LOOKING for a late Christmas present for a music lover? We have just the thing.
Check out our top 50 albums we’ve covered over 2024 in our series of interviews for The Sun’s Something Fot The Weekend section.
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1. DAVID GILMOUR
Luck and Strange
FOR Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, 2024 has been one of those golden years.
To the singer/guitarist, his fifth solo record represented his most satisfying meeting of musical minds since The Dark Side Of The Moon appeared in 1973.
To cap it all, we have decided to place it at the top of our Christmas pile.
This week, Gilmour gave us this response to such a great honour: “Thank you to Something For The Weekend for making Luck And Strange your Album Of The Year.
“I hope you have as much fun listening to it as we had making it.” The album was so special because it showed that 78-year-old Gilmour was on a mission of renewal and reinvention.
By recruiting producer Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with Alt-J, and a new team of musicians, he injected freshness and vitality to his work while still embracing the sublime sound of his black Fender Stratocaster.
Luck And Strange was also a family affair, employing empathetic lyrics by Gilmour’s partner Polly Samson and vocals by their daughter Romany (most notably on a cover of the Montgolfier Brothers’ Between Two Points).
With the album released to rave reviews, Gilmour then took to the road for a tour including six nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
He said: “I played with the best band I’ve ever had. Their personalities, playing abilities and enthusiasm for my new music have made for a fabulous experience for Polly and me.”
Noting Romany’s presence on stage with him, he added: “Her voice really stands out and has its own particular character.
“She brings a sense of mischief and fun to the live performance, which I think we needed.”
2. CHARLI XCX
Brat
UNIQUE and brilliant, Brat cemented Charli XCX’s domination of the summer. Featuring cool underground tracks such as Club Classics, Von Dutch and 360, she effortlessly blended attitude with vulnerability.
Produced by AG Cook, the album earned a Grammy nomination, while her electrifying shows were must-see. JS
3. VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Only God Was Above Us
AFTER a five-year break Ezra Koenig and co returned with a world weary but ultimately uplifting collection. Mary Boone celebrates the legendary New York art gallery owner with a psychedelic playfulness.
Capricorn echoes with a retro loveliness and the eight-minute finisher Hope is heavenly. JS
4. MICHAEL KIWANUKA
Small Changes
AFTER his last album won the Mercury Prize, Kiwanuka stripped back his sound on his fourth album.
But he hadn’t lost any of his magic, Small Changes was as gorgeous as it was minimalist, and it was the London singer’s most personal and self-assured. Remarkably, he never seems to put a foot wrong. Divine. JS
5. NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
Wild God
CAVE’S latest magnum opus with his brilliant Bad Seeds was intense, overwhelming, spiritual and as deep as the ocean.
After sparse Skeleton Tree and ethereal Ghosteen, rock met gospel on the epic title track, the playful Frogs and the funky Conversion. The songs reached an even higher level in the live arena. SC
6. JACK WHITE
No Name
TRUST Mr Unpredictable to drop a surprise album. It came loaded with raw power blues, up there with White’s best work in The White Stripes.
When compared to his two 2022 albums, it was less demanding than Fear Of The Dawn and more thrilling than Entering Heaven Alive. No one keeps the blues alive like Jack White. SC
7. GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS
Woodland
WHEN these two soulmates sang together, it felt as if our hectic world stopped turning.
Their sublime blend of voice and acoustic guitar belonged to bygone, simpler times. Drawing on folk, bluegrass and country, this was their crowning achievement, such was the grace, power and beauty. SC
8. FONTAINES DC
Romance
THERE was a sharp focus to the Irish upstarts’ fourth album. Razor-sharp lyrics (Starburster), scorched earth guitars (Here’s The Thing) and moments of sheer sweetness (Desire).
As the title suggested, romantic love was an overarching theme, but in singer Grian Chatten’s hands it became a complex and thrilling ride. SC
9. KENDRICK LAMAR
GNX
A SURPRISE release that explored identity and resilience.
Packed with intricate lyrics, bold production, and raw emotion, the album solidified Lamar’s position as a visionary, pushing the boundaries of modern hip-hop storytelling and further establishing him as the rapper who all the others have to follow. JS
10. KIM GORDON
The Collective
REPRESENTING her view of today’s chaotic and toxic world, The Collective is experimental and reflective.
The second solo album from the former Sonic Youth Queen of Cool included the menacing Bye Bye, Psychedelic Orgasm, and I’m A Man, which examined a blinkered view of masculinity. JS
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11. THE LIBERTINES
All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade
A LIVELY return by the likely lads. The album, recorded in Margate, kicked off in boisterous style with Run Run Run and included a song by Pete Doherty and Carl Barât which began life 25 years ago – the airy Shiver. SC
12. THUS LOVE
All Pleasure
FOLLOWING live shows and Reading and Leeds, this Vermont group established themselves as the most exciting new band around.
This second album offered a new sound with Birthday Song and emotional Face To Face as the standouts. JS
13. ST VINCENT
All Born Screaming
SINGER, AKA Annie Clark said this album was “the rawest thing I’ve ever done”.
