This article is meant as a simple, elegant summation of all my end-of-year lists. Below you will find links to all five (Albums, Songs, Verses, Beats, and Hooks) with a little description beforehand to kickstart you into checking them out. Enjoy.
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We've reached the end of 2016. The 12 past months have been interesting, to say the least. As our society begins to crumble, faced with the daunting effects of a controversial POTUS set to take over, we must turn to art for salvation. Bad news has spread like wildfire across televisions, computers, and cell phones, which is why the music I found most appealing this year were those albums that deferred attention by making something beautiful.
And while a slew of disappointing releases came to fruition, no, don't expect to find Ab-Soul, Post Malone, or Vic Mensa here, some success stories emerged as unexpected candidates assumed roles with albums made outside of their preconceived threshold. These 50 albums spread the gamut of my musical understanding for 2016, finding recourse in the dark world of a slave ship gone rogue, a man finding conflict within his own brain, a summer road trip down route 66, and a demented children's party out on a yacht. Diversity in music is at an all-time high, and with these 50 albums, I'm set on proving why.
And while a slew of disappointing releases came to fruition, no, don't expect to find Ab-Soul, Post Malone, or Vic Mensa here, some success stories emerged as unexpected candidates assumed roles with albums made outside of their preconceived threshold. These 50 albums spread the gamut of my musical understanding for 2016, finding recourse in the dark world of a slave ship gone rogue, a man finding conflict within his own brain, a summer road trip down route 66, and a demented children's party out on a yacht. Diversity in music is at an all-time high, and with these 50 albums, I'm set on proving why.
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As my weekly Loosies segment took precedent in my blog's life, a lot of songs came through my ears, like a forever revolving door of ideas, inspiration, and art. Thousands of songs, some embarrassingly weak or crass, others dripping with feeling or glory. Yet, I still can't help but feel disappointed with 2016's top-tier song output. My number one song, as you'll soon find here, is evidence of that. So while few tracks failed to floor me, forcing me to question my own tastes, a trove sat comfortably on a throne of greatness. As I was compiling this list, the final tracks towards the end of the year finding their way in, causing others to slip out, I couldn't help but feel the quality displayed here is of impressionable stature.
Much like my albums list, the top 100 songs of 2016 represent an idea in me bubbling since the year began. Everyone undergoes turmoil, and this year I encountered my toughest hurdle yet. Couple that with 2016's marred identity, with countless idol deaths and poisoned cultural events, and it's easy to see why I sought refuge in music. Don't fret, this idea never got in the way of quality. If a song deserved to be here, you'll find it. But the point remains that what can be found here, regardless of the impression the song lents to its listeners, are a collection of tunes that put me in a good place.
Much like my albums list, the top 100 songs of 2016 represent an idea in me bubbling since the year began. Everyone undergoes turmoil, and this year I encountered my toughest hurdle yet. Couple that with 2016's marred identity, with countless idol deaths and poisoned cultural events, and it's easy to see why I sought refuge in music. Don't fret, this idea never got in the way of quality. If a song deserved to be here, you'll find it. But the point remains that what can be found here, regardless of the impression the song lents to its listeners, are a collection of tunes that put me in a good place.
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Unlike my beats list which struggled to find the cream of the crop, verses was a cake walk. While the sheer wealth of music I listened to in 2016 made beats collapse to the middle, ten essential verses stood out. Now sure, some of these are predictable, as Hip-Hop in 2016, lyrically, is dominated by a handful of artists. But that doesn't make their accomplishments this year any less impressive. In fact, making this list multiple times only goes to prove their dexterity, dedication, and overall dominance. And yet, no matter how hard all the newcomers tried, or the seasoned vets thrived, as we all know, there is no beating a legend. And a legend sits atop this years candidates, proving simultaneously why he's the greatest rapper I've ever known.
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Every year, surprisingly, beats are become tougher and tougher to judge. Likely a result of mass consumption, each song's beat simultaneously impresses me in different ways, while disappointing me in others. Essentially, they all fall towards the middle, making it difficult to select top tier winners. Nonetheless we have them here. And while, for three-quarters of the year, I was left wondering just what beat would take the top spot, when number one arrived it did so convincingly. There is no question here. But not to knock the 24 that ensue, we have quite the range of largely Hip-Hop beats to consume here. Ones that represented the shift in sonic dynamics 2016 presented us with.
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Each year, as hundreds of thousands of songs get released, artists become more understanding of what it takes to make an excellent hook. That, coupled with burgeoning experimentation even on the catchy front, made this batch of choruses a delectable treat. I mean hell, the limits are endless if Desiigner's able to form mushed, mealy-mouthed nonsense into the greatness of 'Tiimmy Turner.' As for this year's top competitors, unlike other lists, this one was a close call. Nearly uniformly segmented throughout the course of the year, the top three selections here one-upped each other until number one, coming out just last month, took the cake.
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2016 has seen its fair share of stellar album covers. But, as it comes with the territory, they'll be surefire antagonizers set on ruining that art with poor execution of their own. So, I'd say, it's a 25/25 split, with the final 50 being unmemorable covers sandwiched within. These are the highlights, on both ends of the spectrum. The best covers are on the left, worst are on the right. The one rule I set for myself regarding this list is that I must have listened to the album, otherwise the artistic intent could've been lost on me. And how a cover reflects the music contained within is a big part of this. Enjoy.
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