Well there was quite a lot to choose from this year! Artists from all around the world came together in 2014 to release their own uniquely successful LPs. Of course, the best of the best are ranked here, and are done so in my own personal opinion. However, if there's any album you don't see on here that you think I should know more about, always feel free to comment it up! Anyway, after twelve long months of new music, here are what I believe to be the best albums of 2014!
25. Lykke Li-I Never Learn
Billboard 200 Peak: 29
Description: The final installment in her trilogy of a woman finding peace after heartbreak, Lykke Li ends this story on a surprisingly life-affirming tone, short and simple (no pun intended to the length of the nine-song album)
24. Shakira-Shakira
Billboard 200 Peak: 2
Description: Returning to English world-pop after a five year hiatus, Shakira returns with a sunny, hummable set of songs that seeks influences from Brazil to Jamaica to the good ol' USA.
23. Dum Dum Girls-Too True
Billboard 200 Peak: 73
Description: Dum Dum who? Lead singer Dee Dee leads the DDGs to the mainstream with an album gliding on a fresh, goth-rock pulse with some pop and dance thrown in for good measure.
22. Lily Allen-Sheezus
Billboard 200 Peak: 12
Description: Also making a long-awaited return to pop, Lily Allen serves up another dose of quick-witted, sharp-tongued pop, this time tinged by R&B, dance, indie-rock, and alt-pop.
21. Ed Sheeran-X
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: Now a full-fledged super-star, Ed Sheeran wastes no time penning catchy, personal songs and pairing them up with up-beat R&B and dance-pop.
20. Mary J Blige-The London Sessions
Billboard 200 Peak: 9
Description: Can you really say this is Mary J Blige changing direction entirely, or simply doing what she should've done all along? The latter is true for her latest work, which highly benefits from the deep house textures and guest appearances by Disclosure, Emeli Sande, and Sam Smith.
19. Jack White-Lazaretto
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: There's no stopping this former White Stripes alum, as he delivers another great set of alt-rock that reminds modern artists (ahem, The Black Keys) who does it best.
18. Foo Fighters-Sonic Highways
Billboard 200 Peak: 2
Description: Speaking of great artists of alt-rock, the Foo Fighters also made a great comeback with their newest LP, which departs from Dave Grohl's usual subject matter and seeks to broaden their musical and lyrical breadth.
17. Tove Lo-Queen of the Clouds
Billboard 200 Peak: 14
Description: Truth be told, Tove Lo is only known for her single "Habits (Stay High)" but it's actually a pretty weak moment in an otherwise excellent collection of dance-pop and alt-pop, drawing inspiration from the three stages of a relationship (sex, love, and pain).
16. Taylor Swift-1989
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: While certainly not her best album, there's something to be said of Taylor Swift's massive commercial and critical appeal. Even when her music stumbles, it's so skillfully crafted that those missteps can be forgiven. Same thing goes for this record, which still manages to rise above the modern pop standard.
15. Christina Perri-Head or Heart
Billboard 200 Peak: 4
Description: Christina Perri could be a really great therapist, as this soulful collection of self-help songs can make your day a bit brighter, as Perri moves on to the up-side of life, rather than wobbling in its tragedies.
14. Bruce Springsteen-High Hopes
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: 35 years later, the Boss is still cranking out smash concept albums, without losing any of his artistic and musical credibility.
13. Coldplay-Ghost Stories
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: Coldplay has been such an ubiquitous presence since the turn of the millennium, that they really don't need to release albums any quicker than they do. The fact that we didn't have to wait that long at all for this collection of dancier pop-rock is just a gift.
12. Sarah McLachlan-Shine On
Billboard 200 Peak: 4
Description: On the same note of not having to wait super-long for another album, Sarah McLachlan returned unusually early to deliver her best album in over ten years. She sublimely balances sunny pop and stripped down rock, ending on a happy ukulele love song.
11. Kelis-Food
Billboard 200 Peak: 73
Description: Maybe Kelis just can't catch a break, because an album with soul, R&B, and jazz-pop THIS good surely should've been an instant classic. Oh well, maybe in the next four years...
10. Nicki Minaj-The Pinkprint
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: If "Anaconda" worried you for a minute, you can breathe easy now. Nicki Minaj's third album is an excellent compromise between rap and dance-pop, containing much more ballads and maturity than vulgarity.
9. Lana Del Rey-Ultraviolence
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: We were biting our nails to see if LDR could match her debut album's legacy. Well...she surpassed it with "Ultraviolence", taking ever part of her stage persona to a drug-influenced, hazy extreme, becoming the saddest, baddest chick in rock.
8. Sia-1000 Forms of Fear
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: She's been taking the backseat for years now, so it's high time she made a triumphant album of her own volition. Needless to say, it's an alt-pop smash.
7. Katy B-Little Red
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: Like Kelis, British dance artist Katy B just can't seem to break into the tough US market. Though it's no fault of her music, which on her sophomore effort "Little Red" is a poppy mix of house, dubstep, and EDM.
6. Charli XCX-Sucker
Billboard 200 Peak: NA
Description: She had a hit with "I Love It" in 2013, but who could've known that this gothy Brit just wanted to rock out and break all the rules? "Sucker" is a major change from her synthpop beginnings, but she stays true to her punk-pop ego and delivers a hell of a good time.
5. Kylie Minogue-Kiss Me Once
Billboard 200 Peak: 31
Description: Dance-pop started becoming a little drag at the start of 2014, so who better to shake things up than the Aussie who's been a prominent figurehead of the franchise for years? Ms. Minogue offers what could be her best album yet, a frothy brew of pop, synthpop, dance, and GASP, some dubstep?
4. Flying Lotus-You're Dead!
Billboard 200 Peak: 19
Description: Concept albums are the best, aren't they? Well, maybe not always, especially when centered around a subject like death, buy Flying Lotus makes it work through experimental production that incorporate electronica with jazz, R&B, and hip-hop.
3. St. Vincent-St. Vincent
Billboard 200 Peak: 12
Description: Definitely one of the more low-key albums of the year, St. Vincent keeps her eyes on the prize. The prize being a superb indie-rock record that gives veteran musicians in the genre a run for their money.
2. FKA Twigs-LP1
Billboard 200 Peak: 30
Description: The British hit it big this year (this being the fifth album on this list from that country), but no one shined the brightest quite like the silent threat FKA Twigs. She stuns with a well-rounded and accomplished debut that fuses experimental electronic production with R&B and jazz-pop.
1. Miranda Lambert-Platinum
Billboard 200 Peak: 1
Description: It's a Miranda Lambert record, which pretty much guarantees a top-notch country record. So who'd guess that nine years in she could craft her best album, the best country album of the decade so far, and the best album of 2014? She puts neo-traditional country and country-pop on equal footing, and nails it.
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