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 2019:
#1
Artist: Tim O’Brien
Album: Tim O’Brien Band
Label: Tim O’Brien
#2
Artist: Della Mae
Album: The Butcher Shoppe EP
Label: Rounder
#3
Artist: Our Native Daughters
Album: Songs Of Our Native Daughters
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
#4
Artist: Mavis Staples
Album: Live in London
Label: Anti/Epitaph
#5
Artist: Tom Russell
Album: October In The Railroad Earth
Label: Frontera
#6
Artist: Angélique Kidjo
Album: Celia
Label: Decca
#7
Artist: Mavis Staples
Album: We Get By
Label: Anti
#8
Artist: Hayes Carll
Album: What It Is
Label: Dualtone
#9
Artist: Y La Bamba
Album: Mujeres
Label: Tender Loving Empire
#10
Artist: Mdou Moctar
Album: Ilana (The Creator)
Label: Sahel Sounds
#11
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Album: Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings (Live)
Label: Rhino Records
#12
Artist: Dale Watson
Album: Call Me Lucky
Label: Red House Records
#13
Artist: Ibibio Sound Machine
Album: Doko Mien
Label: Merge
#14
Artist: Durand Jones & The Indications
Album: American Love Call
Label: Dead Oceans
#15
Artist: Delbert McClinton & Self-Made Men
Album: Tall, Dark, And Handsome
Label: Hotshot Records
#16
Artist: Sharon Van Etten
Album: Remind Me Tomorrow
Label: Jagjaguwar
#17
Artist: April Verch
Album: Once a Day
Label: Slab Tone Records
#18
Artist: J.S. Ondara
Album: Tales Of America
Label: Verve Records
#19
Artist: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Album: If You Can’t Stand the Heat
Label: Compass Records
#20
Artist: Brittany Howard
Album: Jaime
Label: ATO Records
#21
Artist: Rising Appalachia
Album: Leylines
Label: Cometolife Records
#22
Artist: Steel Pulse
Album: Mass Manipulation
Label: Rootfire Cooperative
#23
Artist: The Infamous Stringdusters
Album: Rise Sun
Label: Tape Time Records
#24
Artist: Todd Snider
Album: Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3
Label: Aimless Records
#25
Artist: Alt?n Gün
Album: Gece
Label: ATO Records
#26
Artist: Alex Klein & Phillip Bush
Album: Twentieth Century Oboe Sonatas
Label: Cedille Records
#27
Artist: Patty Griffin
Album: Patty Griffin
Label: Thirty Tigers
#28
Artist: The Lee Boys
Album: Live on the East Coast
Label: M.C. Records
#29
Artist: Son Volt
Album: Union
Label: Transmit Sound
#30
Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Album: Mettavolution
Label: ATO Records
#31
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Joni 75: A Joni Mitchell Birthday Celebration (Live)
Label: Decca
#32
Artist: Karen O & Danger Mouse
Album: Lux Prima
Label: Lux Prima
#33
Artist: Combo Chimbita
Album: Ahomale
Label: Anti
#34
Artist: Rodney Crowell
Album: Texas
Label: RC1 Records
#35
Artist: Africa Express
Album: EGOLI
Label: !K7 Records
#36
Artist: Che Apalache
Album: Rearrange My Heart
Label: Free Dirt Records
#37
Artist: Leo Leobons
Album: Ritual REMIXED
Label: Kafundo Records
#38
Artist: Calexico & Iron & Wine
Album: Years To Burn
Label: Sub Pop Records
#39
Artist: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Album: Kingfish
Label: Alligator Records
#40
Artist: Molly Tuttle
Album: When You’re Ready
Label: Compass Records
#41
Artist: Nicola Cruz
Album: Siku
Label: ZZK Records
#42
Artist: Greensky Bluegrass
Album: All for Money
Label: Big Blue Zoo Records
#43
Artist: John McCutcheon
Album: To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger
Label: Appalsongs
#44
Artist: Blue Canyon Boys
Album: 7
Label: Self Produced
#45
Artist: George Benson
Album: Walking to New Orleans
Label: Provogue
#46
Artist: KOKOKO!
