The top spot. 30 days and 29 albums later, we've arrived at the album that I believe may not sit at the top of many other lists this year but will feature somewhere in almost every list. An album that surprised me and continues to impress me. An album that I can not only party to, but also sit with and think about. And finally an artist who once again, went platinum with no features. In at number one is J. Cole with KOD.

The reason I say that this album may not make top many lists this year is because for most avid J. Cole fans this album is probably pipped at the post by the phenomenal 2014 Forest Hills Drive. That aside, the things that have pushed it to the top of my list are the fact that J. Cole produced this all himself (a rare feat these days), and the level of wit and emotion that's dotted around the lyrics on this album had me raising my eyebrows on every single track.

Stand out bangers on the album for me are "ATM", "Motiv8", "Once An Addict (Interlude)", and "1985 (Intro To "The Fall Off")". These songs would have been a welcome addition on 2014 Forest Hills Drive but the production has a noticeably more modern touch to it, particularly on "ATM" and "Motiv8". Alongside the unique and memorable instrumentals on this, J. Cole's candour and unashamed reflection give a further look into the things that have brought him to where he is today. Not everything is a shining representation of him and his life but it's truthful all the same.

On the back of his last album 4 Your Eyez Only, this album steps all over it . Short but sweet, KOD leaves a lasting impression on fans and newcomers alike. Jermaine keeps a somewhat skewed social commentary present throughout but uses story telling to bring home his overall message in regards to addiction, and his confidence shows here. J. Cole still has the potential to grow and build, and it might do his next material some good to actually have collaborators and features in the mix. However, I admire his vim and determination to bring us something poignant and powerful on nobody's back but his own. This fact more than anything is what carried him into the top spot.

Here's a look at what album took the number one spot in 2017. Tomorrow I'll be listing the albums that didn't quite make the Top 30 list but which deserve an honourable mention all the same.

We're into the Top 3 with a band that I've supported since this blog's inception. It's been a tumultuous couple of years in the world of this band, and we've seen them build and change in front of and alongside their fans in a way that's never been so poignant. Now dropping in at number three is Architects with the magnificent Holy Hell.

In the wake of Tom's passing last year the band and fans alike were utterly devastated, and if I'm honest, I was steeling myself for the news that they wouldn't be continuing on without him. However, when they announced that they would be releasing new music, I wasn't sure what to expect but I was excited. Watching their film - Holy Ghost - about the making of this album was difficult but definitely shed some light and confirmed a few assumptions I'd already made about how things were playing out behind the scenes. Tom's role in the band was always a big one but it was suddenly very clear just how big; like realising just how deep the water you're in is. Architects have taken that pressure and swam with it, being sure to keep Tom's input and influence at the forefront of their music, whilst also being sure that each of their parts swelled and broke with emotion around it.

My favourite tracks on the album at the moment are "Death Is Not Defeat", "Holy Hell", "Royal Beggars", and "Modern Misery". Architects have tried to articulate their feelings of processing and 'dealing with' pain on this record. The struggle and effort that come part and parcel with this are something that they don't try to shy away from at all. Rather, they identify it and use it to spur them on, which only makes you appreciate this album more.

If there's anything to critique I would note that the strings could use a bit more thought where they appear and could add a more theatrical moment to it. However, this realisation only came to me after a few listens. All in all, the album ebbs and flows in a way that takes the listener on a journey of grief, sure. However, it's the charging voice of Sam Carter that steals the show for me on this. It's more melodic than their past projects but somehow the vocals hit harder in pockets than they have previously. This is a huge album and a beautiful tribute.

Here's a look at the album that ushered in my Top 3 last year.

This artist was one of my favourite discoveries from 2017 and one of the most memorable performances I've seen this year. And yet this album still managed to surprise me. In at number 4 is Soccer Mommy with Clean.

After catching his set at Parklife Festival last year my admiration for him has definitely grown, and since his last album it's clear that his artistry has grown too. One of the best performers I've seen in recent years and one of the most talented musicians. In at number 5 is Anderson .Paak with Oxnard.

