Music

The Best Music of 2017

PopMatters Staff

22 Dec 2017

Catch up on all of PopMatters' year-end best music features, including our deep and rich genre lists.

THE 60 BEST ALBUMS OF 2017

THE 70 BEST SONGS OF 2017

THE 21 BEST ALBUM RE-ISSUES OF 2017

THE 25 BEST NEW MUSICAL ARTISTS OF 2017

THE BEST INDIE ROCK OF 2017

THE BEST INDIE POP OF 2017

THE BEST SHOEGAZE AND DREAM POP OF 2017

THE BEST METAL OF 2017

THE BEST PROGRESSIVE ROCK AND METAL OF 2017

THE BEST POP ALBUMS OF 2017

THE 20 BEST ELECTRONIC ALBUMS OF 2017

THE BEST AMBIENT/INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OF 2017

THE BEST AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC OF 2017

THE BEST DANCE TRACKS OF 2017

THE 15 BEST SOUL/R&B ALBUMS OF 2017

THE BEST HIP-HOP OF 2017

THE 15 BEST AMERICANA ALBUMS OF 2017

THE BEST COUNTRY MUSIC OF 2017

THE BEST JAZZ OF 2017

THE BEST WORLD MUSIC OF 2017

'Men Who Hate Women': The Continuing Misuse of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series and Why It Needs to End

There is something very wrong with how Steig Larsson's legacy has been handled by authors, publishers, and filmmakers.

Books

Indie Label Mom + Pop's 10th Anniversary Celebration

Courtney Barnett, Tom Morello, Sleigh Bells, and more performed at Brooklyn Steel for Mom + Pop's party.

Music

The Animated 'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' Is Still the Only Bat-Film That Gets It

Despite a long history of live action films with wildly varying tones, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is still the only theatrically released Bat-film to truly understand the character and how best to build a story around him.

Film

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2018

Indie rock represents a spirit that's found where folk songsters and punk rockers come together to dialogue about what they're fed up with in mainstream culture.

Music

'Vox Lux' Is an Oblique Meditation on Innocence, Celebrity and Trauma

Brady Corbet's second film, Vox Lux, has a chaotic relationship with celebrity and carries a heavy — some might say overloaded — symbolic heft. How is it that it's still so fun?

Film

Aretha Franklin: Context, Intersectionality, and the Rock Canon

Viewing Aretha Franklin's work through a focus on race, gender, and other categories of analysis can challenge us to do the same with all music, acknowledging how multiple points of oppression and privilege impact the production, consumption, and reception of a wide range of music.

Music

Ryan Bingham Dazzles with Troubadour Charm at the Sweetwater

Solo acoustic "Songs & Stories" format proves a winning formula for Ryan Bingham, the Texas-raised singer/songwriter with California charisma.

Music

Robert Christgau's 'Is It Still Good to Ya?'

Robert Christgau is the rare critic who can write insightfully and passionately about a sweaty performance by a popular Congolese soukous band and a magisterial show by Senegal's Youssou N'Dour. That magic is captured in his latest anthology, Is It Still Good to Ya?

Books

'1,000 Books to Read Before You Die' Makes for a Pleasant Perusal

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die is a richly detailed and of course, a subjective look at books to read, re-read, or otherwise embrace however you see fit.

Books

The Best Shoegaze and Dream Pop of 2018

Significant shoegaze storylines came around full circle last year, and in 2018 the plot thickened. Meanwhile, the chilling effects of dream pop continue to reverberate across other musical spheres.

Music

Pop Ten

The 70 Best Albums of 2018

The Best Shoegaze and Dream Pop of 2018

The 10 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2018

The 25 Best Electronic Albums of 2018

The 20 Best Folk Albums of 2018

The Best Metal of 2018

The Best Jazz of 2018

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The Best Pop Albums of 2018

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