2019 Power Rankings

Albums


Ranked albums of 2019 as rated by the committee of one.
RANKARTISTALBUMGENREPOWER
INDEX
RATING
1
Bear's DenSo That You Might Hear MeFolk-Rock89. 2
2
FoalsEverything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Pt. 1Post-Rock86. 7
3
HighasakiteUranium HeartIndie Poptimism83. 7
4
The Japanese HouseGood At FallingIndie Poptimism82. 4
5
Jai WolfThe Cure To LonelinessElectropop82. 0
6
JosephGood Luck, KidFolk-Rock81. 7
T7
ClairoImmunityIndie Poptimism81. 4
T7
MUNASaves The WorldIndie Poptimism81. 4
T9
Caroline PolachekPangIndie Poptimism81. 2
T9
Tove LoSunshine KittyPop81. 2
11
Jadu HeartMelt AwayShimmer Pop81. 1
12
Lucky DayePaintedAlternative R&B80. 2
13
Florley linesIndie Pop/Rock79. 5
T14
King PrincessCheap QueenIndie Poptimism78. 0
T14
ShuraforevherIndie Poptimism78. 0
16
MansionairShadowboxerShimmer Pop76. 2
17
Sean McConnellSecondhand SmokeFolk Singer75. 4
18
Nilüfer YanyaMiss UniverseArt Pop75. 0
T19
Anderson .PaakVenturaAlternative Hip-Hop74. 5
T19
Private Island5xxIndie Rock74. 5
T21
Great GrandpaFour Of ArrowsIndie Rock74. 2
T21
VetiverUp On HighFolk-Rock74. 2
23
ColdplayEveryday LifeNeo Mellow74. 0
T24
ElbowGiants Of All SizesBritpop73. 8
T24
HatchieKeepsakeDream Pop73. 8
T24
A Winged Victory For The SullenThe Undivided FiveClassical73. 8
T27
Damien JuradoIn The Shape Of A StormChamber Folk73. 1
T27
The Tallest Man On EarthI Love You. It's A Fever Dream.Folk Singer73. 1
29
KidnapGrowDeep House73. 0
30
CayucasReal LifeIndie Pop72. 9
31
YBN CordaeThe Lost BoyAlternative Rap72. 7
32
Bon Iveri,iAmbient Folk72. 6
33
HozierWasteland, Baby!Folk Singer72. 5
34
Ariana Grandethank u, nextPop72. 3
35
Big WildSuperdreamChillbeat72. 0
T36
RY XUnfurlAmbient Folk71. 5
T36
Our GirlStranger TodayIndie Rock71. 5
T36
PalaceLife AfterIndie Rock71. 5
T36
Kate TempestThe Book Of Traps And LessonsSpoken Word71. 5
T40
OWELParisPost-Rock71. 3
T40
Close TalkerHow Do We Stay Here?Indie Rock71. 3
T40
Michael KiwanukaKIWANUKANeo-Soul71. 3
43
SAINt JHNGhetto Lenny's Love SongsMelodic Rap71. 1
44
Patrick WatsonWaveChamber Pop70. 8
T45
TouristEverydayChillbeat70. 6
T45
Alice Phoebe LouPaper CastlesArt Pop70. 6
T45
Electric YouthMemory EmotionChillwave70. 6
T45
TouristWildChillbeat70. 6
T45
GallantSweet InsomniaAlternative R&B70. 6
T45
Little SimzGrey AreaAlternative Rap70. 6
51
Carly Rae JepsenDedicatedPop70. 3
52
Manatee CommunepdaChillbeat69. 8
T53
Mark RonsonLate Night FeelingsPop69. 6
T53
SONTALKStay WildFolk Singer69. 6
T53
Kevin GarrettHoaxPop69. 6
T56
BroodsDon't Feed The Pop MonsterShimmer Pop69. 5
T56
James BlakeAssume FormElectro-R&B69. 5
58
PellGravityPop-Rap69. 4
59
KhalidFree SpiritPop69. 3
60
Jon BryantCult ClassicIndie Poptimism68. 9
T61
Marika HackmanAny Human FriendIndie Rock68. 8
T61
The Royal ConceptThe Man Without QualitiesIndie Pop68. 8
T61
Angel OlsenAll MirrorsExperimental68. 8
64
PUPMorbid StuffPost-Emo68. 5
65
Vampire WeekendFather Of The BrideIndie Pop68. 2
T66
Catfish And The BottlemenThe BalanceIndie Rock67. 8
T66
SACRED PAWSRun Around The SunIndie Pop67. 8
T66
