Rock & Roll Globe’s 25 Best Albums of 2026 So Far

Just a quick list, nothing too crazy

June 23, 2026June 26, 2026 Ron Hart 0 Comments Aldous Harding, Converge, Flea, Gorillaz, Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds, Megadeth, My New Band Believe, Neurosis, Olivia Rodrigo, Paul McCartney, Tomeka Reid, Vince Staples

As anyone who trawls the last remaining music news sites on the internet can attest, it’s that time when publications rank their best albums of the year so far.

And now it’s our turn to hip readers to what we’ve been listening to these last six months — a culmination of what we’ve picked up at the record store, got in the mail from labels, received in our email box via streams and downloads or purchased on Bandcamp or Discogs.

There was a lot of great stuff we’ve been diving into, and here’s a quick and quip-less list of 25 albums that we’ve had in heavy rotation since January.

Happy listening, friend-o!

1. Gorillaz The Mountain (KONG)

2. Megadeth Megadeth (BLK II BLK)

3. Olivia Rodrigo you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (Interscope Records)

4. Paul McCartney The Boys of Dungeon Lane (MPL-Capitol)

5. Flea Honora (Nonesuch)

6. Vince Staples Cry Baby (Loma Vista)

7. Aldous Harding Train on the Island (4AD)

8. Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds Mutiny After Midnight (Atlantic Outpost)

9. The Claypool-Lennon Delirium The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy (ATO Records)

10. MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt and Surf Gang Pompeii // Utility (10k / Surf Gang / Tan Cressida)

11. Converge Love is Not Enough/Hum of Hurt (Epitaph Records)