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 2018:
#1
Artist: Ry Cooder
Album: The Prodigal Son
Label: Perro Verde Records
#2
Artist: John Prine
Album: The Tree Of Forgiveness
Label: Cowboy Records
#3
Artist: Kronos Quartet & Laurie Anderson
Album: Landfall
Label: Nonesuch
#4
Artist: Hot Rize
Album: Hot Rize’s 40th Anniversary Bash (Live)
Label: Ten in Hand Records
#5
Artist: Courtney Barnett
Album: Tell Me How You Really Feel
Label: Mom + Pop
#6
Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: Last Man Standing
Label: Legacy
#7
Artist: Khruangbin
Album: Con Todo El Mundo
Label: Dead Oceans
#8
Artist: Various
Album: Soul Don’t Worry! Black Gospel During the Civil Rights Era 1953-1967
Label: City Hall Records
#9
Artist: Bombino
Album: Deran
Label: Partisan Records
#10
Artist: Peter Rowan
Album: Carter Stanley’s Eyes
Label: Rebel Records
#11
Artist: Various
Album: Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches
Label: Appleseeds Records
#12
Artist: I’m With Her
Album: See You Around
Label: Rounder Records
#13
Artist: David Byrne
Album: American Utopia
Label: Video Music Inc
#14
Artist: Lake Street Dive
Album: Free Yourself Up
Label: Nonesuch
#15
Artist: Chris Smither
Album: Call Me Lucky
Label: Signature Sounds Recordings
#16
Artist: The James Hunter Six
Album: Whatever It Takes
Label: Daptone
#17
Artist: Dubmatix
Album: King Size Dub
Label: Echo Beach
#18
Artist: Tish Hinojosa
Album: West
Label: Tish Records
#19
Artist: The California Honeydrops
Album: Call It Home Vol. 1 & 2
Label: Tubtone Records
#20
Artist: Various
Album: Johnny Cash: Forever Words
Label: Sony Legacy
#21
Artist: Yo La Tengo
Album: There’s A Riot Going On
Label: Matador Records
#22
Artist: Imarhan
Album: Temet
Label: Wedge
#23
Artist: Parquet Courts
Album: Wide Awake!
Label: Rough Trade
#24
Artist: Marcia Ball
Album: Shine Bright
Label: Alligator Records
#25
Artist: Joan Baez
Album: Whistle Down the Wind
Label: Razor & Tie
#26
Artist: Various
Album: King Of The Road: A Tribute To Roger Miller
Label: BMG Records
#27
Artist: Boz Scaggs
Album: Out of the Blues
Label: Concord Records
#28
Artist: Angélique Kidjo
Album: Remain In Light
Label: Kravenworks
#29
Artist: Chancha Via Circuito
Album: Bienaventuranza
Label: Wonderwheell Recordings
#30
Artist: Protoje
Album: A Matter Of Time
Label: Easy Star Records
#31
Artist: Brownout
Album: Fear Of A Brown Planet
Label: Fat Beats
#32
Artist: Thievery Corporation
Album: Treasures from the Temple
Label: ESL Music
#33
Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show
Album: Volunteer
Label: Columbia
#34
Artist: Ty Segall
Album: Freedom’s Goblin
Label: Drag City Records
#35
Artist: Various
Album: The Soul of Songbird (1963-1973) Volume One & Two
Label: B-Boy Bungus
#36
Artist: Kelly Willis
Album: Back Being Blue
Label: Thirty Tigers
#37
Artist: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Album: Sex & Food
Label: Jagjaguwar
#38
Artist: Jupiter & Okwess
Album: Kin Sonic
Label: Everloving Records
#39
Artist: Orquesta Akokán
Album: Orquesta Akokán
Label: Daptone
#40
Artist: The Decemberists
Album: I’ll Be Your Girl
Label: Capitol
#41
Artist: Asleep at the Wheel
Album: New Routes
Label: Bixmeaux Records
#42
Artist: The Del McCoury Band
Album: Del Mccoury Still Sings Bluegrass
Label: McCoury Music
#43
Artist: Reverend Freakchild
Album: Dial It In
Label: Floating Records
#44
Artist: The Price Sisters
Album: A Heart Never Knows
Label: Rebel Records
#45
Artist: Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams
Album: Hard Core Broken Heart
Label: CD Baby
#46
Artist: Steve Forbert
Album: The Magic Tree
Label: Blue Rose Music
#47
Artist: David Starobin
Album: New Music with Guitar, Vol. 11: Poul Ruders – Occam’s Razor
Label: Bridge Records
#48
Artist: Khalab
Album: Black Noise 2084
Label: On The Corner
#49
Artist: Monkey Marc
Album: Yaad N Abraad Riddim (feat. Dre Island, 5 Star, Iba Mahr, Aza Lineage & Earth And The Fullness) – EP
Label: Digikillaz
#50
Artist: Samba Touré
Album: Wande
Label: Glitterbeat
#51
Artist: The Carolyn Sills Combo
Album: Dime Stories, Vol. 2
Label: Self Produced
#52
Artist: Dexter Payne Quintet
Album: Jazz for All
Label: Dexofon Records
#53
Artist: John Gorka
Album: True in Time
Label: Blue Chalk Records
#54
Artist: Elvin Bishop
Album: Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here
Label: Alligator Records
#55
Artist: Rodney Crowell
Album: Acoustic Classics
Label: RC1 Records
#56
Artist: Eliza Gilkyson
Album: Secularia
Label: Red House Records
#57
Artist: Wood & Wire
Album: North Of Despair
Label: Blue Corn Music
#58
Artist: Beach House
Album: 7
Label: Sub Pop
#59
Artist: Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Album: My Future Is My Past
Label: Anti
#60
Artist: Superorganism
Album: Superorganism
Label: Domino
#61
Artist: Tune-Yards
Album: I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
Label: 4AD
#62
Artist: Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis
Album: Wild! Wild! Wild!
