Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2016

After revealing top songs, music videos, and genre-specific album lists like rap and pop/R&B, Pitchfork have revealed their top 50 albums of 2016. It’s a diverse list as always, with indie rock from Car Seat Headrest, Mitski, Parquet Courts, Frankie Cosmos and Pinegrove, soft rock revival from Kevin Morby and Whitney, rising rappers and R&B/soul singers 21 Savage, Kamaiyah, Jamila Woods, KING and Telefone, jazz from Vijay Iyer / Wadada Leo Smith and Esperanza Spalding, electronic music from Huerco S and Moodymann, and more. Anderson .Paak makes the list twice, with his solo album Malibu and NxWorries. There’s also 2016’s year-end list regulars David Bowie, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, A Tribe Called Quest, ANOHNI, Angel Olsen, Radiohead, Danny Brown, Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and Rihanna (who cracks the top 20 after getting a surprising low score on her album this year). Both Knowles sisters are in the top 3. Can you guess which one is #1?

Check out the whole list below and read Pitchfork’s commentary here.

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Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2016
50. 21 Savage / Metro Boomin – Savage Mode
49. Porches – Pool
48. Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing
47. Kamaiyah – A Good Night in the Ghetto
46. Pinegrove – Cardinal
45. William Tyler – Modern Country
44. Kevin Gates – Islah
43. Weyes Blood – Front Row Seat to Earth
42. Vince Staples – Prima Donna
41. Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
40. Vijay Iyer / Wadada Leo Smith – A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke
39. Moodymann – DJ-Kicks
38. Schoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
37. KING – We Are KING
36. Jamila Woods – HEAVN
35. Hamilton Leithauser / Rostam – I Had a Dream That You Were Mine
34. Kevin Morby – Singing Saw
33. Maxwell – blackSUMMERS’night
32. Elza Soares – A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (The Woman at the End of the World)
31. Whitney – Light Upon the Lake
30. Esperanza Spalding – Emily’s D+Evolution
29. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – EARS
28. NxWorries – Yes Lawd!
27. Noname – Telefone
26. Parquet Courts – Human Performance
25. Kaytranada – 99.9%
24. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
23. Jenny Hval – Blood Bitch
22. YG – Still Brazy
21. Young Thug – JEFFERY
20. Nicolas Jaar – Sirens
19. Rihanna – ANTI
18. Mitski – Puberty 2
17. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
16. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered.
15. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
14. Blood Orange – Freetown Sound
13. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
12. Bon Iver – 22, A Million
11. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition
10. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
9. Angel Olsen – My Woman
8. ANOHNI – Hopelessness
7. A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service
6. Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book
5. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
4. David Bowie – Blackstar
3. Beyonce – Lemonade
2. Frank Ocean – Blonde
1. Solange – A Seat at the Table