The Vinyl Factory's 50 Best Albums of 2016

The year in vinyl, we chart the 50 most important album releases of the last twelve months.

Published: December 14, 2016 16:35 Source

# 1

A Seat at the Table by Solange

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 2

Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Album • Sep 09 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Art Rock

# 3

Keira by Susso

Album • Sep 15 / 2016 Mande Music

# 4

Oh No by Jessy Lanza

Album • May 13 / 2016 UK Bass Alternative R&B Synthpop

# 5

$uccessor (ded004) by Dedekind Cut

Album • Nov 11 / 2016

# 6

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

# 7

Blood Bitch by Jenny Hval

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Art Pop Ambient Pop

# 8

Bird Sound Power by Equiknoxx

Album • Aug 12 / 2016

# 9

Puberty 2 by Mitski

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Indie Rock

# 10

EARS by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Album • Apr 01 / 2016 Progressive Electronic

# 11

Blonde by Frank Ocean

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

# 12

Serpent Music by Yves Tumor

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Sound Collage Hypnagogic Pop

# 13

LoversDedicationStation by Seekersinternational

Album • Jul 01 / 2016 Dub Plunderphonics Sound Collage

# 14

Wisdom of Elders by Shabaka and the Ancestors

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Spiritual Jazz

# 15

Fetish Bones by Moor Mother

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Industrial Hip Hop Political Hip Hop Abstract Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 16

MY WOMAN by Angel Olsen

Album • Sep 02 / 2016 Indie Rock Singer-Songwriter

# 17

Blackstar by David Bowie

Album • Jan 08 / 2016 Art Rock

# 18

Rain Temple by 2814

Album • Jul 26 / 2016 Ambient Downtempo Dreampunk

# 19

The Demon City by Elysia Crampton + Rabit

Single • Jul 01 / 2016

# 20

Soft Hair by Soft Hair

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Hypnagogic Pop Synthpop

# 21

Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown

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

# 22

Remain Calm by Mica Levi + Oliver Coates

Album • Nov 25 / 2016 Electroacoustic Post-Minimalism Modern Classical

# 23

Malibu by Anderson .Paak

Album • Jan 15 / 2016 Neo-Soul

# 24

Musique Acephale by Don't DJ

Album • Jun 30 / 2017 Ambient Techno Tribal Ambient

# 25

Footwork or Die by DJ Diamond

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Footwork

# 26

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

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

# 27

Wonderland by Demdike Stare

Album • Dec 02 / 2016 UK Bass Deconstructed Club

# 28

Strands by Steve Hauschildt

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Progressive Electronic Ambient

# 29

Movements by Novo Line

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Progressive Electronic

# 30

We Be All Africans by Idris Ackamoor + The Pyramids

Album • May 27 / 2016 Spiritual Jazz

# 31

You Know What Its Like by Carla dal Forno

Album • Oct 28 / 2016

# 32

ANTI by Rihanna

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

# 33

FRKWYS Vol. 13: Sunergy by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith + Suzanne Ciani

Album • Sep 16 / 2016 Progressive Electronic Ambient

# 34

We Are KING by We Are KING

Album • Feb 05 / 2016 Contemporary R&B Psychedelic Soul

# 35

Varmints by Anna Meredith

Album • Mar 04 / 2016 Art Pop Progressive Electronic

# 36

All Kind Music by Georgia

Album • Nov 11 / 2016 Electronic

# 37

Sirens by Nicolas Jaar

Album • Sep 30 / 2016 Ambient Pop Art Pop Electronic

# 38

Third Law by Roly Porter

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Dark Ambient

# 39

IV by BADBADNOTGOOD

Album • Jul 08 / 2016 Nu Jazz Jazz Fusion

# 40

Fallen by Steven Julien

Album • Jul 15 / 2016 Outsider House Deep House

# 42

Utopia Defeated by D.D Dumbo

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Art Pop Indie Pop

# 43

69 by Wilson Tanner

Album • Apr 01 / 2016 Ambient New Age

# 44

Shapes in Formation by Sad City

Album • Jul 29 / 2016 Ambient House Progressive Electronic

# 45

For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) by Huerco S.

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Ambient Electronic

# 46

untitled unmastered. by Kendrick Lamar

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

# 47

Imperfections Vol.1 by TEE MANGO

Album • Oct 14 / 2016

# 48

Juan Atkins & Moritz von Oswald Present Borderland: Transport by Juan Atkins + Moritz Von Oswald

Album • Apr 29 / 2016

# 49

No One Deserves Happiness by The Body

Album • Mar 18 / 2016 Drone Metal Post-Industrial

# 50

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Singer-Songwriter Chamber Folk