Amoeba's 40 Best-Selling Albums of 2024
40 Best Selling Albums of 2024
Every year, when we start combing through our sales charts and putting together our best-sellers list, it provides us with the chance to reflect on the year and to notice patterns or themes. For us, 2024 was the year of the pop queen and the long-awaited return of some of our favorite artists. An impressive nine of our top 10 albums were by women! There were also highly-anticipated new albums from The Cure, Vampire Weekend, and Justice, all of whom hadn't released a new record in years! In fact, The Cure was the only rock band to crack our top 10 this year. There were also artists recording in unexpected genres, such as Beyoncé's country album and Andre 3000's flute album. And there were two releases each by The Smile and Sabrina Carpenter that found their way onto our best-sellers list.
Read on to see our Top 40 Best-Selling Albums of 2024:
40. X - Smoke & Fiction
All these years later, X still sounds uniquely raucous, cool, and on the razor's edge. The legendary punk band's ninth studio album was a best seller this year and it feels like it could've come straight from the band's '80s heyday, while still feeling modern, urgent, and unlike else. The songs are driving, intense, and compelling with that familiar punk meets surf meets country that equates to X's version of LA Noir.
39. Finneas - For Cryin' Out Loud
Finneas continued to push the sound of pop music forward this year with his second studio album, For Cryin' Out Loud. These are songs that, with their infectious hooks, will gleefully bop around your head, while their relatable lyrics will keep you coming back for more hurts-so-good enjoyment. He ably fuses nostalgia for the epic, bouncy pop of the '80s and '90s with indie rock influences to create smart, satisfying songs.
38. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - Challengers [Score]
The composer duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross applied their signature blend of pumping club music, industrial beats, and synth pop to the steamy tennis-themed movie Challengers, boosting the tension and action in a way that no generic, rom-com soundtrack could do. It's easy to see why this infectious, electroclash score was a best selling album of the year.
The Houston-based singer/songwriter released his second studio album this year, earning a spot on our best selling albums list. Requiem delivers pop gems with sleek grooves and romantic lyrics. "Say" is slinky and soulful and "Dream" is a sweet ballad, both augmented by Keshi's gentle vocals.
36. Andre 3000 - New Blue Sun
Andre 3000's much-buzzed about "flute album" is so much more than a gimmick. New Blue Sun is a blissed-out, shimmering, cosmic journey into modern New Age and ambient, with elements of electronic, jazz, and avant-garde all part of the mix. This best seller of 2024 will transport you to a sonic landscape that's simultaneously brighter, more enchanting, and calmer than our own. Relax, dream, and immerse yourself in the beauty of this album.
35. Bad Bunny - Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana
The Latin trap and reggaeton star continued his rein this year with his sixth studio album, the best-selling Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. Featuring melodic, euphoric bangers like "Where She Goes" and "EL CLúB," Bad Bunny proves he's got the right combination of melancholy and suave detachment, with a predilection for the dance floor.
34. Sierra Ferrell - Trail of Flowers
Trail of Flowers is an eclectic, electrifying indie country album that was a best seller this year. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter writes captivating, fresh songs inspired by classic country, bluegrass, and folk. These are ramblin', rootsy tracks that chronicle the excitement and disappointment of life on the road, gently make fun of Ferrell's ability to drive a suitor mad, and take a tongue-in-cheek look at romantic despair at a dive bar. All of which is to say that — woo boy — Ferrell has a voice, both in terms of her dulcet tones and her ability to weave a tale.
33. Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
Dark Matter is the brooding, brilliant 12th studio album from Pearl Jam. Produced by Andrew Watt, this is the band at their heaviest; there are moments on this best seller that feel almost metal. "Running" is a short but sweet scorcher, with high-speed riffs, pounding percussion, and punk attitude. The title track is epic, moody, and hypnotic, with swirling melodies and crunchy riffs. Dark Matter is an intense and powerful listen that'll stay in constant rotation.
32. Sabrina Carpenter - Fruitcake EP
Sabrina Carpenter gave us a saucy, glossy take on the holidays this year with her Fruitcake EP. This short but sweet collection of holiday (mostly) originals is frothy, fun, and downright irresistible in the same way "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" are. With surprise moments of '80s smooth jazz, '90s R&B style ballads, and bittersweet symphonic indie pop, these tracks are the perfect match for the sentimental, tinsel-filled season. If this addictingly good record stays in constant rotation long after New Year's Day is a distant memory, we won't tell Santa.
31. Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well
Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well chronicles the beauty and the hope that lie just behind some of life's most intense challenges. The melodies are rootsy, intimate, and vulnerable: the songs feel like a hug from a friend on a hard day, or an afternoon gazing out a rain-streaked window. They're the perfect complement to Musgraves' lyrics. She sings of slowly letting go of the habits that hold you back, finding the courage to open your heart once more, and taking care of yourself in ways both small and large.
30. Vince Staples - Dark Times
Dark Times is some of Vince Staples' most intriguing, atmospheric work and a best selling album this year. These songs will get under your skin in the best possible way. Staples' lyrics are deadpan, smart, and sometimes go straight to the heart. The beats segue from lush throwback sounds to distorted, dystopian ambient loops. Dark Times is tense, compelling, and disconcertingly beautiful.
29. Justice - Hyperdrama
The French electronic duo released their first new album in almost eight years in 2024, so it's no surprise Hyperdrama ended up on our best-sellers list. Justice transports you back to the glittering, hedonistic dancefloors of yesteryear. Whether "yesteryear" means 1977 (disco), 1997 (French House), or 2007 (when their modern classic Cross came out) doesn't matter, Hyperdrama melds it all into one exuberant, hands-in-the-air affair. These songs are straight-up ecstasy. If you've ever had a quasi-religious experience in the middle of a nightclub, Hyperdrama will give you a rush. Guest appearances from Miguel, Tame Impala, RIMON, The Flints, Connan Mockasin, and Thundercat add to the vibe.
Why Lawd? felt like the album of the summer this year, with lush, soulful beats, vibey atmospherics, and a throwback, feel-good mood. Anderson .Paak and producer Knxwledge have created something truly special on their second collaboration as NxWorries. This is soul meets hip-hop at its finest: the songs feel contemporary and cool yet they already seem like stone cold classics. Features guest appearances from Dave Chappelle, Thundercat, H.E.R., Snoop Dogg, and Earl Sweatshirt.
27. Molchat Doma - Belaya Polosa
From the opening notes of this best seller, it's clear that Molchat Doma has another hit on their hands. On the first track, the Belarusian post-punk act injects their doomy gothic sound with a late night rave aesthetic, featuring woozy beats, bonkers samples, and driving percussion that beckons listeners to the dancefloor. As the album progresses, we're back in the atmospheric, melancholic territory we expect, with a bit of gothic twang, insistent synths, and glacial melodies. Those electronic elements stick around, adding texture and a sense of icy unease that calls Depeche Mode to mind. Wintry and dark, Belaya Polosa nonetheless possesses a shadowy, beating heart.
Both of The Smile's two 2024 albums made our list of best sellers this year! Cutouts is haunting and compelling, with some melodic flourishes and vocal lines that'll leave you breathless. The songs simmer with the pent-up intensity that bubbles beneath the surface of this enjoyably unpredictable listen. At times the vibe is moody, atmospheric, devastatingly beautiful. At others, the band leans into motorik, tightly-wound melodies and percussion that'll sweep listeners up into a frenetic, dynamic mirror of contemporary 24/7 culture. The members of The Smile all have impeccable track records for creating affecting, unforgettable songs and Cutouts ranks among their best.
25. ScHoolboy Q - BLUE LIPS
ScHoolboy Q's best seller BLUE LIPS already feels like a classic. This is some of ScHoolboy's best work; listening to the album is an emotional journey as well as a stylistic one. Lush, old-school style hip-hop grooves, jazz flourishes, and gritty street rap segue seamlessly into one another, moving from despair to delight. Ab-Soul, AzChike, Childish Major, Devin Malik, Freddie Gibbs, Jozzy, Lance Skiiwalker, and Rico Nasty all make appearances...but this is ScHoolboy's show through and through. BLUE LIPS will stay in heavy rotation.