It was a record divided into two moods – a more brutal first half and then there’s hope. It also featured contributions from Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, and Cate Le Bon. JS
14. THE CURE
Songs Of A Lost World
THE excitement around their first album in 16 years was evidence of their revered status – and was worth the wait.
A gloomy, beautiful masterpiece, which deals with grief, loss and endings with epic sweeps and heart-rending emotions. JS
15. BETH GIBBONS
Lives Outgrown
THE Portishead singer’s forays into recorded music have been few and far between so this was a rare and precious gem.
Gibbons took an unflinching look at mortality with Rewind and Burden Of Life leaving an indelible impression. SC
16. TAYLOR SWIFT
The Tortured Poets Department
THE album showcased Taylor’s ability to craft deeply personal and poetic stories.
Rich storytelling, haunting melodies and emotional vulnerability – the album cemented her reputation as a masterful songwriter. JS
17. ROD STEWART & JOOLS HOLLAND
Swing Fever
BOTH musicians have enjoyed long and illustrious careers. Both have a huge passion for Swing music.
This was their rousing tribute to the big band era but expressed in the pair’s inimitable, not over-polished style. SC
18. ELBOW
Audio Vertigo
ELBOW got their groove on for Audio Vertigo, an album singer Guy Garvey described as “a bit of a romp” and loaded with “simple riffs”.
It also gave them their fourth UK No1. There were dark moments but with a brighter sound. JS
19. SHAZNAY LEWIS
Pages
ONE of our most underrated songwriters and the real talent in Nineties girl band, All Saints, released her second solo record, and it was classy pop.
Check out Pick You Up, Kiss Of Life and Good Mourning with Shola Ama and General Levy. JS
20. SNOW PATROL
The Forest Is The Path
THIS first album in six years from Gary Lightbody and Co. was bursting with big anthems.
Your Heart Home, Years That Fall and This Is The Sound Of Your Voice were among the most expansive songs and they hit your heart hard. JS
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21. THE DECEMBERISTS
As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
SINGER Colin Meloy’s latest infatuation was the captivating and complex historical figure Joan Of Arc, hence a 19-minute closing track, which began with becalmed acoustic folk but swelled into a prog rock monster. SC
22. BILLIE EILISH
Hit Me Hard And Soft
BILLIE channelled the wilful freedom of youth on her third album, again co-produced with her brother Finneas.
Introspective and echoing with emotion, tracks like Skinny had deeply felt lyrics while The Diner was an eerie, dubby stomp. JS
23. GRUFF RHYS
Sadness Sets Me Free
THE frontman of the dormant Super Furry Animals matched lush, uplifting tunes to darker lyrical themes, the tone set by the lilting, country-tinged title track. “I love melodic music,” Rhys told SFTW. “It can physically improve my day. SC
24. JOHN GRANT
The Art Of The Lie
A SONIC adventurer with a voice to die for. This was Grant’s most all-encompassing song cycle yet, the one he’s been striving for since his old band The Czars split up 20 years ago.
All That School For Nothing was written for but rejected by Blondie. SC
25. KINGS OF LEON
Can We Please Have Fun
A NEW chapter for the Followills saw them working with producer Kid Harpoon on songs such as Rainbow Ball, Don’t Stop The Bleeding and Nowhere To Run.
The three brothers and a cousin showed they weren’t ready to call it a day any time soon. JS
26. CONFIDENCE MAN
3AM (LA LA LA)
THE Aussie electro-pop band moved to East London to immerse themselves in the history of UK dance and they made this euphoric collection of dancefloor bangers.
Tracks like So What and Sicko were wonderful tunes primed to get you moving. JS
27. CHRISTY MOORE
A Terrible Beauty
AS HE approaches 80, the Irish folk icon delivered a record brimful of passion and spark in his warm, expressive brogue.
A singer who railed against injustice, stood up for the underdog but remembered to keep a smile on his face. SC
28. MGMT
Loss Of Life
BEN Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden released their first studio effort in six years.
It was beautifully crafted, reflective in tone, book-ended by the two-part title track’s exquisite melody and retaining just the right amount of weirdness. SC
29. EMPIRE OF THE SUN
Ask That God
FOURTH album from the Aussie electronic duo Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore.
It was their first in eight years and songs such as Changes, Cherry Blossom and futuristic Rhapsodize, showed they had not lost any of their magic. JS
30. GREEN DAY
Saviors
THE veteran punk trio reunited with producer Rob Cavallo and standout tracks such as The American Dream Is Killing Me, Strange Days Are Here To Stay and Living In The ’20s were fuelled by today’s uncertain political climate. JS
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31. LAURA MARLING
Patterns In Repeat
AT 34, this was Marling’s eighth album and it was informed by a profound experience – the birth of her first child.
It proved a sublime meditation on motherhood and began with scene-setting Child Of Mine. Thought-provoking and beautifully realised. SC
32. SABRINA CARPENTER
Short N’ Sweet
A BIG year for the former Disney star saw her credibility soar with this fun and sassy pop album.
