The 25 best albums of 2017, according to critics

Rap great Kendrick Lamar started the year off strongly with "DAMN.," his third, critically lauded LP.

Artists like Lorde, SZA, and St. Vincent followed suit, with standout works that critics universally praised.

Metacritic to rank the most well-received albums

Note: Metacritic's ranking excludes free albums, mixtapes, and reissues.

Here are the 25 best albums of the year, according to critics:

25. Rodney Crowell — "Close Ties"

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Sheryl Crow and Rosanne Cash appear alongside country legend Rodney Crowell on his poignant 17th studio album. called it

24. Tinawiren — "Elwan"

Critic score:86/100

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The seventh album from Tuareg band Tinawiren wraps rock and blues music up in a drifting, hypnotic sound influenced by the group's homeland, Mali. called it "

23. Paul Weller — "A Kind Revolution"

Critic score:86/100

User score:8.2/10

22. Magnetic Fields — "50 Song Memoir"

Critic score:86/100

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The sprawling yet inviting five-disc "50 Song Memoir" features one song for each of singer Stephin Merritt's first 50 years of life. The AV Club described it as a "

21. SZA — "CTRL"

Critic score:86/100

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Kendrick Lamar labelmate SZA comes into her own as one of the most idiosyncratic and compelling songwriters in modern R&B on her debut LP. praised SZA's collection for being "in

20. Sampha — "Process"

Critic score:86/100

User score:8.2/10

British singer-producer Sampha concocts an atmospheric and devastating set of songs on "Process," his debut album. Entertainment Weekly labeled it "a

19. Gas — "Narkopop"

Critic score:86/100

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"Narkopop" is German electronic artist Wolfgang Voigt's first album in 17 years. "

18. Four Tet — "New Energy"

Critic score:100

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The ninth studio album from British producer Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) features 14 shape-shifting and inventive electronic tracks. Spin lauded Hebden's "

17. Vijay Iyer Sextet — "Far from Over"

Critic score:100

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16. Power Trip — "Nightmare Logic"

Critic score:86/100

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True to its name, Power Trip's second album "Nightmare Logic" is a nightmarish suite of erratic and propulsive heavy metal.

15. The Horrors — "V"

Critic score:87/100

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The fifth album from British rock band The Horrors was produced by Adele's Grammy-winning producer, Paul Epworth. The AV Club said the album "

14. Arca — "Arca"

Critic score:87/100

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Venezuelan producer Arca's self-titled third album continues his string of unsettling, bizarre, and entrancing avant-garde releases.

13. Oxbow — "The Thin Black Duke"

Critic score:87/100

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California-based experimental rock band Oxbow blends powerful guitar work with radical horn and string arrangements on its seventh studio album. called the LP "a

12. Fever Ray — "Plunge"

Critic score:87/100

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Swedish electro-pop singer Fever Ray received acclaim for her second studio album, "Plunge." Pitchfork called the LP "

11. Brand New — "Science Fiction"

Critic score:88/100

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Alt-rock band Brand New won commercial success and critical acclaim for "Science Fiction," its first album in eight years. AllMusic called the LP "

10. Circuit des Yeux — "Reaching for Indigo"

Critic score:88/100

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Singer-songwriter Haley Fohr's sixth album as Circuit des Yeux mixes folk, rock and electronic influences. Pitchfork described it as "stunning" and "[sounding]

9. St. Vincent — "Masseduction"

Critic score:88/100

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Annie Clark's electric fifth album found her collaborating with Lorde producer Jack Antonoff and Kendrick Lamar collaborators Sounwave and Kamasi Washington. The Boston Globe called it "

8. Valerie June — "The Order of Time"

Critic score:89/100

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Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Valerie June channeled old-school, storytelling country, gospel, and rock influences on her fifth LP. Slant Magazine"

7. Vince Staples — "Big Fish Theory"

Critic score:100

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Rapper Vince Staples' second album featured radical-sounding production from electronic artists like Flume and Sophie. NME gave "Big Fish Theory" a glowing review, writing, "Whatever this is, it's jaw-dropping."

6. Jlin — "Black Origami"

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Indiana-based electronic producer Jlin's second album is a bold and wholly original storm of vacillating industrial beats. Consequence of Sound called it "

5. Creeper — "Eternity, In Your Arms"

Critic score:89/100

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British punk rock band Creeper cranked up the theatrics on its first full-length album, a concept record about a fictional paranormal investigator.

4. Converge — "The Dusk in Us"

Critic score:100

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Massachusetts-based metal band Convergence won over critics with its eerie and abrasive ninth LP. The Chicago Tribune called it "

4. Lorde — "Melodrama"

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New Zealand's Lorde expanded her sonic palette and songwriting abilities on her dynamic and personal second LP. NME called it

2. Mount Eerie — "A Crow Looked at Me"

Critic score:/100

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The emotionally shattering eighth album from Phil Elverum's Mount Eerie traces his grief in the aftermath of his wife's death. Paste Magazine called it "

1. Kendrick Lamar — "DAMN."

Critic score:100

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Kendrick Lamar followed up two bona fide classic LPs with another masterful concept album that tackles essential themes like "GOD.," "FEAR.," and "PRIDE." over 14 tracks. Rolling Stone declared it "a