Thread for all 2016 albums of the year lists

I liked in February, forgot about it, loved it in November. It's on mine.

well it's kind of a relief that the wire has just decided to like the records everybody else likes instead of holding out on this notion of "avant garde" consisting mainly of 70-something europeans.

When did The Wire do this, really? Even looking at these, Robert Wyatt is the only person who could come close to fitting that description.

Unless you're being sarcastic, in which case, yeah, I'd like to see someone still rep for the proper European avant-garde as well.

interesting how the Suede record received great reviews but is afaict not showing on many lists
― niels, Tuesday, December 13, 2016 9:09 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I liked in February, forgot about it, loved it in November. It's on mine.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, December 13, 2016 9:12 PM (five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's one of my most listened to records this year. I liked Bloodsports just fine, but Night Thoughts was their best album in years.

As I've done in the last few years, I've made a Spotify playlist that aggregates a bunch of best-songs lists (Pitchfork, Spin, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NME, Entertainment Weekly, Paste, Consequence of Sound, PopMatters, Time, NPR, Vulture, etc.). Currently at about 450 songs. More to come?

https://open.spotify.com/user/seaworthyset/playlist/6H2kytqHfA8bTFNOUPjm9x

Night Thoughts is in my top 50 if not quite 25. 'I Don't Know How To Reach You' might be in my top 5 tracks though

12. Dele Sosimi & Afrobeat Orchestra - Too Much Information (Laolu Remix)

FWIW this is brilliant.

hell yeah it is

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Tuesday, December 13, 2016 4:06 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yup

That 12" was actually from 2015. The dub album was this year, which is on my list. I can't find that Too Much Information in lossless anywhere, it's not on Bandcamp nor Boomkat. Any ideas?

https://delesosimi.bandcamp.com/album/you-no-fit-touch-am-in-dub-feat-prince-fatty-nostalgia-77

It's the big one you guys...

Ultimate Classic Rock - Best Albums of 2016
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/2016-best-rock-albums/

20. Eric Clapton, 'I Still Do'
19. Graham Nash, 'This Path Tonight'
18. Steven Tyler, 'We're All Somebody From Somewhere'
17. Neil Young & Promise of the Real, 'Earth'
16. Bob Weir, 'Blue Mountain'
15. Bonnie Raitt, 'Dig in Deep'
14. Jeff Beck, 'Loud Hailer'
13. Neil Young, 'Peace Trail'
12. Sting, '57th & 9th'
11. Elton John, 'Wonderful Crazy Night'

10. Bob Dylan, 'Fallen Angels'
9. The Monkees, 'Good Times!'
8. Iggy Pop, 'Post Pop Depression'
7. Mudcrutch, '2'
6. Green Day, 'Revolution Radio'
5. Metallica, 'Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct'
4. Leonard Cohen, 'You Want It Darker'
3. The Rolling Stones, 'Blue & Lonesome'
2. Paul Simon, 'Stranger to Stranger'
1. David Bowie, 'Blackstar'

inclusion of bonnie raitt is some pc gone mad shit though

who even knew all these geezers even put out new albums this year

Blackstar seems like a risqué #1 choice for 'Classic rock'. Kudos.

in ten years they'll have nothing left but green day records

the Bonnie Raitt album is wonderful, guys, jeez

was gonna say

I was all 'who are these Mudcrutch kids' compared to the rest of the list, then looked them up.

Was just poking fun at the daring inclusion of a female, relax

:)

also Mordy otm, I had no idea 75% of thee records existed

peace trail is a very weird record

That Jeff Beck album is worth hearing; it's a collaboration with a female guitarist and singer who work together as Bones, and it's loud and ugly like a latter-day Cult record. I've never been a Beck fan, but this one's worth a stream at least.

I like Jeff Beck a lot, including recent stuff, but I didn't get around to Loud Hailer yet. It's definitely on my list.

The average age of the artists in that Ultimate Classic Rock is a spritely 65.6. And that's only because the baby-faced Gen-Xers in Green Day (all 44) bring the average down. Otherwise it would be 68, including the young 52-54 yo upstarts in Metallica. It's understandable that baby boomers might be uncomfortable becoming fans of bands young enough to be their grandchildren, and it's cool that so many artists are remaining active into retirement age. But still, that list is kinda nuts.

The Textura list upthread is fascinating if only because I do not know a single album in there (except for the Carl Stone compilation and that's one of the most esoteric albums in my collection. Shing Kee 1986 is mindblowing btw).

Anyone recognize at least one album from there? Anything worth listening?

Also looking at their lists from previous years and whoa I know only two albums at most. The mixes/reissues/compilations I can identify half of the list but the yearly ones seem chosen by someone who lives in a cave (in a good way).

Would love to see them (him? her?) give a decade list a try. Would love to see their top 50 albums for every decade if they follow the same sort of offbeat selection.

agreed Textura is one of the more interesting ones of these we've seen. i don't know much from it, though i do know Halvorson, Hammock, Causa Sui and Johanna Warren. lots of good stuff to dig into, yes.

