The Critics' Favourite Albums of 2016 - final list

[Shireblogger]

I always find it interesting to monitor the music press at this time of year, to see which albums they put on their year end lists.

Sometimes they smack of following the herd. Sometimes they pick a rather average effort by an acclaimed act they have previously ignored, as an apologetic lifetime achievement award. Sometimes their choices open my ears to new music that I love. And, just occasionally, they choose the same albums as me.

So, over the next few weeks, I will post a series of lists from many of the more credible sources. They will be mostly British, but not exclusively. And I'll only be using those that draw from a variety of music styles.

I will also be compiling a running total, working on a 100 point inverse system, which means that the #1 on a list gets 100 points, which is 2 points less that an album gets from finishing 50th twice. And thus, this rewards albums which appear on lots of lists, rather than appearing towards the top of just a few.

Please add your own comments on the critics choices, as we go along.

[Shireblogger]

NME

1. 1975 -- I Like It When You Sleep…
2. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo
3. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine
4. Skepta -- Konnichiwa
5. Kaytranda -- 99.9%
6. David Bowie -- Blackstar
7. DIIV -- Is The Is Are
8. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
9. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book
10. Frank Ocean -- Blonde

11. Beyonce -- Lemonade
12. Sunflower Bean -- Human Ceremony
13. Angel Olsen -- My Woman
14. Jamie T -- Trick
15. Kano -- Made In The Manor
16. Danny Brown -- Atrocity Exhibition
17. Drake -- Views
18. Tegan & Sara -- Love You To Death
19. White Lung -- Paradise
20. Lady Gaga -- Joanne

21. Anderson.Paak -- Malibu
22. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
23. Michael Kiwanuka -- Love & Hate
24. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree
25. Blossoms -- Blossoms
26. Biffy Clyro -- Ellipsis
27. Giggs -- Landlord
28. GOAT -- Requiem
29. Kate Tempest -- Let Them Eat Chaos
30. Nao -- For All We Know

31. Bastille -- Wild World
32. Kings Of Leon -- WALLS
33. Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter
34. Let's Eat Grandma -- I, Gemini
35. Glass Animals -- How To Be A Human Being
36. Swet Shop Boys -- Cashmere
37. Soft Hair -- Soft Hair
38. Slaves -- Take Control
39. Green Day -- Revolution Radio
40. Rihanna -- Anti

41. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
42. Whitney -- Light Upon The Lake
43. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness
44. Lemon Twigs -- Do Hollywood
45. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial
46. Savages -- Adore Life
47. Wild Beasts -- Boy King
48. Show Me The Body -- Body War
49. Public Access TV -- Never Enough
50. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million

[Shireblogger]

MOJO

1. David Bowie -- Blackstar
2. Michael Kiwanuka -- Love & Hate
3. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree
4. Lambchop -- FLOTUS
5. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker
6. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
7. Frank Ocean -- Blonde
8. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger
9. PJ Harvey -- The Hope Six Demolition Project
10. Heron Oblivion -- Heron Oblivion

11. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
12. Beyonce -- Lemonade
13. Teenage Fanclub -- Here
14. Charles Bradley -- Changes
15. Cult -- Hidden City
16. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million
17. Dinosaur Jr -- Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not
18. Syd Arthur -- Apricity
19. Modern Studies -- Swell To Great
20. Bob Dylan -- Fallen Angels

21. Ryley Walker -- Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
22. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
23. Kevin Morby -- Singing Saw
24. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial
25. Skepta -- Konnichiwa
26. Cass McCombs -- Mangy Love
27. Case/Lang/Viers -- Case/Lang/Viers
28. Angel Olsen -- My Woman
29. Thee Oh Sees -- A Weird Exits
30. Monkees -- Good Times !

31. Fat White Family -- Songs For Our Mothers
32. Still -- The Still
33. Suede -- Night Thoughts
34. David Crosby -- Lighthouse
35. Field Music -- Commontime
36. Wilco -- Schmilco
37. James Blake -- The Colour In Anything
38. William Bell -- This Is Where I Live
39. White Denim -- Stiff
40. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book

41. Steve Gunn -- Eyes On The Lines
42. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness
43. Bitchin Bajas & Bonnie Prince Billy -- Epic Jammers & Fortunate Little Ditties
44. Meilyr Jones -- 2013
45. Kendrick Lamar -- Untitled Unmastered
46. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine
47. Van Morrison -- Keep Me Singing
48. Comet Is Coming -- Channel The Spirits
49. Nada Surf -- You Know Who You Are
50. Divine Comedy -- Foreverland

