Pazz & Jop: Top 100 Albums of 2016 (an annual poll of critics, published by The Village Voice)

[see also 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

1. David Bowie — Blackstar
2. Beyoncé — Lemonade
3. A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
4. Chance The Rapper — Coloring Book
5. Solange — A Seat at the Table
6. Frank Ocean — Blond
7. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
8. Leonard Cohen — You Want It Darker
9. Car Seat Headrest — Teens of Denial
10. Kanye West — The Life of Pablo
11. Anderson .Paak — Malibu
12. Angel Olsen — My Woman
13. Rihanna — Anti
14. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
15. Mitski — Puberty 2
16. Sturgill Simpson — A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
17. Drive-By Truckers — American Band
18. Bon Iver — 22, A Million
19. Blood Orange — Freetown Sound
20. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
21. The 1975 — I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It
22. ANOHNI — Hopelessness
23. Miranda Lambert — The Weight of These Wings
24. Kendrick Lamar — Untitled Unmastered
25. Philip Jeck — Cardinal
26. Margo Price — Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
27. Iggy Pop — Post Pop Depression
28. Maren Morris — Hero
29. KAYTRANADA — 99.9%
30. The Rolling Stones — Blue & Lonesome
31. Parquet Courts — Human Performance
32. Savages — Adore Life
33. Brandy Clark — Big Day in a Small Town
34. The Hotelier — Goodness
35. Noname — Telefone
36. Esperanza Spalding — Emily’s D+Evolution
37. Whitney — Light Upon the Lake
38. Childish Gambino — Awaken, My Love!
39. KING — We Are King
40. Jenny Hval — Blood Bitch
41. Robbie Fulks — Upland Stories
42. Kevin Gates — Islah
43. YG — Still Brazy
44. Paul Simon — Stranger to Stranger
45. PJ Harvey — The Hope Six Demolition Project
46. Schoolboy Q — Blank Face LP
47. 75 Dollar Bill — Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
48. Michael Kiwanuka — Love & Hate
49. Jamila Woods — HEAVN
50. Lambchop — FLOTUS
51. The Monkees — Good Times!
52. Maxwell — blackSUMMERS’night
53. The Avalanches — Wildflower
54. Young Thug — Jeffery
55. Nicolas Jaar — Sirens
56. Heron Oblivion — Heron Oblivion
57. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith — EARS
58. De La Soul — and the Anonymous Nobody…
59. Floorplan — Paradise
60. Jeff Rosenstock — WORRY.
60. Ka — Honor Killed the Samurai
62. Lori McKenna — The Bird & the Rifle
63. Hiss Golden Messenger — Heart Like a Levee
64. Cymbals Eat Guitars — Pretty Years
65. Horse Lords — Interventions
66. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — I Had A Dream That You Were Mine
67. NxWorries — Yes Lawd!
68. Japanese Breakfast — Psychopomp
69. Steve Gunn — Eyes on the Lines
70. Lucinda Williams — The Ghosts of Highway 20
71. Kevin Morby — Singing Saw
71. Lydia Loveless — Real
73. William Tyler — Modern Country
74. PUP — The Dream Is Over
75. Xenia Rubinos — Black Terry Cat
76. Dawn Richard — Redemption
77. case/lang/veirs — case/lang/veirs
77. Jeff Parker — The New Breed
79. Conor Oberst — Ruminations
80. Aesop Rock — The Impossible Kid
80. Wilco — Schmilco
82. Bob Mould — Patch the Sky
83. Charles Bradley — Changes
84. Martha — Blisters In the Pit of My Heart
85. William Bell — This Is Where I Live
86. Mary Halvorson Octet — Away with You
86. Tim Hecker — Love Streams
88. Autechre — elseq 1-5
89. Dinosaur Jr. — Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
90. Huerco S — For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
90. Vijay Iyer & Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith — A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke
92. Chairlift — Moth
93. Kamaiyah — A Good Night in the Ghetto
94. A Tribe Called Red — We Are the Halluci Nation
95. Lady Gaga — Joanne
96. Elza Soares — A Mulher do Fim do Mundo
96. James Blake — The Colour in Anything
98. Cobalt — Slow Forever
99. Cass McCombs — Mangy Love
100. Metallica — Hardwired… to Self-Destruct

