It’s that time again. The calendar year is coming to a close, and folks are reflecting on the best moments of 2017. Of course, I’m all too enthusiastic to throw my hat into the ring.

This year, I’m continuing the Big 50, something I started last year as a way to give as much local music coverage as I could at the end of the year. If you don’t know, the structure of the Big 50 allows me to spotlight singles, EPs, mixtapes, and full-length albums. Sometimes the smaller artists get overshadowed by the big releases of the year, and hopefully a list like this helps spread the love around a little.

As a reminder, I’m only considering new music from 2017 that was released in Oklahoma. Though I’m very proud of our Okie talent that move onward to other states in the pursuit of artistic success, I no longer consider them to be local artists once they move away. This is why you won’t see artists like Colin Nance (now in Austin, TX), Republican Hair (Nashville, TN), or Bryce Merritt (also Nashville) on this list (but please, check those guys out if you haven’t already).

Note also that there are three categories: Singles, EPs, and LPs. The recent rise in mixtapes further complicates any attempt to cleanly categorize music releases. For the purposes of the Big 50, shorter mixtapes were considered for the EP list, and longer ones were considered for the LP list.

Even with such rules and restrictions, there was no shortage of music for me to consider for the Big 50. From major hit releases to surprise under-the-radar gems, I’ve been watching and listening to local music all year, and I assure you, it’s a daunting task to try and stay aware of everything. I’ve truly done my best, however, and these are my picks for the best and most noteworthy releases of the year.

Check out the buttons above or below for 50 full reviews for 50 different artists, all of whom helped make 2017 another great year for Oklahoma music.

(Oh, and I’m not censoring anything, so a few picks will be NSFW…please use your discretion)

-Jarvix