2018 was a fantastic year for New Age music! The genre is growing in popularity and quite a few artists are making serious money. The number of releases is still very high. We published 200 news stories last year. Now we have counted every vote we received in 2018, and below is the top 10 album list. What an amazing collection of music!
To the top 4 albums we are handing out rewards. Congratulations to all!
Best New Age Music Albums 2018
1. John Adorney – Invisible Songbird – BEST NEW AGE MUSIC ALBUM 2018!
Listening to John Adorney’s new album “Invisible Songbird” feels like a celebration. It is now 20 years since the release of “Beckoning”, Adorney’s very successful debut. This year’s release is in many ways a culmination of his musical and creative abilities, delivering 14 highly memorable songs.
2. David Arkenstone – Colors Of The Ambient Sky
Though sound recordings should perhaps sometimes defy description, one could consider this album a combination of infectious rhythms, simple, catchy melodies and textural synth explorations.
3. Randy Baltzell – Heart of Wilderness – BEST NEW AGE MUSIC DEBUT ALBUM 2018!
Randy Baltzell’s “Heart of the Wilderness” is a triumphant debut album! It is a 10-piece adventure into the unknown, following the sound of Randy’s trumpet and keyboards. Each song offers a different and fascinating tableau, traveling effortlessly from the deepest forest and into the human mind.
4. Karen Biehl – Starlight Dreams – BEST SOLO PIANO ALBUM 2018!
Whether as a standalone piece or as background in a guided meditation, Karen Biehl’s compositions combine romantic classical lyricism with meditative empowerment to assist listeners in achieving an enhanced and peaceful sense of self-awareness and purposeful focus.
5. Secret Garden – You Raise Me Up – The Collection
The collection features previously unreleased material and brand new interpretations and is named after Secret Garden’s most celebrated song – “You Raise Me Up”. It also contains a brand new version of “I’ve Dreamed Of You” – the song that Barbra Streisand chose to perform at her own wedding.
6. 2002 – A World Away
A World Away covers much of 2002’s vast sonic palette – from progressive and pop new age, to their neo-classical and ambient roots. Thematically, the album is a cosmic love story, of kindred spirits traveling together through many times and many worlds, becoming lost and separated from one another, and finally reunited.
7. Kevin Wood – Eternal
About Eternal Wood says: “I hope when people listen to ‘Eternal’ they feel understood, they realize they aren’t alone and that we are all on this journey together; and, by the grace of God, if they feel more connected to forgiveness, love, kindness, acceptance, themselves, and humanity, then ‘Eternal’ truly will be the most meaningful music I have ever composed.”
8. Niall – Masterpeace
On Naill’s new album “Masterpeace” we are taken on a journey of the mind, from “Midnight Meditation” to “Spirit Calling”. In today’s stressed out world, this superb release for meditation and rest should be of interest to just about everyone.
9. Neil Tatar – After The Rain
Over the past few decades, the new age genre has produced its share of brilliant pianists and acoustic guitar artists, but none have combined the two core instruments on single recordings as effortlessly and dynamically as Neil Tatar.
10. Michael Whalen – Kiss The Quiet
Kiss The Quiet is Michael at his most beautifully, romantically and melodically gorgeous best. Every track is filled with passion and feeling as Michael uses a combination of his ambient piano, synthesizers and electronics on his most satisfying recording yet. In this album, Michael transforms a period of heartbreak and healing into music, and in doing so, solidifies his role as one of the foremost ambient/new age composers and artists of the last 20 years.
Here you can see the winners for 2017 and 2016.
Or if you want to check out the chart for individual months, here’s the links:
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
The list is, as always, based on two factors; (1) The popularity of an artist’s tag on Newagemusic.guide, and (2) Number of requests for songs from an album, to be played on New Age Stars.
Above picture by kbuntu – Bigstockphoto.com