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
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #2 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #3 | Varmints | Anna Meredith | Mar-04-2016, Art Pop |
| #4 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #5 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #6 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #7 | Nothings Real | Shura | Jul-08-2016, Synthpop |
| #8 | Konnichiwa | Skepta | May-06-2016, Grime |
| #9 | Running out of Love | The Radio Dept. | Oct-21-2016, Synthpop |
| #10 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #11 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #12 | Adore Life | Savages | Jan-22-2016, Post-Punk |
| #13 | Black Lights | Samaris | Jun-10-2016, Art Pop |
| #14 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #15 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #16 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #17 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #18 | Preoccupations | Preoccupations | Sep-16-2016, Post-Punk |
| #19 | Telling The Trees | RM Hubbert | Apr-29-2016, Contemporary Folk |
| #20 | Leave Me Alone | Hinds | Jan-08-2016, Slacker Rock |
| #21 | Suicide Songs | MONEY | Jan-29-2016, Chamber Pop |
| #22 | Babes Never Die | Honeyblood | Nov-04-2016, Indie Rock |
| #23 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #24 | Light Upon the Lake | Whitney | Jun-03-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #26 | I, Gemini | Let's Eat Grandma | Jun-17-2016, Art Pop |
| #27 | Made in the Manor | Kano | Mar-04-2016, UK Hip Hop |
| #28 | Introducing Karl Blau | Karl Blau | May-13-2016, Alt-Country |
| #29 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #30 | Slugger | Sad13 | Nov-11-2016, Synthpop |
| #31 | Confessions | Nico Muhly, Teitur | Oct-14-2016, Baroque Pop |
| #32 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #33 | Lady Wood | Tove Lo | Oct-28-2016, Electropop |
| #34 | I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it | The 1975 | Feb-26-2016, Synthpop |
| #35 | Sundur | Pascal Pinon | Aug-19-2016, Folktronica |
| #36 | The Sun's Tirade | Isaiah Rashad | Sep-02-2016, Southern Hip Hop |
| #37 | Painting of a Panic Attack (Deluxe) | Frightened Rabbit | Apr-08-2016, |
| #38 | Chaleur Humaine | Christine and the Queens | Jun-02-2014, Electropop |
| #39 | Changes | Charles Bradley | Apr-01-2016, Southern Soul |
| #40 | Will | Julianna Barwick | May-06-2016, Ambient |
| #41 | Don't Let The Kids Win | Julia Jacklin | Oct-07-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #42 | All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend | AURORA | Mar-11-2016, Art Pop |
| #43 | Aforger | Douglas Dare | Oct-14-2016, Art Pop |
| #44 | Channel the Spirits | The Comet Is Coming | Apr-01-2016, Nu Jazz |
| #45 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #46 | Boy King | Wild Beasts | Aug-05-2016, Synthpop |
| #47 | Luneworks | MMOTHS | Mar-11-2016, Ambient Pop |
| #48 | Nótt Á Hafsbotni | Dj. Flugvél Og Geimskip | Jan-01-2015, Art Pop |
| #49 | How To Be A Human Being | Glass Animals | Aug-26-2016, Indietronica |
| #50 | Ugly Cherries | PWR BTTM | Sep-18-2015, Power Pop |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Blood Bitch | Jenny Hval | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #2 | Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown | Album, Sep-27-2016, Experimental Hip Hop |
| #3 | Varmints | Anna Meredith | Album, Mar-04-2016, Art Pop |
| #4 | Puberty 2 | Mitski | Album, Jun-17-2016, Indie Rock |
