Top 56 Music Albums of 2016 by JamesMowbray 
- Chart updated: 02/15/2022 20:15
- (Created: 03/03/2017 23:35).
- Chart size: 56 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,121
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
272
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Got my review across my all time chart (1st part) and decade chart (2nd part) since it's too long to fit in one cell
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,451
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,597
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Ever since his 2011 breakout mixtape 'XXX', where he replaced his more standard flow with this wild yelping, Danny Brown had been one of the most important figures in the alternative hip hop scene. His delivery shouldn't work but on the right type of beats he has a presence that overshadows the rest of his competitors on the scene. 'Atrocity Exhibition' succeeds by being packed full of beats that you couldn't imagine any other rapper flowing over effectively. This coupled with the dark themes of drug addiction make for a masterpiece in the alternative hip hop subgenre.
'Downward Spiral' quickly establishes the tone and sound of the record. A distant guitar, louder electronic notes and minimalist drumming give Brown the perfect space to show off his wild delivery. When the hook hits a wave of distortion jumps into the foreground but Brown's voice is one of the few in hip hop that isn't completely drowned out by this creating the effect of the track sounding like Brown fighting through the instrumentation, fitting in with the lyrical themes of the album i.e. the 'downward spiral' that he is caught in.
'Tell Me What I Don't Know' calms the mood with Danny returning to his more typical voice, but he flows so well on the track that nothing feels lost. It also fits the serious nature of the track with the line "last night homie got killed at the liquor store" being the main focus of the hook. The track still feels linked in with 'Downward spiral' through its guitar driven instrumental, but this time it's quieter and fades more into the background, giving the less intense atmosphere that the track aims for.
'Rolling Stone' sees the return of Brown's one of a kind vocal delivery. The track features very strong percussion including a cowbell keeping the track together and bridging the gap between the slower hook sung by Petite Noir, and the verses themselves. Once again guitars feature but the lower register is used letting the electronic elements take the focus of the instrumental.
'Really Doe' is one of the strongest posse cuts in recent memory with top tier guest verses from Kendrick Lamar, Ab Soul and Earl Sweatshirt. Danny's flow provides his usual energy over a more minimal, trap influenced beat. Kendrick Lamar delivers the strongest verse of the track using a choppier flow than usual which fits the instrumental perfectly and the different style on his hook and bridge keep his performance fresh even though we've heard his hook twice before his verse. Earl delivers a energetic and confrontational verse rarely seen on the moodier 'I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside' and acts as proof that he's proficient in both environments. He also employs the most complex rhyming pattern with bars like "I strike a birdie on em while I hit your mouth with the club. I wake up early on them, getting out the house is a must. It's like a sweaty pit, sweaty sick, counting your dubs".
The beat on 'Lost' is completely different to any heard so far using a jazz and looped vocal sample, and despite the difference in the sound of the beat Danny still sounds right over it. It also features some of the funniest lines like "I'm like Spielberg with ill words and hoes on the curb".
The stakes are raised in 'Ain't it Funny' which features one of the loudest beats in all of hip hop, perfectly emblematic of beats that only Danny Brown could work on. The repeated blasts of horns make way for a far less ordered instrumental section during the verses. The lyrics also completely fit in with the completely chaotic nature of the song. Lines like "Upcoming heavy traffic, say you need to slow down cause you feel yourself crashing. Staring in the devil's face but you can't stop laughing" get to the heart of how Danny's flow sounds coupled with the subject matter, his lyrics speak very negatively of drug abuse, but Brown rarely sounds downbeat in the sound of his voice.
Guitars are reintroduced in 'Golddust' which sounds comparably calm to 'Ain't it Funny' even though the instrumental remains high energy. The lyrics effectively work in the lyrics of the Joy Division track that the project is named after with the lines "Can you understand what my life is about, cause I think that you don't, take a step inside", marking Danny's life as the atrocity exhibition of the title.
'White Lines' is less chaotic than the previous tracks but the instruments still create a really weird sound evoking the lyrics relating to drug abuse. Percussion takes centre stage on the more rhythmic 'Pneumonia' with drums building in each line, making Danny's delivery even more intense. The other instruments feel slightly flat giving an uneasy edge to the track.
The sudden introduction of 'Dance in the Water' completely change the atmosphere of the record, providing an unexpected dance track. The percussion remains the anchoring force in the verses but the tribal chants take over in the hook building up the energy. Lyrically the track feels a but disjoint from what it's followed, but the track sounds so good that this doesn't feel like much of a problem.
