Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2024. Our next list is from volunteer Marty O'Connell.

Like any year, 2024 had its fair share of ups and downs—but plenty of great music to set the soundtrack. Here is a collection of albums that stood out the most to me this year.

#1 BRAT by Charli xcx (Atlantic Records)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

No album will stand out as a perfect time capsule of 2024 better than BRAT. It was inescapable, and for good reason; it’s a perfect encapsulation of the work Charli has been producing her whole career.

I first saw her perform to a small United Center crowd of early Coldplay fans back in 2012. Twelve years later, I finally saw her again when she returned to sell out that very same arena.

Watching her perform in front of a feverish crowd of over 20,000 people, holding each and every one of them in the palm of her hand, it was obvious: she’s my number one.

#2 Two Star & the Dream Police by Mk.gee (R&R)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

I’d never heard of Mk.gee before coming across his debut album in February, but it stayed in constant rotation throughout the entire year.

His glitchy guitar scratches my brain in all the best ways. He’s like a cross between Oneohtrix Point Never and Phil Collins, a rock star for the vaporwave scene, the source of the hazy music that plays in your dreams.

After a recent SNL appearance, he will surely spend the future looking up.

#3 Challengers (Original Score) by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Milan Records)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Like all great Reznor and Ross productions, this is the perfect album for any task that requires you to set aside distractions and really lock in.

Whether it’s a morning run or editing an email, anything feels possible. By the time the closing track “Compress / Repress” arrives, you might even feel like challenging Zendaya to a tennis match.

#4 Songs of a Lost World by The Cure (Fiction Records)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Sometimes, when bands you’ve loved for ages return with new material, you’re willing to ignore any quality dips and just appreciate the effort. But in their first album in 16 years, Robert Smith and company show no signs of decline and come back strong with another masterpiece.

Smith’s voice sounds pristine as ever, and the band backs him up beautifully, switching from lush and beautiful to menacing and murky effortlessly. On tracks like “Alone,” where Smith doesn’t begin singing until halfway through the song’s runtime, it feels like you’ve landed on his lost world and are happy to stay there as long as you’d like.

#5 Dark Matter by Pearl Jam (Monkeywrench Records)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Speaking of rock legends coming back strong…Pearl Jam knocked it out of the park with Dark Matter, their finest album in years.

Eddie Vedder’s stadium-sized choruses and lyrics of resilience make for another great collection of anthems to add to the grunge band’s storied discography.

#6 Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee (Realistik Studios)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Diamond Jubilee sounds like the past, present, and future of rock’n’roll coming through a fuzzy radio dial. One moment you’re hearing distorted guitar solos; the next, it’s a chorus from 60s girl group This sprawling double album clocks in at over two hours and two minutes, and not a single second is wasted.

Set that time aside, sit back, and let Cindy Lee take you on a journey.

#7 Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee (Anti-)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

I have enjoyed all of Katie Crutchfield’s genre shifts throughout the years of Waxahatchee, but her recent county turn may be her best niche yet. Hit single “Right Back To It” sets the tone for the whole album: returning back to your loved one and settling into the easy comfort of love.

#8 Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman (Anti-)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

MJ Lenderman continues his hot streak of singing about down-on-their-luck losers that you just can’t help but love. His clever storytelling shows that this is an artist who has truly found his voice.

#9 Into the Burning Blue by Trace Mountains (Lame-O Records)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

I’ve pitched this album to friends as a “diet War on Drugs,” but that's selling Trace Mountains short. This album perfects the “heartland rock” vibe that has seen a revival among younger artists in recent years, with expertly-crafted songs by Dave Benton.

Opening track “In A Dream” is a big standout; hit play and you can practically see the sunny open road materialize right in front of you.

#10 Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (PIAS)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

A mantra for 2025 and beyond: "We’ve all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy."

Honorable Mentions

Five honorable mentions: My Light, My Destroyer by Cassandra Jenkins; ten days by Fred Again..; My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya; Charm by Clairo; GNX by Kendrick Lamar