DIIVDeceiverIndie Rock67. 8
T66
VacationerWavelengthsDowntempo67. 8
T66
Black PumasBlack PumasPop67. 8
T71
Noah GundersenLoverMellow Alternative67. 7
T71
Post MaloneHollywood's BleedingMelodic Rap67. 7
T73
The Moth & The FlameRuthlessAlt-Rock67. 5
T73
City And ColourA Pill For LonelinessMellow Alternative67. 5
T75
Big ThiefU.F.O.F.Indie Rock67. 4
T75
C DuncanHealthArt Pop67. 4
77
Loyle CarnerNot Waving, But DrowningAlternative Rap67. 3
T78
Jay SomAnak KoIndie Rock67. 1
T78
TinasheSongs For YouUrban67. 1
80
Boy & BearSuck On LightIndie Rock66. 9
T81
Billie EilishWHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?Dark Pop66. 7
T81
Steve GunnThe Unseen In BetweenChamber Folk66. 7
T81
Cigarettes After SexCryDream Pop66. 7
T81
FKA twigsMAGDALENEAlternative R&B66. 7
T81
KehlaniWhile We WaitUrban66. 7
T86
Local NativesViolet StreetIndie Rock66. 4
T86
Thom YorkeANIMAIndie Electronic66. 4
T88
TemplesHot MotionNeo-Psychedelia66. 3
T88
Hand HabitsplaceholderIndie Rock66. 3
90
Rich AucoinReleaseIndie Pop65. 8
T91
BanksIIIDark Pop65. 6
T91
The NationalI Am Easy To FindIndie Rock65. 6
T93
Better Oblivion Community CenterBetter Oblivion Community CenterIndie Rock65. 4
T93
Joan ShelleyLike The River Loves The SeaFolk Singer65. 4
T93
Kishi BashiOmoiyariChamber Pop65. 4
T96
Andrew BirdMy Finest Work YetChamber Pop65. 0
T96
Strand Of OaksEraserlandIndie Rock65. 0
T96
FONTAINES D.C.DogrelPost-Hardcore65. 0
T96
Hayden ThorpeDivinerArt Pop65. 0
T96
KAYTRANADABUBBANeo-R&B65. 0
101
BROCKHAMPTONGINGERAlternative Rap64. 9
T102
Catching FliesSilver LiningsChillbeat64. 6
T102
FloristEmily AloneIndie Folk64. 6
104
MadeonGood FaithElectro House64. 5
T105
SOAKGrim TownIndie Rock64. 2
T105
Daniel CaesarCASE STUDY 01Alternative R&B64. 2
107
Bag RaidersHorizonsElectropop64. 1
T108
Júníus MeyvantAcross The BordersRock-Soul64. 0
T108
Jesca HoopStonechildIndie Folk64. 0
T108
LizzoCuz I Love YouPop64. 0
T108
WySoftieDream Pop64. 0
112
GryffinGravityPop63. 8
T113
GrizfolkRarest Of BirdsIndie Pop/Rock63. 6
T113
Chelsea WolfeBirth Of ViolenceExperimental63. 6
T113
KanoHoodies All SummerRap63. 6
T113
Snoh Aalegra- Ugh, those feels againNeo-Soul63. 6
T113
Sin FangSad PartyNeo-Psychedelia63. 6
118
BibioRibbonsArt Pop63. 3
119
J.S. OndaraTales Of AmericaFolk Singer63. 2
120
Betty WhoBettyPop62. 8
121
Little MayBlame My BodyIndie Rock62. 6
T122
Julia JacklinCrushingIndie Rock62. 5
T122
Bat For LashesLost GirlsMetropop62. 5
124
HANAHanadrielPoptron62. 3
T125
Bad SunsMystic TruthIndie Pop/Rock62. 0
T125
TalosFar Out DustAmbient Folk62. 0
T125
GenerationalsReader As DetectiveIndie Pop62. 0
T125
Gold SpectaclesGold SpectaclesPop62. 0
129
Third Eye BlindScreamerAlternative Pop/Rock61. 6
T130
Sharon Van EttenRemind Me TomorrowArt Pop61. 3
T130
TeebsAniccaIDM61. 3
T132
DavePSYCHODRAMAAlternative Rap61. 2
T132
DreamvilleRevenge Of The Dreamers IIIAlternative Rap61. 2
T132
OdessaAll ThingsChamber Pop61. 2
T135
Ed SheeranNo.6 Collaborations ProjectPop61. 1
T135
FoalsEverything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Pt. 2Post-Rock61. 1
