I don’t consider this a “best of 2019” list. In fact, I’m fundamentally opposed to the notion that any single source – or collection of sources – is capable of presenting an objective measure on something that’s purely subjective. The music I listen to often says just as much, if not more, about me than about the music itself. So instead, this is a list of my personal favorite albums of the 1,080 that I listened to over this past calendar year. This represents my top 4.62%. These are the albums I love.

(Feel free to soundtrack your scrolling with the embedded playlist.)

1. Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell! [Polydor / Interscope Records]



2. Lingua Ignota Caligula [Profound Lore Records]



3. The Machinist Confidimus in Morte [Prosthetic Records]



4. Hania Rani Esja [Gondwana Records]



5. JPEGMAFIA All My Heroes Are Cornballs [EQT Recordings]



6. Boy Harsher Careful [Nude Club Records]



7. Lucy Rose No Words Left [Communion Records]



8. Frog Count Bateman [tapewormies / Audio Antihero]



9. Joanna Sternberg Then I Try Some More [Team Love Records]



10. Otoboke Beaver ITEKOMA HITS [Damnably]



11. Julia Jacklin Crushing [Polyvinyl Record Co.]



12. Golden Daze Simpatico [Autumn Tone Records]



13. A Winged Victory for the Sullen The Undivided Five [Ninja Tune]



14. Peter Cat Recording Co. Bismillah [Panache]



15. Black Belt Eagle Scout At the Party With My Brown Friends [Saddle Creek]



16. Dakota Here’s The 101 On How To Disappear [Sinnbus]



17. Loscil Equivalents [kranky]



18. Boris LφVE & EVφL [Third Man Records]



19. Jay Som Anak Ko [Polyvinyl Record Company]



20. Quelle Chris Guns [Mello Music Group]



21. Hua Li 化力 Dynasty [Next Door Records]



22. Stef Chura Midnight [Saddle Creek]



23. Max Richter & Lorne Balfe & Nils Frahm Ad Astra (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deutsche Grammophon]



24. Faye Webster Atlanta Millionaires Club [Secretly Canadian]



25. Meitei Komachi [Métron Records]



26. OKADA Life Is But an Empty Dream [n5MD]



27. Pivot Gang You Can’t Sit With Us [Self-Released]



28. Charlene Soraia Where’s My Tribe [Peacefrog Holdings Limited]



29. Zelooperz Dyn-O-Mite [Bruiser Brigade Records]



30. Sabiwa DaBa [Chinabot]



31. Mourning [A] BLKstar Reckoning [Don Giovanni Records]



32. Merival Lesson [Self-Released]



33. Dis Fig PURGE [Purple Tape Pedigree]



34. Tidus + Sign [ForTheFuture]



35. Pi Ja Ma Nice to Meet U [Bleepmachine / Cinq 7 / Wagram Music / MPO]



36. Leyla McCalla The Capitalist Blues [Jazz Village]



37. Lealani Fantastic Planet [Dome Of Doom]



38. Chromatics Closer To Grey [Italians Do It Better]



39. Our Native Daughters Songs of Our Native Daughters [Smithsonian Folkways]



40. Dolphin Midwives Liminal Garden [Beacon Sound]



41. Cherry Glazerr Stuffed & Ready [Secretly Canadian]



42. Mal Blum Pity Boy [Dom Giovanni Records]



43. Michael Gordon & Jonny Greenwood – Volume 2: Industry Water [Octatonic Records]



44. Clear Soul Forces Still [Fat Beats]



45. Angel Bat Dawid The Oracle [International Anthem Recording Company]



46. Du Blonde Lung Bread For Daddy [Moshi Moshi Records]



47. Little Simz GREY Area [Age 101 Music]



48. Julia Kent Temporal [Leaf]



49. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Bandana [Keep Cool / RCA Records / Madlib Invazion / ESGN]



50. AC3Beats Nostalgia [Below System Records]



Last, but not least, I’d like to bestow the honor of my favorite artist of the year to Lingua Ignota. Not only did she release an immensely powerful LP, but her December performance at Thalia Hall in Chicago is one I will never forget. Thank you.

What albums did you love this year? Any favorite live performances you attended? Feel free to mention them in the comments below. As always, for an extended look of what’s been going into my ears, head on over to Music Club.