NME Album of the Year explained

Every December, British music magazine NME compiles a list of what it considers the best albums of the year. It was started in 1974. The list is usually published in one of the issues sold before Christmas – in 2006 it was published in the issue for December the 9th. The companion list is NME single of the year.

The NME Album of the Year list is compiled by the music reviewers and independent journalists who work for the magazine and for NME.com. Each picks his or her top 20 albums of the year and hands them in to the editor. An album marked at Number One gets 20 points, Number Two gets 19 points and so on until the 20th, which gets one point. All of the points from the various top 20s are then gathered together and the overall favourites are worked out and ranked for publication in the official list. The album with the most points overall is Number One in the list, the one with the second most points is Number Two and so on.

Sometimes, winners may change in the NME Awards. For example, the NME Album of the Year for 2000 was Rated R by Queens of the Stone Age, with XTRMNTR by Primal Scream in 2nd place, XTRMNTR was later voted the best album of 2000 however in the NME Carling Awards 2001.

Albums of the Year

scope=col	Year	scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Album	scope=col class=unsortable	Top five
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1974	Steely Dan	Pretzel Logic	2nd: The Rolling Stones – It's Only Rock 'n' Roll 3rd: Bob Dylan – Before the Flood 4th: Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard 5th: Todd Rundgren – Todd
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1975		Blood on the Tracks	2nd: Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natty Dread 3rd: Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live 4th: Little Feat – The Last Record Album 5th: Nils Lofgren – Nils Lofgren
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1976		Desire	2nd: David Bowie – Station to Station 3rd: Dr. Feelgood – Stupidity 4th: Graham Parker – Heat Treatment 5th: The Ramones – The Ramones
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1977			2nd: Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties!! 3rd: Elvis Costello – My Aim is True 4th: Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols 5th: Television – Marquee Moon
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1978		Darkness on the Edge of Town	2nd: The Jam – All Mod Cons 3rd: Elvis Costello – This Year's Model 4th: Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings & Food 5th: Culture – Africa Stand Alone
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1979	Talking Heads	Fear of Music	2nd: Public Image Ltd. – Metal Box 3rd: Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures 4th: The Jam – Setting Sons 5th: Gang of Four – Entertainment!
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1980	Joy Division	Closer	2nd: Elvis Costello – Get Happy!! 3rd: The Beat – I Just Can't Stop It 4th: Black Uhuru – Sinsemilla 5th: Holger Czukay – Movies
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1981		Nightclubbing	2nd: Kraftwerk – Computer World 3rd: Black Uhuru – Red 4th: The Beat – Wha'ppen? 5th: Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1982		Midnight Love	2nd: Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom 3rd: ABC – The Lexicon of Love 4th: The Clash – Combat Rock 5th: Dexy's Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1983		Punch the Clock	2nd: Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombone 3rd: Billy Bragg – Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy 4th: Soft Cell – The Art of Falling Apart 5th: Michael Jackson – Thriller
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1984			2nd: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA 3rd: The Special AKA – In the Studio 4th: Womack and Womack – Love Wars 5th: Scott Walker – Climate of Hunter
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1985		Rain Dogs	2nd: The Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy 3rd: The Velvet Underground – VU 4th: Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen 5th: Madness – Mad Not Mad
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1986	Prince & The Revolution	Parade	2nd: Anita Baker – Rapture 3rd: Janet Jackson – Control 4th: Sonic Youth – Evol 5th: Cameo – Word Up!
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1987	Public Enemy	Yo! Bum Rush the Show	2nd: Prince – Sign o' the Times 3rd: The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come 4th: Sonic Youth – Sister 5th: Tom Waits – Frank's Wild Years
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1988	Public Enemy	It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back	2nd: Van Morrison and the Chieftains – Irish Heartbeat 3rd: R.E.M. – Green 4th: Morrissey – Viva Hate 5th: The Todd Terry Project – To the Batmobile Let's Go
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1989	De La Soul	3 Feet and Rising	2nd: The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses 3rd: Lou Reed – New York 4th: Pixies – Doolittle 5th: New Order – Technique
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1990	Happy Mondays	Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches	2nd: Sinéad O'Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got 3rd: Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet 4th: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory 5th: James – Gold Mother
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1991	Nirvana	Nevermind	2nd: Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque 3rd: Primal Scream – Screamadelica 4th: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Weld 5th: R.E.M. – Out of Time
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1992	Sugar	Copper Blue	2nd: R.E.M. – Automatic for the People 3rd: Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies 4th: The Lemonheads – It's a Shame About Ray 5th: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Henry's Dream
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1993	Björk	Debut	2nd: The Boo Radleys – Giant Steps 3rd: Suede – Suede 4th: The Lemonheads – Come on Feel the Lemonheads 5th: Belly – Star
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1994	Oasis	Definitely Maybe	2nd: Blur – Parklife 3rd: Beastie Boys – Ill Communication 4th: Nirvana – Unplugged in New York 5th: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1995	Tricky	Maxinquaye	2nd: Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory 3rd: Black Grape – It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah 4th: Radiohead – The Bends 5th: Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1996	Beck	Odelay	2nd: Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go 3rd: Orbital – In Sides 4th: Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic 5th: DJ Shadow – Endtroducing.....