137
ValleyMAYBEPop60. 8
T138
The Twilight SadIt Won/t Be Like This All The TimeExperimental60. 7
T138
Aldous HardingDesignerChamber Pop60. 7
T138
BastilleDoom DaysIndie Poptimism60. 7
T138
DJ KhaledFather Of AsahdRap60. 7
T138
Two Door Cinema ClubFalse AlarmIndietronica60. 7
T138
The Teskey BrothersRun Home SlowRock-Soul60. 7
T138
Sabrina ClaudioTruth IsAlternative R&B60. 7
T138
Charli XCXCharliPop60. 7
146
Xavier Omär & SangoMoments Spent Loving YouAlternative R&B60. 2
147
WallowsNothing HappensIndie Rock59. 9
148
Brittany HowardJaimeRock-Soul59. 6
149
Royal CanoeWaverIndie Pop59. 4
150
Freddie Gibbs & MadlibBandanaRap59. 1
151
Magic City HippiesModern AnimalFunk Rock58. 9
152
DrakeCare PackageRap58. 5
153
BlaenavonEverything That Makes You HappyIndie Rock58. 4
T154
Message To BearsConstantsAmbient58. 3
T154
MaunoReally WellNeo-Psychedelia58. 3
156
Weyes BloodTitanic RisingArt Pop58. 1
T157
ToraCan't Buy The MoodElectro-R&B58. 0
T157
H.E.R.I Used To Know HerAlternative R&B58. 0
159
Tyler, The CreatorIGORExperimental Hip-Hop57. 8
T160
AKFacetsDowntempo57. 4
T160
Tegan And SaraHey, I'm Just Like YouIndie Poptimism57. 4
162
LogicConfessions Of A Dangerous MindRap57. 2
163
EARTHGANGMirrorlandAlternative Rap57. 0
164
DeerhunterWhy Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?Neo-Psychedelia56. 7
165
Sudan ArchivesAthenaAlternative R&B56. 5
166
Cate Le BonRewardArt Pop56. 1
T167
Stella DonnellyBeware Of The DogsIndie Rock56. 0
T167
Jamila WoodsLEGACY! LEGACY!Alternative R&B56. 0
169
SolangeWhen I Get HomeAlternative R&B55. 8
170
Son LuxRemnantsArt Pop55. 2
171
William TylerGoes WestBaroque Folk53. 3
172
The Head And The HeartLiving MirageFolk-Pop52. 6
173
Taylor SwiftLoverPop52. 1
T174
Shy GirlsBird On The WingIndie R&B52. 0
T174
BlaenavondemoitisProgressive Indie52. 0
176
Big ThiefTwo HandsIndie Rock49. 7
177
CaampBy And ByFolk-Pop49. 6
178
Mating RitualHot ContentIndie Pop/Rock49. 1
T179
Chance The RapperThe Big DayPop-Rap48. 7
T179
Marc BroussardHome (The Dockside Sessions)Singer/Songwriter48. 7
T181
BeyoncéThe Lion King: The GiftAlternative R&B47. 8
T181
Quinn XCIIFrom Michigan With LovePop47. 8
183
Lana Del ReyNorman Fucking Rockwell!Dark Pop47. 5
T184
Wild BelleEverbody One Of A KindReggae-Pop47. 4
T184
TOOLFear InoculumAlternative Metal47. 4
186
Sunday Service ChoirJesus Is BornContemporary Gospel46. 6
187
Sara BareillesAmidst The ChaosSinger/Songwriter46. 3
188
Circa WavesWhat's It Like Over There?Indie Pop/Rock46. 2
189
Said The WhaleCascadiaIndie Pop45. 5
190
Summer WalkerOver ItUrban45. 4
191
Louis YorkAmerican GriotsPop41. 0
192
SwitchfootNative TongueAlternative Pop/Rock38. 1
193
Nick MurphyRun Fast Sleep NakedArt Rock28. 1
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SpotifyApple Music

The Fine Print

  • The aFIREintheattic Power Index formula is top secret… but here’s a frivolous hint since we like you: It’s sort of like a logarithmic function on the weighted mean of the committee’s song ratings, which is then standardized-ish and scaled from 0 to 100.   Talk nerdy to me.
