Welcome to the Crack Magazine Staff Lists for 2017, a chance for our team and extended family to share their personal highlights from the last 12 months.

Visit 2017.crackmagazine.net for more end of year coverage.

Davy Reed

Editor

Top 10 Albums
01. Arca – Arca
02. Joanne Robertson & Dean Blunt – Wahalla
03. Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
04. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
05. IDLES – Brutalism
06. Westside Gunn – Hitler on Steroids
07. Björk – Utopia
08. DJ Python – Dulce Compañia
09. Jana Rush – Pariah
10. Omar Souleyman – To Syria, With Love

Top 10 Tracks
01. Kamasi Washington – Truth
02. Charli XCX – Ily2
03. Kodie Shane – Sad ft. Lil Yachty
04. Octo Octa – Move On (Let Go) [De Stress]
05. Lil B – Bad MF
06. Playboi Carti – wokeuplikethis ft. Lil Uzi Vert
07. Tinashe – Touch Pass (Leonce bounce edit)
08. Creek Boyz – With My Team
09. Asap Fresh – Balen Boujie
10. IAMDDB – More

Most Overrated Album
The Horrors – V

Most Underrated Album
Kehlani – SweetSexySavage

Favourite Music Video
Migos – T-Shirt

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, The O2, London

Louise Brailey

Head of Digital

Top 10 Albums
01. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
02. St Vincent – Masseduction
03. Fever Ray – Plunge
04. Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
05. Drake – More Life
06. Perfume Genius – No Shape
07. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
08. Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadne
09. DJ Sports – Modern Species
10. Good Time OST – Oneohtrix Point Never

Top 10 Tracks
01. St. Vincent – Los Ageless
02. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
03. Fever Ray – To the Moon and Back
04. Objekt – Theme from Q
05. Lorde – Liability
06. Future – Mask Off
07. Minor Science – Volumes
08. Drake – Passionfruit
09. J Hus – Did You See
10. The Black Madonna – He Is the Voice I Hear

Most Overrated Album
Björk – Utopia

Most Underrated Album
Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna

Favourite Music Video
St. Vincent – New York

Favourite Tweet

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Lana Del Rey at Brixton Academy

Ben Horton

Marketing Manager

Top 10 Albums
01. Big Thief – Capacity
02. Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti
03. Ziúr – U Feel Anything?
04. Peewee Longway – Blue M&M Tape 3
05. DJ Python – Dulce Compañia
06. Fever Ray – Plunge
07. PAN V/A – Mono No Aware
08. Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna
09. Jay Som – Everybody Works
10. Jlin – Black Origami

Top 10 Tracks
01. Miguel – Sky Walker
02. J Hus – Did You See
03. Playboi Carti – Magnolia
04. Beatrice Dillon & Call Super – Fluo
05. Skee Mask – Kappelberg Chant
06. Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna
07. Peewee Longway – Stepped On
08. Heavy Lungs – Poster Boy
09. Perfume Genius – Slip Away
10. Bullion – Blue Pedro

Favourite Music Video
Visionist – Value

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
DJ Storm at Field Maneuvers

Anna Tehabsim

Deputy Editor

Top 10 Albums
01. Arca – Arca
02. SZA – Ctrl
03. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
04. King Krule – The Ooz
05. Angel Olsen – Phases
06. Fever Ray – Plunge
07. Perfume Genius – No Shape
08. Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?
09. Equinoxx – Colon Man
10. Thundercat – Drunk

Top 10 Tracks
01. Objekt – Theme for Q
02. Objekt – Needle and Thread
03. Kamasi Washington – Truth
04. Future – Incredible
05. LCD Soundsystem – american dream
06. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – To Feel Your Best
07. Joe – Tail Lift
08. Alice Coltrane – Om Shanti
09. Sheer Mag – Suffer Me
10. Tyler, the Creator ft. Kali Uchis – See You Again

Most Overrated Album
Blue Hawaii – Tenderness

Most Underrated Album
William Basinski – A Shadow in Time

Favourite Music Video
St. Vincent – New York

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Arca

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Beautiful Swimmers at Love International / SPFDJ at Sounds Berlin / Downtown Boys at Simple Things

Xavier Boucherat

Contributor

Top 10 Albums
01. Errorsmith – Superlative Fatigue
02. Ryuichi Sakamoto – async
03. Pharmakon – Contact
04. Shinichi Atobe – From the Heart, It’s a Start, A Work of Art
05. Karen Gwyer – Rembo
06. PAN V/A – Mono No Aware
07. Laurel Halo – Dust
08. Les Filles de Illighadad – Eghass Malan
09. Sugai Ken – UkabazUmorezU
10. Broken English Club – The English Beach