Label: Bloodshot
#63
Artist: Sly & Robbie & Dubmatix
Album: Overdubbed
Label: Echo Beach
#64
Artist: Cha Wa
Album: Spyboy
Label: UPT Music
#65
Artist: Fatoumata Diawara
Album: Fenfo (Something To Say)
Label: Shanchie
#66
Artist: La Luz
Album: Floating Features
Label: Hardly Art
#67
Artist: Pharis & Jason Romero
Album: Sweet Old Religion
Label: Lula Records
#68
Artist: Joe Jencks
Album: The Forgotten
Label: Turtle Bear Music
#69
Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Album: Both Sides Of The Sky
Label: Legacy
#70
Artist: The Turbans
Album: The Turbans
Label: Six Degrees
#71
Artist: Brandi Carlile
Album: By The Way, I Forgive You
Label: Elektra
#72
Artist: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Album: Tearing at the Seams
Label: Stax
#73
Artist: Sidi Touré
Album: Toubalbero
Label: Thrill Jockey
#74
Artist: Calexico
Album: The Thread That Keeps Us
Label: Anti
#75
Artist: FY5
Album: The Way These Things Go
Label: Swingfingers Records
#76
Artist: Edward Poullard & Jesse Lege
Album: Live ! At The Isleton Crawdad Festival
Label: Arhoolie Productions
#77
Artist: The War And Treaty
Album: Healing Tide
Label: Strong World Entertainment
#78
Artist: Various
Album: Mothers Garden (The Funky Sounds of Female Africa 1975 – 1984)
Label: Africa Seven
#79
Artist: Jon Cleary
Album: Dyna-Mite
Label: FHQ Records
#80
Artist: Tower Of Power
Album: Soul Side of Town
Label: Mack Avenue
#81
Artist: Ziggy Marley
Album: Rebellion Rises
Label: Tuff Gong
#82
Artist: Eels
Album: The Deconstruction
Label: E-Works/PIAS
#83
Artist: Marie Knight
Album: The Gospel Truth Live
Label: M. C. Records
#84
Artist: Femi Kuti
Album: One People One World
Label: Knitting Factory Records
#85
Artist: Grayson Capps
Album: Scarlett Roses
Label: Royal Potato Family
#86
Artist: Afrika Mamas
Album: Iphupho
Label: ARC Music
#87
Artist: Hollie Cook
Album: Vessel Of Love
Label: Merge Records
#88
Artist: Van Morrison
Album: Roll With the Punches
Label: Universal
#89
Artist: Gregory Alan Isakov
Album: Evening Machines
Label: Dualtone Music 2018
#90
Artist: Loudon Wainwright III
Album: Years in the Making
Label: Storysound Records
#91
Artist: Ray Bonneville
Album: At King Electric
Label: Stonefly Records
#92
Artist: Various
Album: Czech Up! Vol. 2: We’d Be Happy
Label: VampiSoul
#93
Artist: Vinyl Williams
Album: Opal
Label: Requiem Pour Un Twister
#94
Artist: Bill Hearne
Album: Where Lights Are Low
Label: Howlin’ Dog Records
#95
Artist: Ammar 808
Album: Maghreb United
Label: Glitterbeat Records
#96
Artist: The Essex Green
Album: Hardly Electronic
Label: Merge Records
#97
Artist: MojoMama
Album: Red White and Blues
Label: Self Produced
#98
Artist: The Travelin’ McCourys
Album: The Travelin’ McCourys
Label: McCoury Music
#99
Artist: Little Freddie King
Album: Fried Rice & Chicken
Label: Orleans Records
#100
Artist: Black Moth Super Rainbow
Album: Panic Blooms
Label: Rad Cult
