Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn' has been named the Best Album of 2017 by Q Magazine.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar

The 30-year-old rapper released his critically acclaimed fourth studio album in April this year, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed as writers and staff from the prestigious Q magazine have placed him top of the pile in their definitive list of the very best albums of the year.

The Grammy-award winning musician beat off competition from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, whose comeback album 'American Dream' finished in second place, and Wolf Alice's 'Visions of a Life', which came in third.

Speaking about the list - which has been condensed into a definitive top 10, chosen from a longer list of top 50 - Q editor Ted Kessler said: "Ever year is an amazing year for new music (apart from 1985), and 2017 is no exception. No democratic process is perfect, though, when you are essentially a dictator and so I have to admit that I am sad that my personal two favourite albums of the year, by Girl Ray and Sleaford Mods, did not crack the ten. But this is a top 50 drawn from the votes of two dozen experts, all of whom agonised in doing so, and therefore I had to respect the ballot. That said, the top ten makes a good case for us all living through a golden age. Just look at that top three! Wolf Alice cementing their place as Britain's most dynamic young band, LCD Soundsystem back from the dead but as good as new (maybe better even), and the greatest rapper alive Kendrick Lamar continues to raise the bar beyond even Jay Z's reach. 2018 has a lot to live up to."

Rounding out the top five albums of the year are Lorde with her second venture 'Melodrama', and virtual band Gorillaz, who came in fifth with 'Humanz'.

The full list of the year's top 50 albums is available in this month's Q magazine, which hits shelves on Tuesday (21.11.17).

Q Magazine's top 10 albums of 2017 are as follows:

1. Kendrick Lamar - 'Damn'

2. LCD Soundsystem - 'American Dream'

3. Wolf Alice - 'Visions Of A Life'

4. Lorde - 'Melodrama'

5. Gorillaz - 'Humanz'

6. St. Vincent - 'Masseduction'

7. Father John Misty - 'Pure Comedy'

8. Baxter Dury - 'Prince Of Tears'

9. Queens Of The Stone Age - 'Villains'

10. The National - 'Sleep Well Beast'

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