Jordan Cronk: 30 Favorite Albums of 2016, as posted to Twitter

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017]

1. The Hotelier — Goodness
2. David Bowie — Blackstar
3. Jenny Hval — Blood Bitch
4. ANOHNI — Hopelessness
5. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
6. Angel Olsen — My Woman
7. Camp Cope — Camp Cope
8. Elysia Crampton — Elysia Crampton Presents: Demon City
9. Pinegrove — Cardinal
10. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
11. Cass McCombs — Mangy Love
12. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith — EARS
13. Leonard Cohen — You Want It Darker
14. Nicolas Jaar — Sirens
15. Huerco S — For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
16. Dedekind Cut — $uccessor (Ded004)
17. Roy Montgomery — R M H Q: Headquarters
18. Tim Hecker — Love Streams
19. Mitski — Puberty 2
20. The Range — Potential
21. Julianna Barwick — Will
22. The Avalanches — Wildflower
23. Elza Soares — A Mulher do Fim do Mundo
24. American Football — American Football (LP2)
25. Anenon — Petrol
26. Horse Lords — Interventions
27. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani — FRKWYS Vol. 13: Sunergy
28. Ian William Craig — Centres
29. Arca — Entrañas
30. Yves Tumor — Serpent Music

Tiny Mix Tapes: 51 Favorite Music Releases of 2016

[see also 2010s, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

1. Babyfather — “BBF” Hosted By DJ Escrow
2. Lolina — Live In Paris
3. Kanye West — The Life of Pablo
4. Arca — Entrañas
5. Frank Ocean — Blond
5. Frank Ocean — Endless
6. Jenny Hval — Blood Bitch
7. James Ferraro — Human Story 3
8. Charli XCX — Vroom Vroom
9. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
10. Elysia Crampton — Dissolution of The Sovereign: A Time Slide Into The Future (Or: A Non-Abled Offender’s Exercise in Jurisprudence)
11. Yves Tumor — Serpent Music
12. Lil Yachty — Lil Boat
13. Young Thug — Jeffery
14. Rihanna — Anti
15. Jessy Lanza — Oh No
16. Foodman — Ez Minzoku
17. Dedekind Cut — $uccessor
18. Kero Kero Bonito — Bonito Generation
19. Elysia Crampton — Elysia Crampton Presents: Demon City
20. Jeremih — Late Nights: The Album
21. Princess Nokia — 1992
22. DJWWWW — Arigato
23. Solange — A Seat at the Table
24. serpentwithfeet — blisters
25. Puce Mary — The Spiral
26. Noname — Telefone
27. Tim Hecker — Love Streams
28. Macula Dog — Why Do You Look Like Your Dog?
29. David Bowie — Blackstar
30. Crying — Beyond the Fleeting Gales
31. Andy Stott — Too Many Voices
32. Beyoncé — Lemonade
33. Autechre — elseq 1-5
34. death’s dynamic shroud — Classroom Sexxtape
35. The Caretaker — Everywhere at the End of Time
36. Future — Evol
37. The Savage Young Taterbug — Shadow of Marlboro Man
38. YTAMO — Mi Wo
39. Julianna Barwick — Will
40. Klein — ONLY
41. ANOHNI — Hopelessness
42. DJ Coquelin & MC Cloarec — JE M’EN TAPE
43. Mitski — Puberty 2
44. Huerco S — For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
45. Oren Ambarchi — Hubris
46. Angel Olsen — My Woman
47. Amnesia Scanner — AS
48. Ka — Honor Killed the Samurai
49. Sean McCann — Music for Public Ensemble
50. N-Prolenta — A Love Story 4 @Deezius, Neo, Chuk, E, Milkleaves, Angel, Isis, + Every1else…. And Most of All My Damn Self

Austin Town Hall: Top 50 Albums of 2016

[see also 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011]

1. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — I Had A Dream That You Were Mine
2. Nap Eyes — Thought Rock Fish Scale
3. Angel Olsen — My Woman
4. Omni — Deluxe
5. The Radio Dept. — Running out of Love
6. The Coathangers — Nosebleed Weekend
7. DOGBRETH — Second Home
8. Operators — Blue Wave
9. Real Numbers — Wordless Wonder
10. Frankie Cosmos — Next Thing
11. Chook Race — Around the House
12. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
13. The Gotobeds — Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic
14. Holy Esque — At Hope’s Ravine
15. Lost Animal — You Yang
16. The Goon Sax — Up to Anything
17. Teenage Fanclub — Here
18. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith — EARS
19. John K. Samson — Winter Wheat
20. Terry Malts — Lost at the Party
21. Florist — The Birds Outside Sang
22. Tycho — Epoch
23. Ablebody — Adult Contemporaries
24. Nada Surf — You Know Who You Are
25. Adult Books — Running from the Blows
26. Wild Nothing — Life of Pause
27. Connections — Midnight Run
28. Cass McCombs — Mangy Love
29. Black Marble — It’s Immaterial
30. Fruit Bats — Absolute Loser
31. Quilt — Plaza
32. Chris Cohen — As If Apart
33. AT / ALL — Sun Dog
34. EZTV — High in Place
35. Tim Presley — The Wink
36. Useless Eaters — Relaxing Death
37. Pete Astor — Spilt Milk
38. Happy Diving — Electric Soul Unity
39. I Have A Tribe — Beneath a Yellow Moon
40. Cool Ghouls — Animal Races
41. Holy Balm — Activity
42. Big Wave Riders — Endless Summer
43. Still Parade — Concrete Vision
44. Flowers — Everybody’s Dying to Meet You
45. Steve Adamyk Band — Graceland
46. So Cow — Lisa Marie Airplane Tour
47. King Creosote — Astronaut Meets Appleman
48. Bubblegum Lemonade — The Great Leap Backward
49. Carter Tanton — Jettison the Valley
50. Bent Shapes — Wolves of Want

Uproxx: 20 Best Albums of 2016

[see also 2010s, 2019, 2018, 2017]

1. Frank Ocean — Blond
2. Mitski — Puberty 2
3. Bon Iver — 22, A Million
4. Solange — A Seat at the Table
5. Car Seat Headrest — Teens of Denial
6. A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
7. Beyoncé — Lemonade
8. Childish Gambino — Awaken, My Love!
9. Weyes Blood — Front Row Seat to Earth
10. Kanye West — The Life of Pablo
11. David Bowie — Blackstar
12. Rihanna — Anti
13. Anderson .Paak — Malibu
14. Maren Morris — Hero
15. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
16. PUP — The Dream Is Over
17. Sturgill Simpson — A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
18. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
19. KAYTRANADA — 99.9%
20. The Hotelier — Goodness

Drowned in Sound: 16 Favourite Albums of 2016

[see also 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011]

1. David Bowie — Blackstar
2. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
3. The 1975 — I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It
4. ANOHNI — Hopelessness
5. Amber Arcades — Fading Lines
6. Preoccupations — Preoccupations
7. Angel Olsen — My Woman
8. Frank Ocean — Blond
9. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
10. Suede — Night Thoughts
11. Jenny Hval — Blood Bitch
12. Beyoncé — Lemonade
13. School Of Seven Bells — SVIIB
14. Kate Tempest — Let Them Eat Chaos
15. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
16. Martha — Blisters In the Pit of My Heart

Magnet Magazine: Top 25 Albums of 2016

[see also 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011]

1. Lucy Dacus — No Burden
2. David Bowie — Blackstar
3. case/lang/veirs — case/lang/veirs
4. William Tyler — Modern Country
5. Goat — Requiem
6. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
7. Car Seat Headrest — Teens of Denial
8. Lucinda Williams — The Ghosts of Highway 20
9. Beach Slang — A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
10. Dinosaur Jr. — Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
11. Drive-By Truckers — American Band
12. Mitski — Puberty 2
13. Cass McCombs — Mangy Love
14. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
15. Angel Olsen — My Woman
16. The Avalanches — Wildflower
17. Bon Iver — 22, A Million
18. Parquet Courts — Human Performance
19. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — I Had A Dream That You Were Mine
20. Bob Mould — Patch the Sky
21. Wilco — Schmilco
22. Nada Surf — You Know Who You Are
23. Bird of Youth — Get Off
24. ANOHNI — Hopelessness
25. Flock of Dimes — If You See Me, Say Yes

