30. Ariana Grande - My Everything



I really hated the singles "Problem", "Break Free" and "Bang Bang", but I gave the album a listen anyway to review it for atrlcritic. I was shocked that every album track was much better than the singles. "Love Me Harder" ended up one of my favorite songs of the year, but there are other amazing songs such as "Why Try" and "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart".

29. Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow



Just a great, solid album all the way through. Only gave this a listen because I liked their name, but they really have an interesting sound and very well written songs. Had it in my playlist for months.

28. Susan Boyle - Hope



Susan Boyle released her best album yet, delivering the best versions of many classics. She turned Pink Floyd's dreadful "Wish You Were Here" into an absolutely beautiful song, and her "Imagine", "Angel" and "The Impossible Dream" also sound heavenly. A lot of Christian stuff on this album, but that doesn't bother me.

27. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste



Azealia finally managed to drop her album, and it was worth the wait. A very eclectic bunch of songs, she mixes hip hop with every genre under the sun without ever boring or annoying the listener. Highlights are "Yung Rapunxel" and "Gimme A Chance".

26. Lecca - Tough Village



Japanese reggae artist Lecca released another studio album only eight months after her last one (the excellent Top Junction) and while it was once again a great effort, some songs do sound like they were quickly phoned in. None of them are bad though, and "Soldiers" alone is so good that it carries the rest.

25. Yelle - Complètement Fou



Apparently Dr. Luke was involved with this, but it doesn't sound like it at all. It's really interesting dance music, every song is good, and Yelle's voice is always fun to listen to.

24. Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour



"La La La" was one of the best songs of 2013, and Sam had released a few other tracks that were awesome, so I expected his debut album to blow me away. In that sense In The Lonely Hour was a bit of a disappointment, as it's filled with generic sad songs, and sonically the only interesting thing is Sam's voice. Still, it's a very good album, and I hope it wins the AOTY Grammy.

23. 2NE1 - Crush



Korean girl group 2NE1 surprised me with the quality of their album Crush. Every song is good, but the true highlight is CL's solo song "MTBD", which is an absolute masterpiece.

22. Chihiro Onitsuka & BILLYS SANDWITCHES - Tricky Sisters Magic Burger



Chihiro Onitsuka has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, ever since ATRL user warriorsoul recommended her to me. She has lost her smooth and flawless voice, these days she sounds very hoarse and raw, but she still manages to release excellent music, because the emotion remains. This album was surprisingly good, the style is a little different but she pulls it off.

21. Giusy Ferreri - L'Attesa



After Giusy finished as runner-up on the first season of Italian X-Factor, Tiziano proposed to produce her debut album and it ended up a huge success in Italy. Since then she's tried to make it without Tiziano, but unfortunately all she has done is flop. I thought this year's L'Attesa was really good, especially the lead single "Ti Porto A Cena Con Me", but it failed at Sanremo and on the charts. It's a shame, she's so good.

it's filled with generic sad songs, and sonically the only interesting thing is Sam's voice.

20. Cezar Ouatu - The Voice of Love



Romanian countertenor Cezar Ouatu impressed at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with his amazing song "It's My Life" and his eccentric look and performance. This year he released his first studio album The Voice of Love, and it's really excellent. Opera with a pop tinge.

19. Die Antwoord - Donker Mag



A late addition to the list (which is why it became a top 41), I recently heard and loved "Ugly Boy" by South African duo Die Antwoord, so I decided to check out the album. Donker Mag is very good, very different. Even the interlude/skits have replay value. Yolandi is an awesome singer and rapper, and most of the beats are fantastic.

18. Charlotte Church - Four (EP)



Charlotte was once a cute little opera singer, but these days she makes experimental and eclectic music, and it seems like she keeps improving with every EP. Four is a very strong set of six songs. "Death And Mathematics" is one of the best tracks of the year.

17. Babymetal - Babymetal



Cutesy metal group Babymetal went viral this year with their hit "Gimme Choco!!", as most people are gobsmacked to see three little girls singing heavy metal music and dancing to it. Despite the novelty, there is some really awesome music behind this band. A few quieter tracks would've been nice though.

16. Pablo Alborán - Terral



Two immensely successful studio albums were enough for Pablo Alborán to be crowned the new Spanish king of pop. Third album Terral is his best yet, as it's not dragged down by any filler tracks, although I would've liked its highs to be higher. Still, beautiful voice, beautiful songs.

15. Lykke Li - I Never Learn



I love depressing music, so I Never Learn is right up my alley. For roughly 33 minutes it's just Lykke languidly moaning in the microphone, her voice hanging above a gloomy soundscape. It's truly gorgeous. Her best album yet.

14. Ayumi Hamasaki - Colours



Despite her obvious decline, Japanese queen of pop Ayumi Hamasaki is still going strong. Colours might for the most part be generic dance pop, but it's damn good dance pop. I really like every song on it, and "Terminal" in particular is quite epic.

13. Jessie Ware - Tough Love



I was never really impressed by Jessie Ware, and even the singles from this album didn't convince me. But it shows how deceiving singles can be, because Tough Love is really great. It reminds me a little of Imogen Heap's decade-old masterpiece Speak For Yourself. Not as good, but close enough.

12. Alan - Mo Lan



Tibetan songstress Alan Dawa Dolma captured my heart with her incredible Tibetan wails back when she mostly sang J-Pop. Unfortunately she did not have much success in Japan, so she returned to China and now mostly sings in Mandarin Chinese. This year's Mo Lan is her best album in that language. Unfortunately she doesn't wail that much anymore (presumably to protect her vocal cords), but her voice is still incredibly beautiful, and this album also has very strong songwriting and production values.

11. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Wanderlust



One of the reasons 2014 started amazingly was Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose album Wanderlust was a wonderful surprise. Inspired by current trends, she set aside her regular dance pop sound and went for more mature and intricate sounds, lyrics and compositions. Lead single "Young Blood" never seemed to get old, and there are other immaculate tracks on here like "Birth Of An Empire" and "Until The Stars Collide".