The Vinyl Collector’s Guide to the Best Records of 2024
My 100 favorite albums of the year!
2024 was supposed to be a better year. I had just lost my best friend to a heart attack at the age of 35. But not three weeks into the new year, my son Nolan was born sleeping due to a rare, one-in-a-million heart defect.
These tragedies make a man acutely aware of his heart. Every quiet moment — at the office, in the shower, in bed — the beat of my own heart reminded me of my mortality. Many sleepless nights followed.
Thank goodness for music and vinyl records! This year, I found solace in beautiful noise more than ever. Albums became catharsis, and I believe 2024 brought some of the best music we’ve heard in years. So many artists brought their A-game, and bands we thought had faded away made triumphant returns. Each week, my newsletter highlighted records that demanded attention, and in the end, I found plenty of music that soothed my soul.
Now, I’m thrilled to present The Vinyl Collector’s Guide to the Best Records of 2024! For the second year in a row, I’ve compiled a list of the top 100 albums, and I’m excited to share it with you.
Inside, you’ll find 100 albums across 100 pages, 15,000 words worth of liner notes, updated links to my favorite vinyl variants, and a “For Fans Of” section to help you find new jams. I’ve also included review snippets from some of my favorite tastemakers, like
of , of , and Chris Cantalini of Gorilla vs. Bear, to name a few.The longread is available now on PDF and ebook for $5, or get the physical copy to put next to your turntable for $10.
Paid subscribers get the PDF and ebook for free — with a sub starting at under $5 a month, it’s a no-brainer.
If you’re not a sicko who wants 100 album recs and just wants the cream of the crop, I’ve included my top 10 below. Be sure to check out the playlist of all 100 of my favorite albums at the end of this newsletter.
Lastly, thank you for supporting The Wax Museum and continuing to allow me to make these silly lists. Memento Mori, Ergo Carpe Diem!
10. Johnny Blue Skies - Passage Du Desir
Get Vinyl: Gold | Black
After vowing to release only five albums under his name, Sturgill Simpson kicks off a new era as Johnny Blue Skies on his independent label, High Top Mountain Records. Clocking in at eight songs and 42 minutes, this album is classic Sturgill, as if he turned back the clock ten years. While his recent projects were solid, they felt like fun side gigs. Passage Du Desir stands tall with Metamodern Sounds and Sailor’s Guide as his best work.
Listening to this, I’m reminded of so many greats: John Mayer, Allman Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, David Bowie. The whole album is a no-skip zone, but standout tracks include the soulful “If The Sun Never Rises Again,” the grandiose “Jupiter’s Faerie,” and the stellar closer “One for the Road,” one of the year’s best album finales.
Like This? Listen To This: Jason Isbell, Guy Clark, The Band
9. Heems and Lapgan - LAFANDAR
Get Vinyl: Opaque Blue
In 2010, Das Racist — Heems, Kool A.D., and Dapwell — burst onto the scene with their clever, offbeat delivery and infectious cultural references, most famously with the viral “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.” After retreating from the spotlight, Heems returns with Indian beatmaker Lapgan for LAFANDAR, an album that channels the best of Das Racist’s style with a more mature and evolved sound.
With a killer guest list featuring Kool Keith, Open Mike Eagle, and Your Old Droog, LAFANDAR is packed with razor-sharp wit and top-tier production. Heems delivers some of his tightest rapping to date, complemented by the finest beats he’s ever worked with, proving that his creative peak is far from over.
Like This? Listen To This: El-P, Action Bronson, Sid Vashi
8. MGMT - Loss of Life
Get Vinyl: Prismatic Splatter | Blue Jay | Opaque Pink | Black
Steely Dan holds a special place in my heart, so I don’t make this comparison lightly, but MGMT could very well be their modern-day counterparts. Both are experimental jazz-rock duos from Northeastern liberal arts colleges with a deep knowledge of music history and a relentless pursuit of perfection. Their lyrics, often full of inside jokes, mirror a sense of humor that's shared between close friends. And much like Steely Dan, MGMT has created an eclectic discography filled with hedonistic characters while maintaining a sharp pop sensibility that drives their experimental edge.
Loss of Life encapsulates the essence of their sound, blending the best of their past work into a cohesive, psych-pop masterpiece. It’s a stunning showcase of their musical evolution, and I’m baffled it didn’t make any Best Of lists this year. I’m betting it will be looked back on fondly, aging like a fine wine.
And speaking of time, I can’t stop watching this 20+ year old video of MGMT playing one of their first shows at Wesleyan — just two friends making art and being silly together. It’s a beautiful reminder of how far they’ve come.
Like This? Listen To This: Vampire Weekend, Animal Collective, Modest Mouse
7. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Get Vinyl: Whirlpool
Electro-duo Magdalena Bay’s second album Imaginal Disk is a mind-melting ride — pun intended. Set in a universe where aliens implant an “imaginal disk” into apes to trigger consciousness, our protagonist struggles to process her upgrade and embarks on a journey to understand what it means to be human.
Ambitious and addictive, this double album packs 15 tracks into 53 minutes of dazzling synth-pop that’s evolved into something with more prog rock swagger. The production is nothing short of cosmic, with an energy that’s both unpredictable and utterly captivating.
Imaginal Disk feels like a kaleidoscope — complex, multi-colored, and breathtakingly beautiful. It’s the most exhilarating pop album of the year.
