The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – July 3, 2018

Which albums impressed critics during the first half of the year? Find our ranking of 2018's highest-scoring studio albums (so far) in the gallery above. The list includes releases through June 30, 2018 that have received at least 15 reviews from professional critics as of July 2nd. (Re-releases, EPs, and compilations are also excluded, and note that even though you'll see rounded Metascores, the albums are ranked prior to rounding.)

16 of 26

86 #10: Heaven & Earth by Kamasi Washington

Buy From Amazon

L.A. jazz man, Kendrick Lamar collaborator, and Flying Lotus signee Kamasi Washington wowed critics with his 2015 opus The Epic. While that triple album clocked in at 173 minutes, this similarly genre-blending follow-up is a "mere" double album. Oh, and it might be even better.

“It's easy to get overawed by the sheer magnitude of such a work, but it lives up to the audacious premise grandly.” —Under the Radar

Where To Buy