2017 has been a rich year for the music industry. Indeed, an uncountable number of artists have given birth to great albums who all shaped this 17th year of the century. You may have already read the Best Albums of 2017 Pitchfork, Best Albums of 2017 Guardian, Best Albums of 2017 NME, Best Albums of 2017 Rolling Stone… And you can notice they’re almost all different : it is an amazing representation of the music diversity. It allows us to discover different horizons to expand our musical culture. So here is an exhaustive list of what I consider being the top albums of the year 2017.
20) EVOLVE – IMAGINE DRAGONS
Far from having to prove anything to anyone, the band has once again shown that their place in the music industry is well deserved. Each song on this record has something interesting to offer, Whatever It Takes and Believer are for instance detonating with their catchy rhymes and ambitious lyrics. You can feel the hard work that has surely been put into this alternative rock production, which ends up being an harmonious gift ! Therefore, it’s among the indie rock best albums of 2017.
- Favorite Tracks : Whatever It Takes, Rise Up, Believer.
- Release Date : 23/06/17
19) CIGARETTES AFTER SEX (SELF TITLED)
This album’s instrumental truly is the perfect background for your life, that you can listen to in all kinds of situations. The melody will definitely soothe your mind at any time of the day. It has dreamy electronic sounds and guitars but I’m not a huge fan of the lyrics though.
- Favorite Tracks : John Wayne, Sunsetz.
- Release Date : 09/06/17
18) LANY (SELF TITLED)
This American trio’s album is all soul and original pop with a R&B influence. It’s composed of 16 songs all in a kind of dreamy atmosphere which is unique to them. Dream & Indie Pop, Synth-Pop… This long-playing record definitely has its well earned place in the best indie albums 2017.
- Favorite Tracks : ILYSB, Flowers On The Floor.
- Release Date : 30/06/17
17) MIDNIGHT – LEWIS WATSON
Signing to the independent label Cooking Vinyl, Watson is a singer songwriter based in London. His music is as artsy as the record artwork you can see below ! Some amazing lyrics added to a soft voice and a great instrumental production can only be a success ! It’s definitely a yes for me : amid the best alternative albums 2017.
- Favorite Tracks : little light, maybe we’re home.
- Release Date : 24/02/17
16) THE THRILL OF IT ALL – SAM SMITH
Incredible vocalist, the “Stay With Me” singer has once again succeeded at blowing us away with an emotional and powerful gift to the world. In addition to having written 14 other special songs, Sam Smith has often used his platform to speak out about important society issues and to teach young people how not to be afraid to be who they are.
- Favorite Tracks : Too Good At Goodbyes, No Peace,Burning.
- Release Date : 03/11/17
15) PANORAMA – MØME
Known for his lead single “Aloha” who had a worldwide success, MØME gave birth to his debut album “Panorama” in late 2016. Yes, I know it’s not a 2017 production but I still wanted to include it as this “composed during his Australian van life period” became viral in 2017. I had the occasion to see him play live twice, at UBU and Le Liberte in Rennes. I can guarantee you he sounds just like the studio version, if not better ! Additionally, he is a musician as well, so his sounds are a step higher and you won’t regret giving it a listen.
- Favorite Tracks : Delta, Hold On, Aloha.
- Release Date : 25/11/16
14) TI AMO – PHOENIX
After a long wait from a dedicated public, Phoenix finally put out their sixth studio album this year. They came back with “Ti Amo”, a slow pop-electro album that I had the chance to hear live at a festival, and I can tell you the crowd wasn’t disappointed, neither was I (I even surf crowded for the first time!). They definitely put their special mark on everything they do, while trying to evolve since they’ve been here for quite a while now.
- Favorite tracks : J-Boy, Ti Amo.
- Release Date : 09/06/17
13) BACK FROM THE EDGE – JAMES ARTHUR
The quite impressive range of vocals of this X factor winner is well shown in his last album “Back From The Edge”. Even though he is mostly producing pop songs, James has his own way to always add some high notes and entertaining rhythm to avoid any boring moment. That’s another artist who can’t be summed up just by his singles. Always a pleasure when his songs randomly come on shuffle on my phone !
- Favorite Tracks : Sober, Train Wreck, I Am, Prisoner.
- Release Date : 28/10/17
12) SURROUND ME (EP) – LÉON
It’s safe to say that this young lady has everything to become the next big pop star. Her confident voice and relatable lyrics are enough to prove she deserves so much more recognition ! She delivered one of the best albums of 2017 pop.
- Favorite Tracks : No Goodbyes, Surround Me.
- Release Date : 04/10/17
11) LUST FOR LIFE – LANA DEL REY
Best albums of all the time 2017, you said ? Yes, that’s pretty contradictory, but that’s a very accurate description of Lana Del Rey. She is known for having the smoothest voice and a universe that is very personal. Her fourth full-length album “Lust For Life”, composed of 16 tracks, is all art and pureness. She truly has her own way to sing with so much confidence and calm at the same time. In addition, she did some features with The Weeknd, A$Ap Rocky, Stevie Nicks or Sean Ono Lennon.
- Favorite Tracks : Get Free, Beautiful People Beautiful Problems.
- Release Date : 21/07/19
10) SO GOOD – ZARA LARSSON
More known by the name of “Queen of vocals”, Zara delivered an incredible pop album. Even though I personally think she could (and certainly will) do better songs, considering the vocals she’s able of on old songs or covers, it’s still a pleasure to listen to some good pop !
- Favorite Tracks : Symphony, Never Forget You, Make that money Girl, TG4M.
