Music is a great passion of mine and in 2008 I created the music blog Keep Pop Loud (from which the URL remains) to shout about the music that I love. From that year onwards I've assembled and published a list of my 20 favourite albums of that year, and additionally in 2019 looked back at my 50 favourite albums of the decade.
For the sake of posterity these lists are all presented here. I hope, that if you enjoy music that you'll find something you love amongst these featured albums. You can also keep your eye out in December when this list will be added to with the 20 of my favourite releases from this year.
For the sake of posterity these lists are all presented here. I hope, that if you enjoy music that you'll find something you love amongst these featured albums. You can also keep your eye out in December when this list will be added to with the 20 of my favourite releases from this year.
2023
1) Squid – O Monolith
2) Harp – Albion
3) Black Country, New Road – Live At Bush Hall
4) Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
5) Ash – Race The Night
6) Dream Wife – Social Lubrication
7) Be Your Own Pet – Mommy
8) Lankum – False Lankum
9) Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We
10) We Are Scientists – Lobes
11) Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Land Of Sleeper
12) Hamish Hawk – Angel Numbers
13) Pale Blue Eyes – This House
14) Spencer Cullum – Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection - 2
15) Death Valley Girls – Islands In The Sky
16) FVNERALS – Let The Earth Be Silent
17) Brìghde Chaimbeul – Carry Them With Us
18) Fires In The Distance – Air Not Meant For Us
19) Esben And The Witch – Hold Sacred
20) Indignation Meeting – Trouble In The Shed
2022
1) Yard Act - The Overload
2) Taylor Swift - Midnights
3) Alvvays - Blu Rev
4) Anna Von Hausswolff - Live At Montreaux Jazz Festival
5) Sea Power - Everything Was Forever
6) BODEGA - Broken Equipment
7) Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASURE
8) The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field
9) Momma - Household Name
10) Wet Leg - Wet Leg
11) Adwaith - Bato Mato
12) Mattiel - Georgia Gothic
13) Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance
14) Caitlin Rose - CAZIMI
15) Martha - Please Don't Take Me Back
16) Big Thief - New Dragon Warm Mountain I Believe In You
17) Heather Trost - Desert Flowers
18) Arctic Monkeys - The Car
19) Cult Of Luna - The Long Road North
20) Holodrum - Holodrum
2021
01) Fightmilk - Contender
02) CHVRCHES - Screen Voilence
03) Torres - Thirstier
04) Self Esteen - Prioritise Pleasure
05) Maxïmo Park - Nature Always Wins
06) Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend
07) We Are Scientists - Huffy
08) Black Country, New Road - For the first time
09) Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
10) Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
11) Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor's Version)
12) Hamish Hawk - Heavy Elevator
13) Manic Street Preachers - The Ultra Vivid Lament
14) Du Blonde - Homecoming
15) The Coral - Coral Island
16) The Darkness - Motorheart
17) W.H. Lung - Vanities
18) Bachelor - Doomin' Sun
19) Richard Dawson & Circle - Henki
20) Pom Pom Squad - Death Of A Cheerleader
2020
01) The Oriellles - Disco Volador
02) JARV IS... - Beyond The Pale
03) Best Ex - Good At Feeling Bad
04) Sorry - 925
05) Porridge Radio - Every Bad
06) The Lovely Eggs - I Am Moron
07) Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
08) Working Men's Club - Working Men's Club
09) The Killers - Imploding The Mirage
10) Taylor Swift - folklore
11) Dream Nails - Dream Nails
12) Georgia - Seeking Thrills
13) Orchards - Lovecore
14) Young Knives - Barbarians
15) Warm Digits - Flight Of Ideas
16) The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers
17) Run The Jewels - RTJ4
18) Hinds - The Prettiest Curse
19) Strawberry Generation - Afloat
20) Pillow Queens - In Waiting
2010s - Albums of the Decade
01) Los Campesinos! - NO BLUES
02) Taylor Swift - 1989
03) Tegan & Sara - Heartthrob
04) CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
05) Tellison - The Wages Of Fear
06) Alvvays - Alvvays
07) Ash - A-Z Vol.1
08) Johnny Foreigner - Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything
09) Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart
10) Robyn - Body Talk
11) Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION
12) Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler - This Is Christmas
13) Allo Darlin' - Europe
14) Kaiser Chiefs - Education, Education, Education & War
15) Honeyblood - Babes Never Die
16) Lorde - Melodrama
17) Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
18) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
19) The Oriells - Silver Dollar Moment