Moka, if you're intrigued by that one, be sure to click on the Anti-Gravity Bunny list, too. unless you're a drone wizard, there'll be plenty to discover there, too, i'd imagine

Textura is always really good - I've heard a few of these (the Tignor, bvdub, Hammock, James Murray, Anne Garner, Hedvig Mollestad Trio - all excellent), and I know some of the other artists' earlier work but there's still a lot of totally unknown material to dive into. The music that Textura usually covers falls roughly within the triangle of modern/minimalist classical, experimental jazz and electronic/ambient.

https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/listomania/fifty-best-albums-2016

So it is still possible for a relatively 'generalist' publication to produce a more interesting list. Some of the usual suspects appear, but lots of interest in the lower reaches.

Top 10: Jenny Hval, Danny Brown, Anna Meredith, Mitski, Bon Iver, Chance The Rapper, Shura, Skepta, The Radio Dept., ATCQ.

I love how that Classic Rock list begins "it was a great year for classic rock (except for everyone dying)..."

"Tom Petty's other band, Mudcrutch..."

Ah, thanks for the Textura list. That's the kind of thing I was looking for. Based in Peterborough!

perhaps Kendrick would've done better had he titled his songs this year

"untitled 03" is a jam but how would you know

The Textura list is great; I'm definitely going to start reading that site.

It's all about untitled 6 man

The average age of the artists in that Ultimate Classic Rock is a spritely 65.6. And that's only because the baby-faced Gen-Xers in Green Day (all 44) bring the average down. Otherwise it would be 68, including the young 52-54 yo upstarts in Metallica. It's understandable that baby boomers might be uncomfortable becoming fans of bands young enough to be their grandchildren, and it's cool that so many artists are remaining active into retirement age. But still, that list is kinda nuts.

― Fastnbulbous

i get that the list is easy to laugh at, but this is the market they cover. they're a specialist mag, and it's not really surprising that their year end list would be of albums in their specialty. i think it's a good list specifically _because_ nobody will else will acknowledge these records exist. and, as has been pointed out elsewhere in the thread, some of these records (the raitt and the jeff beck) are apparently pretty good. so they've gotten people to talk about good records nobody else is talking about. that's more than pitchfork's list has done!

perhaps Kendrick would've done better had he titled his songs this year

― niels

if kendrick had put untitled unmastered out as a "proper" record he would've gotten all kinds of shit for putting out an album that sounds like outtakes from "to pimp a butterfly".

re: the line of best fit list - since there seems to be a trend towards language policing around this time of year, can i humbly propose that we put the kibosh on "genre-queer"? or at least ask for some sort of explanation as to why PWR BTTM are "genre-queer" but Tengger Cavalry aren't?

"genre-queer" is so performative woke

from Textura list, Buck Curran's album is really good

i get that the list is easy to laugh at, but this is the market they cover. they're a specialist mag, and it's not really surprising that their year end list would be of albums in their specialty. i think it's a good list specifically _because_ nobody will else will acknowledge these records exist. and, as has been pointed out elsewhere in the thread, some of these records (the raitt and the jeff beck) are apparently pretty good. so they've gotten people to talk about good records nobody else is talking about. that's more than pitchfork's list has done!

I mostly agree, except doesn't Classic Rock cover the same demographic, but at least acknowledge that there are younger bands that can still appeal to the older generations? Is Ultimate Classic Rock a different publisher? I can't tell, the URL is hanging right now.

I'm going to repeat myself from last year's thread and be surprised and puzzled at the paucity of Dawn Richard placements on these lists. I can understand her not being top 10 (tho she is for me), but to not be in the top 50 on several of the lists is weird. She gets good reviews, I know critics know/like her, but then she just disappears. (Except for odd things like being #1 on Fader last year.)

not that it would have mattered probably, but her album came out after most of these lists were already being compiled

I mostly agree, except doesn't Classic Rock cover the same demographic, but at least acknowledge that there are younger bands that can still appeal to the older generations? Is Ultimate Classic Rock a different publisher? I can't tell, the URL is hanging right now.

― Fastnbulbous

it's nice that there are publications that want to proselytize to their fanbase and build a bridge to other kinds of music. arguably fiscally prudent, as well, although i suspect the "ultimate classic rock" demographic belong to the last generation that considers buying magazines in any way useful or important.

part of me just wants to give them a peaceful death. if they want to die thinking that eric clapton is the best guitar player of all time, just like their parents died loving lawrence welk and guy lombardo... let them. let ultimate classic rock magazine be the dead to bury the dead.

in the meantime, how about that bonnie raitt album?

xp

Yeah, I'm sure that makes a difference. She'll probably crop up somewhere in the VV survey, whatever they're calling it this year.

Fader has a 115 track list: http://www.thefader.com/2016/12/13/best-songs-of-2016-playlist

And they put #1 at the beginning og the list, far too kind

breaking threadban to deplore the fader's write-up of #1 and probably everything else about their ever-so right-on list

that isn't actually right-on at all (see #1 write-up)

look dad, no white people! so fucking brave

if it was all POC then that'd be cool or w/e but no, there's motherfucking bon iver

.... that's their no. 1?