The 25 best albums of 2017, according to critics

Interscope

This year in music saw a number of innovative album releases from acclaimed artists. 

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.

To get a full picture of the year's critical consensus in music, we turned to the reviews aggregator Metacritic to rank the most well-received albums of 2017.

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"

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 7.1/10

Sheryl Crow and Rosanne Cash appear alongside country legend Rodney Crowell on his poignant 17th studio album. The Observer called it "delicately sung and immaculately played," and "a high point in an impressive career."

24. Tinawiren — "Elwan"

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 8.0/10

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. Exclaim called it "a can't-miss release" that makes "the geographically distant feel welcomingly familiar."

23. Paul Weller — "A Kind Revolution"

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 8.2/10

Veteran British rock musician Paul Weller's 13th studio album is a crisp and melodically inventive collection. Record Collector called it "a proper major work, revealing an artist at ease with himself without resting on his laurels."