Brown's more standard delivery makes another return on Kelela featuring 'From the Ground', but if this makes it sound like a more regular track the beats feature a snoring sound throughout, and sudden claps and instrumental flairs prevent the track feeling dull in the wake of the wave of energy and chaos that it's followed.
'When it Rain' features the most paranoid instrumental of the record, matching the faster delivery. A bass provides a constant but the use of an alarm clock ticking and a repeated electronic refrain at the end of each line build the unease of the track. Every element of the track picks up on the hook upping the paranoia further. Once again the lyrics are a perfect fit with the tone of the track having much more confrontational lines like "your ass lucky if you on respirator".
'Today' marks the halfway point between Danny's two voices providing the effect of his more normal personality being worked up by what he's seeing on the news, with lines like "mommas crying, kids wonder, but this is the life that we all succumbed to". The flow also references Outkast's 'B.O.B.' where Andre 3000 expressed similar sentiments of using music to get away from the troubled times.
'Get Hi' is the project's weakest track. It talks about how people use drugs to get away from their own problems but this feels like a very basic message after the much more powerful thoughts brought up on 'Today'. It's clear that B-Real is going for this quirky style on the hook singing about drugs almost like a commercial, and he achieves this sound, but the trouble is it sounds awful. The beat is also the only one on the album that's completely overpowered when Brown's vocals kick in, and even when it can be clearly heard there's nothing very inspiring about it.
'Hell For It' returns to the high standard of the rest of the project. The piano led instrumental is another completely fresh sound for the album an the more upbeat lyrics work with it and provide an ending that sounds kind of hopeful on an album with hopelessness as a key theme.
The wide range of sounds on 'Atrocity Exhibition' are linked only in how effectively Danny Brown can rap over them. In addition to this the record keeps up a cohesive atmosphere throughout with the mood of each song only straying slightly from that of the project. It all makes for a completely original work that stands out as being particularly odd even on the alternative hip hop scene.
Best Track: Ain't It Funny [First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
'Downward Spiral' quickly establishes the tone and sound of the record. A distant guitar, louder electronic notes and minimalist drumming give Brown the perfect space to show off his wild delivery. When the hook hits a wave of distortion jumps into the foreground but Brown's voice is one of the few in hip hop that isn't completely drowned out by this creating the effect of the track sounding like Brown fighting through the instrumentation, fitting in with the lyrical themes of the album i.e. the 'downward spiral' that he is caught in.
'Tell Me What I Don't Know' calms the mood with Danny returning to his more typical voice, but he flows so well on the track that nothing feels lost. It also fits the serious nature of the track with the line "last night homie got killed at the liquor store" being the main focus of the hook. The track still feels linked in with 'Downward spiral' through its guitar driven instrumental, but this time it's quieter and fades more into the background, giving the less intense atmosphere that the track aims for.
'Rolling Stone' sees the return of Brown's one of a kind vocal delivery. The track features very strong percussion including a cowbell keeping the track together and bridging the gap between the slower hook sung by Petite Noir, and the verses themselves. Once again guitars feature but the lower register is used letting the electronic elements take the focus of the instrumental.
'Really Doe' is one of the strongest posse cuts in recent memory with top tier guest verses from Kendrick Lamar, Ab Soul and Earl Sweatshirt. Danny's flow provides his usual energy over a more minimal, trap influenced beat. Kendrick Lamar delivers the strongest verse of the track using a choppier flow than usual which fits the instrumental perfectly and the different style on his hook and bridge keep his performance fresh even though we've heard his hook twice before his verse. Earl delivers a energetic and confrontational verse rarely seen on the moodier 'I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside' and acts as proof that he's proficient in both environments. He also employs the most complex rhyming pattern with bars like "I strike a birdie on em while I hit your mouth with the club. I wake up early on them, getting out the house is a must. It's like a sweaty pit, sweaty sick, counting your dubs".
The beat on 'Lost' is completely different to any heard so far using a jazz and looped vocal sample, and despite the difference in the sound of the beat Danny still sounds right over it. It also features some of the funniest lines like "I'm like Spielberg with ill words and hoes on the curb".