  • All songs on an album or EP are rated and contribute to its Power Index.   As a result, releases that are cohesive and consistently good, with fewer filler tracks, will invariably score higher than those with only a handful of great songs and a bunch of throwaways. Here, a release cannot be greater than the sum of its parts. For rankings that take that phenomenon into account, look to the aFIREintheattic Awards at the end of each year.
  • Note that EPs can tend toward higher scores than albums because sometimes an EP is a precursor to a full album and that album will contain the songs from the EP but with the addition of filler tracks that drag the Power Index score down.
  • Albums with a Power Index of 80 or higher and EPs with a Power Index of 70 or higher are a solid bet for a top 10 finish. The two highest scoring albums of all-time are Radiohead’s Kid A at 100.0 and OK Computer at 99.9 and the highest scoring EPs are Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s Winter at 96.7 and James Bay’s The Dark Of The Morning at 94.7. And we’ll be forthright: they probably always will be.
  • If a release is in the power rankings but is not in the playlist above, it’s not available on Spotify. The playlist is made up of the most popular song from each album in order based on its current power ranking.

EPs


Ranked EPs of 2019 as rated by the committee of one.
RANKARTISTEPGENREPOWER
INDEX
RATING
1
HighasakiteThe Bare Romantic, Pt. 1Indie Poptimism89. 7
2
The Band CAMINOtryhardIndie Pop/Rock84. 4
3
Kelsey BulkinLeucadiaIndie Electronic81. 3
4
Sasha SloanSelf PortraitPop80. 5
5
Mosa WildTalking In CirclesIndie Pop/Rock79. 9
6
RiahHeartbreak MagicIndie Poptimism78. 8
7
A R I Z O N AAsylumPop73. 8
T8
Yostetry to be okayShimmer Pop72. 8
T8
AUGUST 08Happy Endings With An AsteriskAlternative R&B72. 8
T10
BAYNKSomeone's EP IIShimmer Pop72. 5
T10
Sure SureWhat's It Like?Indie Pop72. 5
12
CannonsShadowsShimmer Pop71. 4
T13
kwassafka kykoPop71. 2
T13
Another SkyLife Was Coming In Through The BlindsArt Rock71. 2
T15
GeographerNew JerseyIndie Pop70. 8
T15
SG LewisDawnElectro-R&B70. 8
T15
Slow MagicDreamsChillbeat70. 8
18
BazziSoul SearchingPop70. 6
19
UtahUtah + FriendsChillbeat70. 2
20
Denzel CurryZUUTrap Rap70. 1
21
Jessica PrattQuiet SignsChamber Folk69. 7
22
Random ForestRequiescenceAtmospheric Rock69. 6
23
Saint Raymond3Indie Pop/Rock69. 0
24
beabadoobeeLovewormLo-Fi Indie67. 8
T25
Cautious ClayTable Of ContextNeo-R&B66. 7
T25
RaffaellaBallerinaIndie Poptimism66. 7
T25
XYLØYes & NoDark Pop66. 7
T28
TychoWeatherChillwave65. 5
T28
Hippo CampusDemos IIndie Pop65. 5
30
PassengerSometimes It's Something, Sometimes It's Nothing At AllFolk Singer65. 4
T31
Arin RayPhases IIUrban65. 3
T31
RunnnerFan OnFolk-Rock65. 3
T31
BrothertigerA Chain Of IslandsChillwave65. 3
T34
LootelostPop65. 2
T34
Slum SociableL.I.F.Indie Electronic65. 2
36
Great Good Fine OkGGFOURElectropop64. 0
37
John Kif we never metPop63. 4
38
ISLANDWhen We're StillIndie Rock63. 1
39
Bear's DenOnly Son Of The Falling SnowFolk-Rock60. 7
T40
Júníus MeyvantRearview ParadiseRock-Soul59. 8
T40
Run River NorthMonsters Calling Home, Pt. 1Indie Pop/Rock59. 8
T40
beabadoobeeSpace CadetLo-Fi Indie59. 8
T40
