Ninjabait's Top 50 Albums (...and 10 other pretty cool albums)

[Ninjabait]

Hello, everyone! I decided to do a Top 50 album list because why not. Narrowing it down to the Top 50 was super difficult as there are a lot of albums I really like. I had about 120 (!) albums in the initial list before narrowing it down to these phat beatsies.

Here's how this is gonna work: Up until the top 10, I'm going to post 5 at a time. Then, just before the top 10 I'll unveil the 10 honorable mentions that didn't quite make this list. Then for the Top 10 I'll do two per post with longer description. I'm not going to write a huge review for every album, maybe just a long paragraph at the most or like two words at the least. I'm not counting musicals, opera, classical music, American songbook jazz standard recordings, VGM, or film/television music. Compilation and live albums aren't counted either, but really there was only one that would make this list (ABBA's Gold: Greatest Hits if you're curious).

Here are some preliminary stats if you're into that sort of thing:
Top 50 (+10) by decade:
2010s - 31*
2000s - 23*
1990s - 04
1970s - 03

*This includes an album and EP that were combined for the Spotify release, and are listed together here.

Top 50 (+10) by genre (according to bolded genres on rateyourmusic):
Progressive Metal: 23
Progressive Rock: 20
Alternative Rock: 5
Art Rock: 5
Avant-Garde Metal: 4
Rock Opera: 4
Alternative Metal: 3
Chamber Folk: 3
Indie Rock: 3
Jazz Fusion: 3
Symphonic Prog: 3
Synth Pop: 3
Dance-pop: 2
Djent: 2
Electrohouse: 2
Progressive Big Band: 2
Symphonic Metal: 2
Art Pop: 1
Christian Rock: 1
Downtempo: 1
Folk Metal: 1
Nu-jazz: 1
Pop Punk: 1
Pop-Rock: 1
Progressive Folk: 1
Progressive Pop: 1
Psytrance: 1
Singer/Songwriter: 1

Here's the list, which will be updated as I update it:

Honorable Mentions (In No Particular Order)
Submotion Orchestra – Finest Hour
Carly Rae Jepsen – E-MO-TION Side B
Neal Morse – Momentum
Tool – 10,000 Days
Ayreon – 1011001
Tesseract – One
Incubus – Trust Fall (Side A)
Diablo Swing Orchestra – The Butcher’s Ballroom
Haken – Affinity
The Anchoress – Confessions of a Romance Novelist
Opeth – Still Life

Top 50

50. Incubus - Light Grenades
49. The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional
48. Incubus - a crow left of the murder...
47. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
46. Tool - AEnima
45. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
44. Аркона - Гой, Роде, Гой!
43. Muse - The 2nd Law
42. The Gentle Storm - The Diary
41. Muse - Origin of Symmetry
40. Carly Rae Jepsen - E-MO-TION
39. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
38. Neal Morse - Sola Sciptura
37. Dream Theater - Images & Words
36. Neal Morse - Testimony
35. Глеб Колядин - Глеб Колядин
34. Tool - Lateralus
33. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
32. The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
31. Justice - Audio, Video, Disco
30. Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)
29. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
28. Dream Theater - Train of Thought
27. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pacifisticuffs
26. TesseracT - Altered State
25. Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest - Sylva
24. Lorde - Melodrama
23. Yes - Close to the Edge
22. iamthemorning - Belighted
21. Snarky Puppy - We Like it Here
20. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
19. Opeth - Blackwater Park
18. Dir En Grey - Dum Spiro Spero
17. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
16. iamthemorning - Lighthouse
15. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
14. Juno Reactor - Labyrinth
13. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
12. Ayreon - The Theory of Everything
11. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

Top 10

10. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora’s Piñata
09. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
08. Dream Theater - Octavarium
07. Ne Obliviscaris - Urn
06. Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and The Spirit
05. iamthemorning - iamthemorning
04. Ayreon - The Human Equation
03. Haken - The Mountain
02. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
01. Dream Theater - The Astonishing

[Puppies_On_Acid]

OOOOOH this looks fun. Interested to see how this turns out 

[Tomislav95]

It's been a while since someone did one. Following

[The Walrus]

Cool stuff, will try to listen along.

