Lana Del Rey’s ‘diarist era’ has surely reached its apogee with Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard. Sprawling, eccentric, and soul-baring, it has more in common with her poetry than previous albums. In a female-dominated race, her five Grammy nominations include the supremely dark A&W, hailed by many as song of the year; while the jazz-inflected Candy Necklace has already nabbed two MTV awards.

On her first tour since 2019, Lana visited Europe, South America and the American South – defying curfew at her Glastonbury headline set, and even fitting in a surprise shift at a Waffle House in Florence, Alabama. She also appeared on her dad Rob Grant’s debut album, Lost at Sea; Jon Batiste’s Life Lesson; Holly MacVe’s Suburban House; and Bleachers’ Alma Mater.

Also this year, The Kills released their first album of new material in a decade, God Games.

Zambian psych-rockers W.I.T.C.H unleashed an Avalanche of Love with Zango, their first album in 40 years…

A Certain Ratio, pioneers of Manchester’s New Wave, revisited SAMO New York with Warhol, Basquiat and all the gang…

Jimmy the best was on his back
To the sucker punch of his childhood tracks
Fab-5 Freddy was holding the bomb
Never can have too much fun
Bow like this with all the big money
Samo says, ‘Not tonight, honey’
Jean Michel and Andy was right
All you mothers were too uptight

While Madonna (who played Danceteria with ACR in 1982) fought off a near-fatal illness and opened her Celebration Tour. Its centrepiece is a performance of Live to Tell against the backdrop of the Aids Memorial; and throughout each show, she is pursued by a shape-shifting double.

Beta Band founder Steve Mason sought hope in isolation with People Say, from his latest solo album, Brothers & Sisters.

Mitski brought us My Love Mine All Mine (from This Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We.)

We lost so many legends this year, from Burt Bacharach, who wrote the songbook for modern pop; and Tina Turner, the queen of rock ‘n’ roll…

To Sinead O’Connor and Shane MacGowan, kindred spirits who remade Irish music in the post-punk era.

And finally, it’s back to Lana with Say Yes to Heaven, plus two recent covers: John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads (a childhood favourite); and Unchained Melody, Elvis-style (from NBC’s Christmas at Graceland.)