Here is the list… the Top 15 Best Music albums that came out in 2014. I purchased quite a bit of albums this year. I was happy with all my album purchases but these 15 albums is what impressed me the most. These albums are my favorite this year. Enjoy!!!

I’m gonna go backwards in this list starting from 15 – 1. The No. 1 album will be my choice for “Album Of The Year” and you might be surprised of what I would pick for no. 1.

15. Black Label Society – “Catacombs of the Black Vatican”

BLS returned with a new album this year and this is their best album, yet. Zakk Wylde has been one of my favorite guitarists for a long while now and he continues to impress me. I think this is BLS’s best album. It’s pretty tight and has some great songwriting. Zakk at his best. Loved this album and couldn’t stop listening to this one.

14. Animals As Leaders – “The Joy Of Motion”

This is an instrumental prog rock band that has guitarist, Tosin Abasi in the lineup. If you like shred and heavy music, you would probably dig this album. Actually, this album has a wide variety of genres. It has a bit of classical and jazz on it too. I can’t tell what genres are on this album. It’s just an awesome album to listen to. This is one album that I couldn’t stop listening to this year.

13. Royal Blood – self titled

This is a pretty bad ass rock album. Another album I was pretty impressed with. There are no guitars on this album at all even though it sounds like it. It’s all bass and drums. This is a pretty strong rock album. Tight riffs, great vocals and excellent songwriting.

12. Yes – “Heaven & Earth”

So the legendary prog rockers, Yes, came out with a new album this year and it was pretty fucking amazing. The guitar work, keyboards/organs, vocal harmonies, etc. all pretty sick. This band still has it after all these years. You would probably know the band Yes with their song, “Roundabout”. Yes, this band is still together and this album makes me want to start buying the rest of their albums. I’m a huge Steve Howe fan now.

11. Rodrigo Y Gabriela – “9 Dead Alive”

I’ve been a fan of Rodrigo Y Gabriela for a while now, I just haven’t gotten their albums until now. This was a pretty amazing instrumental album. This is not just a typical acoustic album. If you want to hear tight and aggressive acoustic playing, you’ll hear exactly that. These two maybe Mexican but they don’t play mariachi on their acoustics. You’re gonna hear classical, jazz, and rock n’ roll/metal inspired playing all over it. I was blown away with this record, you should definitely give this one a listen.

10. Robert Plant – “Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar…”

This is Robert’s best solo record, absolutely. I was floored with this album. Robert’s best vocals and the songwriting is just mind blowing. This album I found myself listening to a lot.

9. Tom Petty & The Heart Breakers – “Hypnotic Eye”

Tom Petty is back with a new album this year and he kills it every time. This album was better than his last one, “Mojo”. “Hypnotic Eye” has his catchiest songwriting and the lyrics are pretty deep as well. I listened to this album several times. If you’re a Petty & The Heartbreakers fan like myself, you would definitely dig this one.

8. Billy Idol – “Kings & Queens of the Underground”

I’ve been a huge Billy Idol fan for years. Here he is just released a new album with his long time collaborator, Steve Stevens on the guitar. I think this is Billy’s best solo record. It’s different than anything he’s done in the past. He still has that 80’s dance feel like he always had but there’s something about this album. It’s so damn good. Every song. It has his best singing too.

7. Slash – “World On Fire”

Slash and Myles Kennedy re-teamed together with a new album and they killed it once again. I love Slash’s solo work and he keeps getting better and better every album. If you wanna hear some pretty sick guitar playing, you gotta check this one out. Myles singing is great too. Loved this record!!!

6. Phish – “Fuego”

I’m not ashamed to say that I’m pretty big on Phish and this is their best album in their career, holy shit! What a masterpiece of an album this is. I know this band isn’t for everybody but please, give this album a try. This album should have given this band the respect they deserve. This really was a beautiful album. Trey’s best singing and guitar playing. All the vocal harmonies are wonderful. Another album I couldn’t stop listening to.

5. Iggy Azalea – “The New Classic”

I’m probably gonna get some flak for this but I don’t care. This is my list, I put whatever I want on it. Yeah, I put Iggy pretty high up there ’cause this is a pretty fuckin’ killer album and not ashamed to say it. This is coming from somebody who isn’t into rap & pop music much. I honestly LOVED this record and listened to it too many times this year. It’s awesome and fun to listen to. Finally, some good pop music!!!

4. Johnny Cash – “Out Among The Stars”

Couldn’t leave Johnny Cash off of this. Johnny’s son discovered a long lost Johnny Cash album and he decided to release it this year. This album was made in the early 80’s, I think and it was never released until now. It has a few songs with June Carter on backup vocals. This is a beautiful album and was blown away by it. Doesn’t surprise me ’cause he’s Johnny Cash. ALL of his music is great!!!

3. Foo Fighters – “Sonic Highways”

Wow!!! What a fuckin’ sick album!!! It doesn’t surprise me that the Foo’s would release another sick album. I think this is their best album in their career. Even though this album has about 7 songs on it, I was blown away with every song. The Foo’s are still killing it! Great job, Dave!!!

2. Slipknot – “The Gray Chapter”

Man oh man, this is one of the best metal records I’ve heard in years. It really was a strong and tight as hell album. I loved every song on it. The studio quality on this record is just amazing and the guitar sounds are like out of this world. This album is a masterpiece and will go down in history as one of the most important albums in metal. It really was a great record and it made me a Slipknot fan now. I really wanna get their previous albums. They’re not for everyone but if you like heavy music, you would dig this album. This album has some of the best guitar playing and the songwriting itself is great.

1. Sharon Van Etten – “Are We There”

I’m a huge fuckin’ fan of Sharon Van Etten. I love her music to death. She came out with a new album this year and I was blown away with this record. This is another masterpiece. I love every song on it. Another album I couldn’t stop listening to all year. Yep, so Sharon’s “Are We There” is my choice for “Album of The Year”. Sharon’s best songwriting and singing, in my opinion. I listened to this album like over 20 times this year. Her singing and deep lyrics gets me every time. Her songs give me goosebumps every time. You should definitely buy this album and check it out yourself.

That’s it. Enjoy!!!

Kev