In 2018 I averaged listening to 55 songs a day for a grand total of 20,223 which is up from my last year total of 20,107. My music tastes shifted with me listening to a lot more country and metal music than in past years. Although those were not new genres for me but rather took over my synthwave obsession.
Most Listened to Albums
Most Listened to Artists
Favorite Albums of 2018
10. Direct Memory Access
Master Boot Record is my favorite artist find of the year. His stuff is basically metal music with synthesizers. Synthwave is a musical genre which is close to that but it’s not to the same level of Cyber Metal. Keygen Church, his side project, is also worth checking out as it add classical organ music to the mix. It’s a wonderful listen.
9. Kids See Ghosts
Kanye West had an eventful 2018 dropping several albums he had his hand in. Kids See Ghosts is the one that had the most sticking power for me although I still enjoy all the other records Ye released this year. Also it’s nice to see Kid Cudi make something good since his first album.
8. Year of the Snitch
Death Grips always make good albums and this one is no exception. This is the furthest they have drifted from hip hop and Year of the Snitch does a great job blending a bunch of different genres into something totally new.
7. Little Dark Age
MGMT return to form and in my opinion produce their best overall album. I enjoy the retro 80s Synthpop MGMT emulate while also keeping it fresh. Little Dark Age has one of my favorite bass lines which is simple yet powerful.
6. Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides
Sophie’s debut albums is a glittering bright pop album with dark ambient overtones which is to say unique. Has some of the best bangers of the year with excellent mixing that sound clean at any volume.
5. A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships
This is a story about a lonely, lonely man. He lived in a lonely house. On a lonely street. In a lonely part of the world. But, of course, he had A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships on white vinyl. He would play this album every day. One day the album turned to the man and said, “Man, do you love me?” The man looked at the album and said, “Yes I love love you very, very, very, very, very, very much. You are my ATOY. In fact, I love you so much that I never, ever want to listen to anything ever again ever.” “I would like that,” said the album and then the man died.
4. Possessor
Gost gets heavier and heavier with each album and this is my favorite of his yet. I saw him live where he previewed a few of the song and I knew this album was going to be something special.
3. God’s Favorite Customer
Father John Misty creates another great concept album about himself.
2. THINK: PEACE
Clarence Clarity has been one of my favorite artist in pushing pop music in new experimental directions. THINK: PEACE is a continuation of what he did with No Now. We Change sounds like if you mixed going to an amusement park with Halloween.
1. The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness Part I & II
I’m kind of cheating counting these as one albums since they are pretty different (although Rate Your Music counts it as a single release). Part I is a metal album mixed with some folk music and Part II is a folk album with some metal. Panopticon did an excellent job creating an atmosphere that meshes the two parts into a succinct experience despite their massive musical differences.