[Shireblogger]

ROLLING STONE

1. Beyonce -- Lemonade
2. David Bowie -- Blackstar
3. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book
4. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial
5. Frank Ocean -- Blonde
6. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
7. Rolling Stones -- Blue And Lonesome
8. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo
9. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker
10. Young Thug -- Jeffery

11. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
12. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger
13. Maren Morris -- Hero
14. Green Day -- Revolution Radio
15. LVL Up -- Return To Love
16. Miranda Lambert -- The Weight Of These Wings
17. Parquet Courts -- Human Performance
18. 1975 -- I Like It When You Sleep…
19. Danny Brown -- Atrocity Exhibition
20. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree

21. Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter
22. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million
23. Mitski -- Puberty 2
24. Drive-By Truckers -- American Band
25. Rihanna -- Anti
26. Sturgill Simpson -- A Sailor's Guide To Earth
27. Brandy Clark -- Big Day In A Small Town
28. Blood Orange -- Free Town Sound
29. Mudcrutch -- 2
30. A Tribe Called Quest -- We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service

31. White Lung -- Paradise
32. Alicia Keys -- Here
33. Sting -- 57th & 9th
34. Angel Olsen -- My Woman
35. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness
36. Metallica -- Hardwired…To Self-Destruct
37. Bonnie Raitt -- Dig In Deep
38. Tove Lo -- Lady Wood
39. Elton John -- Wonderful Crazy Night
40. Maxwell -- Blacksummers'night

41. Wilco -- Schmilco
42. Drake -- Views
43. Future -- EVOL
44. Monkees -- Good Times !
45. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
46. Norah Jones -- Day Breaks
47. Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein -- Stranger Things
48. Esperanza Spalding -- Emily's D+Evolution
49. Dawes -- We're All Gonna Die
50. Death Grips -- Bottomless Pit

[Shireblogger]

Leaders so far...

1. David Bowie -- Blackstar :: 294
2. Frank Ocean -- Blonde :: 281
3. Beyonce -- Lemonade :: 279
4. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool :: 264
5. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree :: 256

6. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book :: 251
7. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression :: 244
8. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial :: 230
9. Solange -- A Seat At The Table :: 229
10. Angel Olsen -- My Woman :: 228

11. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million :: 215
12. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo :: 192
13. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker :: 188
14. 1975 -- I Like It When You Sleep… :: 183
15. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness :: 183

16. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger :: 182
17. Michael Kiwanuka -- Love & Hate :: 177
18. Skepta -- Konnichiwa :: 173
19. Danny Brown -- Atrocity Exhibition :: 167
20. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine :: 153

[Shireblogger]

UNCUT

1. David Bowie -- Blackstar
2. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
3. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree
4. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker
5. Ryley Walker -- Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
6. PJ Harvey -- The Hope Six Demolition Project
7. Sturgill Simpson -- A Sailor's Guide To Earth
8. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness
9. Teenage Fanclub -- Here
10. Beyonce -- Lemonade

11. Thee Oh Sees -- A Weird Exits
12. Brian Eno -- The Ship
13. Drive-By Truckers -- American Band
14. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million
15. Wilco -- Schmilco
16. Hiss Golden Messenger -- Heart Like A Levee
17. Cavern Of Anti-Matter -- Void Beats / Invocation Trex
18. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
19. Lambchop -- FLOTUS
20. Angel Olsen -- My Woman

21. William Tyler -- Modern Country
22. Avalanches -- Wildflower
23. Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter
24. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger
25. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
26. Cate Le Bon -- Crab Day
27. Shirley Collins -- Lodestar
28. Case/Lang/Viers -- Case/Lang/Viers
29. Kendrick Lamar -- Untitled Unmastered
30. Frank Ocean -- Blonde

31. Cass McCombs -- Mangy Love
32. 75 Dollar Bill -- Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
33. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard -- Nonagon Infinity
34. Lucinda Williams -- The Ghosts Of Highway 20
35. Eleanor Friedberger -- New View
36. Jenny Hval -- Blood b****
37. Tim Hecker -- Love Streams
38. Chris Forsyth & Solar Motel Band -- The Rarity Of Experience
39. Shovels & Rope -- Little Seeds
40. Let's Eat Grandma -- I, Gemini

41. Anna Meredith -- Varmints
42. Brigid Mae Power -- Brigid Mae Power
43. Roisin Murphy -- Take Her Up To Monto
44. Okervil River -- Away
45. King -- We Are King
46. Swans -- The Glowing Man
47. Handsome Family -- Unseen
48. Skepta -- Konnichiwa
49. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine
50. Kevin Morby -- Singing Saw

[Shireblogger]

Leaders so far...