MisterWivesmini bloomIndie Pop59. 8
44
Noah GundersenWHITE NOISE B-SIDESIndie Rock58. 6
45
Hippo CampusDemos IIIndie Pop57. 8
T46
Lykke Listill sad still sexyDark Pop57. 4
T46
XYLØPretty SadPop57. 4
48
The RangeProvidenceIDM56. 8
T49
Mighty OaksDriftwood SeatFolk-Pop56. 6
T49
The Mowgli'sAmerican FeelingsIndie Pop56. 6
T49
BasSpilled Milk 1Alternative Rap56. 6
T49
NIKIWanna Take This Downtown?Pop56. 6
53
RhyeSpiritIndie R&B56. 0
54
YeasayerErotic RerunsProgressive Indie54. 8
55
Kaash PaigeParked Car ConvosAlternative R&B54. 6
56
Magic City HippiesHippie CastleFunk Rock54. 3
57
Chelsea CutlerbrentPop54. 0
58
Our GirlBedroom RecordLo-Fi Indie52. 2
T59
Lucy Dacus2019Indie Rock51. 9
T59
DUCKWRTHTHE FALLING MANAlternative Rap51. 9
61
beabadoobeeLoveworm (Bedroom Sessions)Lo-Fi Indie51. 4
62
Kanye WestJESUS IS KINGAlternative Rap48. 6
T63
girl in redchapter 2Lo-Fi Indie47. 9
T63
Pink Sweat$Volume 2Pop47. 9
T63
AKMomentsDowntempo47. 9
T63
Run River NorthMonsters Calling Me Home, Vol. 2Indie Pop/Rock47. 9
T63
Caterina BarbieriEcstatic ComputationExperimental47. 9
T68
GlowieWhere I BelongPop47. 6
T68
LemaitreFast LoversElectropop47. 6
70
SweepsCity NightsDowntempo46. 0
71
Dame D.O.L.L.A.Big D.O.L.L.A.Rap42. 0
T72
Thomas AzierRaven On The First FloorArt Pop41. 2
T72
D SmokeInglewood HighRap41. 2
T74
The Chain Gang of 1974PollenPoptron40. 7
T74
Tiny DeathsThe Magic Acoustic SessionsPoptron40. 7
76
Bad Bad HatsWide RightPop/Rock40. 5
77
DavieGirls Raised In The SouthAlternative R&B36. 2
78
Oliver TreeDo You Feel Me?Experimental Hip-Hop21. 7
SCROLL →
SpotifyApple Music

The Fine Print

  • The aFIREintheattic Power Index formula is top secret… but here’s a frivolous hint since we like you: It’s sort of like a logarithmic function on the weighted mean of the committee’s song ratings, which is then standardized-ish and scaled from 0 to 100.   Talk nerdy to me.
  • All songs on an album or EP are rated and contribute to its Power Index.   As a result, releases that are cohesive and consistently good, with fewer filler tracks, will invariably score higher than those with only a handful of great songs and a bunch of throwaways. Here, a release cannot be greater than the sum of its parts. For rankings that take that phenomenon into account, look to the aFIREintheattic Awards at the end of each year.
  • Note that EPs can tend toward higher scores than albums because sometimes an EP is a precursor to a full album and that album will contain the songs from the EP but with the addition of filler tracks that drag the Power Index score down.
  • Albums with a Power Index of 80 or higher and EPs with a Power Index of 70 or higher are a solid bet for a top 10 finish. The two highest scoring albums of all-time are Radiohead’s Kid A at 100.0 and OK Computer at 99.9 and the highest scoring EPs are Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s Winter at 96.7 and James Bay’s The Dark Of The Morning at 94.7. And we’ll be forthright: they probably always will be.
  • If a release is in the power rankings but is not in the playlist above, it’s not available on Spotify. The playlist is made up of the most popular song from each album in order based on its current power ranking.