It almost feels pointless to state this, but 2016 has been a grim year for the world. Between devastating wars, a throng of important deaths, and a rocky political climate in many countries, we're all ready to say goodbye to 2016. As someone who seems to remember album release dates very well, I figured I may as well put that usually useless skill to use. Let's take this moment to appreciate the things that went right during 2016, and gain some hope for 2017. Here's a list of 10 stellar albums released in 2016.
1. Green Day's "Revolution Radio" (October 7th)
Green Day's phenomenal release deserves first place on this list. After a four year break in writing, they came back strong with "Revolution Radio," an album that goes back to their roots in the punk world.
2. Sum 41's "13 Voices" (October 7th)
Sum 41 are another band that made a comeback this year. "13 Voices" was released five years after their previous album, "Screaming Bloody Murder." Although released in October, "13 Voices" should be considered one of the defining albums of the year.
3. Waterparks' "Double Dare" (November 4th)
As opposed to the first two, "Double Dare" is Waterparks' debut album. 2016 gave us a taste of what Waterparks are capable of, between playing on Warped Tour and this release, and they can only go up from here. Personally, I'm very excited to hear more from Waterparks. Additionally, you can read my review of "Double Dare" here!
4. Good Charlotte's "Youth Authority" (July 15th)
Good Charlotte's comeback was one of the most anticipated comebacks in the pop-punk scene - at least, I think so. "Youth Authority" is going to go down in pop-punk history as a classic, alongside all the other Good Charlotte albums. Also, the fact that it came out bang in the middle of summer only adds to its pop-punk cred.
5. Against the Current's "In Our Bones" (May 20th)
ATC are another band that released a debut this year. "In Our Bones" is nothing but a banger, and nothing short of what one could expect from the band. Between dancey songs and sweet ballads, Against the Current have many tricks up their sleeve, which clearly shone through on "In Our Bones."
6. Simple Plan's "Taking One For The Team" (February 19th)
2016 was the year for pioneers of the pop-punk scene. "Taking One For The Team" is a purely pop-punk album, completely faithful to Simple Plan's sound. It was also released right at the beginning of the year, when we had so much hope for the upcoming months. Ahh... What a time.
7. Asking Alexandria's "The Black" (March 25th)
"The Black" is Asking Alexandria's first and only album with vocalist Dennis Stoff. It was a true return to their original sound, with more maturity in the lyrics and instrumentation. However, Dennis didn't last very long, and Asking Alexandria have now reunited with their original vocalist Danny Worsnop. There's no saying what their next release will sound like...
8. Yellowcard's "Yellowcard" (September 30th)
Although 2016 was primarily a year of new beginnings, there were also a few endings. Yellowcard's self-titled album, released in September, is the last album they will release. The band has announced that they will be breaking up following their international tour, ending in 2017. It's always sad when such a well-established band calls it quits, but hopefully the members will go on to make more music independently.
9. Tonight Alive's "Limitless" (March 4th)
"Limitless" is an album that surprised everybody. The sound and the feel of it is completely different than anything Tonight Alive have previously released, and there have been many mixed reviews of it. However, one thing is for sure: its release set us up for the future of Tonight Alive, which is most definitely going to be something to keep an eye out for.
10. Jimmy Eat World's "Integrity Blues" (October 21st)
Maybe it was just me, but I didn't hear much buzz surrounding this album. However, it's definitely a good album. It's a little reminiscent of their "Invented" album (one of their best, if you ask me), but still a fantastic album.