24. Gracie Abrams - The Secret of Us
Gracie Abrams followed up her Grammy-nominated debut album Good Riddance with The Secret of Us, a best-selling album of light and lovely pop gems that pack a surprising punch. Abrams' relatable lyrics on young love continue to endear her to fans with highlights like the sweet, swelling track, "I Love You, I'm Sorry." Gracie Abrams had a tremendous year, opening up for Taylor Swift throughout her record-breaking Eras Tour and finishing it up with a performance on SNL.
23. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Lush, fantastical, and completely absorbing, Magdalena Bay's sophomore album Imaginal Disk was another best selling album this year. It combines '80s pop romanticism with swirling synth textures, modern alt-pop sensibilities, and retro-futuristic electronics. In short, it's the underground dance-pop album we've been waiting for this year. Hit play and enter a more vivid, enchanting world than the drab workaday one.
22. Jessica Pratt - Here In The Pitch
Jessica Pratt's intriguing, almost otherworldly Here in the Pitch was a no-brainer best-seller this year. The songs sound like they've been piped in from some reality adjacent to our own: an alternative existence with all its multifold possibilities, a door leading to a place where the past yet lives. Part of that's due to the gauzy textures, the intimate lyrics, and the melange of genres from a bygone era. Pratt's compositions blend '60s pop, bossa nova, psychedelia and the slightly off-kilter, cinematic stylings of icons like Scott Walker and Judy Garland. It all works splendidly. We were also fortunate to host Jessica Pratt for two captivating in-store performances at Amoeba Hollywood and Amoeba San Francisco
IDLES can always be relied on for intelligent lyrics, punishing riffs, and no holds barred truth-telling, but whereas on earlier releases the band directed their talents at taking down the failures and apathy of society, on the best-selling Tangk, they're funneling that same forceful sound into the not-so-simple act of perseverance. The band's inimitable stomp is present on "Dancer" — even as the song intros with golden age of Hollywood cinematic strings — before segueing into a bold, brutal melody. On "Grace," those pounding basslines and fierce drums are toned down in an aural echo of the title; this anthem for communal love and solidarity feels both open-eyed and comforting. It's an essential album for rough times.
20. Kali Uchis - Orquídeas
On Orquídeas, Kali Uchis once more proves she's a true innovator and an icon. The languid, sometimes melancholic grooves of her earlier work make way for a sunnier sound: these tracks are all ice cream pastel, palm trees waving in the breeze, the hottest pool party you've ever been to. Uchis sets the tone with an intoxicating blend of electronic, R&B, bolero, salsa, soul, and reggaeton. Confident, cool, swagged out, and seductive, Uchis knocks it out of the park with Orquídeas, which was a best selling album of the year.
19. Khruangbin - A LA SALA
Khruangbin gets dreamy and intimate on their best-seller A LA SALA. The band's effortless international cool takes a more downtempo turn on these tracks; they feel made for a lazy afternoon with friends or a quiet morning gazing at the clouds. "May Ninth" is grooved out, hazy, and rather wistful. "Pon Pón" kicks things up a bit, with funky riffs and irresistibly danceable percussion. "A Love International" is cinematic, languid, and yes, romantic. Khruangbin are one of the most inventive and imaginative bands out there and A LA SALA is a great showcase for their softer side.
18. Beabadoobee - This Is How Tomorrow Moves
Cult fave British indie artist beabadoobee (aka singer-songwriter Beatrice Laus) writes pumped-up, pastel lo-fi indie pop with some serious hooks. Lead single "Take a Bite" has enough rock 'n' roll edge and swooning pop bliss to call to mind the '90s glory days of iconic female alt-rock artists while sounding like a breath of fresh air. beabadoobee sings of self-acceptance and growing into your self, with an impassioned, vital sound that moves effortlessly from introspective ballads to driving, punk-inflected rockers. It's no wonder this charming album was one of our best-sellers of the year.
17. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Vampire Weekend released their first new album since 2019, the poignant, urgent Only God Was Above Us. With a name taken from a 1988 news article about a terrifying in-air airplane incident, it's perhaps no surprise that the songs seem to share that same sense of faith in the midst of catastrophe. "Capricorn" careens between grinding electronic noise, sweeping strings, and intimate indie guitar. "Gen-X Cops" starts off with the intensity of a high-speed car chase before shimmering, slightly melancholic harmonies kick in. Only God Was Above Us is some of Vampire Weekend's best work; fans will dig this expansion in the band's sound.
