From politics to too many celebrity deaths, 2016 hasn't been the best year for a lot of us. The one thing I can always count on even during a bad year like 2016 is music. I thought I'd finish out 2016 by writing about my top 15 albums released this year. Since it was impossible to choose a favorite, I've listed them in order of release date.

1. "Death of a Bachelor" - Panic! at the Disco

January 15, Fueled by Ramen Records

Being down to only one permanent member didn't stop Brendon Urie from creating what I think is Panic!'s best album. I was a huge Panic! fan when I was in middle school, around when their third album "Vices and Virtues" came out. By the time their fourth album "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die" came out in 2013, I wasn't really listening to them much. But then this year, "Death of a Bachelor" came out and I felt like I was 13 again. The album is a perfect combination of classic Panic! at the Disco and new sounds. The song "Crazy=Genius" reminds many fans of "There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet" from their first album. Being the only member, Brendon Urie wrote the lyrics, music, and helped produce the record. There are super fun radio-worthy singles like "Victorious" and "Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time." There are emotional ballads like the title track "Death of a Bachelor" and "Impossible Year." I would definitely recommend this album if you're nostalgic for old Panic! but are also okay with a little bit of a pop twist. My top three songs are "House of Memories," "LA Devotee," and "Victorious."

2. "Dissonants" - Hands Like Houses

February 26, Rise Records

"Dissonants" is definitely my favorite Hands Like Houses record. Following 2013's "Unimagine," HLH's third album is definitely their heaviest and best lyrically. I started listening to HLH after I saw them open for Pierce the Veil in 2012. At the time, they only had one album out. The thing I liked about HLH is they could fit in the "post-hardcore" label of most bands on Rise Records but they didn't use much screamo or many break-downs. "Dissonants" is heavier than their two previous releases but they pretty much stay true to their lack of screaming. There are a few screaming parts here and there but singer Trenton Woodley has an amazing voice that shouldn't go to waste. HLH have always had interesting lyrics and "Dissonants" is no exception. Both lyrically and musically, my top three songs are "Stillwater," "Glasshouse," and "Colourblind."

3. "Limitless" - Tonight Alive

March 4, Fearless Records

I've been a huge fan of Tonight Alive since the early days of their first album "What Are You So Scared Of?" and I saw them perform at Warped Tour in 2012 to about 50 people. The next year, their Warped Tour set had hundreds. Tonight Alive have been known for being a classic female-fronted pop punk band, often compared to Paramore. I fell in love with them for Jenna McDougall's honest and relatable lyrics. "Limitless," Tonight Alive's third album, definitely took a step away from their pop-punk roots and lead more towards the pop side. Songs like "To Be Free," "I Defy," and "How Does It Feel?" fit more towards their old sound, but for the most part, "Limitless" is a completely new sound. The lead single "Human Interaction," is a slow and dark song, and an interesting choice for a lead single. The rest of the album is pretty upbeat and filled with positive lyrics and leading a completely limitless life. My top three are "The Greatest," " To Be Free," and "Power of One."

4. "Friendville" - Sunrise Skater Kids

April 1, self-released by Jarrod Alonge

Sunrise Skater Kids is a fake pop-punk band created by YouTube comedian Jarrod Alonge. This year he decided to make an entire album dedicated to Sunrise Skater Kids. The album parodies pop-punk bands like Blink-182, Neck Deep, and Mayday Parade. In the lyrics, he makes fun of typical pop-punk subject matter like pizza, loving or hating your hometown, and having a lot of friends. All of the songs are typical pop-punk songs except for "All The Old Things" which is a mash-up of classic 2000s pop-punk songs (but with different lyrics) ranging from New Found Glory, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, Green Day, and tons of others. I would definitely recommend this for any pop-punk fan in need of comedic relief after this tough year. My top three songs are "Nothing Special," "All The Old Things," and "Pop Punk Pizza Party" (bonus track).

5. "Stories for Monday" - The Summer Set

April 1, Fearless Records

The Summer Set have been around for years but I only started listening to them this year after a friend invited me to their concert back in May. TSS was just on the verge of breaking up before they wrote this record and I'm so glad they didn't. "Stories for Monday" is my favorite TSS album. The lyrics are honest and the music is fun. It is definitely a great album to hear live. Fun songs like "Missin' You," "All My Friends," and "All In" are super fun to sing and dance along to. Then there are the more serious ones like "Figure Me Out," a song about trying to figure out who you are and your place in the world, and "All Downhill From Here," a song about everything going to hell but somehow you still feel fine. It's so hard to choose just three favorites but if I had to pick, my top three would be "Figure Me Out," "All My Friends," and "All Downhill from Here."