Carl Wilson: The Best Albums of 2016, as published by Slate

[see also 2019, 2018, 2017]

Top 10, in alphabetical order

• ANOHNI — Hopelessness
• Beyoncé — Lemonade
• David Bowie — Blackstar
• Drive-By Truckers — American Band
• Mary Halvorson Octet — Away with You
• Veda Hille — Love Waves
• Miranda Lambert — The Weight of These Wings
• Anderson .Paak — Malibu
• Elza Soares — A Mulher do Fim do Mundo
• Tanya Tagaq — Retribution

Another 15, in alphabetical order

• Anal Trump — That Makes Me Smart
• Car Seat Headrest — Teens of Denial
• Chance The Rapper — Coloring Book
• Brandy Clark — Big Day in a Small Town
• Leonard Cohen — You Want It Darker
• Vijay Iyer & Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith — A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke
• Maxwell — blackSUMMERS’night
• Frank Ocean — Blond
• Angel Olsen — My Woman
• Iggy Pop — Post Pop Depression
• Margo Price — Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
• Noura Mint Seymali — Arbina
• A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
• A Tribe Called Red — We Are the Halluci Nation
• Kanye West — The Life of Pablo

Pigeons & Planes: 50 Best Albums of 2016

[see also 2017, 2015]

1. Frank Ocean — Blond
2. Anderson .Paak — Malibu
3. Solange — A Seat at the Table
4. Chance The Rapper — Coloring Book
5. Noname — Telefone
6. Kanye West — The Life of Pablo
7. Beyoncé — Lemonade
8. Young Thug — Slime Season 3
9. A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
10. Travis Scott — Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
11. The Weeknd — Starboy
12. KAYTRANADA — 99.9%
13. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin — Savage Mode
14. Rihanna — Anti
15. Schoolboy Q — Blank Face LP
16. Bon Iver — 22, A Million
17. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
18. Hinds — Leave Me Alone
19. NxWorries — Yes Lawd!
20. Blood Orange — Freetown Sound
21. D.R.A.M. — Big Baby D.R.A.M.
22. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
23. Kendrick Lamar — Untitled Unmastered
24. Lil Yachty — Lil Boat
25. Isaiah Rashad — The Sun’s Tirade
26. James Blake — The Colour in Anything
27. Jazz Cartier — Hotel Paranoia
28. Giggs — Landlord
29. Shura — Nothing’s Real
30. A.CHAL — Welcome to GAZI
31. YG — Still Brazy
32. Angel Olsen — My Woman
33. Denzel Curry — Imperial
34. Skepta — Konnichiwa
35. Kamaiyah — A Good Night in the Ghetto
36. David Bowie — Blackstar
37. Little Simz — Stillness in Wonderland
38. 6LACK — FREE 6LACK
39. Kevin Abstract — American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story
40. Allan Kingdom — Northern Lights
41. Trapo — Shade Trees
42. Kemba — Negus
43. Childish Gambino — Awaken, My Love!
44. Saba — Bucket List Project
45. Topaz Jones — Arcade
46. Kid Cudi — Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’
47. Kweku Collins — Nat Love
48. Francis and the Lights — Farewell, Starlite!
49. Cousin Stizz — Monda
50. Post Malone — Stoney

Sasha Frere-Jones: 100 Favorite Albums of 2016. See his spreadsheet for color codes and tiers; we’ve separated anything highlighted with “fire engine red,” which means “an exceptional thing.” Otherwise, albums are listed chronologically.