1. David Bowie -- Blackstar :: 394
2. Beyonce -- Lemonade :: 370
3. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool :: 363
4. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree :: 354
5. Frank Ocean -- Blonde :: 352

6. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression :: 320
7. Solange -- A Seat At The Table :: 312
8. Angel Olsen -- My Woman :: 309
9. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million :: 302
10. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker :: 285

11. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness :: 276
12. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger :: 259
13. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book :: 251
14. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial :: 230
15. Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter :: 226

16. Skepta -- Konnichiwa :: 226
17. Danny Brown -- Atrocity Exhibition :: 212
18. Wilco -- Schmilco :: 211
19. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine :: 205
20. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo :: 192

[thehitparade]

A fair bit of consensus there, as you'd expect. Do you think the NME writers wanted to put Leonard Cohen in there but marketing told them he didn't fit the target demographic?

Sting in the Rolling Stone list is a bit of a shocker. I don't even think that would be one of Sting's Top 40 albums of the year.

[Whitneyfan]

Unsurprisingly, very few of my top 5 appear in any of the lists so far:

1. Tom Odell
2. Rick Astley
3. Pet Shop Boys
4. Blossoms
5. Rebecca Ferguson

I didn't bother with the Beyonce album as I thought the singles from it were drivel, but maybe I need to give it a go.

[TheThorne]

Nov 30, 2016 9:41:02 GMT 1 Whitneyfan said:

Unsurprisingly, very few of my top 5 appear in any of the lists so far:

1. Tom Odell
2. Rick Astley
3. Pet Shop Boys
4. Blossoms
5. Rebecca Ferguson

I didn't bother with the Beyonce album as I thought the singles from it were drivel, but maybe I need to give it a go.

Think Q might have a couple of those in their list

[thehitparade]

Obviously the trouble with trying to pick our favourites is that we non-professionals aren't likely to have heard more than a tiny proportion of the albums on offer. Although at least the barriers to hearing an album you're curious about are much lower than before.

[TheThorne]

Nov 30, 2016 17:14:24 GMT 1 thehitparade said:

Obviously the trouble with trying to pick our favourites is that we non-professionals aren't likely to have heard more than a tiny proportion of the albums on offer. Although at least the barriers to hearing an album you're curious about are much lower than before.

I used to listen to about 20 new albums a month now I am lucky if I hear 2 , but that was when I could listen to music at work 8 hours a day

[thehitparade]

Ah, but the point is that until about ten years ago, or 15-20 if you were less law-abiding, your most likely way of hearing an album was if you bought it so you probably wouldn't hear anything non-mainstream unless you were interested enough to invest money in or somebody made a point of playing it to you.

Nowadays I could hear almost any of the albums mentioned in this thread without having to commit any more than the time. Of course the downside of this is that we don't listen as deeply and there are so many albums, even ones I own, that I've only listened to once which probably isn't enough for a full appreciation. In fact there's one album in these lists which I have MP3s of and haven't listened to at all. For reference, I count 12 albums in this thread so far that I've heard. There are others I'd be interested in hearing but there are some you'd need to pay me a small or even a large amount of money to listen to.

[Shireblogger]

Nov 30, 2016 9:41:02 GMT 1 Whitneyfan said:

I didn't bother with the Beyonce album as I thought the singles from it were drivel, but maybe I need to give it a go.

Me too. This is a good example of an album which I would have ignored, had it not been for the critics. At some point during the Christmas break, I'll definitely give it a listen.

[Razzle Dazzle]

The problem is they always pick a huge selection of abstract, hard to listen too arty farty stuff for the "music connoisseur" usually by artists who used to be huge but now release slow, boring but apparently amazing music. To me its like the greatest artist in the world doing some abstract art called "3 paint strokes in a dark room" and its just a white canvas with badly painted lines and the world goes mad, critics say you just don't get it, the beauty is in the simplicity then it sells for 50 million dollars. that covers about 80% of these lists

[thehitparade]

I heard the Beyoncé album because I happened to be on a free trial of Tidal when it came out. Of course this meant I was also on there when Prince died so I was able to try out some of his old albums.