6. "Misadventures" - Pierce the Veil

May 13, Fearless Records

Pierce The Veil's highly anticipated follow up to 2012's "Collide with the Sky" FINALLY came out this year. Although my personal favorite Pierce the Veil album is 2010's "Selfish Machines," "Misadventures" was an incredible release for PTV. They stick to their old sound, but still add some new elements. Songs like "Circles" and "Floral & Fading" are more pop and radio-friendly. Songs like "Today I Saw the Whole World" and "The Divine Zero" combine old and new PTV sounds. PTV still have their classic metalcore sound that we all loved when we were 14 but have added a new spin to it. I was fortunate enough to hear the entire album live front to back on their Misadventures Tour this summer, which was absolutely incredible. My top three songs are "Today I Saw The Whole World," "Floral & Fading," and "Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed."

7. "In Our Bones" - Against the Current

May 20, Fueled By Ramen Records

Although Against the Current have existed for five years, they haven't released a full-length album until this year. The album is absolute pop-rock gold. Most of the album is fun and upbeat with songs like "Forget Me Now," "Runaway," "Young and Relentless," and "One More Weekend." There's also some more serious songs like "Wasteland," "Blood Like Gasoline," and "Chasing Ghosts," all about relationships. And there's also "Demons," a song about fighting your internal demons. The album definitely shows significant growth from their EPs "Infinity" (2014) and "Gravity" (2015). They have a perfect mix of pop-rock/pop-punk essentials and also explore a little more of a pop side. My top three songs are "Running with the Wild Things," "Forget Me Now," and "Chasing Ghosts."

8. "Never Alone" - Stitched Up Heart

June 17, Another Century Records

Stitched Up Heart are an amazing up and coming female-fronted hardcore/metal band. I saw them open up for Icon For Hire in November and their performance blew me away. "Never Alone" has plenty of incredible guitar riffs and hard-hitting choruses. The lead singer, Mixi, has an incredible voice and sounds just as good live as she does on the album. My top three songs are "It's So Easy," "Event Horizon," and "Monster."

9. "Retrograde" - Crown the Empire

July 22, Rise Records

I was a big fan of Crown the Empire around freshman year of high school when their debut album "The Fallout" was out. I liked their eerie, post-apocalyptic, theatrical feel. They continued with this vibe for their second album "The Resistance." I had stopped listening to them a few months after "The Resistance" came out. I wasn't planning on buying "Retrograde" when it came out this summer as I wasn't a huge fan anymore, but I took a listen on Spotify and it intrigued me. For their third album, CTE have drifted away from the theatricality and post-apocalyptic vibe of the first two albums but still have an eerie and dystopian feel to them. They still have their typical metalcore songs, but have delved into their softer side with songs like "Oxygen." There's also a three and a half minute instrumental interlude "The Fear Is Real" which is electronic and completely different from anything CTE has ever done. My top three songs are "Hologram," "Are You Coming With Me?," and "Aftermath."

10. "Desolate Divine" - The Color Morale

August 19, Fearless Records

Another band that has been around forever but I hadn't started listening to until this year. I started listening to The Color Morale because they were opening for Hands Like Houses and Our Last Night on the Face to Face tour this past fall. For this album, singer Garret Rapp has switched exclusively to clean vocals, and rhythm guitarist Aaron Saunders did the unclean/screaming vocals. Because of this, "Desolate Divine" seems softer than their previous albums, but the hard-hitting metalcore guitars are still there. As someone who can only listen to screamo for short periods of time, the increase in clean vocals really appeals to me. Garret Rapp's lyrics are incredible as always, mainly sticking to a theme of depression and learning how to get better. A simple lyric, but one of my favorites is "it's okay to not be okay" from the song "Keep Me In My Body." My top three songs are "Lonesome Soul," "Keep Me In My Body," and "Trail of Blood."

