We’re past the halfway mark of 2026, and the Euronews Culture team are taking a look back at the music highlights that have captured our ears (and hearts) this year.
There’s been so much to enjoy, from soulful delights to politically conscious Irish hip-hop via the triumphant return of rock veterans still giving it socks into their 80s.
The output this year has been so strong that whittling our list down to 20 entries hasn’t been easy. Still, without further ado, here is our countdown to the best album of the year so far.
20) Death Cab For Cutie – I Built You A Tower
Heartbreak and existentialism have always been core themes for American indie band Death Cab For Cutie. But while their landmark album ‘Transatlanticism’ (2003) worked through the pains of a long-distance relationship, their newest album reflects on divorce and disillusionment. In other words, the band has grown up, and their music - once tinged with emo angst - has continued to evolve into something more mature; more emboldened by experience. From the jolty, tantrum-like swings of ‘Punching The Flowers’, to the pensive percussives of ‘I Built You A Tower (A)’, each track twinkles with the promise of freedom. Freedom from rumination - and the prisons we trap ourselves in. AB
