2016 may have been an up and down year in many ways but it was one of the best years for music in recent memory. It felt like every major artist released a new project this year while some up and coming artists made statements arguing their legitimacy in the music industry. To celebrate these artists and their work, I've ranked my top 40 albums of 2016. I think all of these albums are fantastic and recommend them to everyone if you're looking for something new to listen to. I'll list off numbers 40-21 pretty quickly and then give quick snippets about the top 20. If you don't see your favorite album on here or would've put a different album at the #1 spot, let me know!
40. "There's A Lot Going On" - Vic Mensa
39. "Cardinal" - Pinegrove
38. "In My Mind" - BJ the Chicago Kid
37. "Black Terry Cat" - Xenia Rubinos
36. "Imperial" - Denzel Curry
35. "Wildflower" - The Avalanches
34. "Splendor and Misery" - Clipping
33. "Islah" - Kevin Gates
32. "Stranger to Stranger" - Paul Simon
31. "You Want it Darker" - Leonard Cohen
30. "Freetown Sound" - Blood Orange
29. "Telefone" - Noname
28. "Honor Killed the Samurai" - Ka
27. "Love and Hate" - Michael Kiwanuka
26. "A Sailor's Guide to Earth" - Sturgill Simpson
25. "Jet Plane and Oxbow" - Shearwater
24. "The Human Condition" - Jon Bellion
23. "Floss" - Injury Reserve
22. "99.99%" - Kaytranada
21. "Jeffrey" - Young Thug
20. "Yes Lawd!" - NxWorries; This album was one of two projects to come from Anderson .Paak this year, and while "Malibu" was a more personal album, this album is oozing with sexual appeal and feel good vibes.
19. "Hopelessness" - Anohni; On this album from former lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons (Anhoni is a transgender singer), Anohni brings a dense album about a variety of social issues laced over wonderful production from Hudson Mohawke. The song "Drone Bomb Me" was one of the best singles from this year.
18. "Konnichiwa" - Skepta; This breakout album from UK grime rapper Skepta finally creates a grime rap record that has built a bridge between the surprisingly divided British and American hip-hop cultures. It has a couple questionable one liners, but other than that the lyrics are strong and has an even mix of bangers and smooth ballads.
17. "Untitled. Unmastered." - Kendrick Lamar; It's a collection of B-side songs from the past few years and it's still better than most albums this year. That's just lunacy. "Untitled 07" is one of the most unique tracks of the year.
16. "Teens of Denial" - Car Seat Headrest; This album presents indie-rock at its most dynamic as singer-songwriter Will Toledo displays his full range of talents.
15. "Skeleton Tree"- Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds; My goodness is it depressing to listen to but it's impossible to deny the quality of the music. It may not be an album you'll be rushing to listen to again and again but it certainly leaves a lasting mark.
14. "The Impossible Kid" - Aesop Rock; Indie rapper Aesop Rock comes through with his most accessible album compared to his other metaphor-layered works and is better off for it. The creativity and unique storytelling is still there with great tracks about his childhood, trips to the psychiatrist, and feeling old when going to the ice cream parlor.
13. "Still Brazy" - YG; I didn't expect to have many positive feelings going into this album, but YG sure did prove me wrong. This album is well-rounded, hard-hitting, and brings back the west coast rap sounds of years past in irresistible fashion.
12. "MY WOMAN" - Angel Olsen; Not only is "Shut Up Kiss Me" one of the best tracks of the year, but Angel Olsen puts together an all together satisfying project while subsequently realizing her full potential. Songs that joyously get stuck in your head and wonderful songwriting come together to create a desire to listen to this album over and over again.
11. "The Life of Pablo" - Kanye West; Kanye's messiest and most sporadic album, this project seems like a great representation of 2016 as a whole. It's a collection of all Kanye's best musical ideas thrust into one album, and while it may have fluidity issues, there are just so many great songs that will please fans of any previous Kanye albums. And "Ultralight Beam" is the best song of 2016. Period.
10. "A Moon Shaped Pool" - Radiohead; It's amazing that an album as subtle as this one can be so emotionally impactful as Radiohead return to glorious form with this record. It won't go down as their best or most popular album, but it only adds to the already strong discography of this innovative band.
9. "A Seat at the Table" - Solange; The sister of Beyonce finally steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight with this great record. Songs like "Don't Touch My Hair," "Mad," and "Cranes in the Sky" remind us that R&B can be fun and still have a strong social or political message.
8. "22, a Million" - Bon Iver; Leave it to Bon Iver to continuously make such beautiful music no matter how saddening the subject matter of the tracks may be. By wonderfully blending sonically charged sounds with elegant acoustic rhythms, "22, a Million" is a must-listen music experience from one of this generation's best.
7. "We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service" - A Tribe Called Quest; Nearly 18 years after the release of their last album, A Tribe Called Quest's final album reminds us that, years later, they can still create ground-breaking music that feels all the more sentimental with the death of Tribe member Phife Dawg earlier this year. The Tribe are one of the all-time greats and this album solidifies any doubt of that.
6. "Malibu" - Anderson .Paak; The second record to come from Anderson. Paak this year is more sentimental, personal, and extravagant than "Yes Lawd!". This album has beauty lyrics with wonderful jazz production amidst songs that can tug at your heartstrings or fill you with the urge to dance. Definitely the album I listened to the most this year.
5. "Lemonade" - Beyonce; The top 5 of this list are all so close to each other that they could change order by the day but at the moment I put "Lemonade" at the #5 spot. By far Beyonce's best album of her career, "Lemonade" displays Ms. Carter's wide range of vocal talents by blending genres in ways that are undoubtedly engaging to listen to. The emotion is almost unparalleled and it manages to also be a form of concept album. Plus "Formation" is a close second to "Ultralight Beam" for song of the year.
4. "Atrocity Exhibition" - Danny Brown; This album is so haunting and dark that I still have nightmares about it but this record is hip-hop music at its absolute, and almost experimental, best. Danny Brown may be polarizing for some listeners but this album is him at the peak of his abilities. Songs like "Really Doe," "When it Rain," and "Pneumonia" are just the tip of an iceberg of highlights from this soon-to-be-a-classic album.
3. "Blonde" - Frank Ocean; I loved "Channel Orange" when it came out, but I wasn't sure how Frank Ocean was going to proceed after it. "Blonde" is the best possible answer to all those questions as Frank Ocean produces songs of extreme maturity. It makes me want to waste my day away laying on the couch wrapped up in a soft blanket listening to the entire record on repeat for hours on end.
2. "Coloring Book" - Chance the Rapper; Chance the Rapper has always had potential, but with this album he did something that I didn't think was possible: he successfully combined gospel music and modern hip-hop in a cohesive and fluid fashion. It's tough to categorize this album as one particular genre because it encompasses so many different sounds and the end result is musical ecstasy.
1. "Blackstar" - David Bowie; 2016 was doomed to be a bad year when pop icon David Bowie passed away early in January. The creator of one of my favorite albums of all time in "Ziggy Stardust" gives the world of music one last perfect statement just days before his passing. The music would be incredible without the context of his passing, but add in that knowledge creates an entirely new level of immersive introspection. This album gives me chills in a way that no album has done before. Rest in peace David Bowie. The world of music owes you the biggest debt of gratitude for everything you gave to us over the years.
