For a lot of people 2016 wasn’t the greatest year. From political turmoil and the failure of democracies all around the globe to terrorism and ISIS. But when humanity is so bad we need great music to cheer us up. 2016 had plenty.
Lets talk specifics, true classics like Bowie or Leonard Cohen created massive albums and their deaths made possible that more people break the bubble of algorithms and automatic music recommendations to open new generations to their amazing musical geniuses. Beyoncé went black and political, Sturgill Simpson made another amazing country cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” in the most amazing and soulful way, and acts like Car Seat Headrest got huge boosts from critics all around the interwebs.
A lot of the political music came from women, specially colored-American women. From Xenia Rubinos and her amazing wink to Donald Trump and anti-immigration intentions against mainly Mexican people in her “Mexican Chef” song, to Solange expressing how she avoids her feelings of rejection that comes from her being a black woman in the delicate “Cranes in the sky”. Other acts like Beyoncé, Noname, Jamila Woods and even rockers like PJ Harvey made their mark on political commentary from the fresh look of the female perspective.
2016 was also a fun year. Bruno Mars, Kero Kero Bonito, Azealia Banks, Sofi Tukker, Carly Rae Jepsen and even Beck jumped on the pop goodness of colorful beats and dancing glory.
What about the comebacks? A Tribe Called Quest, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, De La Soul, and newer acts that had a few years not releasing awesome material like Animal Collective, Death Grips coming back to their more accessible compositions, Weezer, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Dinosaur Jr. All giving new life to old rock and keeping the spirit of young punks alive.
Without further ado: The Best 101 Songs of 2016.
101. I Need A Forest Fire by James Blake feat. Bon Iver
100. Needed Me by Rihanna
99. Hang Me out to Dry by Metronomy feat. Robyn
98. I Wanna Boi by PWR BTTM
97. Starboy by The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk
96. The Big Big Beat by Azealia Banks
95. Florida by The Range
94. BeFoUr by Zayn
93. Gemini Feed by Banks
92. Magneto by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
91. Baby Give Up On It by Junior Boys
90. Can’t Get Enough of Myself by Santigold feat. B.C.
89. Emotional Mugger / Leopard Priestess by Ty Segall
88. A 1000 Times by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
87. Swimming Pool by Emmy The Great feat. Tom Fleming
86. Blush by Leon Vynehall
85. Short Truth by Yumi Zouma
84. In Common by Alicia Keys
83. What You Get by DIANA
82. Broccoli by D.R.A.M. feat Lil Yachty
81. The Cause by Laura Gibson
80. Make It Up by Shura
79. The Trapper And The Furrier by Regina Spektor
78. Plastic Thrills by Deerhoof
77. Into You by Ariana Grande
76. Ten Miles High by Róisín Murphy
75. Compass Point by Holy Ghost!
74. Left Handed Kisses by Andrew Bird feat. Fiona Apple
73. Can’t Stop Fighting by Sheer Mag
72. BUS RIDE by Kaytranada feat. Karriem Riggins & River Tiber
71. All Nite by Clams Casino feat. Vince Staples
70. Mexican Chef by Xenia Rubinos
69. Drone Bomb Me by ANOHNI
68. Female Vampire by Jenny Hval
67. Tiny by Dinosaur Jr.
66. Holda You (I’m Psycho) by White Denim
65. The Spoils by Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval
64. I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore by Lucy Dacus
63. Heaven by Majical Cloudz
62. Ch-Ching by Chairlift
61. Famous by Kanye West
60. Pain by De La Soul feat Snoop Dogg
59. The Greatest by KING
58. Middle Names by Devendra Banhart
57. Outside with the Cuties by Frankie Cosmos
56. Church / Liquor Store by Saba feat. Noname
55. E.V.P. by Blood Orange
54. Say U Want Me by Chris Farren
53. Untouchable by Pusha T
52. Smile by Vince Staples
51. Below by White Lung
50 The Wheel by PJ Harvey
49. Adore by Savages
48. Lipslap by Kero Kero Bonito
47. Wow by Beck
46. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
45. Vroom Vroom by Charli XCX
44. Angles by Mick Jenkins feat. Noname & Xavier Omar
43. Wave Goodnight To Me by Jeff Rosenstock
42. Confessions Pt II by BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Colin Stetson
41. Nobody Speak by Dj Shadow feat. Run The Jewels
40. No Problem by Chance The Rapper feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
39. Dorothy by Kevin Morby
38. Air ‘Em Out by Clipping.
37. Higher by Carly Rae Jepsen
36. It Hurts Until It Doesn’t by Mothers
35. Suede by NxWorries
34. Me And Your Mama by Childish Gambino
33. Groovy Tony / Eddie Kane by Schoolboy Q
32. Just by KA
31. VRY BLK by Jamila Woods feat. Noname
30. Elegy by Leif Vollebekk
29. Harambe by Young Thug
28. Room in Here by Anderson .Paak feat. The Game
27. Falling by Xiu Xiu
26. Gook by Denzel Curry
25. California Kids by Weezer
24. Drinkee by Sofi Tukker
23. Three Bedrooms In A Good Neighborhood by Death Grips
22. Diddy Bop by Noname Feat. Raury & Cam O’bi
21. You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen
20. God Is A Working Man by Jason Isbell
19. No Woman by Whitney
18. Frankie Sinatra by The Avalanches
17. Who Shot Me? by YG
16. Hurtin’ (On the Bottle) by Margo Price
15. It Means I Love You by Jessy Lanza
14. untitled 02 | 06.23.2014. by Kendrick Lamar
13. Cloud of Unknowing by Swans
12. Cranes In The Sky by Solange
11. Dis Generation by A Tribe Called Quest
10. Really Doe by Danny Brown feat. Kendrick Lamar & Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt
9. In Bloom by Sturgill Simpson
8. Your Best American Girl by Mitski
7. Shut Up Kiss Me by Angel Olsen
6. Hold Up by Beyoncé
5. Ivy by Frank Ocean
4. Blackstar by David Bowie
3. Golden Gal by Animal Collective
2. Daydreaming by Radiohead
#1. Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales by Car Seat Headrest
Subwaywalk 