ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2024
What started off as a top 10 list, has ended in a 100 essential albums from 2024 with genre specific accolades; spanning across genres close to Stack Records. Jazz, Hip-hop, Rap, Funk, Soul, R&B, Electronic, Dance, Ambient, Experimental, Alternative, Folk, Rock and all styles in-between. Lets blame OCD and the fact that there is just so much good music out in the wilderness. We have even ventured into genres we do not stock as we just love all music. This has resulted in the best AOTY (Albums of the Year) list on the internet… if you don’t believe us... listen to every album on this list… or at least the genre you are into!
Within the categories, we’ve also awarded the top five albums for Tuning In, Day Thinking, Cutting Shapes, and Winding Down—our way of recognising the records that match our moods.
© STACK RECORDS
We’ve selected one track from each album to build a playlist highlighting the best releases of 2024. From jazz and hip-hop to funk, soul, electronic, ambient, folk, and rock, this mix offers a taste of the year’s standout releases. Albums are listed alphabetically within each genre so you can easily track the list—enjoy exploring!
* Please note that some albums are not in Spotify
01
We’ve chosen 20 albums that explore all styles of jazz—spiritual, contemporary, fusion, and classical—focusing on boundary-pushing music from this year. There’s something for every jazz fan. In this section, we’ve awarded the best jazz album and best fusion album of 2024, but every pick is just as exceptional.
A Sound Heart
Jaubi
[Riaz Records]
Breath of Love
Uyama Hiroto
[Roph Recordings]
FUSION AOTY
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
Endlessness
Nala Sinephro
[Warp Records]
TUNING IN TOP 5
Harmônicos
Fabiano Do Nascimento / Shin Sasakubo
[Rings]
DAY THINKING TOP 5
Iconologie
KAZUMI KANEDA
[Inner Ocean Records]
Superkilen
Svaneborg Kardyb
[Gondwana Records]
JAZZ AOTY
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
Percieve It’s Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
Shabaka
[Impulse!]
The Garden
Jazzbois
[Up Music Budapest]
The Rituals of Infinity
Greg Foat
[Ameritz Music Ltd]
The Way Out of Easy
Jeff Parker and ETA IVtet
[International Anthem]
Ancient Relics
Lucien Johnson
[Deluge Records]
Daughter of a Temple
Ganavya
[Leiter]
DAY THINKING TOP 5
Fearless Movement
Kamasi Washington
[Young]
Harp, Beats & Dreams
Marysia Osu
[Brownswood Recordings]
Night Reign
Arooj Aftab
[Verve Records]
Odyssey
Nubya Garcia
[Concord Jazz]
Rising
Jasmine Myra
[Gondwana Records]
The Liminality of Her
Amanda Whiting
[First Word Records]
The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Charles Lloyd
[Blue Note]
YHWH is LOVE
Jahari Massamba Unit, Karriem Riggins, Madlib
[Law of Rhythm]
02
Sticking to the theme of 20, we’ve selected hip-hop and rap albums that honour the genre’s roots while embracing its evolution. From sharp lyricism to bold production, this selection captures both tradition and innovation. Choosing the best hip-hop album wasn’t easy, so we split the honour between two standouts—one with razor-sharp bars over hard-hitting beats and another that masters storytelling with originality. The best rap album, on the other hand, was chosen for its experimentation and pure fun.
