The album's not dead — it's just evolving. As much as 2018 confirmed us to be living in a streaming-dominated, sales-declining universe, the event album still reigned as paramount: Whether it was the G.O.O.D Music family's streamlined seven-track exercises or the Young Money crew's bloated 20-something-song behemoths, Cardi B's career-solidifying debut or Robyn's breathlessly awaited comeback, Astroworld or Whack World, K.O.D. or K.T.S.E., the album found ways to surprise, to delight, to confound and to enthrall in 2018. Call a time of death on the LP format if you want to, but then don't also call us to complain about all the big-ticket 2018 releases you still have to catch up on before the year's end — some of which might even be yet to drop.
Here are the Billboard's staff 50 favorite albums of 2018.