There are so many special moments on this album and I find a new one almost every time I listen. The heavy hitters on this record for me are "Who R U?", "6 Summers", "Trippy (feat. J. Cole)" and "Cheers (feat. Q-Tip)". Over all of these though, "Tints (feat. Kendrick Lamar)" has got to be one of my favourite singles this year. The flow is incredible, the beat is so effortlessly funky, Kendrick's feature holds the song together perfectly and it harks back to an old school vibe with a more modern take.

A friend messaged me recently asking if I liked Anderson .Paak. Without even thinking I said "Yes, why?" but then he asked "As a woman, how do you feel about his content?", which made me think a little bit more. It's gotten easier to overlook questionable lyrics when they're laying between the notes of mind-blowing instrumentals, and that thought made me listen through his material to be sure. Despite his overuse of the word 'b*tch' and cheeky-verging-on-troubling quips, his goofy and endearing nature allowed me to make light of it rather than brand him as rude or reckless. Anderson's talent is undeniable and with Oxnard it's clear that he's going from strength to strength, I just wonder if he'll mature with his music.

Anderson's distinct charmingly raspy voice is noticeable anywhere and is a welcome familiarity on an album filled with so many different vibes. His major label debut has a myriad of influences flecked throughout but a little bit less of a cohesive "sound" as there was with Malibu. Although funk and jazz run heavily from beginning to end, the different hip hop influences add a very unique flavour to Anderson's repertoire. He's done a good job of expanding his view on the LA funk scene - I'm hoping he continues to expand and master his influences on his next few projects, because he most definitely has the talent to.

Have a look at what boxed its way into the number 5 spot last year here.

Bringing us in on Christmas Day with her musical mastery is the futuristic forward thinker, Janelle Monáe. In at number 6 we have Grammy nominated album, Dirty Computer.

The first eight songs on this album flow so fantastically. That silky transition from "Screwed (feat. Zoë Kravitz)" into "Django Jane" still brings a smile to my face when I listen to it. Alongside those two tracks my favourites on the album right now are "Take A Byte", "Make Me Feel", and "I Like That". This is the most different Janelle Monáe album across the board. Earlier this year I wrote about how although this is without a doubt a fantastic Janelle album, this isn't her best. She's still thinking a step ahead but she's almost caught up with herself here. Despite that, she's just so good and is without a doubt one of my favourite performers this decade.

The visuals in this album's eMotion picture are phenomenal. They really set the album apart from any other release this year. After extending her acting career over the past couple of years, she's brought some of those theatrics to her own musings. Janelle's never had any trouble gripping viewers with her over-the-top and stunning visuals and after watching this album, it's clear that she's definitely honed in that talent. Still in keeping with a recurring Janelle theme of performing albums in acts or suites, the album breaks into three distinct and memorable acts. The visual helps to piece together the thoughts on what might have otherwise been a bit of a muddled mix of wonderings.

I've been in awe of Janelle Monáe ever since 2008 when my friend played me "Sincerely, Jane" on her phone at school, and continue to be in awe of her still. Everything that she's released since has been ahead of the game and a cut above. Now that the world has begun to catch on, it's a pleasure to see her true self and the message of equality that she's been preaching for years now, genuinely appreciated for their brilliance.

Check out the Christmas miracle that I picked as number 6 last year here.

If you had told me that this album was going to be in my Top 30, let alone Top 10, at the beginning of the year I would have laughed in your face. However, my eyes were opened this year and in at my number 8 spot is Ariana Grande with Sweetener.

My first brush with Ariana was in Victorious on Nickelodeon years ago and I love her in that. Not particularly her character but her voice - wow. I'm not sure why that same sentiment didn't translate when she came over to the mainstream, I was definitely sceptical of the quality of her actual music. Some of my friends were singing Ariana's praises all through this but it wasn't until after I listened to one of her live performances, that I just had to give her album a chance. If I'm honest, about 5 tracks in I had to admit, Ariana Grande is one of the best things to happen to Pop music in a very long time.

