Albums will always be relevant. As much as the market continues to skew towards singles, as much time as we spend making playlists, nothing much compares to diving into a full length album from one of your favorite artists.
One of the biggest trends in 2016 was the ever-increasing popularity of the surprise album release. It's almost a surprise if an album is announced two months in advance with a carefully planned rollout, nowadays—this year, top tier artists like Solange, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Kanye West, and James Blake gave us little to no warning before sharing new music.
But the ways in which they shared it were always unique. Beyoncé's Lemonade was a primetime TV event on HBO, half of Frank Ocean's double album was a days-long livestream, and Kanye West created a "living breathing changing creative expression." However these albums reached us, and on whichever streaming platforms, 2016 was another fantastic year for albums.
From fresh new artists like Noname, Hinds, and Kamaiyah to established stars like Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and A Tribe Called Quest, these are our favorite albums of 2016.
50. Post Malone - 'Stoney'
49. Cousin Stizz - 'Monda'
48. Francis & The Lights - 'Farewell Starlite!'
47. Kweku Collins - 'Nat Love'
46. Kid Cudi - 'Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin''
45. Topaz Jones - 'Arcade'
44. Saba - 'Bucket List Project'
43. Childish Gambino - "Awaken, My Love!"
42. Kemba - 'Negus'
41. Trapo - 'Shade Trees'
40. Allan Kingdom - 'Northern Lights'
39. Kevin Abstract - 'American Boyfriend'
38. 6LACK - 'FREE 6LACK'
37. Little Simz - 'Stillness in Wonderland'
36. David Bowie - 'Blackstar'
35. Kamaiyah - 'A Good Night in the Ghetto'
34. Skepta - 'Konnichiwa'
33. Denzel Curry - 'Imperial'
32. Angel Olsen - 'My Woman'
31. YG - 'Still Brazy'
30. A.CHAL - 'Welcome to Gazi'
29. Shura - 'Nothing's Real'
28. Giggs - 'Landlord'
27. Jazz Cartier - 'Hotel Paranoia'
26. James Blake - 'The Colour In Anything'
25. Isaiah Rashad - 'The Sun's Tirade'
24. Lil Yachty - 'Lil Boat'
23. Kendrick Lamar - 'untitled unmastered.'
22. Radiohead - 'A Moon Shaped Pool'
21. D.R.A.M. - 'Big Baby D.R.A.M.'
20. Blood Orange - 'Freetown Sound'
19. NxWorries - 'Yes Lawd!'
18. Hinds - 'Leave Me Alone'
17. Danny Brown - 'Atrocity Exhibition'
16. Bon Iver - '22, A Million'
15. ScHoolboy Q - 'Blank Face LP'
14. Rihanna - 'ANTI'
13. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin - 'Savage Mode'
12. Kaytranada - '99.9%'
11. The Weeknd - 'Starboy'
10. Travis Scott - 'Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight'
9. A Tribe Called Quest - 'We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service'
8. Young Thug - 'Slime Season 3'
7. Beyonce - 'Lemonade'
6. Kanye West - 'The Life of Pablo'
5. Noname - 'Telefone'
4. Chance The Rapper - 'Coloring Book'
3. Solange - 'A Seat at the Table'
2. Anderson .Paak - 'Malibu'
1. Frank Ocean - 'Blonde'
Release date: August 20
In a year when new albums faded away like fond memories of a good party, Frank Ocean's Blonde felt like a moment that really mattered. Frank's songwriting connects on a personal level, beyond Instagram captions and Twitter quotables. He's got the ability to make every detail feel meaningful, and to make heavy topics like race and sexuality feel like a casual conversation with a thoughtful friend.
And despite all of this, despite making one of the most accessible and impactful albums of the year, there is still something elusive about Frank Ocean, and about Blonde. Like if you just listen to it one more time, something else will make more sense. Like maybe your favorite new song on the album is the one that you passed over on first listen. Like your previous favorite song on the album still has something to reveal.
Frank Ocean's perspective is vital. For a minute there, it felt like he was too precious of a human being to be in the spotlight. And if he disappeared, like so many other young artists seemingly uninterested with fame, it would be understandable. Instead, he returned with the most beautiful and brave album of 2017.—Jacob Moore