Year-End Lists

Greg Kot: Top Albums of 2016, as published by The Chicago Tribune and aired on Sound Opinions

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Skeleton Tree
   Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
2. Blond
   Frank Ocean
3. HEAVN
   Jamila Woods
4. Love & Hate
   Michael Kiwanuka
5. Malibu
   Anderson .Paak
6. The Hope Six Demolition Project
   PJ Harvey
7. American Band
   Drive-By Truckers
8. Coloring Book
   Chance The Rapper
9. A Seat at the Table
   Solange
10. Blackstar
    David Bowie

The next 10

• New View
  Eleanor Friedberger
• Lemonade
  Beyoncé
• Adore Life
  Savages
• Untitled Unmastered
  Kendrick Lamar
• Patch the Sky
  Bob Mould
• You Want It Darker
  Leonard Cohen
• My Woman
  Angel Olsen
• blackSUMMERS’night
  Maxwell
• Real
  Lydia Loveless
• Black America Again
  Common

Crack Magazine: Albums of the Year 2016

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Skeleton Tree
   Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
2. A Seat at the Table
   Solange
3. The Life of Pablo
   Kanye West
4. Hopelessness
   ANOHNI
5. Body War
   Show Me the Body
6. Blackstar
   David Bowie
7. Freetown Sound
   Blood Orange
8. Untitled Unmastered
   Kendrick Lamar
9. My Woman
   Angel Olsen
10. EARS
    Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
11. Blond
    Frank Ocean
12. Lemonade
    Beyoncé
13. Human Performance
    Parquet Courts
14. SEPT. 5TH
    dvsn
15. Jeffery
    Young Thug
16. A Moon Shaped Pool
    Radiohead
17. Savage Mode
    21 Savage & Metro Boomin
18. Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties
    Bitchin Bajas & Bonnie “Prince” Billy
19. Teens of Denial
    Car Seat Headrest
20. Sport
    Powell
21. Still Brazy
    YG
22. The Hope Six Demolition Project
    PJ Harvey
23. Malibu
    Anderson .Paak
24. Anti
    Rihanna
25. SremmLife 2
    Rae Sremmurd
26. Konnichiwa
    Skepta
27. In Drum Play
    Pangaea
28. Leave Me Alone
    Hinds
29. 99.9%
    KAYTRANADA
30. Puberty 2
    Mitski
31. Telefone
    Noname
32. Sirens
    Nicolas Jaar
33. Adore Life
    Savages
34. The Disco's Of Imhotep
    Hieroglyphic Being
35. Next Thing
    Frankie Cosmos
36. Atrocity Exhibition
    Danny Brown
37. Blood Bitch
    Jenny Hval
38. Endless
    Frank Ocean
39. Transport
    Juan Atkins & Moritz von Oswald present Borderland
40. Views
    Drake
41. Afterlife
    DJ Rashad
42. A Good Night in the Ghetto
    Kamaiyah
43. Tooth
    Raime
44. Coloring Book
    Chance The Rapper
45. Mambos Levis D'Outro Mundo
    various artists
46. Fallen
    Steven Julien
47. A Weird Exits
    Thee Oh Sees
48. The Bells
    Kornél Kovács
49. Yes Lawd!
    NxWorries
50. Open Your Eyes
    DJ Earl
51. Landlord
    Giggs
52. Arctic Thunder
    Darkthrone
53. Summer Songs 2
    Lil Yachty
54. From Joy
    Kyle Hall
55. Gqom Oh! The Sound of Durban Vol.1
    various artists
56. Hubris
    Oren Ambarchi
57. I, Gemini
    Let’s Eat Grandma
58. DC4
    Meek Mill
59. The Best
    Omar S
60. Love Streams
    Tim Hecker
61. Heads Up
    Warpaint
62. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
    Travis Scott
63. From Farthest Known Objects
    Surgeon
64. Blank Face LP
    Schoolboy Q
65. Broken Knowz
    Jay Daniel
66. Slime Season 3
    Young Thug
67. The Sound Of Glades
    Wolf Müller and Cass.
68. Honor Killed the Samurai
    Ka
69. For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
    Huerco S
70. For All We Know
    NAO
71. Will
    Julianna Barwick
72. Young Jefe 2
    Shy Glizzy
73. Ultra
    Zomby
74. Weaves
    Weaves
75. Elysia Crampton Presents: Demon City
    Elysia Crampton
76. We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
    A Tribe Called Quest
77. Void Beats / Invocation Trex
    Cavern of Anti-Matter
78. “BBF” Hosted By DJ Escrow
    Babyfather
79. ONLY
    Klein
80. Eraser Stargazer
    Guerilla Toss
81. Ullages
    Eagulls
82. Some Things Last Longer than You
    Doe
83. Mykki
    Mykki Blanco
84. The Silent Partner
    Havoc & The Alchemist
85. Under The Sun
    Mark Pritchard
86. Everybody Looking
    Gucci Mane
87. You Know What It’s Like
    Carla dal Forno
88. Minor Victories
    Minor Victories
89. Emotional Mugger
    Ty Segall
90. Soft Hair
    Soft Hair
91. Light Upon the Lake
    Whitney
92. LVL 11
    Levelz
93. Oh No
    Jessy Lanza
94. FRKWYS Vol. 13: Sunergy
    Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani
95. Look at Me
    Ethereal
96. Purple Reign
    Future
97. Callus
    Gonjasufi
98. Preoccupations
    Preoccupations
99. Big Bossin, Vol. 1
    Payroll Giovanni & Cardo Got Wings
100. Following My Intuition
     Craig David

