2014 has been a great year in music. There have been plenty of fantastic newcomers, but also quite a bit of solid albums by seasoned musicians.

Here’s our pick of the top 10 albums of the year.

Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour

One of the biggest breakthroughs of the year was Sam Smith’s success and his numerous Grammy nominations show that he did everything right in this album. His emotional lyrics and funky pop tunes didn’t leave anybody cold this year. I’m Not The Only One was a fantastic single from the album.

Bleachers – Strange Desire

When band members step to do side-projects, it’s easy for everyone to get nervy. But the Fun. guitarist, Jack Antonoff, managed to pull off his new solo project in style and produced a great album. The tunes were bright and fun indie-pop songs with memorable riffs and hooks.

Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2

When Killer Mike and EI-P’s collaborative project Run The Jewels started last year, we didn’t know what to expect. The first album was a solid celebration of both of their individual talents, but in this second they truly blended in together, making us question why they didn’t do this before. If you love rap, this album is the definite must-have.

Taylor Swift – 1989

1989 truly transformed Taylor Swift into a pop icon and her album was a clear move away from her country roots. The album was a great mix of classic pop hooks combined with some quirky charismatic tunes. You simply can’t have gone through the year without ‘shaking it off’ at some point!

Owen Pallett – In Conflict

Owen Pallett isn’t your mainstream star, but he is definitely adored in the indie circles and this violin virtuoso truly showcased his talent in his album In Conflict. The album is an amazing mixture of stripped-back tunes, with only his violin and voice to charm you, and big, grandiose rock songs that have a bit of everything to captivate you.

The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

Anyone who loves classic rock tunes, but with refreshing twists, immediately fell in love with Lost In The Dream. The album was full of amazing rock ‘n’ roll tunes with quirky electronic mixes. The album was very emotionally charged, yet surprisingly energetic.

La Roux – Trouble In Paradise

Everyone was a bit fearful whether Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid would get back together to produce fantastic, old-fashioned La Roux music, but luckily for us fans, Trouble In Paradise was a great comeback. It has all the classic elements with strange tunes, retro licks and splashes of synths. It also had a nice, fragile-like sound to it to add new depths to the album.

Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

When the Blur frontman announced he is working on his first solo album, it was hard to know what to expect. But the Everyday Robots won’t leave you cold if you love melodic songs that come with a rich, mix of well-written lyrics. It perhaps doesn’t open on the first listen, but the more you play the album the more you fall in love with it.

St Vincent – St Vincent

The fourth album by Annie Clark managed to capture the times perfectly, some even stating Clark’s new status as a 21^st century Ziggy Stardust. St Vincent was a brilliant album with pure raw emotion and glimpses of the amazing songwriter abilities of Clark.

Caribou – Our Love

Caribou’s album was full of beautifully crafted songs that you are able to play on your own on a rooftop or blast aloud at a festival. It manages to be very intimate and personal while still captivating masses with the energetic, dreamy songs. Second Chance is an especially brilliant song.

Let’s hope that 2015 proves to be as good as 2014 when it comes to albums. If you want to try creating your own versions of the above albums, you can check out our range of video lessons for guitar and saxophone.