Max Korff

• Photographer • MSU Alum •

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

2024 is coming to an end which means it’s time for the 5th edition of my Top 10 Albums of the Year list. My taste in music took a drastic turn in 2024 and I spent even more time discovering music from this year and the past. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Albums of 2024.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

That’s my Top 10 of 2024! While there was so much great music this year, I spent even more time diving into the catalogue of music from the past. My Top 10 Discoveries of 2024 list is on the way. More to come!

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...for the summer. Inspired heavily by blues and soul, Charley combines his love for Texas, and the ups and downs of his musical career across 40 minutes of gold. If there’s any album on this list you listen to, I hope it’s this one.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

1. $10 Cowboy by Charley Crockett
Growing up in the Midwest, there really isn’t anything “cowboy” about me, but wow, this album sure does make me think otherwise. The Texas born singer/songwriter released his album in April of this year, and it was the perfect setlist of songs...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

2024 is coming to an end which means it’s time for the 5th edition of my Top 10 Albums of the Year list. My taste in music took a drastic turn in 2024 and I spent even more time discovering music from this year and the past. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 Albums of 2024.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...there are a lot of similarities between the two artists, but JR’s ability to paint a picture and balance the highs and lows of his life puts this album in its own league. Full of bonfire anthems and classic Americana crooners, this tape won’t be leaving my rotation.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

2. Dark Cloud by J.R. Carroll
If country music had a stock market, I’d be investing heavily into the future success of J.R. Carroll. The Oklahoma native put his hat in the ring late this year with the release of Dark Cloud. A bandmate of the aforementioned Zach Bryan...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...that’s heavily inspired by punk, shoegaze, and some of the band’s earliest hit songs. Along with all the bold guitar chords and thumping bass lines, this album reminded me to not take things so seriously. A nod that it’s ok to smile and enjoy life even when things are hazy.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

3. Can We Please Have Fun by Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon? In 2024? Perhaps this year was one for reinvention and celebration of old names making powerful resurgences. This album is fun, it’s new, it’s catchy, and it’s everything you could want in a synth-filled rock album ...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

From Brandon Coleman’s signature growl to the fuzzy guitars layered over hip-shaking grooves, this album transports you to another time. Whether you’re on the hunt for a crawling ballad, an outlaw anthem, or a good ol’ rodeo ramble, this album has it all. The blues are back!

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

4. Made by These Moments by The Red Clay Strays
Simply put, the blues-rock scene has me in a stronghold. Made by These Moments is one of those records that truly stopped me in my tracks. The band’s 2nd album came screaming to the public this summer and has not looked back.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...Won’t Tell are some of my favorite songs of the year. Eddie’s wails are as cutting as ever, McCready’s guitar solos are “face-melting” and there are enough songs on Dark Matter that can put up a good fight against the rest of the band’s storied discography. Pearl Jam forever!

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

5. Dark Matter by Pearl Jam
Perhaps I have fallen victim to concert-bias after seeing PJ live from Wrigley, or maybe I’ve realized I am a prisoner to father time, knowing I will never experience PJ at their peak, I don’t care either way, this album rocks. Wreckage and ...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

Littered with love songs, upbeat Texas homages, and devastating explorations of his legacy, we find Willie in a place of peace. His gentle voice paired with the gorgeous instrumentals paint a sun-soaked sky, making it clear that even as Willie’s gotten older, his artistry hasn’t.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

6. The Border by Willie Nelson
Yes, you’re reading that right, in the year 2024 91-year-old country icon Willie Nelson is still churning out music. Willie’s 75th solo album is about as straightforward as it could be, a country record that finds the outlaw just being himself.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...stories and break-up power-ballads can be this exceptional, but Megan’s songwriting prowess and catchy hooks make this album both accessible and enjoyable for all. Some are calling 2024 the year of the emo cowgirl, I’ll cross my fingers for more from her in 2025.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

7. Am I Okay? By Megan Moroney
Despite all the mainstream noise coming out of Nashville that I usually avoid, Megan Moroney has once again broken through the glass with another fantastic country album that is – in one word – fun. I am not sure how 14 songs filled with such sad...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...talent live in Chicago. If you are familiar with ZB’s music, then you know what you’re getting, and this album delivered on every level and then some. Intimately personal storytelling wrapped with carefully curated instrumentals, ZB has done it again.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

8. The Great American Bar Scene by Zach Bryan
While it’s become clear that Zach Bryan may not be the greatest person in the world, this guy can still write one hell of a song. I’d be lying if I said I was not spinning his latest EP all summer, especially after witnessing his...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...spinning tales, Pony expertly crafts the perfect Americana setlist. Aching strings, a stunning pedal steel and Pony’s rich voice carry stories with ease. If you close your eyes, you can almost smell the mountain air – fantastic listen.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

9. Thus Spoke the Fool by Pony Bradshaw
North Georgia native, Pony Bradshaw, brought us a new album this year that bookended his musical trilogy alongside his 2021 and 2022 projects. Taking on the persona of “Ginseng Daddy” a loosely reliable narrator who doesn’t shy away from...

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

...and Marcus’s powerful rasp, this tape is perfect for a warm summer night. The groove on the project's title track juxtaposed with the raw emotion on Delilah give this album so much depth it’s impossible not to love.

[Max Korff @mkorff9]

10.Mood Swings by Marcus King
South Carolina’s biggest modern soul act was welcomed into my personal rolodex of music early in 2024 with the release of his album, Mood Swings. A powerful collection of jazz-inspired tracks makes up this record. Littered with smooth guitar licks...