Best Albums Lists
Discover the highest-rated albums ranked by critical consensus, organized by time period.
By Month
Monthly snapshots of critical consensus.
2026
Best Albums of April 2026
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of March 2026
March 2026 arrives as a restless month for rock, metal and adventurous pop — Best Albums o...
Best Albums of February 2026
February 2026 delivered a stacked shortlist for Best Albums of February 2026, blending lon...
Best Albums of January 2026
January 2026 opens with a fiercely original run of Best Albums of January 2026, where adve...
2025
Best Albums of December 2025
December 2025 delivered a surprisingly rich close to the year, and our Best Albums of Dece...
Best Albums of November 2025
Best Albums of November 2025 arrives with a luminous top spot and a packed field of vetera...
Best Albums of October 2025
Best Albums of October 2025 arrives as a startlingly varied month, where spectral folk, ar...
Best Albums of September 2025
September 2025 arrives as a pointed, unpredictable month in new music - Best Albums of Sep...
Best Albums of August 2025
Best Albums of August 2025 arrives as a month where veteran voices and adventurous newcome...
Best Albums of July 2025
July 2025 delivered a striking range of releases, making our Best Albums of July 2025 roun...
Best Albums of June 2025
June 2025 delivers the Best Albums of June 2025 in a month where veteran visionaries and b...
Best Albums of May 2025
Best Albums of May 2025 arrive with surprising range and bite: from the introspective lyri...
Best Albums of April 2025
April 2025 arrives as a richly varied month on our Best Albums of April 2025 list, where i...
Best Albums of March 2025
March 2025 arrives with a focused, emotionally charged pulse - Best Albums of March 2025 h...
Best Albums of February 2025
Best Albums of February 2025 arrived with surprising breadth, from intimate folk to propul...
Best Albums of January 2025
January 2025 delivered a clear frontrunner in the conversation about the Best Albums of Ja...
2024
Best Albums of December 2024
Best Albums of December 2024 arrives with a surprising mix of archival treasures, experime...
Best Albums of November 2024
November 2024 produced a striking run of releases, and our Best Albums of November 2024 li...
Best Albums of October 2024
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2024
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2018
2017
2009
Best Albums of October 2009
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2009
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of August 2009
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of June 2009
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of May 2009
Best Albums of May 2009 arrives with a singular, confident statement: Grizzly Bear's sound...
Best Albums of January 2009
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2008
Best Albums of November 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of October 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of August 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of June 2008
June 2008 delivered a decisive moment for indie folk and mainstream rap alike, and our rou...
Best Albums of May 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of April 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of March 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of January 2008
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2007
Best Albums of November 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of October 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of August 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of July 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of April 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of March 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of January 2007
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2006
Best Albums of November 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of October 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of August 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of July 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of May 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of March 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of January 2006
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2005
Best Albums of November 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of October 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of August 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of July 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of April 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of March 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of February 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of January 2005
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2004
Best Albums of October 2004
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of September 2004
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of May 2004
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
Best Albums of April 2004
Critical consensus rankings and highlights.
2003
Best Albums of October 2003
October 2003 stakes a claim in the year’s conversation with our Best Albums of October 200...
Best Albums of September 2003
September 2003 arrives on our list with a clear frontrunner: Best Albums of September 2003...
Best Albums of July 2003
July 2003 delivers a defining moment in contemporary UK music with our Best Albums of July...
Best Albums of June 2003
Best Albums of June 2003 opens on a sharp, introspective note as veteran innovators return...