16. Jack White - NO NAME
Jack White released a surprise album in 2024, the mysterious and rewarding NO NAME, and it's some of his most gritty, powerful, fierce work in years. White goes hard on the rock 'n' roll on this one, taking elements from garage, blues, and soul to create a truly scorching record. It's heavier, more punk rock, and more biting than ever — basically, if your faith has ever faltered, it'll make you believe once more in the overwhelming force of rock music. NO NAME is gutsy and gratifying, a welcome return to White's blistering early sounds.
15. Faye Webster - Underdressed at The Symphony
Enter the weird and wonderful world of rising star Faye Webster on her best-selling album Underdressed at the Symphony. Webster has gained a loyal following through tightly-crafted indie with elements of country and hip-hop. With these new tracks, Webster pushes the envelope of her sound, adding vocoder vocals and recruiting longtime friend Lil Yachty for a guest appearance on "Lego Ring." Underdressed at the Symphony has everything that fans dig: short but sweet, perfect indie gems that'll get stuck in your head and in your heart, enhanced by joyful musical experimentation, droll humor, and genre-crossing melodies.
14. The Smile - Wall of Eyes
The Smile's first album of 2024, Wall of Eyes, is a powerful slow burn. These languid, lush songs unroll at their own pace, building a powerful mood that crescendoes as the album goes along. The tracks are devastatingly lovely, discordant and unsettling, with moments of sublime beauty. Alongside drummer Tom Skinner, Radiohead members Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke magnificently blend familiar elements of their legendary band's sound while still charting exciting new sonic ground.
13. MF DOOM - MM..FOOD? (Amoeba Exclusive)
MF DOOM's MM..FOOD? was reissued for its 20th anniversary with completely new artwork from Sam Rodriguez, and our very own exclusive coke bottle clear 2LP vinyl pressing was a best seller this year! Twenty years after its release, the album sounds as innovative, surprising, and exciting as it first did. Blending social commentary, sheer goofiness, fresh beats, and impressive wit, MM..FOOD? felt like a classic pretty much out the gate. Now, all these years later, it still has the power to move fans.
12. Cigarettes After Sex - X's
On their best-selling album X's, the tenderly seductive milieu of Cigarettes After Sex moves from dream pop to emotional nightmare. Written as a way of coping with the collapse of a four-year long relationship, the album moves from love-drunk early days to relentless, creeping loss. Cigarettes After Sex has always trafficked in the slow burn; these songs take that simmering tension to a new height. Inspired by melancholic slow dances of the '70s and '80s, X's is moody and quietly devastating.
11. Ariana Grande - Eternal Sunshine
Ariana Grande's crown shows no signs of slipping. Her latest best seller, Eternal Sunshine, is a stylistic evolution that shows an even more confident and cool pop princess crafting catwalk-ready bangers. Lead single "yes, and?" sets the course for the album; It's a "don't just survive but thrive" anthem that's bubblegum sweet with an '80s Madonna vibe. Grande has teamed up with the legendary hitmaker Max Martin once again for this one, which means gorgeous, glamourous chart-toppers are guaranteed. Eternal Sunshine will lift your mood and make you wanna dance.
Charm is an appropriate title for Clairo's easy-to-love latest. The atmospheric indie pop gems on this best-selling album of 2024 are warm, inviting, and intriguing. Clairo brings a pastel-hued '70s sound to the proceedings, fusing languid lounge music, groovy soul, lush jazz, and summery folk. Listeners will want to immerse themselves in the dreamy, hazy worlds Clairo creates via Charm. Clairo long ago transcended her early career internet buzz and with Charm, she moves in inspired new directions.
9. Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter
Is there anything the mighty Beyoncé can't do? Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of her country album, which was one of our best-sellers of 2024. But this epic album is so much more than its glorious twang. The songs showcase Beyoncé at her most creative, with elements of psych, soul, folk, trap, gospel, blues, hip-hop, pop, and rock effortlessly combining to create their own country melange. With appearances from country legends Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, Top 40 stars Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, sometimes under-the-radar Black country artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Shaboozey, plus musical contributions/samples from Stevie Wonder, Jon Batiste, Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, Gary Clark Jr., and Rhiannon Giddens.
