2024 has been another cracking year for music, with some excellent records released, and picking a favourite has proved harder than ever.
The highlight of the year – as ever – was Rebellion Festival at Blackpool in August (reviewed here), where old favourites like Cock Sparrer and Stiff Little Fingers rubbed shoulders with newer bands I love like The Bar Stool Preachers, The Drowns and Slalom D, and more recent discoveries like PEST, Clobber and Split Dogs.
But it’s recorded releases that this end-of-year list focuses on, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s sent or recommended music to review (bands, labels, PR people or fellow music fans) and apologise if it either didn’t make the cut, or didn’t get as good a write-up as you were hoping for.
In my defence, IPA Music is a one-man spare-time project; I have a day-job as well as other commitments outside work, so the time available to listen to music and write up my thoughts is limited.
I try to listen to everything which sounds interesting a few times and give it a fair review. I also buy far, far more music than I should … but apologies if I didn’t get round to reviewing your record, or it’s not as high in this very personal list as you think it should be.
Believe me, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone back to an album and thought ‘that should have been n my top 40’, or ‘that should have been higher’…
This is my sixth year of doing this website, which focuses mainly on indie, punk and alternative music. In 2019, the first year, I produced a list of my top 20 albums, (which you can read HERE), and in 2020 expanded that to a Top 30 (read that HERE).
2021 produced so much good music that I did a Top 40 (read it HERE), and that was the case again for 2022 (HERE) and 2023 (that’s HERE).
Top 40 has a nice ring to it, so I’ve stuck with it again this year. As was the case previously, any of the top dozen or so could have been No 1, so I’ve tried to rank albums by the ‘wow’ factor they had when I first heard them, and how often I’ve gone back to them.
I haven’t included EPs, mini-albums, compilations, live albums or reissues, and there’s a handful of artists who may have missed out purely because I didn’t get round to listening to them.
So here, in reverse order, is the IPA Music Top 40 albums of 2024 (as usual, compilations, live albums and reissues haven’t been included). Drum roll please…
Bubbling under: a handful of albums just missed out, including some big names: Fontaines D.C, Pillow Queens, Pizzatramp, MOUSES, Public Service Broadcasting, The Last Gang, Pixies, IDLES, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, The Inklings, Newdad, The Complicators, Starving Wolves and Disassociates. All the above are well worth investing your time in, and, you might feel, your money.
So without further ado, and in reverse order, here’s my Top 40 albums of 2024. Many are reviewed elsewhere on this website, so click away, and I hope you find something new and pleasing to your ears.
So there you have it: my album of the year is the second long-player from London/Norwich four-piece MMATSU, who were my No 3 choice back in 2020 when they released their debut, Telling Truths, Breaking Ties.
As well as being hugely enjoyable, they’re fiercely independent, releasing all their own records. Don’t take my word for this being an absolute banger though; check out Wake Up, Shut Up, Work on their Bandcamp page HERE, and then do yourself a favour and catch them live. You won’t regret it.
Thanks to everyone who’s clicked on one of my articles or liked one of my social media picture posts this year, and given me the encouragement to persevere with my musical ramblings. Let’s see what the New Year brings!