[Elite]

It's been a while since someone did one. Following

Indeed

[Bolsters]

Not a fan of the 80's then?

[Ninjabait]

Not a fan of the 80's then?

Eh, not really. Checking my rym, I only have two albums that aren't film scores from the 80s with a 4.5/5 rating and 6 with a 4/5. I don't listen to a whole lot of 80s music because a lot of it sounds super derivative to me lol

[Crow]

a fellow non-80's enthusiast, i dig it

[The Walrus]

80s had some good stuff if you look past most of the dad rock and teased hair (says the guy who admittedly loves some of that very same dad rock)

[Ninjabait]

Alright, let's get this list started.

50. Incubus – Light Grenades

   One of the band's strongest outputs, this album features some of their best songs, including Anna Molly, Light Grenades, Pendulous Threads, Love Hurts, and Oil and Water. A very varied album that encompasses a lot of different styles and moods while still feeling cohesive all the way through. It also manages to toe the line between "experimentation" and standard alternative rock writing fairly well. Solid riffs, songwriting, and melodies throughout the album.

49. The Dear Hunter – Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional

   The latest installment of The Dear Hunter's six-part series, and the one that hits the middle of the road. While the songs hit harder than those in Act I or II, they don't quite hit as hard as III or IV and they don't stand out quite as much. Still, from start to finish this is an immensely enjoyable album. There's a lot of twists and turns, with the unusual eclectic mix of styles that we expect from The Dear Hunter.

48. Incubus – a crow left of the murder...

   The other of the two Incubus albums on this list, it pairs fairly well with Light Grenades. This album emphasizes the more experimental aspects of the band, with a lot of jazz-influenced guitar playing mixed in with alternative rock. The album doesn't quite have the pop sensibilities of Light Grenades, but there are a few hard hitting songs peppered throughout the album. This album has a completely unique (and good!) sound that I have not heard anywhere else. Probably a decent gateway album from prog into alternative rock too.

47. Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet

   It's probably heresy on here to have Porcupine Tree so low, but it says less about the quality of this album and more about the quality of the stuff that's a head. This dark, moody album has a lot of high points (like the title track, Anesthetize, and Sleep Together) but by the end the hopeless soul-crushing this album continually dishes out can be a bit much. It does at times feel like something written about teenagers by an adult whose primary experience with teenagers is sensationalist news articles. But this album has lots of stellar songwriting and composition, and the fantastic production we come to expect from Steven Wilson.

46. Tool – AEnima

   To be honest, this album falls into the same pit that Fear of a Blank Planet does: it's a good album, but there's just better things on this list. This album has its high points, like Forty Six & Two, Eulogy, and AEnema. But there's a few less than stellar or just plain weird songs that drag the album down (like Third Eye). This album hasn't aged as well for me as others have, so I'm finding myself coming back to it less and less.

[Elite]

As an Act II devotee, you saying that the songs on Act V hit harder than the ones on Act II is complete nonsense to me Act V probably wouldn't even be in a top 200, while Act II is a top 25 album of all time for me.

[Crow]

Act V is like 75% oompa loompa tunes and the only TDH act album I probably won't get
FOABP is in the lower half of PT albums I have
Aenima I could never get into, too angry compared to Tool's stuff after
Looking like a fun time so far 

[Evermind]

I only have Acts I, II and IV. I want to get III. I like some songs on V though, and I will probably get it one day just for the sake of complete collection (I think II > IV > III > V > I)

FOABP is alright, but In Absentia and Deadwing (and sometimes Stupid Dream and Signify) are the only PT albums I tend to spin these days. But FOABP is not bad.