Her vocal control, range and overall malleability are astonishing. My favourite tracks on the record right now are "blazed (feat. Pharrell Williams)", "God is a woman", "breathin" "no tears left to cry" "borderline (feat. Missy Elliott)" and have stayed as such pretty much since first listen. However, every now and again I listen back and discover more things about the rest of the album that catch my attention. These heavy hitters accompanied by the softer moments of experimentation come together to make a very solid body of work. My biggest concern on first listen was that it would be an album of 3 singles and half-hearted fillers. Let's just say that I've since learnt to stop doubting Ariana Grande.

Ariana's personality wins all of the battles that her lyrics perhaps weren't strong enough to fight. Although some of the songs aren't particularly lyrically challenging or inventive, the simplicity and candour in her lyricism win points across the board. This has been a big year for Ariana both professionally and personally filled with change and growth but I suspect that this is only the beginning for her in a lot of ways. I'm just happy that I finally jumped on the bandwagon in time to witness it.

Here's a look at what chimed in at number 8 last year.

One of the most listenable artists to come out of the UK music scene, he's almost impossible to hate. In at number 9 with his latest release Geography is British beatmaker Tom Misch.

Tom Misch has soundtracked several moments in my life and so when he released this album in April to say that it took over the entire next few months would be an understatement. I listened to that album almost every single day for two months. Generally speaking, the Tom Misch album treatment seems fairly simple, and nothing about his beats is really that technically intricate. However, what he does do well is strike a chord with the listener that lifts your spirit in every single song.

The songs that shine most for me at the moment are "Lost in Paris (feat. Goldlink)", "South Of The River",  "Tick Tock", "Disco Yes (feat. Poppy Ajudha)" and "Water Baby (feat. Loyle Carner)". What's interesting about Tom's sound, and which rings true even for the songs listed above, is it's welcome underneath any coffee-house or hotel foyer din but also raises the eyebrows and gets the feet tapping of anybody listening. Tom's take on lo-fi jazzy beats is modest but memorable and it's his understated confidence that wins him fans across the board. After catching him live at Primavera Sound Festival this year it only cemented my love for his summery sound and added a whole host of new memories soundtracked by Tom Misch.

As a debut full album release Geography is a safe but satisfying body of work. I'd definitely like to see Tom explore more with the next release and tap into more adventurous features and instrumentals but for now this album has done more than enough.

Have a look at last year's number nine album here.

Well here we are, the TOP TEN. It's been an eventful 20 days so far, lots of very different albums. However, ushering us into the Top 10 is an album from one of my favourite bands in the UK - Basement in at number 10 with Beside Myself.

I might go as far as to say that this is my favourite album of theirs to date, which is surprising to me considering how much I enjoyed their last album Promise Everything. After, I saw the album release pop up on Spotify, the first listen was actually an event for me. I had a long commute coming up that I had planned as the perfect time and place to listen. When the time came around, I could barely put my phone down because I was checking my phone so much for which track was playing. This album is just hit after hit.

Hits with the biggest impact for me are "Nothing Left", "Ultraviolet", "Stigmata", "Just A Life" and "Reason For Breathing". The riffs on this record are phenomenal. It's becoming more and more difficult to find unique riffs and melodies in Rock music these days. However, every single one of the songs I've listed has a riff that stayed imbedded in my mind for days after each listen. Andrew's lyrics directed at homesickness and a longing for a home-base strike a chord even for those who may not have felt that way before. His vocals sound stronger than ever and the emotion that lies under them comes through just enough.  

When I found out that Basement would be releasing the album under Fueled By Ramen, I assumed that the album would have a slightly more refined sound but aside from that I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. All I can say is that Basement blew me away with this album, it was everything that I wanted before I even knew what I wanted. I'll definitely be hoping to see them live again in 2019.

Have a look at the album that brought us into the Top 10 in 2017 here.