Was 2018 an iconic year for music? Some think so, but it's generally agreed upon that music's biggest stars—the ones that put out albums this year, anyway—disappointed pretty much en masse. But there were some bright spots in the increasingly cluttered landscape. Everyone fell in love with Kacey Musgraves's Golden Hour, an album so truly perfect from top to bottom it's hard to fathom. Rap continued to dominate, with strong showings from Cardi B, Young Thug, and Big Freedia among the brightest highlights.

Pop's most left-of-center stars also came back swinging in 2018, weirder and stronger than ever. Robyn brought us the sweet sweet melancholy we love in Honey; Allie X made the case for short, punchy albums with Super Sunset; Christine and the Queens (Dâm-Funk voice: Chrisssssss) showed us how pliable pop could be on Chris. All that is to say: you didn't need to look all that hard to find an album to fall in love with this year. Here are just some of the GQ editors and staffers favorite albums of 2018.

Gorillaz, The Now Now

Gorillaz have quietly built a legacy as one of the most innovative and consistent bands around, all without any "real" members expect for frontman Damon Albarn. The Now Now exceeds the efforts of the other recent Gorillaz album through its back-to-basics sound (Humanz suffered due to an overstuffed guest list) and an all-around less anemic feel. For the first time in a long time, Gorillaz not only feel like a fresh band, but also a radical one. Here’s to the future.—Tom Philip, GQ contributor

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