The stakes are raised in 'Ain't it Funny' which features one of the loudest beats in all of hip hop, perfectly emblematic of beats that only Danny Brown could work on. The repeated blasts of horns make way for a far less ordered instrumental section during the verses. The lyrics also completely fit in with the completely chaotic nature of the song. Lines like "Upcoming heavy traffic, say you need to slow down cause you feel yourself crashing. Staring in the devil's face but you can't stop laughing" get to the heart of how Danny's flow sounds coupled with the subject matter, his lyrics speak very negatively of drug abuse, but Brown rarely sounds downbeat in the sound of his voice.
Guitars are reintroduced in 'Golddust' which sounds comparably calm to 'Ain't it Funny' even though the instrumental remains high energy. The lyrics effectively work in the lyrics of the Joy Division track that the project is named after with the lines "Can you understand what my life is about, cause I think that you don't, take a step inside", marking Danny's life as the atrocity exhibition of the title.
'White Lines' is less chaotic than the previous tracks but the instruments still create a really weird sound evoking the lyrics relating to drug abuse. Percussion takes centre stage on the more rhythmic 'Pneumonia' with drums building in each line, making Danny's delivery even more intense. The other instruments feel slightly flat giving an uneasy edge to the track.
The sudden introduction of 'Dance in the Water' completely change the atmosphere of the record, providing an unexpected dance track. The percussion remains the anchoring force in the verses but the tribal chants take over in the hook building up the energy. Lyrically the track feels a but disjoint from what it's followed, but the track sounds so good that this doesn't feel like much of a problem.
Brown's more standard delivery makes another return on Kelela featuring 'From the Ground', but if this makes it sound like a more regular track the beats feature a snoring sound throughout, and sudden claps and instrumental flairs prevent the track feeling dull in the wake of the wave of energy and chaos that it's followed.
'When it Rain' features the most paranoid instrumental of the record, matching the faster delivery. A bass provides a constant but the use of an alarm clock ticking and a repeated electronic refrain at the end of each line build the unease of the track. Every element of the track picks up on the hook upping the paranoia further. Once again the lyrics are a perfect fit with the tone of the track having much more confrontational lines like "your ass lucky if you on respirator".
'Today' marks the halfway point between Danny's two voices providing the effect of his more normal personality being worked up by what he's seeing on the news, with lines like "mommas crying, kids wonder, but this is the life that we all succumbed to". The flow also references Outkast's 'B.O.B.' where Andre 3000 expressed similar sentiments of using music to get away from the troubled times.
'Get Hi' is the project's weakest track. It talks about how people use drugs to get away from their own problems but this feels like a very basic message after the much more powerful thoughts brought up on 'Today'. It's clear that B-Real is going for this quirky style on the hook singing about drugs almost like a commercial, and he achieves this sound, but the trouble is it sounds awful. The beat is also the only one on the album that's completely overpowered when Brown's vocals kick in, and even when it can be clearly heard there's nothing very inspiring about it.
'Hell For It' returns to the high standard of the rest of the project. The piano led instrumental is another completely fresh sound for the album an the more upbeat lyrics work with it and provide an ending that sounds kind of hopeful on an album with hopelessness as a key theme.
The wide range of sounds on 'Atrocity Exhibition' are linked only in how effectively Danny Brown can rap over them. In addition to this the record keeps up a cohesive atmosphere throughout with the mood of each song only straying slightly from that of the project. It all makes for a completely original work that stands out as being particularly odd even on the alternative hip hop scene.
Best Track: Ain't It Funny [First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,970
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,588
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
967
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/24/2020]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/24/2020]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
773
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,827
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 56. Page 1 of 6
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Top 56 Music Albums of 2016 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| Ada Rook | 2 | 4% | |
| Frank Ocean | 2 | 4% | |
| Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam | 1 | 2% | |
| Death Grips | 1 | 2% | |
| 21 Savage & Metro Boomin | 1 | 2% | |
| Anderson .Paak | 1 | 2% | |
| Anohni | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 56 Music Albums of 2016 chart changes
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Other year charts (from the 2010s) by JamesMowbray
Top 100 Music Albums of 2019 by JamesMowbray (2019)Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 by JamesMowbray (2018)
Top 100 Music Albums of 2017 by JamesMowbray (2018)
Top 43 Music Albums of 2015 by JamesMowbray (2021)
Top 25 Music Albums of 2014 by JamesMowbray (2020)
Top 25 Music Albums of 2013 by JamesMowbray (2021)
Top 21 Music Albums of 2012 by JamesMowbray (2019)
Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 by JamesMowbray (2018)
Top 20 Music Albums of 2010 by JamesMowbray (2020)
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