Top 10 Tracks
01. Lanark Artefax – Touch Absence
02. Minor Science – Volumes
03. JoeFarr – Spectate
04. Myhsa – Spectrum
05. Golden Teacher – Sauchiehall Withdrawal
06. Batu – Marius
07. Joy Orbison – Toss Portal
08. Lorenzo Senni – XAllegroX
09. Helena Hauff – Gift
10. Ms Nina – Pastillas

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Discwoman

Best Performance I’ve Seen
NYC punks Haram at Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff

Jake Applebee

Executive Editor

Top 10 Albums
01. Arca – Arca
02. Protomartyr – Realtives in Decent
03. Bing & Ruth – No Home of the Mind
04. DJ Python – Dulce Compañia
05. Yves Tumor – Experiencing the Deposit of Faith
06. Visible Cloaks – Reassemblage
07. Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna
08. Pig Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Feed The Rats
09. IDLES – Brutalism
10. Clams Casino – Instrumentals 4 Mixtape

Top 10 Tracks
01. Yves Tumor – Limerence
02. Lanark Artefax – Touch Absence
03. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.
04. Doon Kanda – Axoloti
05. 21 Savage – Bank Account
06. M.E.S.H – Mimic
07. Minor Science – Volumes
08. Blanck Mass – Please
09. John Maus – Bombs Away
10. Avalon Emerson – One More Fluorescent Rush

Most Overrated Album
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer

Most Underrated Album
Protomartyr – Relatives in Decent

Favourite Music Video
Club Kuru – Ribbons

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Arca

Best Performance I’ve Seen
IDLES at Simple Things Festival

Duncan Harrison

Online Editor

Top 10 Albums
01. Jay Z – 4:44
02. Lorde – Melodrama
03. Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
04. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
05. Jay Som – Everybody Works
06. Big Thief – Capacity
07. Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
08. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
09. Visible Cloaks – Reassemblage
10. Future – HNDRXX

Top 10 Tracks
01. J Hus – Did You See
02. Lil Peep – Awful Things ft Lil Tracy
03. Lorde – Writer In the Dark
04. Future – Incredible
05. Dave – No Words ft. MoStack
06. Objekt – Theme From Q
07. Arca – Desafío
08. Lana Del Rey – Tomorrow Never Came ft. Sean Ono Lennon
09. Big Thief – Great White Shark
10. SZA – Drew Barrymore

Most Overrated Album
Slowdive – Slowdive

Most Underrated Album
nothing,nowhere. – Reaper

Favourite Music Video
Bossman Birdie – Walk The Walk

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Mitski

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Drake at the O2 or PJ Harvey at Green Man

Hamda Issa-Salwe

Contributor

Top 10 Albums
01. Drake – More Life
02. Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer
03. J Hus – Common Sense
04. Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2
05. Nines – One Foot Out
06. Krept and Konan – 7 Days
07. Future – Future
08. Carns Hill – Family First
09. Migos – Culture
10. Loyle Carner – Yesterday’s Gone

Top 10 Tracks
01. Drake – Do Not Disturb
02. Stormzy – Blinded By Your Grace Pt. 2
03. Frank Ocean – Chanel
04. Drake – Signs
05. Nines – Stacey Adams
06. Cardi B – Bodak Yellow
07. Baka – Live Up To My Name
08. Lil Uzi Vert – XO Tour Llif3
09. Migos, Cardi B and Nicki Minaj – MotorSport
10. TG Millian x Naira Marley x Blanco – Money on the Road

Most Overrated Album
Taylor Swift – Reputation

Most Underrated Album
Manga Saint Hilare – Outbursts from the Outskirts

Favourite Music Video
67 – Glorious Twelfth

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Dave

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Frank Ocean at Lovebox

Luke Sutton

Commercial Director

Top 10 Albums
01. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
02. Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?
03. Sevdaliza – Ison
04. Alice Coltrane – World Spirituality Classics 1
05. Slowdive – Slowdive
06. Perfume Genius – No Shape
07. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
08. Daniele Luppi / Parquet Courts – MILANO
09. Kelela – Take Me Apart
10. Laraaji – Bring On the Sun

Top 10 Tracks
01. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – An Intention
02. LCD Soundsystem – how do you sleep?
03. Kamasi Washington – Truth
04. Lana Del Rey – 13 Beaches
05. Future Islands ft. Debbie Harry – Shadows
06. Soulwax – Goodnight Transmission
07. Fever Ray – To the Moon and Back
08. Japanese Breakfast – Diving Woman
09. Objekt – Needle & Thread
10. Jorja Smith x Preditah – On My Mind

