Top Ten Albums of 2017 (Rolling Stone)

RS is so freaking predicable when it comes to their top music.  Remember when they had that free download U2 album as their number one and a mediocre Bruce album as their #2?  Well, no shocker here that all of these albums are mainstream things that you've likely heard of.

10. Sam Smith - The Thrill of It All.  Yeah, this is pretty good.  I had not yet reviewed it from 2017, but Smith's voice is just so lovely.  Even if this music isn't my go to stuff, it's like Adele where you still can't fade the talent and beauty in his singing.  Part of me wishes he would hit us up with some George Michael action and use his voice to go full pop star, but he's made a nice spot for himself in the retro-soul balladry space.

9. Migos - Culture.  Fuck these guys so hard.  "Bad and Boujee" is a fun, idiotic track, but I don't care.  To the extent you want my full thoughts on why these guys are garbage, here is my review of them and deep dive into their Rolling Stone interview.  Even leaving aside the homophobia and woman beating, the point of them being famous should be that they are good rappers.  To the contrary, their lyrics are nonsensical crap that barely meets the definition of rhyme.  No.

8. Queens of the Stone Age - Villains.  Word.  This album was my number 2 for the year, and it is greatness.

7. Taylor Swift - Reputation.  Trash.  Honestly bummed out that she lost her touch on songwriting.  I refuse to believe that this album would have made this top ten if it had been by a no name new person with the same voice.  If "Erin Quick" had put out "Look What You Made Me Do," it would have faded into obscurity and never made it to the radio at all.

6. Khalid - American Teen.  My review.  Love the story of this dude, and "Young Dumb and Broke" is a welcome jam.  Not my type of music overall, so not making my top ten list, but I enjoyed several of the tunes on this disc.

5. LCD Soundsystem - American Dream.  As I think you can see from this review of their ACL Taping, I disagree with this ranking of this album.  Rolling Stone says: "James Murphy gathers his old gang of New York punk-funk virtuosos together for some truly festive paranoia – in the masterfully pissed-off American Dream, he can't decide whether he's making a party album for the end of the world or an apocalypse album for the end of the party."  Something about the way music writers couch their love for this band always makes me want to vomit.  Just not getting it.

4. Kesha - Rainbow.  My original review of this album was not glowing. But I've run back through it again three times this afternoon, and it is actually better than I recalled.  I'd still stand by the fact that "Praying" is not great and many of these songs are very forgettable, but I've enjoyed listening to "Woman" (with the Dap Kings Horns) and "Let 'Em Talk" again.  Still wouldn't sniff my top ten, but better than I remember.

3. U2 - Songs of Experience.  Sure, I liked this album a lot.  Made my top ten.  Very good stuff that I'll keep listening to.

2. Lorde - Melodrama.  Nope.  Cannot understand how this would be top ten for multiple outlets.  I just don't get it.

1. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.  Agreed.  Well, not my top album of the year, but definitely top ten and very good stuff.

I'd say that Khalid is an outside the box selection, but he's had two major hits this year, so really nothing on this list is a sneak pick (like half the Ringer list).  I still read Rolling Stone every month, but I've been disappointed for a while with the amount of coverage that they provide to album reviews.