Any year that kicks off with a ripping new Judas Priest song in its first quarter and winds down with a surprise Slipknot single in Q4 is a pretty decent fucking year in heavy music. Both those cuts were but the tip of the proverbial iceberg in 2018, with a host of other big names and worthy up-and-comers, across metal, hardcore, punk, industrial, hip-hop, goth and beyond, dropping captivating songs that helped get us through another strange and often challenging year. Here are 75 of our favorites, conveniently curated in a Spotify playlist for your blasting pleasure.
75 Best Songs of 2018
Deafheaven, Slipknot, HEALTH x Youth Code, Jesus Piece and more

Deafheaven, 2018
photograph by Sean Stout
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