I've never really been into Tool. Maybe I should try again when they get their new album released (I couldn't resist).

I don't know Incubus at all.

But it's fun to follow this, it's indeed been too long since anyone has done this. I plan to do my second Top 50 (featuring only my DTF discoveries) later in the year.

[The Walrus]

FOABP is one of the better PT albums (I say that as someone who is only lukewarm on PT). Good stuff. Anesthetize rocks.

[Elite]

Anesthetize is 5-6 minutes top long.

[Crow]

Anesthetize is three decent PT songs stitched loosely together and 4 of the 6 songs on the album are way better than any one of the three parts of anesthetize

[Ninjabait]

As an Act II devotee, you saying that the songs on Act V hit harder than the ones on Act II is complete nonsense to me Act V probably wouldn't even be in a top 200, while Act II is a top 25 album of all time for me.

To be honest all 5 parts are Top 100 for sure for me.

Act V is like 75% oompa loompa tunes and the only TDH act album I probably won't get
FOABP is in the lower half of PT albums I have
Aenima I could never get into, too angry compared to Tool's stuff after
Looking like a fun time so far 

Hey now the Oompah Loompahs are a proud people with a rich musical heritage.

I only have Acts I, II and IV. I want to get III. I like some songs on V though, and I will probably get it one day just for the sake of complete collection (I think II > IV > III > V > I)

FOABP is alright, but In Absentia and Deadwing (and sometimes Stupid Dream and Signify) are the only PT albums I tend to spin these days. But FOABP is not bad.

I've never really been into Tool. Maybe I should try again when they get their new album released (I couldn't resist).

I don't know Incubus at all.

But it's fun to follow this, it's indeed been too long since anyone has done this. I plan to do my second Top 50 (featuring only my DTF discoveries) later in the year.

I'd recommend getting all 5 act albums. Listening to them all in a row is a real treat.

So you're basically saying you're never gonna listen to Tool?

Incubus is a great band. Especially the crow era. Primarily an alternative rock band, but they have some progressive leanings. They've also done a lot of styles over the years, so you'll probably find something to gel with. Except 8, no one likes 8.

Anesthetize is 5-6 minutes top long.

Anesthetize is three decent PT songs stitched loosely together and 4 of the 6 songs on the album are way better than any one of the three parts of anesthetize

Anesthetize is their best song if you ask me, but it is a hair on the long side. That last section of the song feels a little unnecessary, but every other section is grade A stuff.

Part 2 will come when I get home from running errands. Plenty more surprises left  in store! 

[Elite]

As an Act II devotee, you saying that the songs on Act V hit harder than the ones on Act II is complete nonsense to me Act V probably wouldn't even be in a top 200, while Act II is a top 25 album of all time for me.

To be honest all 5 parts are Top 100 for sure for me.

Good, then I hope to see Part II further in your list

Anesthetize is their best song if you ask me, but it is a hair on the long side. That last section of the song feels a little unnecessary.

Now this is interesting! How can it be their best song when a third of it 'feels unnecessary'?
I'm very much with Parama on this one; it's not even the best song on the album for me.

Although I must admit that the song did 'wow' me years ago when I first heard it, because it's quite overwhelming in a sense.

[Ninjabait]

Boom! Y'all looking for this?

45. Mastodon – Crack the Skye

   Definitely the best outing from Mastodon, with a unique sound and some of the band's best songs. The concept is a little out there at...uh, always, and sometimes the lyrics hit the mark (those two facts aren't completely unrelated). Each song has a nice collection of killer riffs, melodies, and really cool moments. The Last Baron is definitely the stand out of the album, with its sprawling yet cohesive structure and incredible riffs and vocal melodies.

44. Аркона - Гой, Роде, Гой!