8. The Marías - Submarine
The Marías turn up the "pop" in "dream pop" on their sophomore album, Submarine, which was a best seller of 2024. These songs are an intoxicating blend of fever pitch choruses, hazy atmospherics, and ethereal vocals. Submarine is a fitting title; the whole album evokes the sense of drowning in our most consuming emotions, of exploring the depths of the human heart. Sultry, woozy, and captivating, The Marías' latest is pure pleasure and ideal summer listening.
7. Laufey - Bewitched: The Goddess Edition
Transform your existence into a more glamorous, romantic, and retro one with Laufey's best-selling album Bewitched: The Goddess Edition. The Icelandic artist creates dreamy vocal jazz that sounds like it could've come straight out of the Golden Age of Hollywood, or from the songbook of legends like Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald. The songs move from sweeping and grand to intimate and vulnerable, with a dash of bossa nova and classical mixed into her throwback jazz sound. While Bewitched was a 2023 GRAMMY winner, The Goddess Edition features four stellar new tracks, including the titular single, "Goddess." Turn down the lights, put on something pastel, and enter Laufey's marvelous, magical world.
6. Taylor Swift - THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT was destined to be a best seller of the year. She announced and released this album during her incredibly successful Eras Tour, which is no small thing unto itself. Swift has called the release a "lifeline" album, one she absolutely needed to make on a personal and creative level. With insightful lyrics, compelling melodies, and production and co-writing from Swift's usual collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the tracks are top-notch as usual. Post Malone and Florence + the Machine bring their own unique brand of depth and intrigue to their respective guest appearances.
5. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
After 16 long years, The Cure finally released a brand new studio album and it's a towering, sublime achievement. Songs of a Lost World has all the moody magic and menace of the band's '80s era output, although this time around, the group seems more enchanted with the mysteries of life than marinating in the darkness. These songs are epics: soaring and romantic, baroque and bewitching. Another destined best seller of 2024, Songs of a Lost World is majestic and elegiac, a beautifully constructed slow burn that will remind you of why you fell in love with this iconic band.
4. Sabrina Carpenter - Short N' Sweet
The second Sabrina Carpenter album to appear on our best-sellers list, Short N' Sweet got a ton of buzz this year — and for good reason. These songs are glossy-cool, sugar rush-addictive, pure fun. Carpenter writes total earworms with a bit of winking humor, tracks that just make you happy to be alive. The songs on Short N' Sweet are ideal for late summer, driving around with the windows down, blasting "Espresso" with the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair.
3. Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
With HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, Billie Eilish once again proved that she's one of the most interesting artists working in pop music today. The album starts off with a sort of muted pastel tone, the melodies subtle yet more upbeat, the light to some of her earlier work's shadow. Part way through the album, there's a shift: the ground we're on is a bit shakier, the neighborhood we're in much less well-lit. There are moments of sheer beauty, moments that haunt and unsettle. Eilish continues to evolve as an artist and this best-selling album of the year will keep you on your toes.
2. Charli XCX - brat
Not many people can influence an entire season like Charli XCX can. She introduced the world to brat summer and dominated an entire color scheme with her simple green and black cover art. brat is undoubtedly the fresh, in-your-face, addictive dance-pop album of the year. Charli XCX skewers the current "internet hot girl" fame culture ("360"), goes back to her illegal rave roots ("Club Classics"), and delivers a "why you so obsessed with me" anthem for 2024 ("Von Dutch"). It's banger after banger, whether Charli's leaning more into glossy pop or hyper-intense electro. brat fuses the underground with extremely online culture and chic star-making pop for a listening experience that's smart, fun, and unlike anything else out there.
1. Chappell Roan - The Rise & Fall of a Midwest Princess
Technically, Chappell Roan’s The Rise & Fall of a Midwest Princess was released in September 2023, but we had to include it on our list of best-selling albums of 2024 because it was UNSTOPPABLE. In a year full of incredibly successful pop albums, this was the queen of them all. Chappell Roan's Grammy-nominated debut chronicles her move from Missouri to Los Angeles and focuses on love and self-discovery. Big pop hooks and strong vocals abound here, from the high energy, ultra-catchy “Pink Pony Club" and "Hot To Go!" to the cathartic, breakup track, “My Kink is Karma.” This year saw the meteoric rise of one midwest princess to pop star extraordinaire and we are here for it!
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