| #5 | 22, A Million | Bon Iver | Album, Sep-30-2016, Art Pop |
| #6 | Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper | Album, May-27-2016, Pop Rap |
| #7 | Nothings Real | Shura | Album, Jul-08-2016, Synthpop |
| #8 | Konnichiwa | Skepta | Album, May-06-2016, Grime |
| #9 | Running out of Love | The Radio Dept. | Album, Oct-21-2016, Synthpop |
| #10 | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | A Tribe Called Quest | Album, Nov-11-2016, Conscious Hip Hop |
| #11 | HOPELESSNESS | ANOHNI | Album, May-06-2016, Art Pop |
| #12 | Adore Life | Savages | Album, Jan-22-2016, Post-Punk |
| #13 | Black Lights | Samaris | Album, Jun-10-2016, Art Pop |
| #14 | Blackstar | David Bowie | Album, Jan-08-2016, Art Rock |
| #15 | A Good Night in the Ghetto | Kamaiyah | Album, Mar-23-2016, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #16 | 99.9% | KAYTRANADA | Album, May-06-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #17 | MY WOMAN | Angel Olsen | Album, Sep-02-2016, Indie Rock |
| #18 | Preoccupations | Preoccupations | Album, Sep-16-2016, Post-Punk |
| #19 | Telling The Trees | RM Hubbert | Album, Apr-29-2016, Contemporary Folk |
| #20 | Leave Me Alone | Hinds | Album, Jan-08-2016, Slacker Rock |
| #21 | Suicide Songs | MONEY | Album, Jan-29-2016, Chamber Pop |
| #22 | Babes Never Die | Honeyblood | Album, Nov-04-2016, Indie Rock |
| #23 | Blonde | Frank Ocean | Album, Aug-20-2016, Alternative R&B |
| #24 | Light Upon the Lake | Whitney | Album, Jun-03-2016, Indie Rock |
| #25 | A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead | Album, May-08-2016, Art Pop |
| #26 | I, Gemini | Let's Eat Grandma | Album, Jun-17-2016, Art Pop |
| #27 | Made in the Manor | Kano | Album, Mar-04-2016, UK Hip Hop |
| #28 | Introducing Karl Blau | Karl Blau | Album, May-13-2016, Alt-Country |
| #29 | Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q | Album, Jul-08-2016, Gangsta Rap |
| #30 | Slugger | Sad13 | Album, Nov-11-2016, Synthpop |
| #31 | Confessions | Nico MuhlyTeitur | Album, Oct-14-2016, Baroque Pop |
| #32 | Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Album, Sep-09-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #33 | Lady Wood | Tove Lo | Album, Oct-28-2016, Electropop |
| #34 | I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it | The 1975 | Album, Feb-26-2016, Synthpop |
| #35 | Sundur | Pascal Pinon | Album, Aug-19-2016, Folktronica |
| #36 | The Sun's Tirade | Isaiah Rashad | Album, Sep-02-2016, Southern Hip Hop |
| #37 | Painting of a Panic Attack (Deluxe) | Frightened Rabbit | Album, Apr-08-2016, |
| #38 | Chaleur Humaine | Christine and the Queens | Album, Jun-02-2014, Electropop |
| #39 | Changes | Charles Bradley | Album, Apr-01-2016, Southern Soul |
| #40 | Will | Julianna Barwick | Album, May-06-2016, Ambient |
| #41 | Don't Let The Kids Win | Julia Jacklin | Album, Oct-07-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #42 | All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend | AURORA | Album, Mar-11-2016, Art Pop |
| #43 | Aforger | Douglas Dare | Album, Oct-14-2016, Art Pop |
| #44 | Channel the Spirits | The Comet Is Coming | Album, Apr-01-2016, Nu Jazz |
| #45 | You Want It Darker | Leonard Cohen | Album, Oct-21-2016, Singer-Songwriter |
| #46 | Boy King | Wild Beasts | Album, Aug-05-2016, Synthpop |
| #47 | Luneworks | MMOTHS | Album, Mar-11-2016, Ambient Pop |
| #48 | Nótt Á Hafsbotni | Dj. Flugvél Og Geimskip | Album, Jan-01-2015, Art Pop |
| #49 | How To Be A Human Being | Glass Animals | Album, Aug-26-2016, Indietronica |
| #50 | Ugly Cherries | PWR BTTM | Album, Sep-18-2015, Power Pop |