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
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lemonade | Beyoncé | Apr-23-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #2 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #4 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #5 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #6 | A Seat at the Table | Solange | Sep-30-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #7 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #9 | The Life Of Pablo | Kanye West | Jun-10-2016, Pop Rap |
| #10 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #11 | Teens Of Denial | Car Seat Headrest | May-20-2016, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Malibu | Anderson .Paak | Jan-15-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #13 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #14 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #15 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #16 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #17 | Paradise | White Lung | May-06-2016, Punk Rock |
| #18 | Flood Network | Katie Dey | Aug-12-2016, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #19 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #20 | ANTI | Rihanna | Jan-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #21 | I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it | The 1975 | Feb-26-2016, Synthpop |
| #22 | The Dream Is Over | PUP | May-27-2016, Post-Hardcore |
| #23 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #24 | Cardinal | Pinegrove | Feb-12-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Slow Forever | Cobalt | Mar-25-2016, Sludge Metal |
| #26 | A Sailor's Guide to Earth | Sturgill Simpson | Apr-15-2016, Country Soul |
| #27 | Psychopomp | Japanese Breakfast | Apr-16-2016, Dream Pop |
| #28 | Telefone | Noname | Jul-31-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #29 | Kiid | Mal Devisa | Jan-01-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | Wriggling | Abi Reimold | Jan-26-2016, Indie Rock |
| #31 | Mangy Love | Cass McCombs | Aug-26-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Still Brazy (Deluxe) | YG | Jun-14-2016, |
| #33 | Shapeshifter | IAN SWEET | Sep-09-2016, Indie Rock |
| #34 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #35 | Romantic | Mannequin Pussy | Oct-28-2016, Noise Rock |
| #36 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #37 | HEAVN | Jamila Woods | Aug-15-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #38 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #39 | Goodness | The Hotelier | May-27-2016, Indie Rock |
| #40 | untitled unmastered. | Kendrick Lamar | Mar-04-2016, Jazz Rap |
| #41 | Beyond the Fleeting Gales | Crying | Oct-14-2016, Power Pop |
| #42 | The Colour In Anything | James Blake | May-05-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #43 | Junk | M83 | Apr-08-2016, Synthpop |
| #44 | Next Thing | Frankie Cosmos | Apr-01-2016, Twee Pop |
| #45 | Emotions and Math | Margaret Glaspy | Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #46 | Stage Four (Deluxe Edition) | Touché Amoré | Sep-16-2016, Post-Hardcore |
| #47 | Real | Lydia Loveless | Aug-19-2016, Alt-Country |
| #48 | Love Streams | Tim Hecker | Apr-08-2016, Ambient |
| #49 | Nattesferd | Kvelertak | May-13-2016, Hard Rock |
| #50 | Holy Ghost | Modern Baseball | May-13-2016, Indie Rock |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lemonade | Beyoncé | Album, Apr-23-2016, Contemporary R&B |
| #2 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Album, Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | Album, May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #4 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Album, Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #5 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Album, Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #6 | A Seat at the Table | Solange | Album, Sep-30-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #7 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Album, Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #8 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Album, Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #9 | The Life Of Pablo | Kanye West | Album, Jun-10-2016, Pop Rap |
| #10 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Album, Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #11 | Teens Of Denial | Car Seat Headrest | Album, May-20-2016, Indie Rock |
| #12 | Malibu | Anderson .Paak | Album, Jan-15-2016, Neo-Soul |
| #13 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | Album, May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #14 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Album, Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #15 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #16 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Album, Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #17 | Paradise | White Lung | Album, May-06-2016, Punk Rock |
| #18 | Flood Network | Katie Dey | Album, Aug-12-2016, Neo-Psychedelia |
| #19 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | Album, May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #20 | ANTI | Rihanna | Album, Jan-28-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #21 | I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it | The 1975 | Album, Feb-26-2016, Synthpop |
| #22 | The Dream Is Over | PUP | Album, May-27-2016, Post-Hardcore |
| #23 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Album, Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #24 | Cardinal | Pinegrove | Album, Feb-12-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | Slow Forever | Cobalt | Album, Mar-25-2016, Sludge Metal |
| #26 | A Sailor's Guide to Earth | Sturgill Simpson | Album, Apr-15-2016, Country Soul |
| #27 | Psychopomp | Japanese Breakfast | Album, Apr-16-2016, Dream Pop |
| #28 | Telefone | Noname | Album, Jul-31-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #29 | Kiid | Mal Devisa | Album, Jan-01-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #30 | Wriggling | Abi Reimold | Album, Jan-26-2016, Indie Rock |
| #31 | Mangy Love | Cass McCombs | Album, Aug-26-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Still Brazy (Deluxe) | YG | Album, Jun-14-2016, |
| #33 | Shapeshifter | IAN SWEET | Album, Sep-09-2016, Indie Rock |
| #34 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Album, Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #35 | Romantic | Mannequin Pussy | Album, Oct-28-2016, Noise Rock |
| #36 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | Album, May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #37 | HEAVN | Jamila Woods | Album, Aug-15-2017, Neo-Soul |
| #38 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #39 | Goodness | The Hotelier | Album, May-27-2016, Indie Rock |
| #40 | untitled unmastered. | Kendrick Lamar | Album, Mar-04-2016, Jazz Rap |
| #41 | Beyond the Fleeting Gales | Crying | Album, Oct-14-2016, Power Pop |
| #42 | The Colour In Anything | James Blake | Album, May-05-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #43 | Junk | M83 | Album, Apr-08-2016, Synthpop |
| #44 | Next Thing | Frankie Cosmos | Album, Apr-01-2016, Twee Pop |
| #45 | Emotions and Math | Margaret Glaspy | Album, Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #46 | Stage Four (Deluxe Edition) | Touché Amoré | Album, Sep-16-2016, Post-Hardcore |
| #47 | Real | Lydia Loveless | Album, Aug-19-2016, Alt-Country |
| #48 | Love Streams | Tim Hecker | Album, Apr-08-2016, Ambient |
| #49 | Nattesferd | Kvelertak | Album, May-13-2016, Hard Rock |
| #50 | Holy Ghost | Modern Baseball | Album, May-13-2016, Indie Rock |