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It’s been an amazing year of music, with the likes of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish flying high in the charts.
Raye won big at the Brit Awards, taking home a record six trophies, while Miley Cyrus won the record of the year at the Grammy Awards for ‘Flowers’.
In the UK it was all about Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour, although Oasis stole some of her thunder when they announced they were to reform for a series of huge gigs that immediately sold out.
Meanwhile, the critics had their own ideas about the artists of the year.
Here are their top 13 albums, according to ratings aggregator site Album of the Year.
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1. Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
He may be 86, but American jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd received near-universal praise for his album 'The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow'. His first since 2018, it had a 93 per cent critical rating - the highest of 2024. | Contributed
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2. Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties - In Lieu of Flowers
In secind place is the third solo album from The Wonder Years frontman Dan Campbell, who records under the name Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties is the solo project of The Wonder Years frontman Dan Campbell. The folk rock project sees Campbell sing in the persona of his alter ego Aaron West. It received a 92 per cent positive response from critics. | Contributed
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3. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
16 years in the making, The Cure's 14th studio album 'Songs of a Lost World' was well worth the wait, with a 90 per cent critical rating. The record was the first album to be written entirely by lead singer Robert Smith since 1985's 'The Head on the Door'. | Contributed
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4. Julian Lage - Speak To Me
The second jazz record in the top five, American guitarist released the album of his career with 'Speak to Me', wth a 90 per cent positive critical rating. | Contributed