Pitchfork's 50 Best Albums of 2016
Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, David Bowie, Beyonce, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead, Bon Iver—who didn't release a record this year? These are the best of a challenging, rewarding, overall epic year.
Published: December 13, 2016 06:00
Source
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | A Seat at the Table | Solange | Sep-30-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #2 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Lemonade | Beyoncé | Apr-23-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #4 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #5 | The Life Of Pablo | Kanye West | Jun-10-2016, Pop Rap |
| #6 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #7 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #8 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #9 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #10 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #11 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #12 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #13 | Malibu | Anderson .Paak | Jan-15-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #14 | Freetown Sound | Blood Orange | Jun-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #15 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #16 | untitled unmastered. | Kendrick Lamar | Mar-04-2016, Jazz Rap |
| #17 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #18 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #19 | ANTI | Rihanna | Jan-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #20 | Sirens | Nicolas Jaar | Sep-30-2016, Ambient Pop |
| #21 | JEFFERY | Young Thug | Aug-26-2016, Trap |
| #22 | Still Brazy (Deluxe) | YG | Jun-14-2016, |
| #23 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #24 | Teens Of Denial | Car Seat Headrest | May-20-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #26 | Human Performance | Parquet Courts | Apr-08-2016, Indie Rock |
| #27 | Telefone | Noname | Jul-31-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #28 | Yes Lawd! | NxWorries | Oct-21-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #29 | EARS | Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | Apr-01-2016, Progressive Electronic |
| #30 | Emily’s D+Evolution | Esperanza Spalding | Jan-01-2016, Jazz Fusion |
| #31 | Light Upon the Lake | Whitney | Jun-03-2016, Indie Rock |
| #32 | A Mulher do Fim do Mundo | Elza Soares | Oct-03-2015, Vanguarda paulista |
| #33 | blackSUMMERS'night (2016) | Maxwell | Jul-01-2016, |
| #34 | Singing Saw | Kevin Morby | Apr-15-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #35 | I Had a Dream That You Were Mine | Hamilton Leithauser, Rostam | Sep-23-2016, Chamber Pop |
| #36 | HEAVN | Jamila Woods | Aug-15-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #37 | We Are KING | We Are KING | Feb-05-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #38 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #39 | DJ-Kicks (Moodymann) (Mixed Tracks) | Moodymann | Feb-19-2016, |
| #40 | A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke | Vijay Iyer, Wadada Leo Smith | Mar-11-2016, ECM Style Jazz |
| #41 | For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) | Huerco S. | Jun-10-2016, Ambient |
| #42 | Prima Donna | Vince Staples | Aug-25-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #43 | Front Row Seat to Earth | Weyes Blood | Oct-21-2016, Baroque Pop |
| #44 | Islah (Deluxe) | Kevin Gates | Dec-11-2015, |
| #45 | Modern Country | William Tyler | Jun-03-2016, American Primitivism |
| #46 | Cardinal | Pinegrove | Feb-12-2016, Indie Rock |
| #47 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #48 | Next Thing | Frankie Cosmos | Apr-01-2016, Twee Pop |
| #49 | Pool | Porches | Feb-05-2016, Synthpop |
| #50 | Savage Mode | 21 Savage, Metro Boomin | Jul-15-2016, Trap |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | A Seat at the Table | Solange | Album, Sep-30-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #2 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Album, Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Lemonade | Beyoncé | Album, Apr-23-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #4 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Album, Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #5 | The Life Of Pablo | Kanye West | Album, Jun-10-2016, Pop Rap |
| #6 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | Album, May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #7 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Album, Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #8 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | Album, May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #9 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Album, Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #10 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | Album, May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #11 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Album, Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #12 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #13 | Malibu | Anderson .Paak | Album, Jan-15-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #14 | Freetown Sound | Blood Orange | Album, Jun-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #15 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Album, Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #16 | untitled unmastered. | Kendrick Lamar | Album, Mar-04-2016, Jazz Rap |
| #17 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Album, Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #18 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Album, Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #19 | ANTI | Rihanna | Album, Jan-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #20 | Sirens | Nicolas Jaar | Album, Sep-30-2016, Ambient Pop |
| #21 | JEFFERY | Young Thug | Album, Aug-26-2016, Trap |
| #22 | Still Brazy (Deluxe) | YG | Album, Jun-14-2016, |
| #23 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #24 | Teens Of Denial | Car Seat Headrest | Album, May-20-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | Album, May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #26 | Human Performance | Parquet Courts | Album, Apr-08-2016, Indie Rock |
| #27 | Telefone | Noname | Album, Jul-31-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #28 | Yes Lawd! | NxWorries | Album, Oct-21-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #29 | EARS | Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith | Album, Apr-01-2016, Progressive Electronic |
| #30 | Emily’s D+Evolution | Esperanza Spalding | Album, Jan-01-2016, Jazz Fusion |
| #31 | Light Upon the Lake | Whitney | Album, Jun-03-2016, Indie Rock |
| #32 | A Mulher do Fim do Mundo | Elza Soares | Album, Oct-03-2015, Vanguarda paulista |
| #33 | blackSUMMERS'night (2016) | Maxwell | Album, Jul-01-2016, |
| #34 | Singing Saw | Kevin Morby | Album, Apr-15-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #35 | I Had a Dream That You Were Mine | Hamilton LeithauserRostam | Album, Sep-23-2016, Chamber Pop |
| #36 | HEAVN | Jamila Woods | Album, Aug-15-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #37 | We Are KING | We Are KING | Album, Feb-05-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #38 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Album, Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #39 | DJ-Kicks (Moodymann) (Mixed Tracks) | Moodymann | Album, Feb-19-2016, |
| #40 | A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke | Vijay IyerWadada Leo Smith | Album, Mar-11-2016, ECM Style Jazz |
| #41 | For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) | Huerco S. | Album, Jun-10-2016, Ambient |
| #42 | Prima Donna | Vince Staples | EP, Aug-25-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #43 | Front Row Seat to Earth | Weyes Blood | Album, Oct-21-2016, Baroque Pop |
| #44 | Islah (Deluxe) | Kevin Gates | Album, Dec-11-2015, |
| #45 | Modern Country | William Tyler | Album, Jun-03-2016, American Primitivism |
| #46 | Cardinal | Pinegrove | Album, Feb-12-2016, Indie Rock |
| #47 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Album, Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #48 | Next Thing | Frankie Cosmos | Album, Apr-01-2016, Twee Pop |
| #49 | Pool | Porches | Album, Feb-05-2016, Synthpop |
| #50 | Savage Mode | 21 SavageMetro Boomin | Album, Jul-15-2016, Trap |