11. "Haven't Been Myself" - Too Close To Touch

September 23, Epitaph Records

A huge step up from their debut "Nerve Endings," "Haven't Been Myself" by Too Close To Touch is an amazing album that I stumbled upon this fall. There's an excellent mix of clean and unclean vocals and it's definitely heavier than their first album. The album deals with a whole range of subject matter from mental health to relationships to family. The most emotional song on the album has to be "Eiley." It's about the death of singer Keaton Pierce's 3-year-old sister. He packs so much emotion and passion into this heartbreaking song it's nearly impossible not to tear up the first few times you hear it. My top three songs have to be "Sympathy," "What I Wish I Could Forget," and "Crooked Smile."

12. "Awake In Color" - Bad Seed Rising

September 30, Roadrunner Records

An amazing debut album from a band I want everyone to check out ASAP before they become huge. I discovered this band earlier this year because I like to find one or two bands on each year's Warped Tour lineup that I've never heard of. This year, that band was Bad Seed Rising. At the time, they only had two EPs out, "A Place Called Home" (2015), and "Charm City" (2014). The members of BSR are super young (ages ranging from 14 to 19) but they really know what they're doing. Their EPs brought a sound of hard rock and "Awake In Color" continues that sound but adds some new elements too. Heavier songs like "30," "Dexies," and "Obvious" introduce us to singer Francheska Pastor's amazing unclean vocals. There are also softer songs like " I Believe (It's Killing Me)." I can't say enough about this album. It's such a wide range of sounds and this band is gonna be the next big thing within the next few years. My top three songs are "30," "I Can Feel You," and "Dexies."

13. "Upside Down" - Set It Off

October 7, Equal Vision Records

Set It Off have been one of my favorite bands for nearly three years now so I was really excited about the release of their third album "Upside Down" this year. While not my favorite SIO album, ("Cinematics" will always be the best, please fight me Cody Carson) "Upside Down" takes a new direction for SIO, showing their pop influences rather than rock/pop-punk. It's a super fun album with upbeat songs like "Life Afraid," "Something New," and "Never Know." And of course, it wouldn't be a Set It Off album without an angry song or two, which is where my personal favorite, "Hypnotized," comes in. In this song, singer Cody Carson raps for the first time which was interesting but the lyrics are so angry and sassy, I love it. Lyrical topics range from relationship and friendship issues to learning to live your life to the fullest. My top three songs are "Hypnotized," "Upside Down," and "Something New."

14. "Who You Selling For" - The Pretty Reckless

October 21, Razor & Tie Records

The Pretty Reckless have been known over the years for their hard rock influence and Taylor Momsen's incredible voice. "Who You Selling For" takes a step away from the hard rock aspects of their first two albums "Light Me Up" (2011) and "Going To Hell" (2014). While there's still endless guitar solos, the songs on "Who You Selling For" gravitate towards blues and funk influences. There's also a few slower, acoustic songs, as there is in every TPR album thus far. This album took a few listens to get used to, but overall it's a huge step for TPR in their maturity as a band. My top three songs are "Oh My God," "Wild City," and "The Walls Are Closing In/Hangman."

15. "You Can't Kill Us" - Icon For Hire

November 25, self-released

This album probably wouldn't exist if it weren't for Icon For Hire's fans. After parting ways with their drummer, filing for bankruptcy, and leaving their record label, by the end of last year, it seemed like there was no future for Icon For Hire, but Ariel and Shawn were determined to keep going. In March of this year, they set up a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their new album and they raised well over $100,000, completely surpassing their goal. The money from the Kickstarter was used for recording sessions to release three new songs every three months in March, June, September, and December. The album was actually done in the fall so they pushed the official release date up to mid-November. The extra money from the Kickstarter was used for music videos and an American headline tour this fall, which I went to and was front row. "You Can't Kill Us" stems slightly away from IFH's rock origins that their former record label was pushing. Being an independent band allowed them complete creative control. Ariel sang and wrote the lyrics and Shawn played guitar and helped produce the album. "You Can't Kill Us" features a lot more electronic and synth-pop vibes that IFH experimented with in their previous two albums. The songs are honest and they don't hold anything back. IFH's Kickstarter is one of the few success stories for a band without a label. My top three songs are "Demons," "Supposed To Be," and "Get Well II."

So there are my top 15 albums of 2016. I'm looking forward to new music in 2017 from Paramore, You Me At Six, PVRIS, and Echosmith.