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The 80 Best Albums of 2024

The 80 Best Albums of 2024

The best albums of 2024 challenged orthodoxies, blended and created new genres, and spanned a vast range of musical styles and traditions, while looking forward.

The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2024

The 25 Best Rock Albums of 2024

As always, rock was a guitar-led extravaganza in 2024 with artists drawing from an ever-widening musical well. These are the 25 best rock albums of the year.

The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024

The 18 Best Jazz Albums of 2024

This was another year of riches in the best jazz and creative music, with barriers between the tradition and the avant-garde melting away.

The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Punk and Hardcore Albums of 2024

Thematically, much of this year’s best punk and hardcore music addressed mental health and working through the past while striving for a more peaceful present.

The 24 Best Video Games of 2024

The 24 Best Video Games of 2024

PopMatters’ 24 Best Video Games of 2024 highlight achievements in game design and the risks creators take to lure gamers into the magic circle.

The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2024

The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2024

Americana has never been better with the quality of music, diversity of styles, and the artists’ demographics in terms of race, gender, and wealth.

The 10 Best Folk Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Folk Albums of 2024

The year’s best folk albums transcend genre boundaries, yet each entry remains firmly grounded in the folk ethos of connection and storytelling.

How Shinedown went from Drugs and Angst to Inspirational Advocacy

How Shinedown went from Drugs and Angst to Inspirational Advocacy

Hard rock band Shinedown are never quiet about their struggles and never will be as they assure fans that being “slightly awkward, kinda weird” is perfectly normal.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the Death of Hollywood Franchises

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and the Death of Hollywood Franchises

Hollywood franchise films may not have started as theme parks, but the drive to eliminate risk will quickly turn them into the very thing their detractors fear.

The 10 Best Global Music Albums of 2024

The 10 Best Global Music Albums of 2024

In 2024’s best global music, celebrations of culture abound, with performers playing with sounds of home and family from the Caribbean to Tanzania and beyond.

The 15 Best Ambient Albums of 2024

The 15 Best Ambient Albums of 2024

André 3000’s surprise Album of the Year nod at the Grammys was only one of the many ambient/experimental highlights to happen in a wild year like 2024.

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2024

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2024

This has proved a fantastic year for heavy music and metal, with masters impressing and newer artists shining. These are the best metal albums of 2024.