KGNU’s Top 100 albums of the year, ranked by how many spins each record received. Considering the variety of music programs in our schedule and the sheer number of DJ’s (100+) doing them, it’s no surprise that this is a diverse list. Thanks for listening with open minds and ears. It’s a credit to you, the listeners, that KGNU has been able to offer a true musical alternative for nearly 40 years. You can always check our Top 30 charts as well.
Top 100 Albums on KGNU in 2017:
#1
Artist: Rhiannon Giddens
Album: Freedom Highway
Label: Nonesuch
#2
Artist: Tim O’Brien
Album: Where the River Meets the Road
Label: Howdy Skies Records
#3
Artist: Cary Morin
Album: Cradle To The Grave
Label: Maple Street Music Agency
#4
Artist: Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
Album: Way Out West
Label: Superlatone Records
#5
Artist: Dale Watson & Ray Benson
Album: Dale & Ray
Label: Ameripolitan/Home Records
#6
Artist: Randy Newman
Album: Dark Matter
Label: Nonesuch
#7
Artist: Oumou Sangaré
Album: Mogoya
Label: No Format!
#8
Artist: Steve Earle & The Dukes
Album: So You Wannabe An Outlaw
Label: Warner Brothers
#9
Artist: Juana Molina
Album: Halo
Label: Crammed Discs
#10
Artist: KC Groves
Album: Happy Little Trees
Label: Self Produced
#11
Artist: David Rawlings
Album: Poor David’s Almanack
Label: Acony Records
#12
Artist: Vieux Farka Touré
Album: Samba
Label: Six Degrees
#13
Artist: Chicano Batman
Album: Freedom Is Free
Label: ATO Records
#14
Artist: Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men
Album: Prick Of The Litter
Label: Hot Shot Records
#15
Artist: Rodney Crowell
Album: Close Ties
Label: New West
#16
Artist: Shannon McNally
Album: Black Irish
Label: Compass Records
#17
Artist: Justin Townes Earle
Album: Kids In the Street
Label: New West
#18
Artist: Chicago Gospel Keyboard Masters
Album: Lift Me Up
Label: The Sirens Records
#19
Artist: Orchestra Baobab
Album: Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng
Label: World Circuit
#20
Artist: Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’
Album: TajMo
Label: Concord Records
#21
Artist: Various
Album: The Life & Songs Of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration (Live)
Label: Rounder Records
#22
Artist: Various
Album: Best of Proverb & Gospel Corner Records 1959-1969
Label: Narro Way
#23
Artist: Les Amazones D’Afrique
Album: République Amazone
Label: Real World
#24
Artist: Ondatrópica
Album: Baile Bucanero
Label: Sound Way
#25
Artist: Thievery Corporation
Album: The Temple Of I & I
Label: Ingrooves
#26
Artist: Ginny Mules
Album: Ginny Mules
Label: (self)
#27
Artist: Tinariwen
Album: Elwan
Label: Anti/Epitaph
#28
Artist: Songhoy Blues
Album: Résistance
Label: Fat Possum
#29
Artist: Daymé Arocena
Album: Cubafonía
Label: Brownswood Recordings
#30
Artist: Morgan Heritage
Album: Avrakedabra
Label: CTBC Music Group
#31
Artist: Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
Album: The Nashville Sound
Label: Southeastern Records
#32
Artist: Mac DeMarco
Album: This Old Dog
Label: Captured Tracks
#33
Artist: Foghorn Stringband
Album: Devil In The Seat
Label: Self Produced
#34
Artist: Masontown
Album: Masontown – EP
Label: Self Produced
#35
Artist: Lucinda Williams
Album: This Sweet Old World
Label: Highway 20 Records
#36
Artist: Stanton Moore
Album: With You In Mind
Label: Mascot Music Productions
#37
Artist: Lee “Scratch” Perry & Subatomic Sound System
Album: Super Ape Returns To Conquer
Label: Subatomic Sound
#38
Artist: Sonny Landreth
Album: Recorded Live in Lafayette
Label: Provogue
#39
Artist: Jim Lauderdale
Album: London Southern
Label: Sky Crunch Records
#40
Artist: Trombone Shorty
Album: Parking Lot Symphony
Label: Blue Note Records
#41
Artist: Chuck Berry
Album: Chuck
Label: Dualtone
#42
Artist: Slowdive
Album: Slowdive
Label: Dead Oceans
#43
Artist: Masontown
Album: In This Time
Label: Self Produced
#44
Artist: Danny Barnes
Album: Stove Up
Label: Wendell Records
#45
Artist: Ruthie Foster
Album: Joy Comes Back
Label: Stone Truth Music
#46
Artist: Nikki Lane
Album: Highway Queen
Label: New West
#47
Artist: Iron & Wine
Album: Beast Epic
Label: Sub Pop
#48
Artist: The Como Mamas
Album: Move Upstairs
Label: Daptone Records
#49
Artist: Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang
Album: Build Music
Label: Luaka Bop
#50
Artist: Seva Venet
Album: New Orleans Banjo Vol. 1: Musieu Bainjo
Label: Self Produced
#51
Artist: Thundercat
Album: Drunk
Label: Brainfeeder Records
#52
Artist: Mac Wiseman
Album: I Sang the Song (Life of the Voice with a Heart)
Label: Mountain Fever Records
#53
Artist: Msafiri Zawose
Album: Uhamiaji
Label: Soundway
#54
Artist: The Bombay Royale
Album: Run Kitty Run
Label: HopeStreet Recordings
#55
Artist: Lila Downs
Album: Salón, Lágrimas Y Deseo
Label: Sony Music
#56
Artist: Various
Album: Putumayo Presents African Rumba
Label: Putumayo
#57
Artist: Nattali Rize
Album: Rebel Frequency
Label: Rootfire Cooperative
#58
Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Album: American Dream
Label: Columbia
#59
Artist: Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly & James McAlister
Album: Planetarium
Label: 4AD
#60
Artist: Black Lips
Album: Satan’s Graffiti Or God’s Art?
