The Line of Best Fit's 50 Essential Albums of 2016

Here are the fifty records that made 2016 a beautiful, sad, profound and memorable year for us.

Published: December 14, 2016 00:00 Source

# 1

Blood Bitch by Jenny Hval

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Ambient Pop

# 2

Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown

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

# 3

Varmints by Anna Meredith

Album • Mar 04 / 2016 Art Pop Progressive Electronic

# 4

Puberty 2 by Mitski

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 5

22, A Million by Bon Iver

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Folktronica

# 6

Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Album • May 27 / 2016 Pop Rap Conscious Hip Hop

# 7

Nothings Real by Shura

Album • Jul 08 / 2016 Synthpop Dance-Pop Alt-Pop

# 8

Konnichiwa by Skepta

Album • May 06 / 2016 Grime UK Hip Hop

# 9

Running out of Love by The Radio Dept.

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Synthpop Indie Pop

# 10

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

# 11

HOPELESSNESS by ANOHNI

Album • May 06 / 2016 Art Pop Electropop Deconstructed Club

# 12

Adore Life by Savages

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Post-Punk

# 13

Black Lights by Samaris

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Art Pop Indietronica

# 14

Blackstar by David Bowie

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Art Rock

# 15

A Good Night in the Ghetto by Kamaiyah

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

# 16

99.9% by KAYTRANADA

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

# 17

MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 18

Preoccupations by Preoccupations

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Post-Punk

# 19

Telling The Trees by RM Hubbert

Album • Apr 29 / 2016 Contemporary Folk

# 20

Leave Me Alone by Hinds

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Slacker Rock

# 21

Suicide Songs by MONEY

Album • Jan 29 / 2016 Chamber Pop Indie Pop

# 22

Babes Never Die by Honeyblood

Album • Nov 04 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 23

Blonde by Frank Ocean

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

# 24

Light Upon the Lake by Whitney

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Indie Rock Indie Folk

# 25

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

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

# 26

I, Gemini by Let's Eat Grandma

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Art Pop Psychedelic Pop Ambient Pop

# 27

Made in the Manor by Kano

Album • Mar 04 / 2016 UK Hip Hop Grime

# 28

Introducing Karl Blau by Karl Blau

Album • May 13 / 2016 Alt-Country Country Soul

# 29

Blank Face LP by ScHoolboy Q

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

# 30

Slugger by Sad13

Album • Nov 11 / 2016 Synthpop Art Pop Alternative R&B

# 31

Confessions by Nico Muhly + Teitur

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Baroque Pop

# 32

Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Album • Sep 09 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Art Rock

# 33

Lady Wood by Tove Lo

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Electropop Dance-Pop

# 34

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

# 35

Sundur by Pascal Pinon

Album • Aug 19 / 2016 Folktronica Chamber Folk Indie Folk

# 36

The Sun's Tirade by Isaiah Rashad

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Southern Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop Jazz Rap

# 37

Painting of a Panic Attack (Deluxe) by Frightened Rabbit

Album • Apr 08 / 2016

# 38

Chaleur Humaine by Christine and the Queens

Album • Jun 02 / 2014 Electropop Alt-Pop Nouvelle chanson française

# 39

Changes by Charles Bradley

Album • Apr 01 / 2016 Southern Soul Deep Soul Soul

# 40

Will by Julianna Barwick

Album • May 06 / 2016 Ambient Ambient Pop

# 41

Don't Let The Kids Win by Julia Jacklin

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Indie Folk

# 42

All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend by AURORA

Album • Mar 11 / 2016 Art Pop Alt-Pop

# 43

Aforger by Douglas Dare

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Art Pop

# 44

Channel the Spirits by The Comet Is Coming

Album • Apr 01 / 2016 Nu Jazz Space Rock Jazz Fusion

# 45

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk

# 46

Boy King by Wild Beasts

Album • Aug 05 / 2016 Synthpop Art Pop New Rave

# 47

Luneworks by MMOTHS

Album • Mar 11 / 2016 Ambient Pop

# 48

Nótt Á Hafsbotni by Dj. Flugvél Og Geimskip

Album • Jan 01 / 2015 Art Pop

# 49

How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals

Album • Aug 26 / 2016 Indietronica Alt-Pop

# 50

Ugly Cherries by PWR BTTM

Album • Sep 18 / 2015 Power Pop Queercore Garage Rock