Today, the countdown concludes. For the rest of the best 50 reasons to listen to music in 2016, go here
10. The Peace and Truce of… by Future of the Left (Album-Punk)
Punk ain’t dead, it’s kicking all kinds of ass on this record by the smartest and wittiest punkers since The Stooges.
9. Lil’ Big Pac by Kodak Black (Mixtape-Hip hop)
8. Malibu by Anderson Paak/Yes Lawd by NxWorries (Artist-soul/R&B)
He’s been around a while, but this is the year Paak broke through. He released not just one but two great albums (one as half of the duo NxWorries), and made about a half-dozen other songs better by appearing as a guest, including appearing on Tribe Called Quest’s comeback record. And Malibu is a straight up masterpiece.
7. We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest (Album-Hip hop)
The comeback we waited 18 years for is extraordinary. Rather than try to duplicate their well-established jazzy fusion sound, ATCQ turns a hard left and makes the most rock-and-roll rap album I’ve heard since Ice-T dropped his classic 
double album “O.G.”
6. Strangeclaw by Kate Vargas (Album-Americana)
The best part of owning a blog is getting to listen to all kinds of music and knowing that there’s a chance that if I pick some esoteric artist that few people have heard of, maybe, just maybe, a few of you will check it out. Putting Kate Vargas in my top 10 is just such a privelege.
Hit next for the top 5!
You must be logged in to post a comment.