There’s a lot of snootiness these days about end of year polls, as if serious critics are somehow above them. You find people pontificating that ‘all opinions are subjective’ and ‘rankings are so reductive’. We say, get over it. It’s just a bit of fun to see out the year.

With that in mind, we invited every writer on The Wee Review to vote for their favourite albums of 2019. Our voting system allows writers to spread their votes thinly across lots of albums or stack them high on one or two special ones. Here’s what the votes threw up…

10. Tool – Fear Inoculum


9. Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka

8. Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost

7. Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind

6. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

5. The National – I Am Easy To Find

The band’s eighth album had a sprawling guest list, including string sections, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and guest vocals from artists including Lisa Hannigan and Sharon Van Etten. Seemingly unable to do wrong among some critics, they once again qualified for ‘universal acclaim’ on Metacritic.

4. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising

2. Fontaines DC – Dogrel

Ireland’s new golden boys topped a lot of end of year polls but fell just one short here. Heralded as the new voice of angry, working-class Ireland, there have nevertheless been murmerings about their authenticity – that they’re just another bunch of rich kids. What’s not in question though is the primal power of tracks like Big and Too Real. ‘These guys aren’t pissing around,’ said Gary Sullivan in his five star review. ‘Music to contemptuously yank at the tail of the Celtic Tiger.’

1. Fat White Family – Serf’s Up

See also our Top Films of 2019 or look back at the Top Albums of 2018