks, and Purples – Summer at Land’s End
9. Pete Astor – Time on Earth
10. Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band – Dear Scott
Damien Jurado writes lyrics that compress and mystify, leaving out key details and misdirecting with others. Mostly obviously, there’s no “reggae" and/or no “film star” that I’m aware of. But the vibe is low-key and the melodies are sublime. –RO
Kevin Polowy, aka DJ Kevlar, Yahoo Entertainment senior correspondent
1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
2. Danger Mouse & Black Thought – Cheat Codes
3. Marlowe (L’Orange & Solemn Brigham) – Marlowe 3
4. Benny the Butcher – Tana Talk 4
5. Phife Dawg – Forever
6. Nas – King’s Disease III
7. Che Noir – Food for Thought / The Last Remnants
8. Namir Blade – Metropolis
9. K.A.A.N. - The High Before You Fall
10. Open Mike Eagle – a tape called component system with the auto reverse
Kendrick Lamar was going through something. For 1,855 days, the specific amount of time between the releases of his fourth (DAMN) and fifth studio album, the masterful “two-disc” Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Lamar went and got himself a therapist, and it’s clear from the opening piano stabs of “United in Grief” that he’s about to unload five years of pent-up angst, distress, and exquisite poetics on us, continuing with other standouts like the materialism diss track “N95,” the sing-songy self-reflections of the percussive “Die Hard,” and melodious self-affirmations of “Rich in Spirit.” And that’s just barely through the end of Disc 1. Through 18 crisp confessionals in total, Lamar proves yet again he’s both one of the dopest and deepest raconteurs in rap music. Even if he can’t please everybody, no he can’t please everybody, wait he can’t please everybody… OK, you get the point. –KP
Kaitlin Reilly, Yahoo Entertainment & Life writer
1. Sabrina Carpenter – emails i can’t send
2. Taylor Swift – Midnights
3. Noah Kahan – Stick Season
4. Lizzo – Special
5. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
6. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
7. Conan Gray – Superache
8. Tate McCrae – I Used to Think I Could Fly
9. Carly Rae Jepsen – The Loneliest Time
10. Beyoncé – Renaissance
I’ve followed Girl Meets World alum Sabrina Carpenter from her Disney Channel days all the way through her very public, wildly overhyped “love triangle” between herself, Olivia Rodrigo, and Joshua Bassett, which was hinted at in Rodrigo’s 2021 song “Driver’s License.” Carpenter’s album may seem like her own answer to Rodrigo’s Sour, but don’t get it twisted: Carpenter’s songwriting abilities transcend clicky headlines. The emails I can’t send tracklist simply has no skips, from the flirty, Ariana Grande-esque “Nonsense” to the deeply personal titular song, which acts as a letter to a family member who betrayed her trust. And if you are looking for her response to last year's rumors, the anti-slut-shaming number "because I liked a boy" should satisfy. –KR
Craig Rosen, writer and Premiere Networks senior editor
1. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. Spoon – Lucifer On The Sofa
3. Luke Haines and Peter Buck – All The Kids Are Super Bummed Out
4. The Smile -– A Light for Attracting Attention
5. Beyoncé – Renaissance
6. Tears for Fears – The Tipping Point
7. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
8. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
9. Sault – 11
10. Robert Gordon and Chris Spedding – Hellafied
I'm happy to report that "Chaise Longue," the best single of 2021, is on the best album of 2022, proving that the British duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers is no one-hit wonder. Rather, Wet Leg's self-titled debut is filled with songs that are equal parts rockin', quirky, and funny as hell, making them the most exciting rock duo since the White Stripes. –CR
Janine Schaults, Yahoo senior editor
1. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
2. MUNA – MUNA
3. Caamp – Lavender Days
4. Taylor Swift – Midnights
5. Angel Olsen – Big Time
6. Beyoncé – Renaissance
7. Andy Frasco & The U.N. – Wash, Rinse, Repeat
8. Lucius – Second Nature
9. Tedeschi Trucks Band – I Am the Moon
10. Various Artists – Turning Red soundtrack
Rarely does the hype live up to the actual product, but British duo Wet Leg's self-titled debut deserves all the drooling over it from sources as varied as persnickety Pitchfork to the sometimes out-of-touch Grammy voters. Its short, punchy songs laced with acid-tongued lyrics made me learn to love rock again and be thankful dating as a twentysomething is in the rearview mirror. –JS
Chris Simpson, Yahoo senior copy editor
1. Julia Jacklin – Pre Pleasure
2. Guided by Voices – Crystal Nuns Cathedral
3. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
4. Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down
6. Beach House – Once Twice Melody
7. Nilüfer Yanya – Painless
8. Mitski – Laurel Hell
9. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
10. Angel Olsen – Big Time
Julia Jacklin's Pre Pleasure takes a slower stride than I tend to prefer, but the soft, melodic, haunting rhythms — particularly in the downdip of tracks 5, 6 and 7 — beautifully counter the ambulance sirens and horn honking and shopping cart dragging outside my front window to help me focus while I WFH. The album is less soul-baring than Jacklin's last one, Crushing, but it better exhibits the Australian singer's dreamy, silky-smooth, detached voice. Two standouts are “Lydia Wears a Cross,” which I think syncs with my heartbeat, and “I Was Neon” — the star of the show. And TBH, I've only been listening to the album for a few weeks, and I may be going out on a limb in placing it in this list's top spot, but I have faith it will continue to grow on me and take hold the way Jacklin's first two albums have. –CS
Dylan Stableford, Yahoo News senior editor
1. Ghosts of Jupiter – Keepers of the Newborn Green
2. Jeff Parker – Forfolks
3. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
4. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
5. King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard – Omnium Gatherum
6. Kikagaju Moyo – Kumoyo Island
7. L’Imperatrice – Tako Tsubo
8. Natalie Bergman – Mercy
9. Fazerdaze – Break!
10. Monster Rally – Botanica Dream
Ghosts of Jupiter make prog rock that sounds as if it was recorded in a castle in the English countryside in the early 1970s. Except this album was recorded in Massachusetts. I love this record so much, I did all the music videos for it, including this one! –DS
