The Best Music of 2017
2017 was an eventful year, to put it mildly—and its music was no exception. In a time defined by unpredictability, artists stepped up with their own expressions, embracing the beauty of life and protesting its injustices. Across more than a dozen features, Pitchfork looks at the moments that defined the year—the best albums and songs, along with the most emotional live sets, the sharpest literature, the savviest TV syncs. We revisit the poetic lyrics that made us think, the fiery political statements that raised our fists, the cinematic music videos that we couldn’t look away from. We discover the music that made this year, which is also the music we’ll be listening to for years to come.
The 10 Best Garage Punk Albums of 2017
Evan Minsker’s Shake Appeal column returns for a year-end blowout of rock’n’roll scuzz
The Year “Indie Rock” Meant Something Different
The old guard returned, but a new generation reigned
The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2017
Our monthly metal column culminates with a look back at our 2017 favorites
The 10 Best DJ Mixes of 2017
Laurel Halo, Zola Jesus, Young Marco, and more make the year-end favorites from our monthly column
Pitchfork Readers’ Poll Results 2017
Featuring your picks for the best (and worst) in the world of music
Playlists! Lawsuits! Fake Songs! The Biggest Streaming-Music Trends of 2017
Breaking down the year’s most important stories in the world of streaming and looking forward to what’s next
The 20 Best Pop and R&B Albums of 2017
Featuring Lorde, Syd, Paramore, Khalid, Charli XCX, and more
11 Pitchfork Staffers on Old Music They Fell in Love With This Year
Because the best listening experiences can sound like gifts from generations past
The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2017
Including form-busting records by Jlin, Fever Ray, Yaeji, Mount Kimbie, and more
The 20 Best Experimental Albums of 2017
From Arca’s operatic insanity to Klein’s thrashed R&B, these are the year’s most urgent experimental records.
The 20 Best Rap Albums of 2017
From Playboi Carti’s mumbling opus to Vince Staples’ raved-up deconstruction of fame, these are the year’s most vital rap records.
The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2017
Featuring the National, Jay Som, Broken Social Scene, Waxahatchee, and more
11 Pitchfork Staffers on Their Favorite Live Shows of 2017
From Moses Sumney and Mount Eerie to Lorde and Laurel Halo, these were the sets that gave us life this year
The 50 Best Albums of 2017
From Fever Ray to Kendrick to King Krule, the album as an art form took on new resonance this year. These are the best of the best.
The 100 Best Songs of 2017
From Lorde’s ecstatic emotional cleansing to Frank Ocean’s ode to cycling to Cardi B’s rampaging banger of bangers, these are our picks for the best songs of the year.
The 15 Lyrics That Defined 2017
The year through the lens of our favorite artists’ pens
The 10 Best Music Moments on TV in 2017
This year, Peak TV’s music supervision reached new heights
Pitchfork’s 16 Favorite Music Books of 2017
What we were reading—from pioneers of noise, thrash, and trap in their own words, to critics wrestling with culture as a sign o’ the times
The Year in Protest Music 2017
A list of 20 urgent tracks that spoke truth to power this year