Best of 2013 Dept.: NPR Picks the Year’s Best Albums

Probably the most eclectic best-of list of the year. NPR has picked 100 albums. Here are the top 25. Head to NPR to see the other 75, hear a sound sample for each album and read about them too.

The list:

1 BILL CALLAHAN, DREAM RIVER

“The Sing”:

2 BLOOD ORANGE, CUPID DELUXE
3 BOMBINO, NOMAD

“Amidine”:

4 BRANDY CLARK, 12 STORIES
5 BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA, THE JAZZ AGE
6 BUIKA, LA NOCHE MAS LARGA
7 CALEB BURHANS, EVENSONG
8 CHANCE THE RAPPER, ACID RAP
9 DANIEL AVERY, DRONE LOGIC
10 DARCY JAMES ARGUE’S SECRET SOCIETY, BROOKLYN BABYLON

“Grand Opening”:


11 BRYCE DESSNER, NICO MUHLY, OWEN PALLETT & SHARA WORDEN, DAVID LANG: DEATH SPEAKS
12 DAWN OF MIDI, DYSNOMIA
13 DAWN UPSHAW & MARIA SCHNEIDER, MARIA SCHNEIDER: WINTER MORNING WALKS
14 DEAFHEAVEN, SUNBATHER
15 DJ KOZE, AMYGDALA
16 THE FLAMING LIPS, THE TERROR
17 GREGORY PORTER, LIQUID SPIRIT
18 HAIM, DAYS ARE GONE
19 N SOLITUDE, SISTER
20 ISABELLE FAUST & SWEDISH RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/DANIEL HARDING, CONDUCTOR, BARTOK: VIOLIN CONCERTOS NOS. 1 & 2
21 JAMES BLAKE, OVERGROWN
22 JASON ISBELL, SOUTHEASTERN
23 JOHN LEGEND, LOVE IN THE FUTURE
24 JOHN LUTHER ADAMS, INUKSUIT
25 JUANA MOLINA, WED 21

-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-

About Michael Goldberg

Michael Goldberg is a distinguished pioneer in the online music space; Newsweek magazine called him an ‘Internet visionary.’ In 1994 he founded Addicted To Noise (ATN), the highly influential music web site. He was a senior vice-president and editor in chief at SonicNet from March 1997 through May 2000. In 1997, Addicted To Noise won Webby awards for best music site in 1998 and 1999, and also won Yahoo Internet Life! awards for three years running as best music site in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Prior to starting Addicted To Noise, Goldberg was an editor and senior writer at Rolling Stone magazine for 10 years. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Esquire, Vibe, Details, Downbeat, NME and numerous other publications. Michael has had three novels published that comprise the "Freak Scene Dream trilogy": "True Love Scars," "The Flowers Lied" and "Untitled" which can be ordered here. His new book, "Wicked Game: The True Story of Guitarist James Calvin Wilsey," can be pre-ordered from HoZac Books. In November Backbeat Books will publish "Addicted To Noise: The Music Writings of Michael Goldberg," which can be be pre-ordered here.

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