74: Out Of Time
Ol' Burger Beats
[Coalmine Records]
BLUE LIPS
ScHoolboy Q
[TDE & Interscope Records]
Doing It For Me
Larry June
[TFM Records & Empire]
GNX
Kendrick Lamar
[pgLang & Interscope Records]
Might Delete Later
J.Cole
[Cole World & Interscope Records]
Please Don’t Cry
Rapsody
[We Each Other, Inc., Roc Nation & Jamla Records]
JOINT HIP-HOP AOTY
Tears of the Dragon
Onoe Caponoe
[High Focus Records]
Nosthaigia
Onra
[All City]
The Auditorium Vol. 1
Common & Pete Rock
[Loma VIsta Recordings]
#RICHAXXHAITIAN
Mach-Hommy
[Self-Release]
Alligator Bites Never Heal
Doechii
[TDE & Capitol Records]
RAP AOTY
CHROMAKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator
[Columbia]
Forward Ever
Lex Amor
[Modern Oak]
%20Ominous%20World%20by%20Blu%20%26%20Exile.jpg)
Love (the) Ominous World
Blu & Exiles
[Dirty Science]
![On Purpose, With Purpose [Explicit] by Ghetts.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/14c6aa_47846b01543e47cfbaf939161fa05e01~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_150,h_152,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/On%20Purpose%2C%20With%20Purpose%20%5BExplicit%5D%20by%20Ghetts.jpg)
On Purpose, With Purpose
Ghetts
[Warner Music UK]
The Lotus Child
Ché Noir
[Poetic Movement INC]
Memoirs in Armour
Navy Blue
[Freedom Sounds]
Take Care
BigXThaPlug
[UnitedMasters]
The Thief Next to Jesus
KA
[Iron Works]
JOINT HIP-HOP AOTY
Shadowbox
MAVI
[Self-Released]
03
FUNK/SOUL
Perhaps the hardest task—narrowing down funk, soul, and R&B to just 20 albums (plus a well-deserved extra two). In this section, we’ve awarded the best funk album which fuses Afrobeat and jazz throughout, the best R&B album that could have been soul, and the best soul album that could have been R&B—because these records blur the lines effortlessly. Our R&B pick pushes contemporary sounds and neo-soul with standout originality, while the other embodies soul in every lyric, note, and a band that simply can’t miss.
11th Hour
Lynda Dawn
[First Dawn Records]
Atenção com Coração
Sreya & Cilon
[Hip Dozer]
Dubs from the Neighbourhood
Christoph El Truento
[Haymaker Records & El Truento's 1 Stop Recording Shop]
DAY THINKING TOP 5
Orion
Orion Sun
[Mom + Pop]
Long Road
After 'Ours
[Funky Mamas And Papas Recordings]
Other, Lover
Rosie Lowe
[Blue Flowers & Self-Released]
R&B AOTY
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
.jpg)
Slow Burn
Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD
[Secretly Canadian]
SOUL AOTY
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
Tenfold
Yaya Bey
[Big Dada Recordings]
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
The Making Of Silk
Allysha Joy
[First World Records]
Trust The Stars
The O’Mys
[Hiya Self Recordings Unlimited]
What Now
Brittany Howard
[Island Records]
Acts of Faith
SAULT
[Forever Living Originals]
Below Dawn
Bryony Jarman-Pinto
[Tru Thoughts]
Eternal Afternoon
Joe Kaptein
[Sarang Bang Records]
I Am
Alice Russell
[Tru Thoughts]
Low End Love Songs
Pale Jay
[Karma Chief Records]
PIQUE
DORA MORELENBAUM
[Mr Bongo & Coala Records]
Small Changes
Michael Kiwanuka
[Polydor]
Dance, No One’s Watching
Ezra Collective
[Partisan Records]
FUNK AOTY
CUTTING SHAPES TOP 5
The Garden
POSY
[Bastard Jazz Recordings]
Why Lawd?
NxWorries
[Stones Throw]
Ye Anakasa | We Ourselves
Jembaa Groove
[Agogo Records]
04
ELECTRONIC
This selection of top 20 albums features creative electronic music, from house rhythms to trance, that makes you want to dance or experience something familiar but new. We've chosen the best electronic album, a project that transcends through elements that make the genre so powerful, capturing the moments that remind you why you love it. The best dance album showcases extraordinary storytelling, rhythm production, and artistic exploration, with grooves, boogie, and an unforgettable journey.
Better Times
Christopher Rau
[Smallville Records]
Cascade
Floating Points
[Ninja Tune]
Cherry Blossom Baby
Shigeto
[Ghostly International]
Dreamstate - Love You Got
Kelly Lee Owens
[dh2]
Ethos
Frank & Tony
[Scissor and Thread]
LUSTWERK III
Galcher Lustwerk
[Self-Released]
Nomad
Lars Bartkuhn
[Rush Hour]
Present Future / Here There
Lb Honne
[Project Indigo]
CUTTING SHAPES TOP 5
Resort
Skee Mask
[Ilian Tape]
ELECTRONIC AOTY
CUTTING SHAPES TOP 5
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions
Vegyn
[PLZ Make It Ruins]
BRAT
Charli XCX
[Atlantic Records]
Discipline
Shinichi Atobe
[DDS]
Club Cute
Ben Hauke
[Touching Bass]
Musica Para Todos
East Coast Love Affair
[Athens Of The North]
I’d Love to Fly
Nthng
[0000]
Motherless Father
Lefto Early Bird
[Brownswood Recordings]
CUTTING SHAPES TOP 5
Piedras 1
Nicolas Jaar
[Other People]
Polygon Island
Pizza Hotline
[WRWTFWW]
Sugar Honey Iced Tea
Musclecars
[BBE Music]
DANCE AOTY
CUTTING SHAPES TOP 5
TIMELESS
KAYTRANADA
[RCA]
05
AMBIENT
We understand that ambient music typically fits within the electronic genre, but ambient and soundscapes are at the core of Stack Records. That’s why we've chosen 20 phenomenal albums that explore this concept. From this collection, we've selected the best ambient album that transcends us through soundscapes, along with our experimental album of the year—an album that seamlessly blends ambient music with other genres to create something truly special.