Most Overrated Album
Richard Dawson – Peasant

Most Underrated Album
Edward Penfold – Denny Island Drive

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Parquet Courts at Elsewhere, Brooklyn – November 2017

Vivian Yeung

Digital Assistant

Top 10 Albums
01. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
02. Alvvays – Antisocialites
03. Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
04. Lorde – Melodrama
05. SZA – Ctrl
06. Ryuichi Sakamoto – async
07. Perfume Genius – No Shape
08. Big Thief – Capacity
09. DJ Python – Dulce Compañia
10. Pan Daijing – Lack 惊蛰

Top 10 Tracks
01. Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life
02. LCD Soundsystem – oh baby
03. Alvvays – Dreams Tonite
04. Jay-Z – 4:44
05. J Hus – Bouff Daddy
06. Playboi Carti – Magnolia
07. Migos – T-Shirt
08. 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin – Ric Flair Drip
09. Lil Uzi Vert – XO TOUR Llif3
10. Octo Octa – Adrift

Most Overrated Album
Richard Dawson – Peasant

Favourite Music Video
Club Kuru – Ribbons

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Perfume Genius at End of the Road

Katie Hawthorne

Contributor

Top 10 Albums
01. Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent
02. Perfume Genius – No Shape
03. Fever Ray – Plunge
04. Slowdive – Slowdive
05. Priests – Nothing Feels Natural
06. Moses Sumney – Aromanticism
07. Lorde – Melodrama
08. SZA – Ctrl
09. Tim Darcy – Saturday Night
10. Tei Shi – Crawl Space

Top 10 Tracks
01. Porches – Country
02. Downtown Boys – I’m Enough (I Want More)
03. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.
04. Waxahatchee – Never Been Wrong
05. Big Thief – Shark Smile
06. Chastity Belt – I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone
07. Charli XCX – Boys
08. Angel Olsen – Special
09. Laurel Halo – Jelly
10. Vince Staples – Love Can Be…

Most Overrated Album
The xx – I See You

Most Underrated Album
Lomelda – Thx

Favourite Music Video
Perfume Genius – Wreath

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine cover
Arca

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Mykki Blanco at Glastonbury

Alfie Allen

Creative Director

Top 10 Albums
01. IDLES – Brutalism
02. Nines – One Foot Out
03. Show Me The Body – Corpus I
04. J Hus – Common Sense
05. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
06. Jlin – Black Origami
07. Drake – More Life
08. Aldous Harding – Party
09. Sleaford Mods – English Tapas
10. King Krule – The Ooz

Top 10 Tracks
01. Objekt – Theme From Q
02. King Krule – Dum Surfer
03. Future – Mask Off
04. Objekt – Needle and Thread
05. Toasty – Metal
06. Stormzy – Big for Your Boots
07. AJ Tracey – False 9
08. Dead Man’s Chest – Avalon Dub
09. J Hus – Plottin
10. Bullion – Blue Pedro

Most Overrated Album
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream

Favourite Music Video
Visionist – Value

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff – She is so naturally cool and understated, but Vitali Gelwich brought something special to the surface in that cover. It really felt like she became something iconic the moment I saw those images and it’s been a hell of year for us and her since.

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Arca at Club to Club blew my mind in multiple ways. To then present him for our cover shoot four months later rounded it off. His music is definitely challenging but it all makes sense when you see him in the flesh; an extremely special performer.

Thomas Frost

Executive Editor

Top 10 Albums
01. Slowdive – Slowdive
02. IDLES – Brutalism
03. Octo Octa – Where Are We Going?
04. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
05. Phase Fatale – Redeemer
06. Frequency vs Atkins – Mind Merge
07. King Krule – The Ooz
08. J Hus – Common Sense
09. Protomartyr – Protomartyr
10. Arca – Arca

Top 10 Tracks
01. Nathan Fake – DEGREELESSNESS (ft. Prurient)’ (Overmono Remix)
02. Octo Octa – Preparation Rituals
03. LCD Soundsystem – how do you sleep?
04. Headless Horseman – Shattered
05. Mabel – Finders Keepers
06. Special Request – Curtain Twitcher
07. Objekt – Needle and Thread
08. IDLES – Stendhal Syndrome
09. Minor Science – Volumes
10. Chloe – The Dawn

Most Overrated Album
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer

Most Underrated Album
Special Request – Belief System

Favourite Music Video
Jay-Z – Moonlight

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Nick Cave – O2 Arena / Swans – Primavera Sound

