Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2016

This has been such a bullshit year. We’ve seen gun massacres. We’ve seen wild political turmoil across the world. We’ve seen countless icons, musical and otherwise, leave this world for the next realm. We’ve seen a power-mad billionaire and an aging and delusional pro wrestler team up to shut down Gawker. We’ve seen a whole lot of bullshit summer-franchise movies. And then there’s the cherry on top of the bullshit sundae: We’ve seen a global revival of right-wing nativism, culminating in a reality-show con-man bigot being elected to the United States presidency even though he lost the popular vote. Everything sucked. Well, almost everything sucked.

Published: December 01, 2016 14:30 Source

# 1

Lemonade by Beyoncé

Album • Apr 23 / 2016 Contemporary R&B Pop

# 2

Blonde by Frank Ocean

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

# 3

Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Album • May 27 / 2016 Pop Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 4

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

# 5

Blackstar by David Bowie

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Art Rock

# 6

A Seat at the Table by Solange

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 7

MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 8

Puberty 2 by Mitski

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 9

The Life Of Pablo by Kanye West

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

# 10

Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown

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

# 11

Teens Of Denial by Car Seat Headrest

Album • May 20 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 12

Malibu by Anderson .Paak

Album • Jan 15 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 13

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

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

# 14

Blank Face LP by ScHoolboy Q

Album • Jul 08 / 2016 Gangsta Rap West Coast Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop

# 15

22, A Million by Bon Iver

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Folktronica

# 16

A Good Night in the Ghetto by Kamaiyah

Album • Mar 23 / 2016 West Coast Hip Hop Ratchet Music

# 17

Paradise by White Lung

Album • May 06 / 2016 Punk Rock

# 18

Flood Network by Katie Dey

Album • Aug 12 / 2016 Neo-Psychedelia Indietronica

# 19

HOPELESSNESS by ANOHNI

Album • May 06 / 2016 Art Pop Electropop Deconstructed Club

# 20

ANTI by Rihanna

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

# 21

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

# 22

The Dream Is Over by PUP

Album • May 27 / 2016 Post-Hardcore Pop Punk

# 23

Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Album • Sep 09 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Art Rock

# 24

Cardinal by Pinegrove

Album • Feb 12 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 25

Slow Forever by Cobalt

Album • Mar 25 / 2016 Sludge Metal Black Metal

# 26

A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson

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

# 27

Psychopomp by Japanese Breakfast

Album • Apr 16 / 2016 Dream Pop Indie Pop

# 28

Telefone by Noname

Album • Jul 31 / 2016 Conscious Hip Hop Jazz Rap

# 29

Kiid by Mal Devisa

Album • Jan 01 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Soul

# 30

Wriggling by Abi Reimold

Album • Jan 26 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter Alternative Rock

# 31

Mangy Love by Cass McCombs

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

# 32

Still Brazy (Deluxe) by YG

Album • Jun 14 / 2016

# 33

Shapeshifter by IAN SWEET

Album • Sep 09 / 2016 Indie Rock Noise Pop Lo-Fi / Slacker Rock

# 34

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk

# 35

Romantic by Mannequin Pussy

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Noise Rock Indie Rock

# 36

99.9% by KAYTRANADA

Album • May 06 / 2016 Alternative R&B Funky House

# 37

HEAVN by Jamila Woods

Album • Aug 15 / 2017 Neo-Soul Alternative R&B

# 38

Blood Bitch by Jenny Hval

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Ambient Pop

# 39

Goodness by The Hotelier

Album • May 27 / 2016 Indie Rock Emo

# 40

untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar

Album • Mar 04 / 2016 Jazz Rap Conscious Hip Hop West Coast Hip Hop

# 41

Beyond the Fleeting Gales by Crying

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Power Pop Progressive Pop Indie Rock

# 42

The Colour In Anything by James Blake

Album • May 05 / 2016 Alternative R&B Art Pop

# 43

Junk by M83

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Synthpop

# 44

Next Thing by Frankie Cosmos

Album • Apr 01 / 2016 Twee Pop Bedroom Pop Indie Pop

# 45

Emotions and Math by Margaret Glaspy

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 46

Stage Four (Deluxe Edition) by Touché Amoré

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Post-Hardcore Emo

# 47

Real by Lydia Loveless

Album • Aug 19 / 2016 Alt-Country Pop Rock

# 48

Love Streams by Tim Hecker

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Ambient Glitch

# 49

Nattesferd by Kvelertak

Album • May 13 / 2016 Hard Rock Black 'n' Roll

# 50

Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball

Album • May 13 / 2016 Indie Rock Emo