   Almost universally agreed to be this Russian Folk Metal band's best album, Goi, Rode, Goi! is almost infuriatingly catch at times. The folksy elements are probably the better moments on the album, but the heavier side still packs a punch. This album covers a lot of diverse moods and atmospheres and has one of the most unobtrusive uses of a Jew's Harp in metal history. The diverse vocal styles present on the album are also a highlight.

43. Muse – The 2nd Law

   Now THIS is a controversial listing. Not usually well-regarded amongst Muse fans, The 2nd Law jumps through a lot of new styles and travels through lots of new territory for the band. This album features funk, dubstep, pop rock, symphonic metal, and regular alternative rock across its dozen or so songs. But for me, the proof is in the pudding, and this album features some of the best songs of the band's career. Every song is at least good if you ask me, but some of the stand-outs are Panic Station, Supremacy, Survival, and Animals. I never felt this album was evaluated fairly, and it should deserve a second listen.

42. The Gentle Storm – The Diary

   One of Arjen Lucassen's better side-projects, The Diary features one of his best concepts and some of his best lyrics to date. The constant presence of Anneke van Giersbergen's wonderful vocals and the diverse styles present throughout both versions of the album make this album a non-stop joy ride. A lot of the songs have their own catchy tunes, and it has the least amount of "cheese" of any Arjen album to date. Even if you don't enjoy Ayreon, I'd recommend giving this one a spin.

41. Muse – Origin of Symmetry

   Not as controversial of a choice as The 2nd Law, this album is pretty much agreed to be Muse's best album. This album features a lot of really great songs, and it balances the band's heavier side, more classical leanings, and their more experimental side very well. Only drawback is the vocals, as this album was before Matt Bellamy came into his own as a vocalist, so he ends up sounding like a lite Thom Yorke or Sigur Ros at times (which is not a style that I particularly care for). Still, this album is well-constructed with some reoccurring themes and great riffs.

Now this is interesting! How can it be their best song when a third of it 'feels unnecessary'?
I'm very much with Parama on this one; it's not even the best song on the album for me.

Although I must admit that the song did 'wow' me years ago when I first heard it, because it's quite overwhelming in a sense.

Well, it's just from my perspective. The song hits a high point just before that and the atmospheric shift just doesn't feel right to me. I can dig some lighter and more atmospheric parts, but the ending to this song doesn't work as well for me. Not bad by any means. And also, the other parts of the song are just THAT good. Finally, I'm not as huge of a PT/SW fan as a lot of the people in the prog community lol

[Crow]

Yeah tbh The 2nd Law is outright one of the worst albums I own 

Crack the Skye and Origin of Symmetry are both Pretty Okay Albums tho
TGS sure is an album
This is gonna be a fun one for me isn't it

[Puppies_On_Acid]

You lost me at The 2nd Law....

Also Light Grenades has no business being on a top 50 album list.....but that's just like my opinion man....A Crow Left of the Murder is a fantastic album though. My favorite of their's. Although I do love SCIENCE, Make Yourself, and Morning View as well.

I'm glad to see Аркона make your top 50. That is an incredible album.

[Ninjabait]

Let my wildly controversial Top 50 list continue!

40. Carly Rae Jepsen – E-MO-TION

   I don't really feel the need to justify the inclusion of one of the best pop albums ever made on here. This criminally underappreciated album is a non-stop banger ride, with each song being good at a minimum. This album has immaculate production, fantastic songwriting, and catchy tunes for miles. Notable for being a pop album that incorporates its production into the themes of the album, as the nostalgic neo-80s arrangements fit nicely with the reoccurring idea of looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses. Truly fantastic from start to finish (and, as a bonus, the B Side of the album is still fantastic).

39. Opeth – Ghost Reveries

   Considered to be one of the band's best albums alongside Blackwater Park, this album features some of the band's best songs to date, including Ghost Reveries and The Baying of the Hounds. It balances the more theatrical, acoustic, and the heavier sides of the band well. There are a couple of songs that don't stick out as much, but this is definitely one of the better albums the band has produced.

38. Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura

   Musically, this is definitely Neal Morse's strongest albums period. With only four songs on it, there isn't a single bad piece of music present. The album is musically and emotionally diverse, with lots of great riffs, acoustic sections, and even a little bit of jazz fusion. Some of his best melodies to date are found in this album, with some pretty memorable lines too ("I may have a mistress but at least I'm a hetero" is a definite stand out and one of my FAVORITE lyrics of all time).  Overall though, the concept doesn't work as well as his Testimony albums and there's some off theology and implications which mar the album a little bit. Still, a fantastic album from start to finish.

37. Dream Theater – Images & Words

   Speaking of potential heresies, Images & Words is probably a surprising inclusion this low on the list. While it may be the fan favorite, this album just doesn't hit me quite as hard as the other ones on this list do. It has some great moments and good songs, but there's nothing here that really ranks as one of my favorite songs by the band or otherwise. It deserves its place in history, but this album has yet to truly win me over.

36. Neal Morse – Testimony

   While it is a bit overlong at times (the album really loses steam in the fifth and final part), this album has a very unique concept and some fantastic lyrics and storytelling. There's a lot of fantastic reoccurring themes and catchy tunes throughout. I lean more towards the religious side of things, so I don't mind the spiritual lyrics. In fact, it's nice to have a couple of quality Christian albums out there. Now, if only they were on Spotify...

Yeah tbh The 2nd Law is outright one of the worst albums I own 

Crack the Skye and Origin of Symmetry are both Pretty Okay Albums tho
TGS sure is an album
This is gonna be a fun one for me isn't it

Spoiler alert: Six Roaming Owl's controversial sixth album is my #1.

You lost me at The 2nd Law....

Also Light Grenades has no business being on a top 50 album list.....but that's just like my opinion man....A Crow Left of the Murder is a fantastic album though. My favorite of their's. Although I do love SCIENCE, Make Yourself, and Morning View as well.

I'm glad to see Аркона make your top 50. That is an incredible album.

That's a bit weird to me, because I've always considered Light Grenades and a crow left of the murder... to be part of the same "era" (which Trust Fall (Side A) and The Odyssey suite get honorary inclusions in). I don't think I actually totally dislike an album of their's (aside from 8...because c'mon), though I definitely like this era more than the others.

Also 100% not standing for all this 2nd Law hate. I love it, so fight me

[Crow]

ghost reveries too low imo
i get the appeal of carly rae but the style just isn't for me, i hate being happy 

[Puppies_On_Acid]

ghost reveries too low imo

Agreed. I think Ghost Reveries sits at #12 on my top 50.

[Ninjabait]

ghost reveries too low imo
i get the appeal of carly rae but the style just isn't for me, i hate being happy 

CRJ is a bit more melancholic than you'd expect, at least on this album. It sounds bright and glimmery, but it really is all about looking on a failed relationship with rose-tinted glasses, continually wanting to return to that failed relationship, unrequited love, and all that stuff. A screenwriter by the name of Max Landis (who's apparently somewhat famous in his own right) wrote a freaking 149 page analysis of it. I haven't read it yet, but everyone I've seen who does just can't stop talking about it.

[Sacul]

I wouldn't say E-MO-TION is really underappreciated - it's quite loved in RYM and /mu/, and even by some fellow DTFers. Myself, I thought it was bland, generic radio pop for the most part. Probably because I really don't like Call Me Maybe nor that style at all  .

Otherwise, cool list so far! A little disappointed you haven't included soundtracks tho

[Ninjabait]

I wouldn't say E-MO-TION is really underappreciated - it's quite loved in RYM and /mu/, and even by some fellow DTFers. Myself, I thought it was bland, generic radio pop for the most part. Probably because I really don't like Call Me Maybe nor that style at all  .

