Party Like It's '1989' - The Music of 2014

As 2014 comes to an end, we look back at some of the most popular music of the year. We also bring to your attention some music you may have missed.

The Billboard Top 200 Album Charts suggests that music lovers this year are enjoying a trip back to 1989. The Billboard Top 200 lists the most popular albums by sales and online streaming activity. 1989 is the title of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's latest music release. The album currently leads the sales charts for 2014.

Another popular album this year is the soundtrack to the Disney film "Frozen." It includes the song "Let It Go," which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

A popular country music singer returned to the top album charts this year. Garth Brooks released his ninth studio album called "Man Against Machine." Mr. Brooks had announced his retirement from recording and performing in 2000, but he came out of retirement this summer and started performing around world.

Album sales and chart lists, however, are not always the best way to find out if a music album is worth buying. Sometimes the best albums are those that slip through the cracks: they go unnoticed by the general public. Here is a list of albums from 2014 that you might also enjoy.

We start with an artist who has made a name for himself as an actor as well as a musician. Lenny Kravitz plays several instruments. This summer he released a new album, Strut.

Pinnick Gales Pridgen are the three last names of the dynamite rock musicians who make up the group. Bassist and vocalist dUg [sic] Pinnick is known for playing bass and providing vocals for another rock trio called King's X. Eric Gales has made a name for himself as a guitarist and leader of the Eric Gales Band. Thomas Pridgen has played drums with many bands including The Mars Volta and Suicidal Tendencies. PGP2 is the title of the trio's 2nd album released this year.

Pennsylvania-based Crobot is relatively new. The four-piece rock band released their latest album, Something Supernatural, in October of this year. The first single from the album is a song called "Nowhere to Hide."

After 17 years and several lineup changes, alternative metal band Nonpoint continues to tour and give energetic live performances. This year they released their eighth studio album called "The Return."

Last, but not least, is an album by a band called "Sevendust." The five-piece rock band formed in Atlanta in the 1990s. Their album Time Travelers & Bonfires shows a different, more powerful side to non-electric, acoustic music.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.