Lana Del Rey shouted out Iggy Pop in her album title. The National recorded a guitar solo. One of the year’s biggest songs was called “Rockstar.” All in all, rock music had a pretty momentous year in 2017. Whether it was the War on Drugs building new epics from old ideas, or King Krule dissolving familiar sounds to discover the primal ooze at their core, the year’s greatest releases illustrated the genre’s staying power in new, thrilling ways. At the same time, 2017 was a year defined by comebacks, with triumphant returns from heavy-hitters like Slowdive, Fleet Foxes, and LCD Soundsystem. Below, find our 20 favorite albums in a genre that’s found continued relevance by never letting itself be defined.

Listen to selections from this list on our Spotify and Apple Music playlists.