Top 25 Rock Albums of 2024

Every time it seems like rock music is down for the count, it bounces back up with new life and renewed force to prove that it’s still here. It was a pretty good year for the genre, as the Top 15 Rock Albums of 2024 shows.

Among the albums highlighted below, which were chosen by the UCR staff, are veterans of the field returning from hiatuses, reboots and reunions; artists who came of age over the past 25 years finding renewed purpose; and even a band that released its first album after the pandemic.

They all have one thing in common: They’re finding something to say in the most traditional, rock ‘n’ roll way possible: with guitars, devotion and occasional volume. The best albums of 2024 don’t always have direct links to the past, but it’s always there, looking over the shoulder and nudging them along.

READ MORE: 2024 Album Review Guide

The greatest rock music of the past 12 months doesn’t necessarily reveal itself so easily – but make no mistake, plenty of the below records waste little time with subtleties. But don’t judge these albums by their covers: More than one of these LPs comes out swinging with their questionable cover art. But it’s inside that counts, and that’s where these 25 albums deliver.

So even if you think you know the artists behind these records, or maybe even a song or two from their recent work, don’t underestimate what they were capable of in 2024. Once again, reports of rock music’s death have been greatly exaggerated.