Label: Vice Music
#61
Artist: Colcannon
Album: Wild Orchid
Label: Colcannon
#62
Artist: Sunny Sweeney
Album: Trophy
Label: Self Produced
#63
Artist: Kronos Quartet
Album: Folk Songs
Label: Nonesuch
#64
Artist: The Secret Sisters
Album: You Don’t Own Me Anymore
Label: New West Records
#65
Artist: The Dustbowl Revival
Album: The Dustbowl Revival
Label: Signature Sounds
#66
Artist: CeCe Winans
Album: Let Them Fall in Love
Label: Pure Springs Gospel
#67
Artist: Lord Echo
Album: Harmonies
Label: Sound Way
#68
Artist: Meklit
Album: When the People Move, The Music Moves Too
Label: Six Degrees
#69
Artist: Daniel Romano
Album: Modern Pressure
Label: New West
#70
Artist: Gorillaz
Album: Humanz
Label: Parlophone/Warner Brothers
#71
Artist: Grandaddy
Album: Last Place
Label: 30th Century Records
#72
Artist: Jay Som
Album: Everybody Works
Label: Polyvinyl
#73
Artist: Moon Duo
Album: Occult Architecture, Vol. 1
Label: Sacred Bones
#74
Artist: Bonobo
Album: Migration
Label: Ninja Tune
#75
Artist: The Jerry Douglas Band
Album: What If
Label: Rounder Records
#76
Artist: Bluegrass Patriots
Album: Through the Years…Favorite Songs and Requests
Label: Self Produced
#77
Artist: Chris Daniels & The Kings
Album: Blues with Horns, Vol. 1 (feat. Freddi Gowdy)
Label: Moon Voyage Records
#78
Artist: The Dustbowl Revival
Album: With A Lampshade On
Label: Signature Sounds
#79
Artist: The Wailin’ Jennys
Album: Fifteen
Label: Red House Records
#80
Artist: Joan Osborne
Album: Songs of Bob Dylan
Label: Womanly Hips
#81
Artist: Ray Davies
Album: Americana
Label: Legacy
#82
Artist: Blind Boys of Alabama
Album: Almost Home
Label: BBOA Records
#83
Artist: Brother Ali
Album: All the Beauty in This Whole Life
Label: Rhymesayers
#84
Artist: Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet
Album: Ladilikan
Label: World Circuit
#85
Artist: Various
Album: Zaire 74: The African Artists
Label: Wrasse Records
#86
Artist: Vibronics meets Conscious Sounds
Album: Half Century Dub
Label: Self Produced
#87
Artist: Dan Auerbach
Album: Waiting On A Song
Label: Easy Eye Sound
#88
Artist: Kevin Morby
Album: City Music
Label: Dead Oceans
#89
Artist: Beach Fossils
Album: Somersault
Label: Bayonet
#90
Artist: Pokey LaFarge
Album: Manic Revelations
Label: Rounder
#91
Artist: Damaged Bug
Album: Bunker Funk
Label: Castle Face
#92
Artist: Spoon
Album: Hot Thoughts
Label: Matador
#93
Artist: The Infamous Stringdusters
Album: Laws Of Gravity
Label: Compass Records
#94
Artist: Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
Album: The Hazel and Alice Sessions
Label: Spruce and Maple Music
#95
Artist: The Railsplitters
Album: The Railsplitters
Label: Self Produced
#96
Artist: Ibibio Sound Machine
Album: Uyai
Label: Merge
#97
Artist: Felonius Smith
Album: Before That Rooster Crows
Label: Lipeery Fish Music
#98
Artist: Dan McCorison
Album: Montana Moon
Label: Musikode Records
#99
Artist: Valerie June
Album: The Order Of Time
Label: June Tunes
#100
Artist: Jesca Hoop
Album: Memories Are Now
Label: Sub Pop Records
