Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2016

Rolling Stone's best albums of the year list: The 50 best albums of 2016.

Published: November 28, 2016 14:40 Source

# 1

Lemonade by Beyoncé

Album • Apr 23 / 2016 Contemporary R&B Pop

# 2

Blackstar by David Bowie

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Art Rock

# 3

Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Album • May 27 / 2016 Pop Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 4

Teens Of Denial by Car Seat Headrest

Album • May 20 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 5

Blonde by Frank Ocean

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

# 6

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

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

# 7

Blue & Lonesome by The Rolling Stones

Album • Dec 02 / 2016 Blues Rock British Blues

# 8

The Life Of Pablo by Kanye West

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

# 9

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk

# 10

JEFFERY by Young Thug

Album • Aug 26 / 2016 Trap Southern Hip Hop Pop Rap

# 11

A Seat at the Table by Solange

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 12

Stranger To Stranger by Paul Simon

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Art Pop Singer-Songwriter

# 13

Hero (Deluxe Edition) by Maren Morris

Album • Jun 03 / 2016

# 14

Revolution Radio by Green Day

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Pop Punk

# 15

Return to Love by LVL UP

Album • Sep 23 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 16

The Weight of These Wings by Miranda Lambert

Album • Nov 18 / 2016 Contemporary Country

# 17

Human Performance by Parquet Courts

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 18

I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it by The 1975

Album • Feb 26 / 2016 Synthpop Pop Rock

# 19

Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown

Album • Sep 27 / 2016 Experimental Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 20

Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Album • Sep 09 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Art Rock

# 21

Midwest Farmers Daughter by Margo Price

Album • Mar 25 / 2016 Country

# 22

22, A Million by Bon Iver

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Folktronica

# 23

Puberty 2 by Mitski

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 24

American Band by Drive-By Truckers

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Alt-Country Southern Rock

# 25

ANTI by Rihanna

Album • Jan 28 / 2016 Alternative R&B Contemporary R&B

# 26

A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson

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

# 27

Big Day in a Small Town by Brandy Clark

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Contemporary Country Country Pop

# 28

Freetown Sound by Blood Orange

Album • Jun 28 / 2016 Alternative R&B Synth Funk

# 29

2 by Mudcrutch

Album • May 20 / 2016 Country Rock Americana

# 30

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

# 31

Paradise by White Lung

Album • May 06 / 2016 Punk Rock

# 32

HERE by Alicia Keys

Album • Nov 04 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 33

57th & 9th by Sting

Album • Nov 11 / 2016 Pop Rock

# 34

MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 35

HOPELESSNESS by ANOHNI

Album • May 06 / 2016 Art Pop Electropop Deconstructed Club

# 36

Hardwired…To Self-Destruct by Metallica

Album • Nov 18 / 2016 Heavy Metal

# 37

Dig In Deep by Bonnie Raitt

Album • Feb 26 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Blues Rock

# 38

Lady Wood by Tove Lo

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Electropop Dance-Pop

# 39

Wonderful Crazy Night (Deluxe) by Elton John

Album • Feb 05 / 2016

# 40

blackSUMMERS'night (2016) by Maxwell

Album • Jul 01 / 2016

# 41

Schmilco by Wilco

Album • Sep 06 / 2016 Indie Rock Alt-Country

# 42

Views by Drake

Album • May 06 / 2016 Pop Rap Contemporary R&B

# 43

EVOL by Future

Album • Apr 13 / 2016 Trap Southern Hip Hop

# 44

Good Times! by The Monkees

Album • May 27 / 2016 Sunshine Pop Pop Rock

# 45

Post Pop Depression by Iggy Pop

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Alternative Rock

# 46

Day Breaks by Norah Jones

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Jazz Pop Vocal Jazz

# 47

Stranger Things, Vol. 2 (A Netflix Original Series Soundtrack) by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein

Album • Aug 19 / 2016

# 48

Emily’s D+Evolution by Esperanza Spalding

Album • Jan 01 / 2016 Jazz Fusion Art Pop Progressive Pop

# 49

We're All Gonna Die by Dawes

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Pop Rock Folk Rock

# 50

Bottomless Pit by Death Grips

Album • May 06 / 2016 Industrial Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop Experimental Hip Hop