Rolling Stone: 50 Best Albums of 2016

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Lemonade
   Beyoncé
2. Blackstar
   David Bowie
3. Coloring Book
   Chance The Rapper
4. Teens of Denial
   Car Seat Headrest
5. Blond
   Frank Ocean
6. A Moon Shaped Pool
   Radiohead
7. Blue & Lonesome
   The Rolling Stones
8. The Life of Pablo
   Kanye West
9. You Want It Darker
   Leonard Cohen
10. Jeffery
    Young Thug
11. A Seat at the Table
    Solange
12. Stranger to Stranger
    Paul Simon
13. Hero
    Maren Morris
14. Revolution Radio
    Green Day
15. Return to Love
    Lvl Up
16. The Weight of These Wings
    Miranda Lambert
17. Human Performance
    Parquet Courts
18. I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It
    The 1975
19. Atrocity Exhibition
    Danny Brown
20. Skeleton Tree
    Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
21. Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
    Margo Price
22. 22, A Million
    Bon Iver
23. Puberty 2
    Mitski
24. American Band
    Drive-By Truckers
25. Anti
    Rihanna
26. A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
    Sturgill Simpson
27. Big Day in a Small Town
    Brandy Clark
28. Freetown Sound
    Blood Orange
29. Mudcrutch 2
    Mudcrutch
30. We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
    A Tribe Called Quest
31. Paradise
    White Lung
32. Here
    Alicia Keys
33. 57th & 9th
    Sting
34. My Woman
    Angel Olsen
35. Hopelessness
    ANOHNI
36. Hardwired… to Self-Destruct
    Metallica
37. Dig In Deep
    Bonnie Raitt
38. Lady Wood
    Tove Lo
39. Wonderful Crazy Night
    Elton John
40. blackSUMMERS’night
    Maxwell
41. Schmilco
    Wilco
42. Views
    Drake
43. Evol
    Future
44. Good Times!
    The Monkees
45. Post Pop Depression
    Iggy Pop
46. Day Breaks
    Norah Jones
47. Stranger Things OST Volumes 1 and 2
    Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
48. Emily’s D+Evolution
    Esperanza Spalding
49. We’re All Gonna Die
    Dawes
50. Bottomless Pit
    Death Grips

Pazz & Jop: Top 100 Albums of 2015 (an annual poll of critics, published by The Village Voice)

