Year-End Charts
ACL Annual Archives
Our Year-End Charts provide a great entry point to the site, and become a talking point for fans. Every year, our staffers vote in genre categories, and their votes are tabulated using the Billboard system (10 points for #1, 9 for #2, and so on). The same system is used for our overall Top 20. Richard Allen also offers a series of personal lists, including The Happiest Music of the Year and Best Winter Music, while David and Chris (aka *Press A*) team up for The Year’s Best Videogame Soundtracks.
Now we’ve collected all of our year-end charts on one handy page for visitors to enjoy all year long!
Annual Lists
The Year in Review: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top 20 Albums: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Ambient: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Drone: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Electronic: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Experimental: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Modern Composition: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Top Ten Rock, Post-Rock, Folk and Jazz: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Labels: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Album Covers: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Winter Music: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Happiest Music of the Year: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Film Scores: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 (no list in 2020) 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Videogame Soundtracks: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s 10 Best Music Videos: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Year’s Best Ukrainian Music: 2023
Decade Lists
Best Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Ambient Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Drone Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Electronic Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Experimental Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Field Recording & Soundscape Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Modern Composition Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
Best Rock, Post-Rock, Folk & Jazz Albums of the Decade: 2010-2019
All-Time Lists
The 25 Best Winter Albums of All Time: 2015
The 40 Best Winter Albums of All Time: 2022 (updated from the above)
The 25 Best Spring Albums of All Time: 2023
The 25 Best Summer Albums of All Time 2022
Music for Haunted Houses: 2014 (an all-time list) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 (none in 2021-23)
The 40 Best Books on Music (2022) Part One Part Two
Best Children’s Books on Music 2022
Best Art Books on Music 2022
The Best Film & TV Soundtracks of All Time (2023) Part One Part Two
Specialty Lists
Music for Synagogues & Cathedrals: 2012 (one time only)
The Year in 10 Tracks: 2013 (one time only)
Top Ten Singles: 2014 (replaced former list, one time only)
Music for Nurseries: 20 Albums for New Parents: 2017 (one time only)
Pandemic Playlist: 2020 2021 (two years only ~ we hope!)
The Year’s Best Packaging: 2013 2014 (none in 2015) 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021