[see also 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

exceptional

• David Bowie — Blackstar
• Yves De Mey — Drawn with Shadow Pens
• Rihanna — Anti
• Kendrick Lamar — Untitled Unmastered
• Emmy the Great — Second Love
• Sunwatchers — Sunwatchers
• Metá Metá — MM3
• Beyoncé — Lemonade
• Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
• Chance The Rapper — Coloring Book
• Horse Lords — Interventions
• Autechre — elseq 1-5
• Abul Mogard — Works
• Mitski — Puberty 2
• Margaret Glaspy — Emotions and Math
• 75 Dollar Bill — Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
• The Avalanches — Wildflower
• Vince Staples — Prima Donna
• Julius Eastman — Femenine
• Helado Negro — Private Energy
• Sleaford Mods — T.C.R.
• A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
• Mika Vainio — Mannerlaatta
• Air Cushion Finish — Flink

stayed with me

• Roly Porter — Third Law
• Wet — Don’t You
• Meyers — Negative Space (1981–2014)
• SUGAI KEN — On the Quakefish
• Clark — The Last Panthers
• Vijay Iyer & Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith — A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke
• Jan St. Werner — Felder (Fiepblatter Catalogue #4)
• Lucy Dacus — No Burden
• Tashi Dorji & Shane Parish — Expecting
• Chris Abrahams — Fluid to the Influence
• Tim Hecker — Love Streams
• ROM — Possible Mountain
• Cate Le Bon — Crab Day
• Jochen Arbeit, Günter Schickert & Schneider TM — ASS
• You’re Me — Plant Cell Division
• Aesop Rock — The Impossible Kid
• Driftmachine — Colliding Contours
• Julianna Barwick — Will
• Jim O’Rourke — Steamroom 29
• Maren Morris — Hero
• Xenia Rubinos — Black Terry Cat
• Paul Simon — Stranger to Stranger
• Boobs of DOOM — (((WHITE NOISE)))
• Brandy Clark — Big Day in a Small Town
• KAYTRANADA — 99.9%
• Swans — The Glowing Man
• David Toop — Entities Inertias Faint Beings
• Jeff Parker — The New Breed
• Blood Orange — Freetown Sound
• Noname — Telefone
• M. Geddes Gengras — Interior Architecture
• Unearth Noise — Prayer and Resonance
• TOBACCO — Sweatbox Dynasty
• Convextion — 2845
• Aethenor — Hazel
• Isaiah Rashad — The Sun’s Tirade
• Princess Nokia — 1992
• Daniel Lanois — Goodbye to Language
• Jan Jelinek & Masayoshi Fujita — Schaum
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
• Biosphere — Departed Glories
• Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
• Luisa Maita — Fio da Memória
• Solange — A Seat at the Table
• Innercity Ensemble — III
• Monolake — VLSI
• Hanno Leichtmann / Valerio Tricoli — The Future of Discipline
• The Orb — COW / Chill Out, World!
• Swet Shop Boys — Cashmere
• Botany — Deepak Verbera
• Kassem Mosse — Disclosure
• Leonard Cohen — You Want It Darker
• D.R.A.M. — Big Baby D.R.A.M.
• Weyes Blood — Front Row Seat to Earth
• Faka — Bottoms Revenge
• Casino Versus Japan — Frozen Geometry
• NxWorries — Yes Lawd!
• Ricardo Villalobos & Oren Ambarchi — Hubris Variation
• Jay Glass Dubs — New Teeth for an Old Country
• Mantra Percussion — Michael Gordon: Timber Remixed
• various artists — Greek Composers of Electronic Music in Sci Fi Soundscapes
• Qasim Naqv — Chronology
• Streiber — The Whispering Awakening
• Hexa — Factory Photographs
• Oren Ambarchi — Hubris
• Willie Lane — A Pine Tree Shilling’s Worth of Willie Lane
• Miranda Lambert — The Weight of These Wings
• Radian — On Dark Silent Off
• Mirko — LP1
• Conrad Schnitzler & Pyrolator — Con-Struct
• Pinkcourtesyphone — Taking into Account Only a Portion of Your Emotions
• Mike Majkowski — Swimming in Light
• Demdike Stare — Wonderland
• Rob Noyes — The Feudal Spirit
• Sendai — Ground and Figure
• Cindytalk — The Labyrinth of the Straight Line