Maria Gabriela Mendez
2016 was… special, I guess. A lot of things happened this year. It’s been a mess, it’s been crazy, but here we are. Life goes on and so do we. Looking at the bright side of the picture, a lot of good music was made.
I’ve always felt that the right song can save you. Once I heard someone say that music is a message the universe sends you and musicians have the hard task to be the messengers of it. That is the reason you relate to songs.
If you are looking for the perfect song for this year, you came to the right place. Rolling Stone Magazine released the best albums of the year and we are presenting you the top 25. That might make your search easier, or at least we hope so:
25. “Anti” by Rihanna.
An album that talks about isolation a lot and how you are strong no matter what.
24. “American Band” by Drive-By Truckers.
They hit the topics people need to be talking about, Black Lives Matters, police violence, etc.
23. “Puberty 2” by Mitski.
The singer shares a lot of personal issues on this album. It has her signature indie-rock sound.
22. “22, A Million” by Bon Iver.
It’s still an indie rock record, but he added digital sounds to it, making it sound very rare and fragile. Describe as tender, the album is actually one of my favorites.
21. “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” by Margo Price.
She lets her soul be bare on this album. The topics are a bit uncomfortable, but she isn’t afraid of talking.
20. “Skeleton Tree” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
If I tell you this one is about tragedy would you still listen to it? I hope so because it is.
19. “Atrocity Exhibition” by Danny Brown.
This rapper is all about ” the chronicle of the highs and lows of chemical and sexual indulgence.”
18. “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It” The 1975.
The melodies of this album are very delicately made, with a touch of sexiness that describes them.
17. “Human Performance” by Parquet Courts.
They have “art-damaged indie influences; they use those old styles as tools to respond to the contemporary world around them.” K.H
16. “The Weight Of These Wings” by Miranda Lambert.
After the divorce with Blake Shelton, this country artist talks about regret, anger and a bit of humor on her newest album. It has 24 tracks, it seems like she’s got a lot to say.
15. “Return To Love” by Lvl Up.
You can expect a lot of soft guitar in this indie record.
14. “Revolution Radio” by Green Day.
You don’t even have to wonder what this album is about if you watch their performance at the AMA’s last week. America is crazy.
13. “Hero” by Maren Morris.
She’s a new country music artist that knows what she’s doing very well. It almost doesn’t sound like country.
12. “Stranger to Stranger” by Paul Simon.
Simon described the sound of the album like “packing it with sideways reinventions of the mournful blues snap and early rock & roll melodicism that have long charged his work”.
11. “A Seat At The Table” by Solange.
The Rolling Stone said it was “Indebted to both vintage soul and contemporary indie rock, A Seat at the Table is a love letter to self-sufficiency in the face of incredible pain and a manifesto for modern black womanhood.”
10. “Jeffrey” by Young Thug.
This rapper is very versatile and has a great voice. He’s even considered “the new Lil Wayne”.
9. “You Want It Darker” by Leonard Cohen.
This beloved musician spent the last months of his life working on this album. It was impossible for him to move so he couldn’t go to the studio, but he left us with this brilliant masterpiece.
8. “The Life Of Pablo” by Kanye West.
Before he started ranting about people and getting into political issues he did what he does best, make an awesome record. This album has everything, the songs are very diverse and it’s perfectly done. Maybe he should stick to this.
7. “Blue & Lonesome” by Rolling Stones.
They seem to be going back to their roots with their first studio album in a decade. If you like good music, definitely listen.
6. “A Moon Shaped Pool” by Radiohead.
This album is full of piano and violin and acoustic guitar sounds. It’s such a pleasure to listen to it.
5. “Blond” by Frank Ocean.
They describe this album as freedom. I don’t need to tell you more, just listen to it.
4. “Teens Of Denial” by Car Seats Headrest.
This album is full of guitars. Most of the album is about drugs, but it isn’t as depressing as you’d think.
3. “Coloring Book” by Chance The Rapper.
He uses joyful melodies to contrast the seriousness and harshness of the topic he chose for the lyrics. He doesn’t step back on talking about reality.
2. “Black Star” by David Bowie.
Another goodbye that;s gonna stay with us forever. The musician left us this album right before his death and it’s one of his greatest.
1. “Lemonade” Beyoncé.
I’ve never heard of an album so talked about like this one. It has revealing lyrics that made the world wonder and enjoy it.
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