2017 has been super exciting with the release of tons of music including some popular favorites by Jay-Z, Alex G, Big Thief, SZA, Perfume Genius, Kendrick Lamar, and many more. In addition to these well known artists, we felt there were dozens of incredible releases by emerging musicians who are not as familiar. Below, we've posted our top 50 albums of 2017.
*RIYL = Recommended If You Like
50. BEEN STELLAR - SELLS OUT
Location: Birmingham, MI
Favorite track: "Kamikazes"
RIYL: Interpol, Guided by Voices, Car Seat Headrest
49. SHYA - BIG CAR
Location: New York, NY
Favorite track: "Coydog"
RIYL: Porches, Wild Nothing
48. RUNNNER - AWASH
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "awash"
RIYL: Pinegrove
47. PRO TEENS - PHILISTINES
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Favorite track: "Tulsa"
RIYL: Mac Demarco, Vista Kicks
46. ROWAN NIEMISTO - GRADIENT
Location: Detroit, MI
Favorite track: "Flips"
RIYL: Choir of Young Believers, Jonah Baseball
45. ODD BEHOLDER - ATLAS
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Favorite track: "Atlas"
RIYL: Hazel English, Cigarettes After Sex, Bishop Briggs
44. JUPITER DELUXE CLUB - PRODUCT OF INSOMNIA
Location: Berkeley, CA
Favorite track: "Home"
RIYL: Crystal Castles, Sky Ferreira
43. BECCA MANCARI - GOOD WOMAN
Location: Nashville, TN
Favorite track: "Summertime Mama"
RIYL: Lilly Hiatt, Middle Brother
42. CATALDO - KEEPERS
Location: Seattle, WA
Favorite track: "Room Without a Flame"
RIYL: Pickwick, Rogue Wave, S.S.L.Y.B.Y.
41. THE YORKS - THE YORKS
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Liaison"
RIYL: Gardens & Villa, The Strokes
40. PEACOCK AFFECT - IMAGINARY WORLD
Location: Exeter, UK
Favorite track: "Blue Eyes"
RIYL: Elliott Smith, The Smiths
39. LORD YOUTH - GRAY GARDENS
Location: Queens, NY
Favorite track: "Blue Yodel No. 526 "
RIYL: Timber Timbre, Amen Dunes
38. HOT FLASH HEAT WAVE - SOAKED
Location: San Francisco, CA
Favorite track: "Bye Bye Baby"
RIYL: The Wombats, The Buttertones
37. THE PROPER ORNAMENTS - FOXHOLE
Location: London, UK
Favorite track: "Back Pages"
RIYL: Ultimate Painting, Temples
36. STRANGE RANGER - DAYMOON
Location: Portland, OR
Favorite track: "Hydration is Key"
RIYL: Told Slant, Modest Mouse
35. ANGELO DE AUGUSTINE- SWIM INSIDE THE MOON
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Crazy, Stoned, and Gone"
RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Aldous Harding
34. KAKUYON - NOW GO AND FLOURISH
Location: Somerset, NJ
Favorite track: "I See Ya"
RIYL: Daniel Caesar, Shotta Spence
33. ROYALJAG - CHAMELEON
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Wallspace"
RIYL: LANY, Darwin Deez, Arms Akimbo
32. GRMLN - OUT OF DISORDER
Location: San Francisco, CA
Favorite track: "Tomorrow"
RIYL: Cloud Nothings, The Orwells
31. SUNDAYS - THE DAY WILL COME
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Favorite track: "Avalanche"
RIYL: The Head and The Heart, The Lone Bellow, Dustin Tebbutt
30. KACY & CLAYTON - THE SIREN'S SONG
Location: Glentworth, Saskatchewan
Favorite track: "Just Like A Summer Cloud"
RIYL: The Deslondes, Hurray For The Riff Raff
29. OHMME - OHMME
Location: Chicago, IL
Favorite track: "Woman"
RIYL: St. Vincent, Ibeyi, Joanna Newsom
28. ONCE AND FUTURE BAND - ONCE AND FUTURE BAND
Location: Oakland, CA
Favorite track: "Tell Me Those Are Tears of Joy"
RIYL: Electric Light Orchestra, Pink Floyd
27. MAXIM LUDWIG - LIBRA-SCORPIO CUSP
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Should've Been Home by Now"
RIYL: Calvin Love, Houndmouth, Delta Spirit
26. MADELINE KENNEY - NIGHT NIGHT AT THE FIRST LANDING
Location: Oakland, CA
Favorite track: "Waitless"