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
3. E•MO•TION
   Carly Rae Jepsen
4. Art Angels
   Grimes
5. No Cities To Love
   Sleater-Kinney
6. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
7. Summertime ’06
   Vince Staples
8. The Epic
   Kamasi Washington
9. In Colour
   Jamie xx
10. I Love You, Honeybear
    Father John Misty
11. Something More Than Free
    Jason Isbell
12. Currents
    Tame Impala
13. Sound & Color
    Alabama Shakes
14. Wildheart
    Miguel
15. Surf
    Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
16. Divers
    Joanna Newsom
17. DS2
    Future
18. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
    Drake
19. Beauty Behind the Madness
    The Weeknd
20. Pageant Material
    Kacey Musgraves
21. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
    Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Original Broadway Cast
22. Painted Shut
    Hop Along
23. Vulnicura
    Björk
24. Traveller
    Chris Stapleton
25. Coming Home
    Leon Bridges
26. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album
    Earl Sweatshirt
27. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
28. Sprinter
    TORRES
29. Blackheart
    Dawn Richard
30. Garden of Delete
    Oneohtrix Point Never
31. Ratchet
    Shamir
32. Barter 6
    Young Thug
33. Have You In My Wilderness
    Julia Holter
34. From Kinshasa
    Mbongwana Star
35. 25
    Adele
36. The Blade
    Ashley Monroe
37. Ivy Tripp
    Waxahatchee
38. Depression Cherry
    Beach House
39. Reality Show
    Jazmine Sullivan
40. SremmLife
    Rae Sremmurd
41. Every Open Eye
    Chvrches
42. Black Messiah
    D’Angelo and The Vanguard
43. Star Wars
    Wilco
44. High
    Royal Headache
45. Fading Frontier
    Deerhunter
46. Ones and Sixes
    Low
47. The Agent Intellect
    Protomartyr
48. The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
    Beach Slang
49. Shadows In The Night
    Bob Dylan
50. The Most Lamentable Tragedy
    Titus Andronicus
51. Complicated Game
    James McMurtry
52. Tomorrow Is My Turn
    Rhiannon Giddens
53. The Magic Whip
    Blur
54. New Bermuda
    Deafheaven
55. 56 Nights
    DJ Esco & Future
56. Compton
    Dr. Dre
57. Poison Season
    Destroyer
57. Ego Death
    The Internet
59. Viet Cong
    Viet Cong
60. I Want to Grow Up
    Colleen Green
61. Honeymoon
    Lana Del Rey
62. Feels Like
    Bully
63. On Your Own Love Again
    Jessica Pratt
64. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    Florence + The Machine
65. AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP
    A$AP Rocky
66. Mutant
    Arca
67. Natalie Prass
    Natalie Prass
68. Algiers
    Algiers
69. Stuff Like That There
    Yo La Tengo
70. Sprained Ankle
    Julien Baker
71. Full Communism
    Downtown Boys
72. Ten Love Songs
    Susanne Sundfør
73. This Is the Sonics
    The Sonics
74. Eat Pray Thug
    Heems
74. Music Complete
    New Order
76. Elaenia
    Floating Points
77. Foil Deer
    Speedy Ortiz
78. Platform
    Holly Herndon
79. FFS
    FFS
80. Over and Even
    Joan Shelley
81. Simple Songs
    Jim O’Rourke
82. Death Magic
    HEALTH
83. Mr. Misunderstood
    Eric Church
83. Heart of a Dog
    Laurie Anderson
85. The Waterfall
    My Morning Jacket
86. The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966
    Bob Dylan
87. Late Nights: The Album
    Jeremih
88. Grey Tickles, Black Pressure
    John Grant
89. Teens of Style
    Car Seat Headrest
90. Manhattan
    Jeffrey Lewis
91. 1989
    Ryan Adams
92. Unbreakable
    Janet Jackson
92. Beat the Champ
    The Mountain Goats
94. Let the Good Times Roll
    J.D. McPherson
95. But You Caint Use My Phone
    Erykah Badu
96. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
    Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
97. Describes Things As They Are
    Beauty Pill
98. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
    Panda Bear
99. Rose Mountain
    Screaming Females
100. Predatory Headlights
     Tenement

Diffuser: 50 Best Albums of 2015

[see also 2017]

1. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
2. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Art Angels
   Grimes
4. I Love You, Honeybear
   Father John Misty
5. Currents
   Tame Impala
6. No Cities To Love
   Sleater-Kinney
7. Poison Season
   Destroyer
8. 1989
   Ryan Adams
9. Depression Cherry
   Beach House
10. Something More Than Free
    Jason Isbell
11. The Magic Whip
    Blur
12. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
    Courtney Barnett
13. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
    Panda Bear
14. Vulnicura
    Björk
15. The Most Lamentable Tragedy
    Titus Andronicus
16. Divers
    Joanna Newsom
17. New Bermuda
    Deafheaven
18. In Colour
    Jamie xx
19. Garden of Delete
    Oneohtrix Point Never
20. Star Wars
    Wilco
21. Natalie Prass
    Natalie Prass
22. Surf
    Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
23. The Waterfall
    My Morning Jacket
24. Sound & Color
    Alabama Shakes
25. Fading Frontier
    Deerhunter
26. The Phosphorescent Blues
    Punch Brothers
27. Escape From Evil
    Lower Dens
28. Sol Invictus
    Faith No More
29. Sauna
    Mount Eerie
30. Sprinter
    TORRES
31. + –
    Mew
32. Purple
    Baroness
33. Too
    FIDLAR
34. Beat the Champ
    The Mountain Goats
35. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
    Florence + The Machine
36. Teens of Style
    Car Seat Headrest
37. Short Movie
    Laura Marling
38. V
    Wavves
39. Multi-Love
    Unknown Mortal Orchestra
40. Honeymoon
    Lana Del Rey
41. Magnifique
    Ratatat
42. Drones
    Muse
43. Every Open Eye
    Chvrches
44. Foil Deer
    Speedy Ortiz
45. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
46. Thank Your Lucky Stars
    Beach House
47. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
    The Decemberists
48. II
    METZ
49. Wilder Mind
    Mumford & Sons
50. Yours, Dreamily
    The Arcs

Dennis Cooper: 31 Favorite Albums of 2015 (“in no order”)

[see also 2019 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

• Hide before Dinner
  F Ingers
• Kannon
  Sunn O)))
• Garden of Delete
  Oneohtrix Point Never
• Abyss
  Chelsea Wolfe
• Discreet Desires
  Helena Hauff
• Oidhche
  Dalglish
• Hddn
  RSS Boys
• The Powers That B
  Death Grips
• Dumb Flesh
  Blanck Mass
• Infinite Dissolution
  Locrian
• The Social Order
  Years of Abuse
• Beach Music
  (Sandy) Alex G
• Fading Frontier
  Deerhunter
• Wire
  Wire
• Deviate From Balance
  John Wiese
• Distractions
  Sauna Youth
• Frozen Niagara Falls
  Prurient
• New Bermuda
  Deafheaven
• King Heavy Metal
  Ricked Wicky
• Belated Movements for an Unsanctioned Exhumation August 1st 1984
  The Inward Circles
• What You Hear (Is What You Hear)
  Thomas Brinkmann
• Cosmic Vibrations
  Secret Circuit
• Platform
  Holly Herndon
• Cascade
  William Basinski
• LP
  Container
• Mutilator Defeated At Last
  Thee Oh Sees
• The Female Form
  Loke Rahbek & Puce Mary
• Days With Dr. Yen Lo
  Dr. Yen Lo
• Faulty Superheroes
  Robert Pollard
• asdfasdf
  Katie Dey
• 54 Synth-Brass, 38 Metal Guitar, 65 Cathedral
  Shit & Shine

gal-dem: Top 20 Albums of 2015

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. M3LL155X
   FKA twigs
2. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Choose Your Weapon
   Hiatus Kaiyote
4. Ego Death
   The Internet
5. The Epic
   Kamasi Washington
6. Ibeyi
   Ibeyi
7. A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons
   Little Simz
8. But You Caint Use My Phone
   Erykah Badu
9. Hallucinogen
   Kelela
10. Mid-City Island
    Moses Sumney
11. Integrity
    Jme
12. Beat Tape 2
    Tom Misch
13. Natureboy
    Flako
14. The Good Fight
    Oddisee
15. The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam
    Thundercat
16. The Universe Smiles upon You
    Khruangbin
17. What For?
    Toro y Moi
18. Texture Like Sun
    Mo Kolours
19. Making Time
    Jamie Woon
20. Asase Yaa
    Oshun

Jeremy D. Larson: Favorite Albums of 2015

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016]

