Best Music Of 2016

Best Of: Music
By Andrew Hockridge

Is it over yet?

2016 was by far the most challenging and unpredictable year we have had in a long time. 2016 was the year we went from thinking that there were alternate universes, to realizing that we are the alternate universe. If this year was a novel, you would reject it for being unrealistic. David Bowie died, a gorilla named Harambe became a pop culture icon, and Hillary Clinton broke the glass ceiling by being the first woman to lose a presidential election to a guy who's not even a politician.

With that being said, 2016 was a year to reflect. We saw the deaths of popular musicians including Prince, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen. Both Bowie and Cohen released their final farewell albums as a parting gift to their fans before they died. Canadian music icon Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip was diagnosed with brain cancer which saw The Hip embark on what may be the final tour of their career and also released an album.

Hometown celebrities Drake and The Weeknd both released their critically acclaimed homecoming albums, "Views", and "Starboy" respectively. Songs by Justin Timberlake and Shawn Mendes were on every radio's Top 40, and new bands such as DNCE entered the mainstream for the first time.

My 2016 Best of Music list is once again full of discovery and wonder. I lead you on this journey to experience new artists and to find your new favourite song. You'll see musicians you will recognize and some you won't. I spent time searching among many different genres of music to solidify the best of each genre and to classify my tastes in the music world.

As I have stated in the past, this list was made for my pleasure to share with you my discovery in new music. I offer this contrast to give you insight of what is out there, what you may have missed and what I found was the heart and soul of 2016 in the music world. Each track was listened to in great detail and every single song on this list reflects a certain memory or an emotion of the year that was. So without further ado, here is my 2016 Best of Music list.
Best Albums of 2016

20. Anderson Paak. - Malibu

19. James Blake - The Colour In Anything

18. M83 - Junk

17. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service

16. Kaytranada - 99.9%

15. Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial

14. Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book


13. Frank Ocean - Blonde

12. The Naked And Famous - Simple Forms

11. The Dandy Warhols - Distortland

10. Beyonce - Lemonade

9. The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It

8. Drake - Views

7. How To Dress Well - Care

6. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo

5. NF - Therapy Session

4. Julsy - Ze Rest Of Uz

3. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

2. The Range - Potential

1. The Weeknd - Starboy

Best Songs of 2016

100. Fair Ones - Afternoon Daydream
99. Porches - Be Apart
98. Cameron AG - Way Back Home
97. Psychic Twin - Lose Myself
96. White Lung - Below
95. Darling James - The Itch
94. Blink 182 - Home Is Such A Lonely Place
93. Aire Atlantica - June
92. Mass Gothic - A Run
91. Mesita - Fear Of Others

90. Jagwar Ma - Slipping
89. Mumford & Sons - Friend Of The Devil
88. All Tvvins - These 4 Words
87. Broncho - Fantasy Boys
86. So Below - Luna
85. Palace Winter - Independence
84. Bravestation - Amadeus
83. Pete Yorn - Lost Weekend
82. Phoria - Evolve
81. Chelou - Halfway To Nowhere

 80. Mystery Jets - Taken By The Tide
79. Broods - Couldn't Believe
78. The Tragically Hip - In A World Possessed By The Human Mind
77. Simonne Jones - Gravity
76. Natives - Chasing Lions
75. Afterbloom - Duh
74. Bootleg Rascal - Scars
73. The Dunwells - Hurts
72. David Bowie - Lazarus
71. Stone Cold Fox - Change My Mind

70. Kanye West - Ultralight Beam
69. Aidan Knight - What Light (Never Goes Dim)
68. Minor Victories - A Hundred Ropes
67. Lost Under Heaven - I&I
66. A Tribe Called Quest - We The People
65. Frightened Rabbit - Get Out
64. Mark Clennon - Don't Die
63. Cavalry - Everything
62. NF - I Just Wanna Know
61. The Dandy Warhols - STYGGO

60. Cortes - Towers
59. Rari - Birth
58. The Weeknd - Sidewalks
57. Lvther - Some Kind Of Magic
56. The New Coast - Lost In Your Love
55. Blitz/Berlin - Parallax
54. Boa - Right Place Right Time
53. Xeno & Oaklander - Marble
52. Walking On Cars - Catch Me If You Can
51. Grumpus - Waters

50. The Weeknd - False Alarm
49. Grimes - Medieval Warefare
48. Skies - Drone
47. Chance The Rapper - All Night
46. Julsy - Yes Mom
45. Ritual - The Only One
44. Lucius - Born Again Teen
43. River Tiber - Acid Test
42. Anderson Paak. - Come Down
41. The 1975 - A Change Of Heart

40. TW Walsh - Shallow Water
39. Sir Sly - Expectations
38. Paper Route - Chariots
37. Acrylics - Keeper Finder
36. Simen Mitlid - Vacation
35. Radiohead - True Love Waits
34. Ness - The Fisherman
33. Wintersleep - Amerika
32. Majical Cloudz - Wait & See
31. The Magnetic North - A Death In The Woods

30. Hive Riot - Undercover
29. The Naked & Famous - The Water Beneath You
28. How To Dress Well - What's Up
27. Drake - Too Good
26. M83 - Sunday Night 1987
25. Radiohead - Burn The Witch
24. Miamigo - Forever
23. Foals - Rain
22. Janice - Don't Need To
21. Julsy - Ze Rest Of Uz

20. The Weekend - Starboy
19. Hugh - Direction
18. Brandyn Burnette - Karma
17. The Range - Copper Wire
16. Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Killing Me To Love You
15. James Blake - Love Me In Whatever Way
14. Minature Tigers - Pictures Of You
13. The Chainsmokers - Closer
12. Oyls - Maps
11. Mavrick - Funeral

10. Bassnectar & The Glitch Mob - Paracosm

9. Royal Canoe - Walk Out On The Water
8. Kanye West - Fade

7. Wild Beasts - Ponytail

6. Denny - Bloom

5. Radiohead - Decks Dark

4. NF - Intro 2

3. Klangstof - Hostage

2. Club Cheval - Young, Rich And Radical

1. Glass Animals - Life Itself



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