Across publications, tastemakers, even members of our own staff, there was little consensus about who made the best music of 2018. Reliable superstars were either M.I.A. or working through fallow periods: no new Kendrick or Frank, Beyoncé limited to an album of unmemorable duets, Kanye holed up in Wyoming making duds (and Daytona). This vacancy wasn’t all bad, however, because it allowed less obviously...

This year gave us a Post Malone song we wish we didn’t like so much, a bunch of Kanye music we wish we liked more, the triumph of Ariana Grande, the rise of Valee, the near-downfall of Drake. As always, there was lots to explore. These are our 101 favorite songs of 2018. Click here to see our 51 favorite albums of the year.

No escape could last long enough in 2018, a year when the odds—political, social, environmental—seemed more daunting with each passing day. Still, there was music to help us get through it all. Here are our picks for the year's most memorable albums and songs, as well as stories and interviews with some of the brightest stars of this year and, hopefully, next. Check back throughout the month of...