RIYL: Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som
25. KATIE VON SCHLEICHER - SHITTY HITS
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Favorite track: "Midsummer"
RIYL: Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers
24. DEEM SPENCER - WE THINK WE ALONE
Location: Queens, NY
Favorite track: "There Was Plenty Time Before Us"
RIYL: Travie McCoy, Kevin Abstract
23. FAITH HEALER - TRY ;-)
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Favorite track: "Sterling Silver"
RIYL: Majical Cloudz, Chris Cohen
22. PAINTED FRUIT - PF II
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Favorite track: "Make Up Your Mind"
RIYL: Minus The Bear, HOMESHAKE
21. GOON - HAPPY OMEN
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "She"
RIYL: Boards of Canada, Jacco Gardner
20. CORY WONG - CORY WONG AND THE GREEN SCREEN BAND
19. TWAIN - RARE FEELING
Location: Franklin County, VA
Favorite track: "The Sorcerer"
RIYL: Big Thief, Langhorne Slim
18. PALO SOPRAÑO - FLOWER GIRL
Location: Bend, OR
Favorite track: "Crying In The Rain"
RIYL: The Walters, Worn-Tin
17. DOUGIE POOLE - WIDEASS HIGHWAY
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Favorite track: "Don't You Think I'm Funny Anymore?"
RIYL: Ought, Father John Misty, Rilo Kiley
16. GOLD STAR - BIG BLUE
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Blue Sky to Blue Sky"
RIYL: Shakey Graves, The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick
15. JOHN ANDREWS & THE YAWNS - BAD POSTURE
Location: Yardville, NJ
Favorite track: "Painting a Picture"
RIYL: Woods, Gram Parsons
14. MAUNO - TUNING
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Favorite track: "Or Just"
RIYL: Daniel Johnston, Alex G, Radiator Hospital
13. AMY O - ELASTIC
Location: Bloomington, IN
Favorite track: "Soft Skin"
RIYL: Stef Chura, Madeline Kenney
12. TICA DOUGLAS - OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA, HELP AND PROTECT US
Location: Queens, NY
Favorite track: "Death Comes In Threes"
RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Eskimeaux
11. CASPER SKULLS - MERCY WORKS
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Favorite track: "Primeval"
RIYL: Protomartyr, Weaves
10. EVOLFO - LAST OF THE ACID COWBOYS
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Favorite track: "Moon Eclipsed The Sun"
RIYL: The King Khan & BBQ Show, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Har Mar Superstar
9. SMALL FORWARD - AFFECTIONS
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "The Reservoir"
RIYL: America, George Harrison, Mild High Club
8. GUS DAPPERTON - YELLOW & SUCH
Location: Warwick, NY
Favorite track: "Miss Glum & the Pursuit of Falling"
RIYL: SALES, Connan Mockasin, David Bowie
7. OMNI - MULTI-TASK
Location: Atlanta, GA
Favorite track: "Equestrian"
RIYL: Parquet Courts, B Boys, Preoccupations
6. CASSANDRA JENKINS - PLAY TILL YOU WIN
Location: New York, NY
Favorite track: "Tennessee Waltz"
RIYL: Sam Evian, Eleanor Friedberger, Gram Parsons
5. MOON KING - HAMTRAMCK '16
Location: Hamtramck, MI
Favorite track: "In & Out"
RIYL: Bee Gees, Grimes, TOPS, TV Girl
4. VELVET NEGRONI - T.C.O.D.
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Favorite track: "Hollywood"
RIYL: King Krule, Bon Iver, Allan Rayman
3. GIRL RAY - EARL GREY
Location: London, UK
Favorite track: "Trouble"
RIYL: Pavement, Warpaint, Snail Mail
2. DAVE B. - PEARL
Location: Seattle, WA
Favorite track: "Scrolling"
RIYL: Chance The Rapper, Macklemore, Smino
1. BEDOUINE - BEDOUINE
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Favorite track: "Dusty Eyes"
RIYL: Nick Drake, Springtime Carnivore, Laura Marling
Stay tuned in 2018 for more from What The Sound.