Whatever you think of brands, it’s hard to imagine our lives without them. Brands are ubiquitous, powerful, and influential (to a greater or lesser degree depending on the brand). From multinational brands whose reputations have been meticulously maintained for decades, to the latest small-batch artisan brands, when it comes to brand identity and product psychology, our first choice is brands.

And when you add “personal brands” into the mix, things get even more interesting. After all, in this age of social media and individual curation, your most valuable asset is your personal brand. Once you’ve perfected your personal brand, partnering with a more established corporate brand can give you the freedom to improvise off that brand, using your brand like a jazz saxophone player uses his or her instrument (saxophone) to make a song no one has ever heard before. Call it, “the Music of Brands,” and cue it up on your playlist, and turn it up LOUD, because I like what I’m hearing (if I like your brands)!

Here are the TOP TEN BRANDS OF 2018:

10. Subaru

9. Classic brands

8. Controversial brands

7. Casual brands

6. (TIE) Foreign brands / Modern brands

5. Iconic American brands

4. Presitigious brands

3. Online brands

2. Beloved brands

1. Perfect brands