- Release Date : 17/03/17
9) REVIVAL – EMINEM
Eminem has been evolving in the industry for quite long now and it’s safe to say he delivered some of the best albums of 2017 hip hop. He needed a new start as you can tell by his album name “Revival”. In order to do that, he decided to mix different musical genres on his album and invited big names of the industry such as Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Ed Sheeran and P!nk. It brings a fresh note and a feeling of “new”.
- Favorite Tracks : River Ft. Ed Sheeran, Bad Husband Ft. X Ambassadors, Walk On The Water Ft. Beyonce.
- Release Date : 15/12/17
8) DUA LIPA (SELF TITLED)
Dua Lipa, with her strong and powerful voice, has definitely created herself a place in the charts this year ! After opening for other artists such as Halsey, 2017 was the year she became a pop icon. With this flawless album, she’s promoting the image of a confident, strong and independent woman. Indeed, it’s hard to believe it’s her debut album and that she’s only 20 when you hear her strong and mature voice ! I had no doubt she was going to make 2017 hers, and she just proved she was ready to go even further.
- Favorite Tracks : Be The One, Hotter Than Hell, New Rules, No Goodbyes.
- Release Date : 02/06/17
7) SOMETHING TO TELL YOU – HAIM
Another band I discovered this year and I’m so glad I gave their album a listen ! Their release was definitely one of the soundtracks of my summer. I really appreciated the production of it and the catchy rhythm, as well as the voice effects. Mixing different musical styles, their sounds and tonalities resonate like something new in the ears. The sisters really shined on this record, which is part of the best rock albums of 2017.
- Favorite Tracks : Want You Back (obvs), Found It In Silence, Something To Tell You.
- Release Date : 07/07/17
6) GEMINI – MACKLEMORE
The sixth place goes to… the absolute hip hop king, Macklemore himself. Far from being an upcoming artist in the showbiz, Macklemore has often collaborated with Ryan Lewis and offered great famous songs to the world. This time, he’s surprising us with a second solo album, full of amazing features with some big names of the industry. In fact, this release includes Kesha, who’s starting a “new career” as a free woman, but also Skylar Grey, or Eric Nally.
- Favorite Tracks : Over It Ft. Donna Missal, Ain’t Gonna Die Tonight Ft. Eric Nally.
- Release Date : 22/09/17
5) AMERICAN TEEN – KHALID
19 years old but already incredibly gifted. What Khalid has already released is huge, but keep in mind that this album, who already placed itself as the best r&b albums of 2017, is only a little preview of what this kid still has to show and prove to the world ! His debut album is the tea. It’s the perfect soundtrack to your life, his leathery voice and fresh instrumental form will completely seduce you. In a few words, keep his name in mind !
- Favorite Tracks : Location, Young Dumb and Broke, American Teen.
- Release Date : 03/03/17
4) HUMAN – RAG’N’BONE MAN
One word : genius. I first became familiar with Rag’n’Bone Man during his “pre-album” promotion radio tour and became a fan instantly. He started his artistic career at a young age in a hip hop crew, then became a soul and neo-blues singer you can’t ignore. His powerful lyrics and vocals got him a bit of the recognition he deserves ! In fact, you should all definitely take the time to go further than his famous singles “Human” and “Skin” because the album he dropped truly is one of the most complete I’ve heard this year.
- Favorite tracks : The way or the rope, Die Easy, As You Are (…).
- Release Date : 10/02/17
3) DIVIDE – ED SHEERAN
Anyone who knows me a little is aware that I’ve been a fan of Ed Sheeran’s music since his first releases. What I love about him as a singer songwriter is his relatable approach to the world and his way of living his music. My favorite lyric would be ” You’d find me busking on the street when it was cold outdoors, now I’m sweating on the stage of a sold-out tour”. Coming back with an album like Divide after a year off has paid off for him. Indeed, he came back stronger and inspired enough to break all the charts !
It is very high in the ranking of the best sellings albums of 2017. Experiencing new sounds throughout african, spanish or irish vibes, this album displays his creativity. From pop singles, to folk, rap and nice ballads, I genuinely enjoyed his production. If you want to picture yourself at his concert, check out my Ed Sheeran concert review in 2018.
- Favorite Tracks : Dive, New Man, Supermarket Flowers, Eraser.
- Release Date : 03/03/17
2) HER LIVE TAPE #2 – HER
Her’s EP definitely deserves the second place. It includes their most known song, “Five Minutes”. Victor sang it at the festival Rock en Seine 2017 as a tribute to Simon Carpentier, the cofounder and singer who died from cancer last summer. This EP, completely live, reflects the strength of their vocals, the originality of their sounds and their blues influences. Her band live concert are absolutely unreal !
- Favorite Tracks : Quite Like, Swim, Queens, Five Minutes.
- Release Date : 30/06/17
1) MELODRAMA – LORDE
What! A! Masterpiece! I can’t even recommend one song over another. This is the most complete album I’ve heard in 2017. The lyrics are genius, Lorde’s voice is strong, powerful and as inimitable as usual. The musical background is so beautiful and diverse. Each song has something different to offer. The tones and colors of this album have been greatly influenced by the song “Somebody Else” by the iconic group The 1975. A plus : the songs of Melodrama live are even more powerful and magical thanks to all the stage visuals.
- Favorite Tracks : Green, Light, Sober, The Louvre, Writer in the Dark, Perfect.
- Release Date : 16/07/17.
I hope you enjoyed this Top 20 of the best albums of 2017 in my opinion. I also recommend you to check out some upcoming artists I loved : Sigrid, Petit Biscuit, Will Joseph Cook, Laurel, Anteros, Nina Nesbitt…
What was the best album 2017 according to you ? If you liked this best albums 2017 review, you can check out my top 15 of the best albums of 2018.