Album: Fongola
Label: Transgressive
#47
Artist: Gary Nicholson
Album: The Great Divide
Label: Blue Corn Music
#48
Artist: The Mauskovic Dance Band
Album: The Mauskovic Dance Band
Label: Soundway Records
#49
Artist: Santana
Album: Africa Speaks
Label: Concord
#50
Artist: Flying Lotus
Album: Flamagra
Label: Warp Records UK
#51
Artist: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Album: Gnomes & Badgers
Label: Seven Spheres Records
#52
Artist: Jim Lauderdale
Album: From Another World
Label: Yep Roc Records
#53
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Putumayo Presents World Peace
Label: Putumayo
#54
Artist: Terri Hendrix
Album: Talk To A Human
Label: Self Produced
#55
Artist: Black Pumas
Album: Black Pumas
Label: ATO Records
#56
Artist: The Small Glories
Album: Assiniboine & The Red
Label: Compass Records
#57
Artist: Rickie Lee Jones
Album: Kicks.
Label: The Other Side Of Desire
#58
Artist: KOKOROKO
Album: KOKOROKO – EP
Label: Brownswood Recordings
#59
Artist: Nick Waterhouse
Album: Nick Waterhouse
Label: Innovative Leisure
#60
Artist: Rocky Dawuni
Album: Beats of Zion
Label: Aquarian Records
#61
Artist: Tinariwen
Album: Amadjar
Label: Anti
#62
Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Album: Electric Lady Sessions
Label: DFA Records/Columbia
#63
Artist: The Highwomen
Album: The Highwomen
Label: 2019 Highwomen LLC Under Exclusive License To Elektra Records
#64
Artist: Mustafa Khaliq Ahmed
Album: Son of the Drum Song
Label: Chaos Music
#65
Artist: Mary Flower
Album: Livin’ With the Blues Again
Label: Little Village Foundation
#66
Artist: The Aggrolites
Album: Reggae Now!
Label: Pirates Press Records
#67
Artist: The Yawpers
Album: Human Question
Label: Bloodshot
#68
Artist: Fontaines D.C.
Album: Dogrel
Label: Partisan Records
#69
Artist: Big Country Bluegrass
Album: Mountains, Mamas and Memories
Label: Rebel Records
#70
Artist: Walter Trout
Album: Survivor Blues
Label: Provogue
#71
Artist: Lee Fields & The Expressions
Album: It Rains Love
Label: Big Crown Records
#72
Artist: Hama Sankare
Album: Niafunke
Label: Clermont Music
#73
Artist: Natalie Padilla
Album: Fireweed
Label: Heartseed Music
#74
Artist: Avery R. Young
Album: Tubman.
Label: FPE Records
#75
Artist: Keb’ Mo’
Album: Oklahoma
Label: Concord Records
#76
Artist: Aymee Nuviola
Album: A Journey Through Cuban Music
Label: Top Stop Music
#77
Artist: Tacocat
Album: This Mess Is A Place
Label: Sub Pop
#78
Artist: Catherine Russell
Album: Alone Together
Label: Dot Time Records
#79
Artist: Grupo Fantasma
Album: American Music: Volume 7
Label: Blue Corn Music
#80
Artist: Townes Van Zandt
Album: Sky Blue
Label: Fat Possum
#81
Artist: Better Oblivion Community Center
Album: Better Oblivion Community Center
Label: Dead Oceans
#82
Artist: Minyo Crusaders
Album: Echoes Of Japan (????????????)
Label: Mais Um Discos
#83
Artist: John Mayall
Album: Nobody Told Me
Label: Forty Below Records
#84
Artist: Harriet Brown
Album: Mall Of Fortune
Label: Innovative Leisure
#85
Artist: Mercury Rev
Album: Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited
Label: Partisan Records
#86
Artist: Cass McCombs
Album: Tip Of The Sphere
Label: Anti/Epitaph
#87
Artist: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
Album: Miri
Label: OutHere Records
#88
Artist: Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Album: Colorado
Label: Reprise
#89
Artist: Galactic
Album: Already Ready Already
Label: Tchoup-Zilla Records
#90
Artist: Ethyl and the Regulars
Album: Honest Work
Label: Sweet Crude Records
#91
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Album: Western Stars
Label: Columbia
#92
Artist: Mandolin Orange
Album: Tides Of A Teardrop
Label: Yep Roc Records
#93
Artist: Violent Femmes
Album: Hotel Last Resort
Label: Pias America
#94
Artist: Norah Jones
Album: Begin Again
Label: Blue Note
#95
Artist: Quantic
Album: Atlantic Oscillations
Label: Tru Thoughts
#96
Artist: The Mystery Lights
Album: Too Much Tension!
Label: Wick Records
#97
Artist: Big Thief
Album: U.F.O.F.
Label: 4AD
#98
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Album: The Hard Way
Label: Pinecastle
#99
Artist: Khruangbin
Album: Hasta El Cielo (Con Todo El Mundo In Dub)
Label: Late Night Tales
#100
Artist: Beirut
Album: Gallipoli
Label: 4AD