Otherwise, cool list so far! A little disappointed you haven't included soundtracks tho

Well, I was referring more to its commercial performance and how it hasn't really been snatched up by modern pop audiences (mainly due to clunky promotion by the label).

[Crow]

modern pop audiences are complete idiots who also snubbed lorde and janelle monae so i don't really think promotion is the biggest issue

[Ninjabait]

Last ride of the day, will pick back up with the list tomorrow. Also, yeah, some of the artwork sizes don't line up. My b.

35. Глеб Колядин – Глеб Колядин

   The only album from this year to make this list, Gleb Kolyadin's solo debut is filled with the quality of writing that I've come to expect from his work in iamthemorning. Some of the guest vocalists miss the mark for me, but his classically influenced piano chamber rock is always a welcome addition to my library.

34. Tool – Lateralus

   This album has grown on me considerably over the past couple of years. It features some of the band's best songs to date, and an overall level of quality that their other albums just miss out on. Conspiracy theories about the album aside, it features some of their most complex and highest quality writing so far. Songs like Parabol/Parabola, Ticks & Leeches, Lateralus, and Schism are classics in their own write. Some of the best lyrics and music from this band so far.

33-32. The Dear Hunter – Act III: Life and Death and Act IV: Rebirth and Reprise

   It's probably cheating to have these two together, but they're the most thematically similar of their albums to date. These two focus more on the "ballroom" side of their trademark "ballroom rock" with the guest musicians taking a commanding role. Some of the band's best songs are on these two albums, and they are when the concept underlying this six-part rock opera starts to get really interesting. Fantastic arrangements, singing, guitar work, and lyrics make these two The Dear Hunter's best albums to date.

31. Justice – Audio, Video, Disco (+ Planisphere)

   Another surprising inclusion! Generally, in dance circles the French House group Justice's first album is more well regarded since it's, well, more dance-y. However, their sophomore album is the winter for me as it has some stronger writing and is a better listen at home. I'm including their epic 17-minute Planisphere on here as well, since it's included on the Spotify version of the album. This album expertly blends all aspects of the 70s with a modern French House sound. There's a unique blend of disco, funk, soul, electro house, and progressive rock that does not pop up often. The only major flaw on the album is that weird guitar solo at the end of Planisphere. Otherwise a fantastic album from start to just before the finish.

[Sacul]

Dunno, thought some tracks by lorde and carly were all over the radio and such these days, but I don't listen to it so maybe I'm wrong 

janelle released her most mainstream-sounding album this year (dunno how well it did commercially), and some friends said it was basically "dude vagina lmao" so I'm not very eager to listen to it 

Nice to see some love for that Gleb album 
Haven't listened to Justice yet but that sounds like a neat description, nice

[The Walrus]

I want to give a massive +1 to Gleb Kolyadin. Holy cow is that an awesome album. I got introduced to iamthemorning not too long ago in my roulette with their album Lighthouse, good stuff, and I checked out his solo album a couple weeks ago. That is some awesome piano playing and great music all around. Definitely ranking high with my 2018 releases so far.

Dear Hunter Act IV isn't surprising from the earlier posts. Not a bad album, didn't stick on my brain much though.

[Ninjabait]

Finding decent sized artwork images for these is brutal.

30. Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)

   A natural inclusion really, as this album is considered a classic of modern prog and one of the best-done revivals of the classic 70s prog sound. Lyrics are not as strong as Steven Wilson's usual work, but the album features some incredible moments throughout. The production is as clean as expected, with a lot of added warmth that brings out that 70s feel. Solid album overall. As expected, the overwhelming darkness can be a bit much at times, which makes the album feel a bit one-note emotionally at times. Still, the album has a nice balance between beautiful melancholic moments and epic jazz fusion instrumental showdowns.

29. Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.