1. Divers
   Joanna Newsom
2. Currents
   Tame Impala
3. Sound & Color
   Alabama Shakes
4. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
5. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
6. Viet Cong
   Viet Cong
7. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
8. Beat the Champ
   The Mountain Goats
9. All Are Saved
   Fred Thomas
10. Untitled
    The Armed
11. Platform
    Holly Herndon
12. Painted Shut
    Hop Along
13. Natalie Prass
    Natalie Prass
14. Time Management
    YVETTE
15. On Your Own Love Again
    Jessica Pratt
16. King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
    Pusha T
17. Garden of Delete
    Oneohtrix Point Never
18. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album
    Earl Sweatshirt
19. I Love You, Honeybear
    Father John Misty
20. In Colour
    Jamie xx

Magnet Magazine: Top 25 Albums of 2015

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Star Wars
   Wilco
2. Sound & Color
   Alabama Shakes
3. I Love You, Honeybear
   Father John Misty
4. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
   Courtney Barnett
5. High
   Royal Headache
6. Divers
   Joanna Newsom
7. Anthems For Doomed Youth
   The Libertines
8. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
9. New Bermuda
   Deafheaven
10. E•MO•TION
    Carly Rae Jepsen
11. Ones and Sixes
    Low
12. No Cities To Love
    Sleater-Kinney
13. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair
    Ricked Wicky
14. Simple Songs
    Jim O’Rourke
15. The Magic Whip
    Blur
16. Hollow Meadows
    Richard Hawley
17. Rose Mountain
    Screaming Females
18. Poison Season
    Destroyer
19. Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
20. Don’t Weigh Down the Light
    Meg Baird
21. B’lieve I’m Goin Down…
    Kurt Vile
22. Vulnicura
    Björk
23. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
    Belle and Sebastian
24. Something More Than Free
    Jason Isbell
25. Time to Go Home
    Chastity Belt

Tiny Mix Tapes: Favorite 50 Music Releases of 2015

[see also 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011]

1. Mutant
   Arca
2. Barter 6
   Young Thug
3. Skid Row
   James Ferraro
4. To Pimp A Butterfly
   Kendrick Lamar
5. Garden of Delete
   Oneohtrix Point Never
6. American Drift
   Elysia Crampton
7. Carrie & Lowell
   Sufjan Stevens
8. DS2
   Future
9. Vulnicura
   Björk
10. Product
    Sophie
11. Have You In My Wilderness
    Julia Holter
12. Boogie Chillen/The Hills of Cypress
    Beat Detectives
13. Super Saiyan Vol. 2
    Sicko Mobb
14. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
    Drake
15. Divers
    Joanna Newsom
16. LP [2015]
    Container
17. Perception
    Ahnnu
18. Third Side of Tape
    Lil Ugly Mane
19. A Shapeless Pool of Lovely Pale Colours Suspended in the Darkness
    Smurphy
20. Blackheart
    Dawn Richard
21. Ad Hocc
    D/P/I
22. The Original Faces
    Helen
23. Apocalypse, Girl
    Jenny Hval
24. Qliphoth
    Cloud Rat
25. Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee
    Matana Roberts
26. Fourth World Magazine Vol. 2 – Pinhead In Fantasia
    various artists
27. Piteous Gate
    M.E.S.H.
28. Frozen Niagara Falls
    Prurient
29. E•MO•TION
    Carly Rae Jepsen
30. Half Free
    U.S. Girls
31. Art Angels
    Grimes
32. Deep Thoughts
    Giant Claw
33. The Great Game: Freedom From Mental Poisoning
    Rabit & Chino Amobi
34. RIP Chrysalis
    Eartheater
35. Platform
    Holly Herndon
36. RELAXIN’ with Lolina
    Lolina
37. Age Of Transparency
    Autre Ne Veut
38. AS Angels Rig Hook
    Amnesia Scanner
39. Xe
    ZS
40. Unfaithful
    Chicklette
41. Noite e Dia
    DJ Nigga Fox
42. The Baltika Years
    Ben Zimmerman
43. Food Court
    Food Court
44. Black Messiah
    D’Angelo and The Vanguard
45. Dark Energy
    Jlin
46. Days With Dr. Yen Lo
    Dr. Yen Lo
47. No.00 in Clean Life
    Seth Graham
48. The Ark Work
    Liturgy
49. A Year With 13 Moons
    Jefre Cantu-Ledesma
50. Agitations
    Lotic