[Shireblogger]

The INDEPENDENT

1. Beyonce -- Lemonade
2. Anderson.Paak -- Malibu
3. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker
4. Jenny Hval -- Blood b****
5. Frank Ocean -- Blonde
6. A Tribe Called Quest -- We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service
7. Glass Animals -- How To Be A Human Being
8. Kano -- Made In The Manor
9. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
10. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo

11. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book
12. Skepta -- Konnichiwa
13. Kendrick Lamar -- Untitled Unmastered
14. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
15. Rihanna -- Anti
16. Kaytranda -- 99.9%
17. David Bowie -- Blackstar
18. Hiss Golden Messenger -- Heart Like A Levee
19. Common -- Black America Again
20. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine

[Shireblogger]

Leaders so far...

1. David Bowie -- Blackstar :: 478
2. Beyonce -- Lemonade :: 470
3. Frank Ocean -- Blonde :: 448
4. Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression :: 412
5. Solange -- A Seat At The Table :: 399

6. Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker :: 383
7. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool :: 363
8. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree :: 354
9. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book :: 341
10. Skepta -- Konnichiwa :: 315

11. Angel Olsen -- My Woman :: 309
12. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million :: 302
13. Christine & Queens -- Chaleur Humaine :: 286
14. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo :: 283
15. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness :: 276

16. Paul Simon -- Stranger To Stranger :: 259
17. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial :: 230
18. Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter :: 226
19. Rihanna -- Anti :: 223
20. Kendrick Lamar -- Untitled Unmastered :: 216


Beyoncé closes Bowie's lead down to just 8 points. The Top 5 have all appeared in all 5 lists so far.


Skepta


Angel Olsen

[Shireblogger]

ESQUIRE

20 albums named alphabetically. (Each gets 90 points towards their grand total)

Beyonce -- Lemonade
Bon Iver -- 22, A Million
David Bowie -- Blackstar
DIANA -- Familiar Touch
DJ Shadow -- The Mountain Will Fall
Foxes -- All I Need
Iggy Pop -- Post Pop Depression
Jack Garrett -- Phase
James Blake -- The Colour In Anything
Julia Jacklin -- Don't Let The Kids Win
Kate Tempest -- Let Them Eat Chaos
Last Shadow Puppets -- Everything You've Come To Expect
Leonard Cohen -- You Want It Darker
M83 -- Junk
Mark Pritchard -- Under The Sun
Metronomy -- Summer 08
MIA -- Aim
Peter Doherty -- Hamburg Demonstrations
Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
Suede -- Night Thoughts

[Shireblogger]

THE SKINNY

1. Frank Ocean -- Blonde
2. Solange -- A Seat At The Table
3. Bon Iver -- 22, A Million
4. Anderson.Paak -- Malibu
5. Angel Olsen -- My Woman
6. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds -- Skeleton Tree
7. David Bowie -- Blackstar
8. ANOHNI -- Hopelessness
9. Parquet Courts -- Human Performance
10. Beyonce -- Lemonade

11. Radiohead -- A Moon Shaped Pool
12. Car Seat Headrest -- Teens Of Denial
13. Tacocoat -- Lost Time
14. Chance The Rapper -- Coloring Book
15. Mitski -- Puberty 2
16. Blood Orange -- Free Town Sound
17. Anna Meredith -- Varmints
18. Nao -- For All We Know
19. Shura -- Nothing's Real
20. Pinegrove -- Cardinal

21. 1975 -- I Like It When You Sleep…
22. Leon Vynehall -- Rojus
23. Kanye West -- Life Of Pablo
24. Savages -- Adore Life
25. Kaytranda -- 99.9%
26. Frankie Cosmos -- Next Thing
27. Nicolas Jaar -- Sirens
28. James Blake -- The Colour In Anything
29. Noname -- Telefone
30. Danny Brown -- Atrocity Exhibition

31. Wild Beasts -- Boy King
32. Juliana Barwick -- Will
33. HINDS -- Leave Me Alone
34. Julia Jacklin -- Don't Let The Kids Win
35. Moor Mother -- Fetish Bones
36. Glass Animals -- How To Be A Human Being
37. Frightened Rabbit -- Painting Of A Panic Attack
38. Whitney -- Light Upon The Lake
39. Parra For Cuva & Senoy -- Darwis
40. Gold Panda -- Good Luck And Do Your Best

41. Teenage Fanclub -- Here
42. Shield Patterns -- Mirror Breathing
43. Honeyblood -- Babes Never Die
44. Kevin Morby -- Singing Saw
45. American Football -- American Football
46. Law Holt -- City
47. Steve Masons -- Meet The Humans
48. De Rosa -- Weem
49. Carly Rae Jepson -- Emotion Side B
50. Daughter -- Not To Disappear