   I've always preferred Hand. Cannot. Erase. to The Raven, with its slick modern sound and more diverse music. HCE holds the honor of having my favorite production on any album ever, and it is one of the albums I always use as a reference when practicing mixing. Unlike a lot of SW's other works, this album has its share of fairly happy moments (!) which prevents it from feeling as overwhelmingly depressing as his other albums. A nice balance of styles, good lyrics, nice arrangements, epic riffing and catchy melodies make this album a must listen.

28. Dream Theater – Train of Thought

   While the album is not as diverse or well-structured as some of their other albums, Train of Thought features some of my favorite songs from the band and some incredibly cool moments. This is one of those weird moments in prog where the whole is not better than the sum of its parts. While it is true that the album as a whole can feel a bit one-note, the individual songs work really well on their own and are perfect bite-sized DT snacks. Except Honor Thy Father.

27. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Pacifisticuffs

   The long awaited fourth album from this Swedish avant-garde swing metal band features the debut of a new vocalist and a unique take on their signature sound. The album features constant string quartets and piano work which gives it a more diverse feel than past albums. Only major fault with it is that there's way too many short intro/interlude/outro pieces that don't fit the album very well (although, I did notice that the themes from "Climbing the Eyewall" show up a few times in those tracks so that was cool). The new singer fits the band like a glove, and I love the addition of a string quartet throughout the album. The album's their most classically focused since Butcher's Ballroom in terms of composition, which I appreciate greatly, and it has some of their most intricate and complex arrangements to date. Also, it's almost annoyingly catchy.

26. Tesseract – Altered State

   Finally, we move from the 4.5/5 albums to the 5/5 range. And coming in at the bottom of this list is Tesseract's masterpiece Altered State. This album does not have a dull moment, with the giant extended song cycle feel of the album giving it a sense of unity and cohesiveness. Great riffs, vocal melodies, and fantastic and diverse arrangements (especially for djent!). The main flaw this album has is that sometimes the individual songs don't work so well on their own, but when listened together it's quite the experience.

Dunno, thought some tracks by lorde and carly were all over the radio and such these days, but I don't listen to it so maybe I'm wrong 

janelle released her most mainstream-sounding album this year (dunno how well it did commercially), and some friends said it was basically "dude vagina lmao" so I'm not very eager to listen to it 

Well, I've heard Lorde on alternative radio stations, but she's much rarer on pop stations. Outside of Good Time and Call Me Maybe, I've heard CRJ on the radio like...twice. In my life. It may sound strange to us, but those albums were widely considered commercial flops in pop circles.

I haven't much of anything about Janelle Monae. Generally among popheads the accepted "holy trinity" is Lorde, CRJ, and Charli XCX (who I haven't listened to much yet oops). Adele, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Ke$ha, Ed Sheeran, Drake, and Bruno Mars also tend to be pretty popular, if a bit more divisive. Lot of crossover with hip hop, R&B, and rap too, and a hair with EDM and rock..

[Crow]

Raven is probably SW's best solo song and HCE is his best solo album, so, sure
Train of Thought over I&W is... interesting
Wasn't too into the new DSO but I didn't give it that many spins really
Altered state is the one tesseract album I kinda get but I also haven't listened to it in ages so

[Tomislav95]

A bit late, I'll comment just on few of those:
FoaBP - one of my favorite albums ever and IMHO best album Steven ever did (Raven and HCE are good as well).
Aenima was on my list as well, my favorite of theirs, easily.
I never got into TDH's first three acts but IV and V are just great.
Never could get into Origin of Symmetry, both Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations are better in my ears.
The Gentle Storm is ok but nothing more.
Crack the Skye, obviously, too low I think it was my #2 when I did top 50 albums.
Ghost Reveries is my favorite Opeth.
for Carly, just listened it today, it's all kinds of awesome.

Train of Thought over I&W is... interesting

[The Walrus]

Interesting to see some very new releases on here. Pastifisticuffs is on my list to check out (never listened to DSO before). Nice calls with the Steven Wilson.