American Songwriter's Top 50 Albums of 2016

Published: December 01, 2016 13:45 Source

# 1

MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 2

Love & Hate by Michael Kiwanuka

Album • Jul 15 / 2016 Soul Singer-Songwriter

# 3

Midwest Farmers Daughter by Margo Price

Album • Mar 25 / 2016 Country

# 4

A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson

Album • Apr 15 / 2016 Country Soul Alt-Country Progressive Country

# 5

case/lang/veirs by case/lang/veirs

Album • Jun 17 / 2016

# 6

Blackstar by David Bowie

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Art Rock

# 7

American Band by Drive-By Truckers

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Alt-Country Southern Rock

# 8

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk

# 9

We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest

Album • Nov 11 / 2016 Conscious Hip Hop East Coast Hip Hop Jazz Rap

# 10

Dori Freeman by Dori Freeman

Album • Feb 05 / 2016 Americana Singer-Songwriter

# 11

The Very Last Day by Parker Millsap

Album • Mar 25 / 2016 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 12

Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Album • May 27 / 2016 Pop Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 13

2 by Mudcrutch

Album • May 20 / 2016 Country Rock Americana

# 14

22, A Million by Bon Iver

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Folktronica

# 15

The Ghosts of Highway 20 by Lucinda Williams

Album • Feb 05 / 2016 Americana Singer-Songwriter Country Rock

# 16

This Is Where I Live by William Bell

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Southern Soul

# 17

Lovers and Leavers by Hayes Carll

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Americana

# 18

Silver Tears by Aaron Lee Tasjan

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Americana

# 19

Puberty 2 by Mitski

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 20

Stranger To Stranger by Paul Simon

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Art Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 21

Big Day in a Small Town by Brandy Clark

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Contemporary Country Country Pop

# 22

Robert Ellis by Robert Ellis

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter

# 23

Lemonade by Beyoncé

Album • Apr 23 / 2016 Contemporary R&B Pop

# 24

Heart Like a Levee by Hiss Golden Messenger

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Americana Folk Rock

# 25

Dig In Deep by Bonnie Raitt

Album • Feb 26 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Blues Rock

# 26

Real by Lydia Loveless

Album • Aug 19 / 2016 Alt-Country Pop Rock

# 27

We're All Gonna Die by Dawes

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Pop Rock Folk Rock

# 28

The Weight of These Wings by Miranda Lambert

Album • Nov 18 / 2016 Contemporary Country

# 29

Painkillers by Brian Fallon

Album • Mar 11 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Heartland Rock

# 30

Shape Shift with Me by Against Me!

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Punk Rock

# 31

FLOTUS by Lambchop

Album • Nov 04 / 2016 Indietronica

# 32

I've Got a Way by Kelsey Waldon

Album • Aug 12 / 2016 Contemporary Country

# 33

Mangy Love by Cass McCombs

Album • Aug 26 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Soft Rock Indie Pop

# 34

Adore Life by Savages

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Post-Punk

# 35

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

Album • May 08 / 2016 Art Pop Art Rock Chamber Pop

# 36

Teens Of Denial by Car Seat Headrest

Album • May 20 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 37

I Had a Dream That You Were Mine by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

Album • Sep 23 / 2016 Chamber Pop Indie Rock

# 38

Honest Life by Courtney Marie Andrews

Album • May 19 / 2017 Singer-Songwriter Americana

# 39

Heads Up by Warpaint

Album • Sep 23 / 2016 Dream Pop Neo-Psychedelia Indie Rock

# 40

Hero (Deluxe Edition) by Maren Morris

Album • Jun 03 / 2016

# 41

Resistor by Lera Lynn

Album • Apr 29 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Alt-Country

# 42

Ruminations by Conor Oberst

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 43

My Piece of Land by Amanda Shires

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Americana Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter

# 44

Cardinal by Pinegrove

Album • Feb 12 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 45

Blonde by Frank Ocean

Album • Aug 20 / 2016 Alternative R&B Art Pop Neo-Soul

# 46

Life in the Dark by The Felice Brothers

Album • Jun 24 / 2016 Americana Folk Rock Contemporary Folk

# 47

Emotions and Math by Margaret Glaspy

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 48

Pawn Shop by Brothers Osborne

Album • Jan 15 / 2016 Contemporary Country

# 49

The Life Of Pablo by Kanye West

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Pop Rap Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop

# 50

Down in Heaven by Twin Peaks

Album • May 13 / 2016 Indie Rock