Classic Rock's 50 Best Albums Of 2018

[tater1977]

Classic Rock's 50 Best Albums Of 2018
By Classic Rock

https://www.loudersound.com/features/cl ... ms-of-2018
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Classic Rock Magazine's staff and writers combine their throbbing brains to come up with their favourite albums of the year

As 2018 began to trail off into a forlorn jumble of last-minute Christmas shopping and office parties where people really should have learned to behave better by now, we polled our staff and writers to discover their favourite albums of the last 12 months.

We tallied up the results, put them into a vast spreadsheet, performed a few calculations, and Hey! Presto! Clutch were voted our number one album of 2018. We announced this before Christmas, and are now delighted to reveal the rest of this regally festive 50.

Of course, we're not claiming this list is definitive. Clutch might have drawn more than 4000 delirious punters to London's Brixton Academy a couple of weeks ago, but there were another 66 million members of the UK population not in attendance, so we're well aware that other points of view are available. Even the biggest bands are a minority sport.

But it is our list. It's a list that includes old stagers like Uriah Heep and David Crosby, thrusting young bucks like The Struts and Greta Van Fleet, and impossible-to-pigeonhole rogues like blues-funk-sex-rock pioneer Fantastic Negrito.

We've also put together a playlist featuring a killer track from each of the albums. And you know what? It's vivid proof that as long as the "rock is dead" naysayers continue to bleat, rock bands will continue to defy them, and make music that makes the head thrill and the heart bound.

Thanks, 2018.

15. The Temperance Movement: A Deeper Cut
14. Greta Van Fleet: Anthem Of The Peaceful Army
13. Billy F. Gibbons: The Big Bad Blues
12. Stone Temple Pilots: S.T.P
11. Steve Perry: Traces
10. Idles: Joy As An Act Of Resistance
9. Alice In Chains: Rainier Fog
8. Fantastic Negrito: Please Don't Be Dead
7. The Magpie Salute: High Water
6. Slash feat Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators: Living The Dream
5. Halestorm: Vicious
4. Judas Priest: Firepower
3. Ghost: Prequelle
2. The Struts: Young And Dangerous
1. Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions

[Aaron]

There is no way on this planet that Traces out paced GVF Anthem of a Peaceful Army. Man I hate it but this is a Classic Rock category. I love Perry to death but there is no way his CD was Rock.

[The_Noble_Cause]

There is no way on this planet that Traces out paced GVF Anthem of a Peaceful Army. Man I hate it but this is a Classic Rock category. I love Perry to death but there is no way his CD was Rock.

Glad to hear that unmistakable voice again, but there's no way it deserves to be on this list.

[Aaron]

I couldn't agree more TNC. I love that voice but there is no way Traces fits on that list. Especially in front of Anthem of a Peaceful Army.

There is no way on this planet that Traces out paced GVF Anthem of a Peaceful Army. Man I hate it but this is a Classic Rock category. I love Perry to death but there is no way his CD was Rock.

Glad to hear that unmistakable voice again, but there's no way it deserves to be on this list.

[ADALBL]

I love the energy and classic vibe of GVF and I love that they actually play their instruments live. I was psyched when I heard Highway Tune cause it rocked and was catchy. That said, there are not many memorable tunes on their first full album and the quality of the songwriting is level's below the quality of Traces - which is stellar. The songs on Traces are so layered and nuanced. GVF has a ways to go yet but I'm rooting for them and looking forward to hearing more from them and watching them evolve. I hope they are the ones that bring back some real rock music that is based on live performance. All that said, Traces is way, way better. I continue to enjoy it more and discover more in it the more I listen to it. Traces is stellar!