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1997	Spiritualized	Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space	2nd: Radiohead – OK Computer 3rd: The Verve – Urban Hymns 4th: Primal Scream – Vanishing Point 5th: Super Furry Animals – Radiator
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1998	Mercury Rev	Deserter's Songs	2nd: Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty 3rd: Beck – Mutations 4th: Air – Moon Safari 5th: Massive Attack – Mezzanine
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1999			2nd: Shack – HMS Fable 3rd: Super Furry Animals – Guerrilla 4th: Death in Vegas – The Contino Sessions 5th: Beck – Midnite Vultures
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2000	Queens of the Stone Age	Rated R	2nd: Primal Scream – XTRMNTR 3rd: PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea 4th: Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast 5th: At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2001		Is This It	2nd: Spiritualized – Let It Come Down 3rd: The White Stripes – White Blood Cells 4th: Jay-Z – The Blueprint 5th: Starsailor – Love Is Here
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2002	Coldplay		2nd: The Vines – Highly Evolved 3rd: The Streets – Original Pirate Material 4th: The Coral – The Coral 5th: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – BRMC
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2003		Elephant	2nd: The Rapture – Echoes 3rd: The Strokes – Room on Fire 4th: Elbow – Cast of Thousands 5th: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2004	Franz Ferdinand	Franz Ferdinand	2nd: The Libertines – The Libertines 3rd: The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free 4th: Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters 5th: The Futureheads – The Futureheads
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2005	Bloc Party	Silent Alarm	2nd: Arcade Fire – Funeral 3rd: Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better 4th: Antony & the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now 5th: Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2006	Arctic Monkeys	Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not	2nd: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones 3rd: Muse – Black Holes and Revelations 4th: Hot Chip – The Warning 5th: CSS – Cansei de Ser Sexy
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2007	Klaxons	Myths of the Near Future	2nd: Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare 3rd: Radiohead – In Rainbows 4th: Arcade Fire – Neon Bible 5th: Les Savy Fav – Let's Stay Friends
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2008	MGMT	Oracular Spectacular	2nd: TV on the Radio – Dear Science 3rd: Glasvegas – Glasvegas 4th: Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend 5th: Foals – Antidotes
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2009		Primary Colours	2nd: The xx – xx 3rd: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz 4th: Wild Beasts – Two Dancers 5th: Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2010	These New Puritans	Hidden	2nd: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs 3rd: Beach House – Teen Dream 4th: LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening 5th: Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2011		Let England Shake	2nd: Metronomy – The English Riviera 3rd: The Horrors – Skying 4th: Wild Beasts – Smother 5th: Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2012	Tame Impala	Lonerism	2nd: Grimes – Visions 3rd: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange 4th: Crystal Castles – III 5th: Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2013	Arctic Monkeys	AM	2nd: Kanye West – Yeezus 3rd: Queens of the Stone Age – ...Like Clockwork 4th: Foals – Holy Fire 5th: Savages – Silence Yourself
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2014	St. Vincent	St. Vincent	2nd: Mac Demarco – Salad Days 3rd: The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream 4th: Aphex Twin – Syro 5th: Caribou – Our Love
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2015	Grimes	Art Angels	2nd: Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly 3rd: Jamie XX – In Colour 4th: Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool 5th: Tame Impala – Currents
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2016		I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It	2nd: Kanye West – The Life of Pablo 3rd: Christine and the Queens – Chaleur Humaine 4th: Skepta – Konnichiwa 5th: Kaytranada – 99.9%
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2017	Lorde	Melodrama	2nd: Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life 3rd: Kendrick Lamar – Damn 4th: Father John Misty – Pure Comedy 5th: LCD Soundsystem – American Dream^[1]
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2018	The 1975	A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships	2nd: Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino 3rd: IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance 4th: Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo in Blue 5th: Pusha T – Daytona^[2]
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2019	Billie Eilish	When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go	2nd: Tyler, the Creator – Igor 3rd: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! 4th: Slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain 5th: Little Simz – Grey Area^[3]
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2020	Run the Jewels	RTJ4	2nd: Taylor Swift – folklore 3rd: Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia 4th: The Strokes – The New Abnormal 5th: Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher ^[4]
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2021	Sam Fender	Seventeen Going Under	2nd: Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 3rd: Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend 4th: Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure 5th: Tyler, the Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost ^[5]
2022	Arctic Monkeys	The Car	2nd: Wet Leg – Wet Leg 3rd: Beyoncé – Renaissance 4th: Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia 5th: Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

References

1. News: NME’s Albums of The Year 2017 - NME. 2017-11-23. NME. 2017-11-23. en-US.
2. News: NME’s Albums of The Year 2018 - NME. 2018-12-17. NME. 2018-12-17. en-US.
3. News: NME’s Albums of The Year 2019 - NME. 2019-12-17. NME. 2019-12-17. en-US.
4. News: NME’s Albums of The Year 2020 - NME. 2021-12-10. NME. 2021-12-10. en-US.
5. News: NME’s Albums of The Year 2021 - NME. 2021-12-10. NME. 2021-12-10. en-US.

• NME magazine, 9 December 2006
• NME End of year critic lists