Despite 2016’s overwhelming free fall into social and political madness, it’s unequivocally been one of the best years for music. In the past 11 and a half months, Rihanna covered Tame Impala; Radiohead played a mess of shows; Frank Ocean built a staircase; and “Fuck Wiz Khalifa!” marked the key return of dancehall culture. There were severe lows as we lost a number of childhood heroes — including the late Bowie, Prince, Lemmy, and Phife Dawg — but for every #RIP post, there was a brand new record that allowed you to take that “cheap vacation” for an hour or two.
With that being said, below you will find a unique mix of indie, hip-hop, R&B, punk, hardcore, electropop, and various stylings that throw the word “genre” out the window. There’s also a multitude of new faves that shaped and soundtracked the year that was without compromising their integrity or the communities they stand for. So with that in mind, here are BLARE’s picks for the best LPs of 2016.
50 :: MARIE DAVIDSON
Adieux Au Dancefloor
49 :: MARTHA
Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart
48 :: WEYES BLOOD
Front Row Seat To Earth
47 :: LVL UP
Return To Love
46 :: ALL GET OUT
Nobody Likes A Quitter
45 :: INTO IT. OVER IT.
Standards
44 :: FRAMEWORKS
Smother
43 :: HINDS
Leave Me Alone
41 :: PARQUET COURTS
Human Performance
39 :: BASEMENT
Promise Everything
38 :: WHITE LUNG
Paradise
37 :: MODERN BASEBALL
Holy Ghost
34 :: JESSY LANZA
Oh No
33 :: BLOOD ORANGE
Freetown Sound
31 :: EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
The Wilderness
30 :: TWIN PEAKS
Down In Heaven
29 :: DIIV
Is The Is Are
28 :: SCHOOLBOY Q
Blank Face LP
25 :: KAMAIYAH
A Good Night In The Ghetto
24 :: SOLANGE
A Seat At The Table
23 :: CYMBALS EAT GUITARS
Pretty Years
22 :: THE 1975
I like it when you sleep…
21 :: SAVAGES
Adore Life
20 :: SKEPTA
Konnichiwa
19 :: BON IVER
22, A Million
18 :: THE HOTELIER
Goodness
17 :: PUP
The Dream Is Over
16 :: ANDERSON .PAAK
Malibu
14 :: KAYTRANADA
99.9%
13 :: MAJID JORDAN
Majid Jordan
11 :: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
We Got It From Here…
10 :: DANNY BROWN
Atrocity Exhibition
09 :: RADIOHEAD
A Moon Shaped Pool
07 :: JAMES BLAKE
The Colour In Anything
06 :: TOUCHÉ AMORÉ
Stage Four
05 :: BALANCE AND COMPOSURE
Light We Made
04 :: CHANCE THE RAPPER
Coloring Book
03 :: KANYE WEST
The Life Of Pablo
02 :: ANGEL OLSEN
My Woman
01 :: FRANK OCEAN
Blonde & Endless