a pool, a portal
Tristan Arp
[Wisdom Teeth]
Black Decelerant Reflections Vol. 2
Black Decelerant
[Rvng Intl.]
AMBIENT AOTY
TUNING IN TOP 5
Into The Darkness Of The Night
Hiroshi Ebina
[KITCHEN LABEL]
TUNING IN TOP 5
Nayuta
Haruhisa Tanaka
[teinei]
TUNING IN TOP 5
Phantasy & Reality
Lynn Avery & Cole Pulice
[Moon Glyph]
SAUCO
QOA
[Leaving Records]
Spectral Evolution
Rafael Toral
[Drag City Records]
Subtle Movements
Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau, Carlos Niño
[Leaving Records]
The Tinnitus Chorus
Michael Scott Dawson
[We Are Busy Bodies]
EXPERIMENTAL AOTY
TUNING IN TOP 5
Transcorporeal Portal
Slowfoam
[Somewhere Press]
Atlas Of Green
Dialect
[Rvng Intl.]
DAWN
Shinji Wakasa
[Inner Ocean]
TUNING IN TOP 5
Moves In The Field
Kelly Moran
[Warp Records]
NONAGE
Li Yilei
[Métron Records]
Planet Inc
Florian T M Zeisig
[Stroom]
Salt And Sugar Look The Same
Tim Koh / Sun An
[Music From Memory]
New Blue Sun
Andre 3000
[Epic]
Excellent Traveller
Nate Mercereau
[Third Man Records]
Total Blue
Total Blue
[Music From Memory]
Windswept
Photay
[Mexican Summer]
06
FOLK/ROCK
Folk, rock, alternative, and indie selections aren’t what we typically stock, but they resonate with us dearly. Enjoy these 20 selections. We’ve chosen the best two folk albums, featuring one powerhouse and another innovative exploration. Our best indie and alternative album is a phenomenal feat, while the best rock album captivated us with its psychedelia and originality.
AAA
HYUKOH & Sunset Rollercoaster
[DooRooDooRoo Artist Company]
Acadia
Yasmin Williams
[Nonesuch]
Diamond Jubilee
Cindy Lee
[Self-Released]
ALTERNATIVE & INDIE AOTY
DAY THINKING TOP 5
Here in the Pitch
Jessica Pratt
[City Slang & Mexican Summer]
JOINT FOLK AOTY
WINDING DOWN TOP 5
If I Don’t Make It, I Love You
Still House Plants
[Bison]
Infinite Daydream
Crumb
[Self-Released]
ROCK AOTY
Leave Another Day
Milan W.
[Stroom]
Patterns in Repeat
Laura Marling
[Chrysalis Records and Partisan Records]
HIDDO DHAWR
Sahra Halgan
[La Région & Danaya Music]
The King of Misery
Daudi Matsiko
[Really Good]
JOINT FOLK AOTY
DAY THINKING TOP 5
A LA SALA
Khurangbin
[Dead oceans]
Bright Future
Adrianne Lenker
[4AD]
Free Energy
Dummy
[Trouble In Mind]
I Got Heaven
MANNEQUIN PUSSY
[Epitaph]
Funeral for Justice
Mdou Moctar
[Matador]
Night Palace
Mount Eerie
[P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd.]
News of the Universe
La Luz
[Sub Pop]
PHASOR
Helado Negro
[4AD]
Souvenirs
Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru
[Mississippi Records]
Tiger's Blood
Waxahatchee
[Anti-]
© STACK RECORDS