Uncut: Album of the Year, 1950-2025

Uncut: Albums of the Year (1950-2025)

Uncut is a London-based magazine focused primarily on music. It was first published in May 1997. Each year they have published a “best albums of the year” list. The listings for albums 1997 to present are taken from those lists. Prior to 1997, the album of the year was determined by the highest-rated album that appeared in a Dave’s Music Database aggregate of 11 Uncut lists which have been published over the years. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2025: Pulp More 2024: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Wild God 2023: Lankum False Lankum 2022: The Smile A Light for Attracting Attention 2021: The Weather Station Ignorance 2020: Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways 2019: Weyes Blood Titanic Rising 2018: Low Double Negative 2017: LCD Soundsystem American Dream 2016: David Bowie Blackstar 2015: Julia Holter Have You in My Wilderness 2014: The War on Drugs Lost in the Dream 2013: My Bloody Valentine MBV 2012: Leonard Cohen Old Ideas 2011: PJ Harvey Let England Shake 2010: Joanna Newsom Have One on Me 2009: Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion 2008: Portishead Third 2007: LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver 2006: Bob Dylan Modern Times 2005: Arcade Fire Funeral 2004: Brian Wilson Smile 2003: Warren Zevon The Wind 2002: The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 2001: Ryan Adams Gold 2000: Lambchop Nixon 1999: The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin 1998: Mercury Rev Deserter’s Songs 1997: Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind 1996: Stereolab Emperor Tomato Ketchup 1995: GZA/Genius Liquid Swords 1994: Jeff Buckley Grace 1993: PJ Harvey Rid of Me 1992: Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85-92 1991: My Bloody Valentine Loveless 1990: Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas 1989: The Stone Roses The Stone Roses 1988: Sonic Youth Daydream Nation 1987: Prince Sign ‘O’ the Times 1986: The Smiths The Queen Is Dead 1985: The Fall This Nation’s Saving Grace 1984: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain soundtrack 1983: R.E.M. Murmur 1982: Donald Fagen The Nightfly 1981: The Human League Dare! 1980: AC/DC Back in Black 1979: The Clash London Calling 1978: Blondie Parallel Lines 1977: Television Marquee Moon 1976: Joni Mitchell Hejira 1975: Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks 1974: Neil Young On the Beach 1973: Steely Dan Countdown to Ecstasy 1972: The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street 1971: Marvin Gaye What’s Going On 1970: The Stooges Fun House 1969: Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 1968: Van Morrison Astral Weeks 1967: Love Forever Changes 1966: The Beach Boys Pet Sounds 1965: Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited 1964: The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night 1963: Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan 1962: James Brown Live at the Apollo 1961: Jimmy Giuffre The Jimmy Giuffre Three 1960: Miles Davis & Gil Evans Sketches of Spain 1959: Miles Davis Kind of Blue 1958: Duke Ellington & Mahalia Jackson Black, Brown, and Beige 1957: Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps 1956: Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! 1955: Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours 1954: Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings 1953: Maya Deren Voices of Haiti 1952: Hank Williams Moanin’ the Blues 1951: Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 1950: Juilliard Percussion Orchestra with the New York Wind Ensemble, Frederic Waldman, & Rene Le Roy Complete Works of Edgard Varese Volume 1 Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” Dave’s Music Database: “Uncut’s Top 100 Albums of All Time” Uncut.co.uk (official website) First posted 8/22/2026.

 

Q Magazine: Albums of the Year

First posted 12/31/2020.

Q Magazine: Albums of the Year, 1965-2019

The British music magazine Q launched in 1986 and ceased publication in July 2020. They published year-end lists from 1986 through 2019, but this list includes albums dating back to 1965 based on best-of-all-time lists also published by the magazine. In some cases, the year-end lists did not rank the albums. In such cases, the album of the year was determined by which album on the list ranked highest in Dave’s Music Database. Check out other album of the year awards here. 2019: Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell 2018: Arctic Monkeys Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 2017: Kendrick Lamar Damn. 2016: David Bowie Blackstar 2015: Tame Impala Currents 2014: The War on Drugs Lost in the Dream 2013: Arctic Monkeys AM 2012: Bobby Womack The Bravest Man in the Universe 2011: Florence + the Machine Ceremonials 2010: Arcade Fire The Suburbs 2009: Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum 2008: Kings of Leon Only by the Night 2007: Arcade Fire Neon Bible 2006: Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not 2005: Coldplay X & Y 2004: Streets A Grand Don’t Come for Free 2003: The White Stripes Elephant 2002: Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head 2001: Travis The Invisible Band 2000: Coldplay Parachutes 1999: The Chemical Brothers Surrender 1998: Madonna Ray of Light 1997: Radiohead OK Computer 1996: Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go 1995: Pulp Different Class 1994: Oasis Definitely Maybe 1993: Nirvana In Utero 1992: R.E.M. Automatic for the People 1991: Primal Scream Screamadelica 1990: Depeche Mode Violator 1989: The Stone Roses The Stone Roses 1988: Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back 1987: U2 The Joshua Tree 1986: The Smiths The Queen Is Dead 1985: Kate Bush Hounds of Love 1984: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (soundtrack) 1983: Def Leppard Pyromania 1982: Michael Jackson Thriller 1981: The Human League Dare! 1980: Joy Division Closer 1979: The Clash London Calling 1978: The Jam All Mod Cons 1977: The Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols 1976: Ramones Ramones 1975: Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 1974: Kraftwerk Autobahn 1973: Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon 1972: David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars 1971: Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1970: Nick Drake Bryter Layter 1969: The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed 1968: The Beatles The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) 1967: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1966: The Beatles Revolver 1965: The Beatles Rubber Soul Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” Q magazine: “Lists – End of Year”

2014: Top 25 Albums

First posted 12/31/2014; updated 1/8/2021.

Dave’s Music Database: Top Albums of 2014

Based on a combination of year-end lists (see resources at bottom of page) and overall status in Dave’s Music Database, these are the top 25 albums of 2014. Be sure to also check out the DMDB post of the top 50 songs of 2014. Taylor Swift 1989 D’Angelo Black Messiah Ed Sheeran X (Multiply) Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour The War on Drugs Lost in the Dream U2 Songs of Innocence Beck Morning Phase St. Vincent St. Vincent Miranda Lambert Platinum Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 FKA Twigs LP1 Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence The Black Keys Turn Blue Aphex Twin Syro Sturgill Simpson Metamodern Sounds in Country Music Sam Hunt Montevallo Bruce Springsteen High Hopes Eric Church The Outsiders Jack White Lazaretto J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive Pharrell Williams Girl Spoon They Want My Soul Nicki Minaj The Pinkprint Ariana Grande My Everything Maroon 5 V Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Year-End Album Awards” Album of the Year All Music Guide Amazon American Songwriter AV Club BBC Best Ever Albums Billboard (charts) Billboard (critics) Bleep Clash Consequence of Sound Daily Beast Entertainment Weekly Guardian (critics’ picks) Guardian (readers’ picks) Huffington Post Metacritic Mojo Newsweek New Musical Express (NME) New York Times NPR Paste Magazine Pitchfork Pop Crush Pretty Much Amazing Q Magazine Rate Your Music Rolling Stone Rolling Stone (pop albums) Slant Magazine Spin Sputnik Music Taste of Country Telegraph Time Timeout UK Official Charts Uncut XFM