Though we're only halfway through 2016, the first half of this year has already been packed with a number of blockbuster releases and major developements in the music industry.
In January, David Bowie released his 25th album "Blackstar" to universal critical acclaim — before tragically passing away two days later.
In April, Beyoncé bravely dissected the turbulence of her marriage with Jay Z on her instant classic "Lemonade." Then Radiohead followed Beyoncé's suprise release with one of their own, the excellent "A Moon Shaped Pool" in May.
To get a full picture of 2016's critical landscape in music, we turned to Metacritic— which aggregates critic and fan reviews — for a comprehensive ranking of the top 20 albums of the year. (Note: Metacritic's album ranking excludes free albums and mixtapes, like Chance the Rapper's lauded "Coloring Book.")
See which are the top-ranked albums of the year so far according to critics:
SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 20 best TV shows of 2016 so far, according to critics
20. Loretta Lynn — "Full Circle"
Average critic score: 84/100
Average fan score: 7.3
Description: Loretta Lynn returned to the world of country music at 83 years old for the first time in 12 years with "Full Circle"— a charming record that features duets with music icons Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson.
19. Car Seat Headrest — "Teens of Denial"
Average critic score: 84/100
Average fan score: 7.7
Description: Indie-rock group Car Seat Headrest garnered critical acclaim from many outlets for their second LP, "Teens of Denial."The AV Club praised the "blistering greatness" of their album — a hard-hitting set of 12 distortion-fueled songs.
18: Pinegrove — "Cardinal"
Average critic score: 84/100
Average fan score: 7.7
Description: New Jersey rock group Pinegrove released their major-label debut "Cardinal"— "a finely crafted batch of searingly personal indie rock songs,"Pretty Much Amazing wrote — to positive critical response back in February.
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