This was a big non hip hop year for me in terms of music as, throughout the week, I would go days without listening to a hip hop album. I spent a ton of time listening to podcasts this year and just other stuff in general. Many days, I would listen to old school soul albums I have from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Other times, I would listen to some old jazz records. Heck, I even rediscovered a gang of electronic albums stashed around the house that I haven’t listened to in years. Although my list last year was short, this one is my favorite. Below are 30 of my favorite albums I have heard all year and this list could have easily been 50 but 30 felt right.

Diggs Duke takes the top spot this year for me with his Offering For Anxious album. That album is soulful, tribal, and jazz all merged into one complete offering. Oh and did I mention he plays all of his own music? It is a quick listening tapping out at just below 40 minutes but it’s great. Check out his Bandcamp for more great music here: http://diggsduke.bandcamp.com/. Peep the Gravity EP; you’ll see that this guy is the truth!

Click the image below to see the 29 remaining albums. There are some gems in there – trust me. Here’s to an even better 2014 in music overall, not just hip hop.