Earlier this week, we shared the Music Designer’s favorite songs of 2018. Now, we turn our attention to the records they spun the most this year. Unlike the team’s song lists, there’s actually a bit of crossover in their choices. The album that received the most mentions came from Kacey Musgraves. Not surprising, since she’s had a breakout year.
Additional albums highlighted by multiple Music Designers came from Janelle Monae, Parquet Courts, Christine and the Queens, and The New Respects. Austin’s own White Denim also ranked high on several lists.
Take a look at our expert’s picks and share your favorite albums of 2018 in the comments!
Erick Bohorquez:
El Mal Querer – Rosalía
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe
Black Panther: The Album Music From And Inspired By – Yugen Blakrok and Various Artists
Scorpion – Drake
Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts
Tristan Bolden:
Caution – Mariah Carey
East Atlanta Love Letter – 6LACK
Sway – Tove Styrke
Iridescence – Brockhampton
Art of Being a Girl – Rebecca & Fiona
Cory Brown:
Freedom – Amen Dunes
Little Dark Age – MGMT
7 – Beach House
Bottle It In – Kurt Vile
Hollow Ground – Cut Worms
Brian Chamberlain:
Before The Sun Goes Down – New Respects
For Ever – Jungle
Thank You for Today – Death Cab For Cutie
Durand Jones & The Indications – Durand Jones & The Indications
Wildness – Snow Patrol
Ashley Columbus-Plinzke:
This Night Falls Forever – DeVotchKa
Vide Noir – Lord Huron
Let’s Be Wilderness – Postdata
Indigo – Wild Nothing
Rhododendron – Valley Maker
Blake Deming:
The Tree Of Forgiveness – John Prine
The Green Trip – T3R Elemento
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino – Arctic Monkeys
The Biode – Robert Rich
Performance – White Denim
Amy Frishkey:
New Material – Preoccupations
Houdini – San Carol
I Can Feel You Creep into my Private Life – Tune-Yards
Devotion – Tirzah
Chris – Christine and the Queens
Shirley Griffith:
Isolation – Kali Uchis
Whack World -Tierra Whack
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Mother of My Children – Black Belt Eagle Scout
The Lamb – Lala Lala
Carly Grimm:
Can’t Wake Up – Shakey Graves
Flow State – Tash Sultana
Expectations – Hayley Kiyoko
Love Me/Love Me Not – HONNE
Before The Sun Goes Down – The New Respects
Cody Hare:
Knock Knock – DJ Koze
DJ Kicks – DJ Seinfeld
Nothing Is Still – Leon Vynehall
Nuova Napolia – Nu Guinea
Aviary – Julia Holter
Linda Kennedy:
Con Todo El Mondo – Khruangbin
El Mal Quer – Rosalia
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae
Performance – White Denim
Chris – Christine and the Queens
Anna Lascurain:
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae
The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs – Wye Oak
The Future and the Past – Natalie Prass
boygenius – boygenius
Justin Main:
Joy As An Act of Resistance – Idles
This Is Glue – Salad Boys
Tell Me How You Really Feel – Courtney Barnett
Wide Awake! – Parquet Courts
Bottle It In – Kurt Vile
Tara Miller:
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) – Car Seat Headrest
Be The Cowboy – Mitzki
Bottle It In – Kurt Vile
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975
Will Mueller:
Lady Lady – Masego
DiCapprio 2 – JID
FM! – Vince Staples
Geography – Tom Misch
Kids See Ghosts – Kanye West & Kid Cudi
Jesse Nathason:
Compiler Optimization Techniques – The Algorithm
New Levels New Devils – Polyphia
album1 – San Holo
Geography – Tom Misch
Stranger Fruit – Zeal & Ardor
Jamie Overcash:
Swimming – Mac Miller
Daytona – Pusha T
Some Rap Songs – Earl Sweatshirt
Knock Knock – DJ Koze
Isolation – Kali Uchis
Matt Powell:
Streams Of Thought, Vol 1 & 2 – Black Thought
Oxnard – Anderson .Paak
KOD – J. Cole
Geography – Tom Misch
Nasir – Nas
Brad Pressley:
Con Todo El Mundo – Khruangbin
We Out Here (Compilation) – Various Artists
Heaven and Earth – Kamasi Washington
Orquesta Akokan – Orquesta Akokan
Tomorrow Comes The Harvest – Tony Allen & Jeff Mills
Trevor Pronga:
Sugar and Spice EP – Hatchie
Out of Touch – Jaakko Eno Kalevi
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Chris – Christine and the Queens
Slow Air – Still Corners
Erin Yousef:
The Future and the Past – Natalie Prass
Black Panther: The Album Music From And Inspired By – Kendrick Lamar and Various Artists
Bloom – Troye Sivan
Chris – Christine and the Queens
Palo Santo – Years & Years
– Submitted by Music Design