Top 9 Music Albums of 2016
by Romanelli

Chart updated: 08/30/2026 16:45
(Created: 04/01/2018 23:46).
Chart size: 9 albums.

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Cleopatra

The Lumineers

2016 – DECCA
Produced By SIMONE FELICE

1. Sleep On The Floor
2. Ophelia
3. Cleopatra
4. Gun Song
5. Angela
6. In The Light
7. Gale Song
8. Long Way From Home
9. Sick In The Head
10. My Eyes
11. Patience

The Lumineers formed in Denver in 2010 when Wesley Schulz and Jeremiah Fraites teamed up with cellist Neyla Pekarek and began playing open mics together. Their list of musical influences will surprise you: they cite, among others, Guns N’ Roses, Talking Heads, The Cars, and Tom Petty. The Lumineers sound nothing like any of those artists. They have, in fact, been criticized, along with Mumford & Sons, as being as non-rock as you can get. And while they are more folk that rock, it’s unfair to put them down for that. Their self-titled first album was a hit, thanks to the single “Ho Hey”. Cleopatra was a hit as well, despite being more subdued and even more folk driven…it’s the quality of the songs that carries it, as well as the beauty of the performances. It’s a more mature album than the debut was, and it doesn’t quite hold your attention as well, but it does have some great moments.

While some of the tracks are a bit too hazy, the best songs are definitely worthwhile. The trio of named songs (“Cleopatra”, “Ophelia”, and especially “Angela”) carry the album and make it one to have. These three tracks contain everything that is good about The Lumineers, and are more upbeat, but the rest of the album doesn’t quite reach that level. Where they go from here is uncertain…Pekarek left the band in 2018, and there has been no word about a third album as of yet. And despite the relative mellowness of their recordings, they do put on a surprisingly rowdy live show. It’s good that groups like this can actually get radio play in this day and age…something that not too long ago would not have been likely. Let’s hope that we haven’t heard the last of The Lumineers…that would be a shame. [First added to this chart: 03/01/2020]

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

242

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

1,059

Overall Rank:

5,659

Average Rating:

72 (78 votes)

Comments:

2. (=)

★ [Blackstar]

David Bowie

[First added to this chart: 04/09/2023]

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,364 charts

Rank Score:

12,182

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

3. (=)

2016 – XL
Produced By NIGEL GODRICH

1. Burn The Witch
2. Daydreaming
3. Decks Dark
4. Desert Island Disk
5. Ful Stop
6. Glass Eyes
7. Identikit
8. The Numbers
9. Present Tense
10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief
11. True Love Waits

The Band That Can Do No Wrong. By the time of A Moon Shaped Pool, their ninth studio album, Radiohead bore absolutely zero resemblance to the band that introduced themselves to us thirteen years earlier with “Creep”. This is, in absolutely no way, a rock album. It’s a dreamy, distant and largely electronic work with a string orchestra. And Radiohead pulls it off. It’s simply brilliant. This band changes and grows constantly, and they stay relevant through it all. With the same personnel…and with the same producer album after album. This came after a five year wait after The King Of Limbs. They take five years off from recording and still come back better. It’s just not fair, man. It’s simply just is not fair. But it’s Radiohead. This is what they do.

A Moon Shaped Pool is such a lovely album. That this rock band has grown and matured to the point of being able to make music like this is nothing short of astounding. Not one track stands out above the others, but the album as a whole is just a marvel. The string section is a stunning addition to their music, and the female chorus in the spots it’s used is a perfect touch. This is unlike any other Radiohead album, except that it’s yet another masterpiece. You won’t find hits here, and you won’t hear any of it on the radio. It doesn’t matter. This is brilliant. Since this record, Radiohead has put out a couple of re-issues, but it’s now been seven years without a new album. Let’s hope there’s more, and let’s hope that it shows continued growth from a band that seems to have no limits. [First added to this chart: 03/13/2025]

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,486 charts

Rank Score:

14,578

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

87 (2,199 votes)

Comments: