Most people can agree that 2016 has been a difficult year. The presidential election was arduous, regardless of your preferred candidate won. Don’t forget Brexit and the siege and subsequent fall of Aleppo. David Bowie, Prince, Arnold Palmer, Alan Rickman, Leonard Cohen and Carrie Fisher, amongst others, all died. And after a steady decline in popularity over the past 10 years or so, the VCR finally met its end in July.
But there was a bright side: 2016 was a pretty phenomenal year in music. Here are the 15 albums that stood head and shoulders above the rest in 2016. Spoiler alert: Corey Feldman’s Angelic 2 the Core is not present.
15. Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Once you get past the bizarre names for the tracks on this album — the first two are “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄” — 22, A Million is flat out gorgeous.
22, A Million is experimental and more than a little weird, but somehow it works. It’s a far departure from Bon Iver’s last album, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, featuring a far more ethereal feel than previous folk-style songs. Even with the stylistic change, songwriter and frontman Justin Vernon demonstrates his ability to evoke emotions, albeit in a mysterious and oblique manner.
Listen: “29 #Strafford APTS”
14. Childish Gambino – "Awaken, My Love!"
I was really disappointed when I first listened to “Awaken, My Love!” What had happened to the angry-yet-funny Gambino from Camp and Because the Internet? I felt echoes of my reaction to Mac Miller’s The Divine Feminine and became worried that I was going to have another disappointment on my hands.
But then I put my expectations aside and realized that “Awaken, My Love!” is an absolute jewel of an album. It’s not classic Gambino rap. Instead, it’s soulful funk, punctuated with gospel influence. “Awaken, My Love!” shows Donald Glover’s talent and ability to do more than party rap — he is a talented singer with an otherworldly vocal range. What can’t he do?
Listen: “Redbone”
13. Pinegrove – Cardinal
Not often is it correct to describe an album as “emo alt-country,” but that encapsulates Cardinal. Its breezy and primarily guitar-based style contrasts the lyrics, which are borderline depressing. Evan Stephens Hall croons sadly about the past, only to eventually realize maybe life isn’t so bad after all.
Cardinal is short — just 8 tracks and 30 minutes — and sweet. It’s an easy album to get lost in, between the easy melodies, pleasant guitar and angsty lyrics.
Listen: “Aphasia”
12. Tycho – Epoch
The unrivaled king of chillwave, Tycho, returns with his fourth album, Epoch. Chillwave, ambient, downbeat, IDM — call it whatever you like, but it’s impossible to deny that Tycho is at the top of the game in electronic music.
Epoch is crisp from start to finish, with a coherence often missing on electronic albums. The production is impeccably clean, especially on an album that seems to feature equal parts synth and guitar.
Listen: “Horizon”
11. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
It’s raw, fragmented and a little bit slapdash, and it actually works. In fact, that’s probably how Kanye wanted it. You see, The Life of Pablo is not old Kanye — as he points out on the self-referential “I Love Kanye.”
Kanye gets by with a little help from his friends, including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper, whose verse on “Ultralight Beam” is a true blessing (more on Chance later). West remains his impressive self throughout, especially on “FML,” “Waves” and “Saint Pablo.” The only problem I have with this album is that its title was changed from SWISH. Come on, Yeezy, you know that’s better.
Listen: “Ultralight Beam”
10. Bastille – Wild World
In the most cinematic record of the year, Bastille sample ‘80s sci-fi flicks left and right while captivating listeners with indie pop anthems. Wild World features song after song dominated by frontman Dan Smith’s powerful voice.
Wild World might feel fractured without Smith’s unifying vocals. The album bounces from pulsating pop (“An Act of Kindness”) to an electronically charged commentary on media (“Warmth”) without missing a beat. “Two Evils,” an acoustic track — new territory for Bastille — allows Smith a blank canvas to unleash his voice.
Listen: “Fake It”
9. The Avalanches – Wildflower
When Since I Left You, The Avalanches’ debut, was released, George W. Bush was president-elect, Serbia and Montenegro were still one nation and Wikipedia hadn’t been invented. 16 years later, the electronic group broke its silence with a long-awaited sophomore effort, Wildflower.
While Wildflower doesn’t transcend the pièce de résistance that is Since I Left You, it is undeniably a gem in its own right. Wildflower holds true to the unprecedented plunderphonics style that The Avalanches defined on Since I Left You — every second of every track is based on samples. “Every little footstep and voice and yell and clatter and cowhorn and dog barking” is sampled, band member Robbie Chater told Spin. This results in a psychedelic and captivating record that is a journey from start to finish. Wildflower contains so much that it is impossible to drink it all in with just one listen — which is good, because you’ll want to listen to it again.
Listen: “Frankie Sinatra”
8. Frank Ocean – Blonde
Blonde was perhaps the most-anticipated album of 2016. After all, it was endlessly teased ever since 2013’s Channel Orange. Following several moments of hope that were met with silence, the seemingly eternal wait was ended, and Blonde was revealed.
Just as on Channel Orange, Ocean continues to be hyper-talented and innovative, pushing the boundaries of what defines the R&B genre. The only problem with Blonde was the overwhelming, unceasing hype surrounding it, but that shouldn’t damper a wonderful record that is the epitome of avant-garde.