20) My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
21) Charly Bliss - Guppy
22) IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance
23) Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears
24) Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
25) Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel + Casino
26) Alvvays - Antisocialties
27) Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial
28) The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
29) Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
30) Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain
31) Kate Nash - My Best Friend Is You
32) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
33) Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp
34) Martha - Courting Strong
35) Original Broadway Cast - The Book of Mormon
36) Everything Everything - Man Alive
37) MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Dinosaur Planet
38) Mattiel - Satis Factory
39) British Sea Power - Machineries Of Joy
40) Japandroids - Celebration Rock
41) The National - High Violet
42) Taylor Swift - Lover
43) Summer Camp - Summer Camp
44) The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
45) Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
46) Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People
47) The Peggies - Hell Like Heaven
48) Chastity Belt - Time To Go Home
49) The Lovely Eggs - Cob Dominos
50) BODEGA - Endless Scroll
2019
01) Mattiel - Satis Factory
02) Taylor Swift - Lover
03) The Peggies - Hell Like Heaven
04) Kaiser Chiefs - Duck
05) Martha - Love Keeps Kicking
06) Charly Bliss - Young Enough
07) Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
08) Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe
09) Jay Som - Anak Ko
10) Gaffa Tape Sandy - Family Mammal EP
11) Honeyblood - In Plain Sight
12) Julia Jacklin - Crushing
13) Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
14) Hatchie - Keepsake
15) Pip Blom - Boat
16) Stef Chura - Midnight
17) Tallies - Tallies
18) Liz Lawrence - Ptity Party
19) Art Brut x We Are Scientists - WASABI
20) SASAMI - SASAMI
2018
01) Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears
02) The Oriellles - Silver Dollar Moment
03) Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel + Casino
04) Superorganism - Superorganism
05) IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance
06) Pearl Charles - Sleepless Dreamer
07) Fightmilk - Not With That Attitude
08) Art Brut - Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out!
09) The Beths - Future Me Hates Me
10) Mitski - Be The Cowboy
11) Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
12) The Lovely Eggs - This Is Eggland
13) BODEGA - Endless Scroll
14) Dream Wife - Dream Wife
15) The Peggies - Superboy! Supergirl!!
16) Happy Accidents - Everything But The Here And Now
17) The Spook School - Could It Be Different
18) Ghost - Prequelle
19) Daphne & Celeste - Daphne & Celeste Save The World
20) CHVRCHES - Love Is Dead
2017
01) Charly Bliss - Guppy
02) Alvvays – Antisocialites
03) Los Campesinos! - Sick Scenes
04) Lorde – Melodrama
05) Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
06) Maxïmo Park – Risk To Exist
07) Rose Elinor Dougall – Stellular
08) Peaness – Are You Sure?
09) The National – Sleep Well Beast
10) Kamikaze Girls – Seafoam
11) Run The Jewels – RTJ3
12) Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
13) The Darkness – Pinewood Smile
14) Paramore – After Laughter
15) British Sea Power – Let The Dancers Inherit The Party
16) Japanese Breakfast – Soft Sounds From Another Planet
17) Downtown Boys – Cost Of Living
18) Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
19) The Courtneys – The Courtneys II
20) Charlotte Hatherley – True Love
2016
01) Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart
02) Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Style
03) MJ Hibbett & The Validators - Still Valid
04) Haley Bonar - Impossible Dream
05) David Bowie - Blackstar
06) Honeyblood - Babes Never Die
07) Kate Jackson - British Road Movies
08) Tegan And Sara - Love You To Death
09) Mitski - Puberty 2
10) Muncie Girls - From Kaplan To Belsize
11) Beach Slang - A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings
12) Anna Meredith - Varmints
13) Field Music - Commontime
14) Let's Eat Grandma - I, Gemmini
15) Johnny Foreigner - Mono No Aware
16) Pixies - Head Carrier
17) Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion Side B
18) Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost
19) Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together
20) Happy Accidents - You Might Be Right
2015
01) Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People
02) Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
03) Carly Rae Jepsen - E•MO•TION
04) Ash - Kablammo!
05) Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp
06) Chastity Belt - Time To Go Home
07) Blur - The Magic Whip
08) Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
09) CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye
10) Gaz Coombes - Matador
11) Paul Smith & The Intimations - Contradictions
12) The Decemberists - What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World
13) Grimes - Art Angels
14) Hop Along - Painted Shut
15) Menace Beach - Ratworld
16) Tellision - Hope Fading Nightly
17) FFS - FFS
18) Colleen Green - I Want To Grow Up
19) Desperate Journalist - Desperate Journalist
20) The Darkness - Last Of Our Kind
2014
01) Taylor Swift - 1989
02) Kaiser Chiefs - Education, Education, Education And War
03) Slow Club - Complete Surrender
04) Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
05) Johnny Foreigner - You Can Do Better
06) Mastodon - Once More Round The Sun
07) Martha - Courting Strong
08) Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time
09) Gerard Way - Hesitant Alien
10) Alvvays - Alvvays
11) Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love
12) Allo Darlin' - We Come From The Same Place
13) East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
14) Honeyblood - Honeyblood
15) King Creosote - From Scotland With Love
16) Eagulls - Eagulls
17) St. Vincent - St. Vincent
18) Future Islands - Singles
19) Teleman - Breakfast
20) Maxïmo Park – Too Much Information
2013
01) Tegan And Sara - Heartthrob
02) CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
03) Los Campesinos! - NO BLUES
04) Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain
05) The Superman Revenge Squad Band – There Is Nothing More Frightening Than The Passing Of Time
06) Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
07) Suede – Bloodsports
08) British Sea Power – Machineries Of Joy
09) Tullycraft – Lost In Light Rotation
10) Summer Camp – Summer Camp
11) Screaming Maldini – Screaming Maldini
12) Arctic Monkeys – AM
13) The Blanche Hudson Weekend – How Many Times Have You Let Me Die
14) Everything Everything – Arc
15) Stagecoach – Say Hi To The Band
16) Little Boots – Nocturnes
17) The Spook School – Dress Up
18) Young Knives – Sick Octave
19) Kate Nash – Girl Talk (Deluxe)
20) Queens Of The Stone Age - … Like Clockwork
2012
01) MJ Hibbett & The Validators – Dinosaur Planet
02) Allo Darlin' – Europe
03) Japandroids – Celebration Rock
04) The Winter Olympics – Profit & Loss
05) The Darkness – Hot Cakes
06) Taffy – Caramel Sunset
07) Future Of The Left – The Plot Against Common Sense
08) Maxïmo Park – The National Health
09) This Many Boyfriends – This Many Boyfriends
10) Field Music – Plumb
11) Standard Fare – Out Of Sight, Out Of Town
12) Richard Hawley – Standing At The Sky's Edge
13) Friends – Manifest!
14) The Futureheads – Rant
15) Internet Forever – Internet Forever
16) Tall Ships – Everything Touching
17) Gaz Coombes – Here Come The Bombs
18) The Lovely Eggs – Wildlife
19) Paintings Of Ships – English Weather
20) Jack White – Blunderbuss
2011
01) Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything
02) The Go! Team – Rolling Blackouts
03) The Answering Machine – Lifeline
04) Tellison – The Wages Of Fear
05) British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall
06) You Animals – Crimes, Creeps & Thrills
07) Yuck – Yuck
08) Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
09) Pete And The Pirates – One Thousand Pictures
10) Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
11) Kaiser Chiefs – The Future Is Medieval
12) Dananananaykroyd – There Is A Way
13) Young Knives – Ornaments From The Silver Arcade
14) Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness
15) Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams
16) Frankie & The Heartstrings – Hunger
17) Slow Club – Paradise
18) Noah & The Whale – Last Night On Earth
19) Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler – This Is Christmas
20) Mazes – A Thousand Heys
2010
01) Ash – A-Z Vol. 1
02) Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
03) The Futureheads – The Chaos
04) Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
05) Kate Nash – My Best Friend Is You
06) Yeasayer – Odd Blood
07) The National – High Violet
08) Robyn – Body Talk Parts 1 & 2
09) Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
10) Everything Everything – Man Alive
11) Paul Smith – Margins
12) Blood Red Shoes – Fire Like This
13) Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
14) Vampire Weekend – Contra
15) Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
16) We Are Scientists – Barbara
17) Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
18) Foals – Total Life Forever
19) Sky Larkin – Kalide
20) Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid
2009
01) Little Boots – Hands
02) Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
03) Mastodon – Crack The Skye
04) Jarvis Cocker - “Further Complications.”
05) The Maccabees – Wall Of Arms
06) Brakes – Touchdown
07) Grammatics – Grammatics
08) Sky Larkin – The Golden Spike
09) Johnny Foreigner – Grace And The Bigger Picture
10) Art Brut – Art Brut Vs Satan
11) The Answering Machine – Another City, Another Sorry
12) Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
13) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
14) The Horrors – Primary Colours
15) Noah And The Whale – The First Days Of Spring
16) Super Furry Animals – Dark Days / Light Years
17) Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another
18) Maxïmo Park – Quicken The Heart
19) Jack Peñate – Everything Is New
20) MJ Hibbett & The Validators – Regardez, Ecoutez Et Repetez
2008
01) British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
02) Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
03) Supergrass – Diamond Hoo Ha
04) dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Angles
05) Young Knives – Superabundance
06) The Long Blondes - “Couples”
07) Pete And The Pirates – Little Death
08) Guillemots – Red
09) Alphabeat – This Is Alphabeat
10) Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
11) Those Dancing Days – In Our Spacehero Suits
12) Thomas Tantrum – Thomas Tantrum
13) Ida Maria – Fortress Round My Heart
14) Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
15) Delays – Everything's The Rush
16) Neon Neon – Stainless Style
17) The Futureheads – This Is Not The World
18) Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
19) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
20) Girls Aloud – Out Of Control