Oscar Henson

Marketing Assistant

Top 10 Albums
01. Visible Cloaks – Reassemblage
02. Big Thief – Capacity
03. DJ Python – Dulce Compañia
04. 21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin – Without Warning
05. Call Super – Arpo
06. Cabaret Records (VA) – Alien Family
07. Jonny Nash & Suzanne Kraft – Passive Aggressive
08. Davy Kehoe – Short Passing Game
09. Laurel Halo – Dust
10. Dinosaur – Together, As On

Top 10 Tracks
01. K-LONE – In the Dust of This Planet
02. LOFT – Pottlin
03. Young Thug – Safe
04. Visible Cloaks – Bloodstream
05. Lurka – Wrapped Up
06. Duckett – When You Call Me Out
07. Leif – July V
08. Bruce – Before You Sleep
09. Big Thief – Great White Shark
10. Frank Ocean – Provider

Most Overrated Album
Bicep – Bicep

Most Underrated Album
Wah Wah Wino (VA) – Absolutely Wino

Favourite Music Video
Young Thug – Wyclef Jean

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Omar Souleyman

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Batu at Freerotation

Saul Martin

Front End Developer

Top 10 Albums
01. Tyler, the Creator – Flowerboy
02. Turnover – Good Nature
03. (Sandy) Alex G – Rocket
04. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory
05. Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
06. Converge – The Dusk In Us
07. Priests – Nothing Feels Natural
08. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
09. Alvvays – Antisocialites
10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana

Top 10 Tracks
01. Jay Som – The Bus Song
02. Future – Mask Off
03. Kelela – LMK
04. Miguel – Sky Walker ft. Travis Scott
05. Tired Lion – Cinderella Dracula
06. Stormzy – Cold
07. Pallbearer – I Saw The End
08. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Over Everything
09. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Sweet Relief
10. CLC – Hobgoblin

Most Overrated Album
The xx – I See You

Most Underrated Album
Diet Cig – Swear I’m Good At This

Favourite Music Video
Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Omar Souleyman

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Flying Lotus at Primavera Sound

Theo Kotz

Contributor

Top 10 Albums
01. Jlin – Black Origami
02. SZA – Ctrl
03. Big Thief – Capacity
04. The Bug & Earth – Concrete Desert
05. Claude Speeed – Infinity Ultra
06. Lee Gamble – Mnestic Pressure
07. DJ Sports – Modern Species
08. St Vincent – Masseduction
09. Errorsmith – Superlative Fatigue
10. IDLES – Brutalism

Top 10 Tracks
01. Deli Girls – Indentured Pervert
02. Finn – Sometimes the Going, Get’s A little Tough
03. Bullion – Blue Pedro
04. Minor Science – Volumes
05. Oli – Untitled (From the V/A – Meryl Comp on Patrúin)
06. LCD Soundystem – Change Yr Mind
07. Thawing Dawn – A. Savage
08. Coby Say – Ticket
09. Nathan Fake – DEGREELESSNESS (ft Prurient, Overmono Remix)
10. Show Me the Body – In A Grave ft. Denzel Curry, Moormother & Eartheater

Most Overrated Album
Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer

Most Underrated Album
Shinichi Atobe – From the Heart, It’s a Start, a Work of Art

Favourite Music Video
Bullion – Blue Pedro

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Helena Hauff

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Solange at Glastonbury

Tom Watson

Contributor

Top 10 Albums
01. Pessimist – Pessimist
02. PAN V/A – Mono No Aware
03. Wolves In The Throne Room – Thrice Woven
04. Martin Glass – The Pacific Visions of Martin Glass
05. Your Old Droog – Packs
06. Code Orange – Forever
07. Jlin – Black Origami
08. Richard Dawson – Peasant
09. Karen Gwyer – Rembo
10. Bing & Ruth – No Home Of The Mind

Top 10 Tracks
01. Varg – Red Line II
02. Blay Vision – Amnesia
03. Power Trip – Swing of The Axe
04. Kelela – LMK
05. Wode – Chaosspell
06. SZA – Doves in the Wind
07. Moses Boyd – Sirens
08. Harlem Spartans – Kennington Where It Started
09. Pissed Jeans – I’m A Man
10. LCD Soundsystem – how do you sleep?

Most Overrated Album
Drake – More Life

Most Underrated Album
Oneohtrix Point Never – Good Time OST

Favourite Music Video
Björk – The Gate

Favourite Tweet

Favourite Crack Magazine Cover
Discwoman

Best Performance I’ve Seen
Sunn O))) at the Barbican

COMMENTS

[fbcomments title=""]