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The 50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far

It’s safe to say none of us will be nostalgic for the first six months of 2017. Rarely has the national and global situation felt so unpredictable—but great music still comforts, empowers, distracts, and pleasures us, whatever the circumstances. Below, explore 50 of SPIN’s favorite albums of the year to date: Kendrick Lamar in bangers mode, Alice Coltrane‘s long-lost spiritual documents, Paramore reunited, Dirty Projectors fragmented, Jlin breaking through, and Mac DeMarco all grown up. Some of these records were written to address the present moment; others were finished much earlier, but in our accelerated new reality, already demonstrate their lasting relevance. These are the 50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far.

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243679″ title=”50. Mark Eitzel, <i>Hey Mr. Ferryman</i>” index=”” image_id=”243680″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243677″ title=”49. Harry Styles, <i>Harry Styles</i>” index=”” image_id=”243678″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243672″ title=”48. J Hus, <i>Did You See</i>” index=”” image_id=”243676″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243670″ title=”47. Gas, <i>Narkopop</i>” index=”” image_id=”243671″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243663″ title=”46. Ho99o9, <i>United States of Horror</i>” index=”” image_id=”243669″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243660″ title=”45. Ryuichi Sakamoto, <i>async</i>” index=”” image_id=”243662″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243656″ title=”44. (Sandy) Alex G, <i>Rocket</i>” index=”” image_id=”243659″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243653″ title=”43. Playboi Carti, <i>Playboi Carti</i>” index=”” image_id=”243655″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243650″ title=”42. Jens Lenkman, <i>Life Will See You Now</i>” index=”” image_id=”243651″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243648″ title=”41. Michelle Branch, <i>Hopeless Romantic</i>” index=”” image_id=”243649″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243646″ title=”40. Mount Eerie, <i>A Crow Looked At Me</i>” index=”” image_id=”243647″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243644″ title=”39. Charly Bliss, <i>Guppy</i>” index=”” image_id=”243645″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243642″ title=”38. Forest Swords, <i>Compassion</i>” index=”” image_id=”243643″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243640″ title=”37. Syd, <i>Fin</i>” index=”” image_id=”243641″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243638″ title=”36. Pissed Jeans, <i>Why Love Now</i>” index=”” image_id=”243639″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243633″ title=”35. Run the Jewels, <i>RTJ3</i>” index=”” image_id=”243636″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243630″ title=”34. Allison Crutchfield, <i>Tourist in This Town</i>” index=”” image_id=”243632″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243627″ title=”33. Migos, <i>Culture</i>” index=”” image_id=”243629″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243623″ title=”32. Spoon, <i>Hot Thoughts</i>” index=”” image_id=”243625″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243619″ title=”31. Real Estate, <i>In Mind</i>” index=”” image_id=”243621″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243612″ title=”30. Jacques Greene, <i>Feel Infinite</i>” index=”” image_id=”243618″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243607″ title=”29. Sorority Noise, <i>You're Not As ___ As You Think</i>” index=”” image_id=”243611″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243600″ title=”28. Sampha, <i>Process</i>” index=”” image_id=”243606″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243596″ title=”27. Julia Holter, <i>In the Same Room</i>” index=”” image_id=”243599″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243587″ title=”26. Father John Misty, <i>Pure Comedy</i>” index=”” image_id=”243590″]

[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243573″ title=”25. Actress, <i>AZD</i>” index=”” image_id=”243583″]