Listen: “Nikes”
7. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
2016 was the year of Anderson .Paak. Fresh off six (!) appearances on Dr. Dre’s Compton, .Paak released Malibu, .Paak featured on Mac Miller’s “Dang!” (the only song from The Divine Feminine that genuinely impressed me) and was named as one of XXL’s 2016 Freshman Class of the 10 best up-and-comers in hip-hop.
Malibu is a greater achievement than any listed above, though. The album flawlessly mixes hip-hop, R&B and soul — sometimes on different tracks, sometimes on one track, especially the impressive “Come Down.” My apologies to Beyoncé, but Malibu should win Best Urban Contemporary Album this February at the Grammys.
Listen: “Come Down”
6. PUP – The Dream Is Over
The Dream Is Over doesn’t stray too far from PUP’s self-titled debut album, but that’s a good thing — it gives them a consistent, recognizable sound. That sound is raw, fresh garage punk full of echoes of classic punk. The Dream Is Over doesn’t take itself too seriously, even when dealing with touchy subjects like alcoholism, drug abuse, relationship problems or disenchantment with life. For example, “DVP” details the story of a man whose binge-drinking is apparently destroying his relationship — until the very end of the song reveals he’s just been drinking too much Hawaiian Punch. Similarly, “Sleep In The Heat” and “The Coast” are excellently irreverent.
Too many punk bands try a little too hard to be angsty and cool, but PUP’s music is genuine, possibly due to the band’s own disillusionment with the world. There may never have been a more punk lyric than “Used to say, ‘Don't quit your day job’ / Well, guess what, I never had one.”
Listen: “DVP”
5. Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book
I told you we’d get back to the rapper that’s on top of the world right now. Coloring Book follows up Acid Rap perfectly.
Chance’s flow continues to be so effortless, no matter whether the song is lit and loud or deep and introspective. This mixtape does a great job of balancing those two types of songs and sometimes combines them, including on one of the best songs of the year, “No Problem.” Coloring Book has the rare distinction of having zero bad songs. It has a feature by Justin Bieber and a lullaby sung by D.R.A.M. — both of which sound dangerous — but somehow it all works. Coloring Book is a rap album that is, like Chance himself, a one-of-a-kind.
Listen: “No Problem”
4. Angel Olsen – MY WOMAN
There’s a strong cohesion to this grungy record. MY WOMAN blends garage rock with dream pop in a manner that is both surprising and impressive. In addition, Olsen’s voice is equal parts haunting and powerful — it’s unequivocally gorgeous.
Let’s not forget Olsen’s songwriting talents, though. Lots of artists write about broken hearts and self-exploration, but no one treats these topics with such nuance and skill as Olsen. MY WOMAN is an unforgettable album, lingering in your mind for days after your first listen.
Listen: “Shut Up Kiss Me”
3. A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service
This is the best hip-hop album of the year. This is not Drake or Post Malone. We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service is a masterstroke from the kings of alternative hip-hop, A Tribe Called Quest.
It may not have topped charts, but “We The People….” is the best hip-hop song of 2016. With a ridiculously catchy beat, excellent flow from Q-Tip and the late Phife Dawg, and an important message regarding diversity in America, “We The People….” sets the stage for ATCQ’s goodbye. The incredible rapping skill Tribe made their name on and the nostalgic ‘90s feel that resonates even today permeate the rest of the album. We got it from Here… is a perfect final record, because it reminds us why A Tribe Called Quest have always been so masterful.
Listen: “We The People….”
2. The 1975 – I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
This album might not be for everyone. At 17 tracks and an hour and 14 minutes long, the only thing longer than this album is its ridiculous title. Also, several of those 17 tracks are ambient music.
And yet, The 1975 execute everything perfectly on I like it when you sleep…, from an unshakeable groove on the first true track, “Love Me,” to not one but two acoustic ballads to close the record. I like it when you sleep… pushes pop boundaries that The 1975 only brushed at meekly on their eponymous debut in 2013. Matty Healy tells a narrative of a man stuck inside his head, lamenting a lost love — yet the album manages to be joyous and downright fun. I like it when you sleep… feels like it was written to be enjoyed while driving around past midnight, looking at the stars and pondering life’s great mysteries — like if Healy will ever get a haircut.
Listen: “The Sound”
1. David Bowie – Blackstar
Blackstar would’ve been an incredible album even if he were still with us — but his passing adds to the mystery and lore of the legend that is Bowie. Having been released a mere two days before his untimely and unexpected death, it’s nearly impossible to separate feelings of shock and grief from Blackstar. However, those emotions fit well with the album, which revolves around Bowie’s musings on life and death.
The 10-minute title track is simply incredible as the opening track, before the album truly kicks into gear on second track, “‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore.” Across its runtime, Blackstar blurs the lines between rock, jazz and pop, always punctuated by one of the most iconic voices in all of music.
Mozart famously died prior to completing his requiem, but David Bowie finished his — Blackstar, an unmistakable masterpiece that is eternal as Bowie himself.
Listen: “Lazarus”
@alexmccann21