Like This? Listen To This: Beach House, Tame Impala, ABBA
6. Fontaines D.C. - Romance
Get Vinyl: Cotton Candy Splash
Dublin's post-punk stalwarts Fontaines D.C. have always been hit or miss for me. I admired frontman Grian Chatten’s solo album last year, but their past albums had just a few songs that truly resonated. But with Romance, their fourth album, they’ve completely shifted the game. From the very first listen, it’s clear they’ve leveled up, with each track sounding distinct yet undeniably Fontaines D.C.
The shift in producers from Dan Carey (Squid, Black Midi) to James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz) has propelled them from experimental punk to a catchier, arena-filling rock sound that feels primed for world domination. This album doesn’t just surpass their previous work — it obliterates it. If there’s any justice in the world, Romance will make Fontaines D.C. a household name.
Like This? Listen To This: The Murder Capital, Blur, Depeche Mode
5. Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
Get Vinyl: Pink Glass | Clear with Black Smoke | Black
Mannequin Pussy’s fourth album and their first since 2019 breakout hit Patience was worth the wait. The Philly quartet throws a perfect game on the A-side, with the first five tracks their most intoxicating cuts to date.
This is punk rock with a full range of human emotions — a full range of women’s emotions, I should say. It’s desire and rage laid bare, and those are not things that demand consistency of tone. A deep nod to Courtney Love and some ‘90s alt-rock mainstays, both light and dark (I hear the Cardigans on the softer numbers), this might be the record that will convince you that punk rock can be a thing of painful beauty, vulnerability, and resonance. -
at New Bands for Old Heads
Like This? Listen To This: Gouge Away, Sheer Mag, The Smashing Pumpkins
4. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
Get Vinyl: Sunburst Splash | Black
It’s MJ Lenderman’s world, and we’re just living in it. He’s been on an absolute heater lately: as guitarist for Wednesday, they dropped Rat Saw God, my pick for Best Album of 2023. Then MJ followed up with Live and Loose, one of the best live albums of the decade. Next he drops a brilliant quasi-cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin' on Heaven’s Door,” then teams up with Waxahatchee for one of indie’s defining moments in 2024, and now we’ve arrived at his fourth solo record, Manning Fireworks.
Gone are the sports heroes of 2022’s Boat Songs; instead, MJ zooms in on the sad-sack losers of life. Tracks like “She’s Leaving You” and “Wristwatch” cement Lenderman as one of the greats, a singer-songwriter at the height of his craft. Watching someone this locked in is exhilarating.
Like This? Listen To This: Jason Molina, Greg Freeman, Tom Petty
3. Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
Get Vinyl: Sub Pop Loser | Purple | Ink and Haze
Father John Misty returns in full I Love You, Honeybear form with sixth album, Mahashmashana — a no-skip affair with eight tracks that demand your attention, including multiple eight-minute, grandiose epics.
His birds-eye view of mortality is on full display, with his trademark lyrics that are biting, funny, and occasionally heartbreaking. The production is next-level, with lush, stadium-filling arrangements that elevate his sharp one-liners and sticky melodies.
Josh Tillman’s music has only grown more incisive with age, particularly his sardonic social critique, which feels more prescient as we improbably enter a second Trump term. While his catalog is too rich for one clear favorite, Mahashmashana stands as one of Misty's best — a triumphant return that proves he's at the peak of his powers.
Like This? Listen To This: Andrew Bird, Spoon, George Harrison
2. Rosie Tucker - UTOPIA NOW!
Get Vinyl: Violet and Evergreen
Rosie Tucker’s fourth album UTOPIA NOW! is a self-produced, home-recorded gem packed with punchy rock riffs and dreamy, earworm hooks that stick with you long after the music stops.
Opening with the line, “The lightbulb is updating / And I sit in the dark,” Tucker tackles our technocapitalistic nightmare with a blend of wit and wisdom that’s both thought-provoking and entertaining. The writing is razor-sharp, with so many layers you’ll want to keep Genius open — this is my pick for best lyrics of the year.
Tucker nails the balance between pop sensibilities and incisive cultural critique. It's a high-wire act that lands flawlessly: bold, thoughtful, and above all, incredibly fun.
Like This? Listen To This: Illuminati Hotties, Katy Kirby, Sidney Gish
1. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Get Vinyl: Blue and Black | Black
It’s only fitting that the release of Only God Was Above Us, Vampire Weekend’s fifth album, coincided with the biggest NYC earthquake in 150 years — an album about the city’s underground tunnels was bound to shake things up.
After the overstuffed but underappreciated Father of the Bride in 2019, the band promised their next album would be all killer, no filler, and they’ve delivered in spades. It’s a masterclass in production, with all ten tracks humming with consistent greatness.
Vampire Weekend’s first five albums now stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the best, and Only God Was Above Us might just be their crowning achievement — an instant classic and my pick for Album of the Year.
Like This? Listen To This: Sufjan Stevens, LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio
The 100 Best Albums of 2024 Playlist
🎧 Stream on Spotify | Apple
Album of the Year Leaderboard
🎧 Stream on Spotify | Apple
Follow along in 2025 to the Album of the Year Leaderboard. The slate will be wiped clean soon. Standings change frequently; new albums get added each week.
Thanks for another great year at The Wax Museum! Happy Holidays and I’ll catch you next week!
I love seeing other music writer's lists. Our only crossovers, and mine weren't in my Top 10, but in my Top 50, are Fontaines DC and Rosie Tucker. You named a couple artists with whom I'm not familiar, and I'll be checking them out soon!
Excellent list, beautiful words. So sorry for your losses. Really refreshing to see OGWAU in the top spot, I feel like it has been largely underrepresented on year-end lists this year for how much of a return to form it was.