Packed with sharp lyrics, irresistible hooks and emotional depth, it cemented Sabrina Carpenter as a pop powerhouse. JS
33. PET SHOP BOYS
Nonetheless
THE deadpan cool, engaging melodies and electronica were still intact on this, the electro popsters’ 15th album. Produced by James Ford, tracks like Feel were comforting and warm, and Why Am I Dancing? was a life-affirming anthem. JS
34. KASABIAN
Happenings
DESCRIBED as “a joyous, psychedelic pop record” by frontman Serge Pizzorno, this album was the perfect way to celebrate 20 years at the top.
Call, the anthemic G.O.A.T and Coming Back To Me Good were among the highlights. JS
35. NICK LOWE
Indoor Safari
THE enduring Lowe’s first studio album in 11 years showed that he was still very much a class act.
A retro-styled trawl through rock ’n’ roll, rockabilly, soul and Tin Pan Alley, all crafted with his mysterious, mask-wearing Los Straitjackets. SC
36. JAMES BAY
Changes All The Time
A COLLABORATIVE album saw Bay work with The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Noah Kahan and The Lumineers.
Soulful folk-pop songs such as Talk, Some People, Dogfight and Crystal Clear and represented his most honest work. JS
37. BRING ME THE HORIZON
Post Human: NeX Gen
THEY headline Reading and Leeds next year and with this album, BMTH continued to redefine their sound.
Bold, innovative, emotionally charged as well as fusing genres, it solidified their place as a dynamic force. JS
38. THE BLACK CROWES
Happiness Bastards
THE Southern rockers’ return was dominated by breathless, riff-driven (albeit soulful) mayhem but also found room for atmospheric ballads. “These songs are exactly how we feel and it comes across,” singer Chris Robinson told us. SC
39. THE SMILE
Wall Of Eyes
THE first of two albums by the wildly inventive Radiohead offshoot of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner. With gorgeous string arrangements, this just shaded Cutouts but both proved to be freewheeling and fascinating. SC
40. PIXIES
The Night The Zombies Came
THE strangest, most varied and captivating of the five albums to appear since Pixies got back together. Singer Black Francis told SFTW that it was the work of an older, wiser artist – despite its wild atmosphere and its nod to the living dead! SC
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41. TYLER THE CREATOR
Chromakopia
HE should be called Tyler The Creative, such was the explosion of ideas available on the rapper’s eighth album.
A fusion of hip-hop, R&B and jazz, it served as a vehicle for Tyler’s lyrics, which came from his heart and soul. SC
42. WAXAHATCHEE
Tigers Blood
ARMED with a pure, sweet voice, Katie Crutchfield delivered her sixth – and probably best – album. It felt as if everything led up to this moment as she matched deep, dark themes to the warm Americana glow of the music. SC
43. JACOB COLLIER
Djesse Vol. 4
MENTORED by Quincy Jones, Chris Martin and Stormzy, this fourth album showed the multi-instrumentalist and singer, who has been labelled a genius, at his most collaborative and bagged another Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. JS
44. POST MALONE
F-1 Trillion
TWO superstars made country albums… Beyonce and Post Malone. The rapper’s was the best.
He took a host of collaborators along for an authentic ride to Nashville, including Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton and Chris Stapleton. SC
45. THE WAEVE
City Lights
BLUR’S Graham Coxon and ex-Pipettes Rose Elinor Dougall took things to the next level on their second record. It was bigger, bolder, darker, edgier.
The storming title track was proof of their staying power – and that they can pack a punch. SC
46. ENGLISH TEACHER
This Could Be Texas
WITH uncompromising singer Lily Fontaine at the helm, it was a breakthrough year for this singular band from Leeds, capped by them winning the coveted Mercury Prize.
Their 13-track debut album was a post-punk masterclass, with added wit. SC
47. THE LAST DINNER PARTY
Prelude To Ecstasy
THE debut album from the most hyped band of the moment arrived with a bombastic swagger that matched expectations.
Tracks such as Burn Alive and Beautiful Boy summed up why they were the first breakout band of the year. JS
48. JOHN BRAMWELL
The Light Fantastic
HE may have been tongue-in-cheek but when Bramwell, once of I Am Kloot, told SFTW, “I think my songs are fantastic”, we could only agree.
His second solo album was a heart-on-sleeve triumph full of wry observations on the vagaries of life. SC
49. FLO
Access All Areas
THE debut studio album from BBC’s Sound Of 2023 winners was packed with classy, classic RnB and hip-hop influences.
Their vocals melded together perfectly on tracks like Walk Like This and AAA, which had a laid-back Seventies disco vibe. JS
50. MERCURY REV
Born Horses
RESTLESS frontman Jonathan Donahue is a sonic explorer.
He struck a confessional tone, replacing singing with breathy narrations in a voice he called “low and whiskery”.
A heavy jazz influence blurred the edges of familiar psychedelic rock. SC
