We’re only just past halfway through 2026, but it’s already been a vintage year for music, with a number of excellent albums delivered that could be contenders for album of the year (AOTY). Olivia Rodrigo has dropped her best record yet, Slayyyter is putting her brash dance pop on the map, and we have new music from Madonna. Nature is well and truly is healing. Some might even say it’s healed.
But in a sea of new releases, viral tracks and endless ‘ones to watch’, which albums of 2026 are actually worth your time? You’re in luck, because Time Out London’s editors and contributors recently compiled a list of the best albums of the year so far.
Our list features rising stars like singer-songwriter Grace Ives, whose third studio album Girlfriend ‘breathes out one giant sigh of relief’, according to writer Amy Houghton. Seasoned alt rockers Modest Mouse get a shout out for their 30th anniversary record An Eraser and a Maze and newcomers My New Band Believe are featured for their self-titled debut album.
Also in the running for AOTY are you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo, Somewhere Good by Tara Clerkin Trio, and of course we’ve got Confessions II by Madonna, because where would we be without Madge? After a disappointing run of releases in the 2010s, the material girl’s most recent record is a triumphant return to her heady, dancefloor-ready roots.
This list is in no particular order, instead with artists listed alphabetically. So it’s up to you, the readers, to decide which is your fave. Or you can wait until December when we release our definitive ranking.
💿 See our full list of the best albums of 2026 so far here.
ICYMI: The UK’s biggest horror movie festival has just announced its biggest ever line-up.
Plus: Bob Dylan at London Royal Festival Hall 2026: dates, presale and potential ticket prices.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
