What a crazy year for music.
We’ve lost innumerable high-profile musicians and songwriters, witnessed heated battles between artists and streaming services, and even seen the hospitalization of one of the music world’s biggest icons.
If this year’s happenings have taught us anything it’s this: Even when the light at the end of the tunnel feels like it’s slowly fading, great artwork will always prevail. And in that spirit, despite major challenges in the music industry and the world at large, 2016 was one of the best years for new music we’ve seen in a long time.
Each week this year, we’ve have had the distinct pleasure of listening to as much new music as possible, hoping not only to help ease the stresses of the world around us, but also the stresses of choice that can be a burden for the modern listener. We’ve listened to all of of the most-hyped (and many of the lesser-known) records and assembled our favorites into this ranked list of 50. Here, you will find newcomers and long-established artists alike, a living, breathing portrait of some of the most exciting sounds being made today.
Here are our top 50 albums of the year, for your listening pleasure. Want to explore in more depth? Check out our full Spotify playlist.
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