Here they are! Our favourite records of 2016. There has been something for everyone. Veteran artists such as Sleater-Kinney; D’Angelo; Jim O’Rourke or Dr. Dre putting an end to their long career breaks. Younger ones (Grimes; Tame Impala; Julia Holter) hitting their all-time best. Some others -Sufjan Stevens and Björk, among them-went to exorcise intimate ghosts and the results are among their most accomplished works.
There were band members going solo (Father John Misty; Jamie XX) and mind-blowing collaborations (FFS; Jonny Greenwood’s Junun). Rober awards favourites returning in top shape (Joanna Newsom; Destroyer; Panda Bear) and a healthy crop of first albums from all genres (Courtney Barnett; Natalie Prass; Vince Staples; Beach Slang) keeping things fresh. Finely crafted escapism (Carly Rae Jepsen), next to soundtracks to our conflicting society (Kendrick Lamar; Sleaford Mods). Altogether they have helped shaping this as the best year in music for, at least, a decade. Check them out and enjoy!
And the Top 50 albums of the 2016 are:
1-SUFJAN STEVENS
Carrie And Lowell
(Ashmatic Kitty)
2-KENDRICK LAMAR
To Pimp A Butterfly
(Top Dawg)
3-JOANNA NEWSOM
Divers
(Drag City)
4-JULIA HOLTER
Have You In My Wilderness
(Domino)
5-GRIMES
Art Angels
(4AD)
6-TAME IMPALA
Currents
(Modular)
7-D'ANGELO & THE VANGUARD
Black Messiah
(RCA)
8-BJÖRK
Vulnicura
(One Little Indian)
9-FATHER JOHN MISTY
I Love You, Honeybear
(Bella Union)
10-SLEATER-KINNEY
No Cities To Love
(Sub Pop)
11-JAMIE XX
In Colour
(Young Turks)
12-COURTNEY BARNETT
Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
(Marathon Artists)
13-DESTROYER
Poison Season
(Destroyer)
14-NATALIE PRASS
Natalie Prass
(Domino)
15-15-VINCE STAPLES
Summertime '06
(Def Jam)
16-PANDA BEAR
Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
(Domino)
17-ALABAMA SHAKES
Sound And Color
(Atlantic)
18-NEON INDIAN
Vega INTL. Night School
(Mom & Pop)
19-SLEAFORD MODS
Key Markets
(Harbinger Sound)
20-CARLY RAE JEPSEN
E•MO•TION
(Schoolboy/Interscope)
21-DEAFHEAVEN
New Bermuda
(Anti)
22-U.S. GIRLS
Half Free
(4AD)
23-MIGUEL
Wildheart
(RCA)
24-FFS
FFS
(Domino)
25-BEACH HOUSE
Thank Your Lucky Stars
(Bella Union)
26-WAXAHATCHEE
Ivy Tripp
(Wichita)
27-ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER
Garden Of Delete
(Warp)
28-BEACH SLANG
The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
(Polyvinyl)
29-LOW
Ones And Sixes
(Sub Pop)
30-DOMINIQUE A
Éléor
(Wagram)
31-DEERHUNTER
Fading Frontier
(4AD)
32-SOLEÁ MORENTE
Tendrá Que Haber Un Camino
(Sony)
33-JIM O'ROURKE
Simple Songs
(Drag City)
34-HOLLY HERNDON
Platform
(4AD)
35-DR. DRE
Compton
(Aftermath)
36-EMPRESS OF
Me
(Terrible)
37-LONELADY
Hinterland
(Warp)
38-OUGHT
Sun Coming Down
(Constellation)
39-KAMASI WASHINGTON
The Epic
(Brainfeeder)
40-SHYE BEN TZUR, JONNY GREENWOOD & THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS
Junun (Nonesuch)
41-CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS
Chaleur Humaine
(Because)
42-VIET CONG
Viet Cong
(Jagjaguwar)
43-EARTHEATER
RIP Chrysalys
(Hausu Mountain)
44-DJANGO DJANGO
Born Under Saturn
(Ribbon)
45-DAWN RICHARD
Blackheart
(Our Dawn)
46-THEE OH SEES
Mutilator Defeated At Last
(Castle Face)