2016 was a whirlwind year in music, punctuated by blockbuster releases, a handful of masterful albums, and the loss of some iconic artists.
From the critical dominance of the Knowles sisters — Beyoncé and Solange — to the final LPs from legendary acts like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and A Tribe Called Quest, 2016 has produced many innovative, affecting, and memorable works.
We turned to the review aggregator Metacritic to find out which albums critics have gravitated to and praised the most this year. The resulting list includes the expected big names alongside a few lesser-known artists with remarkable works.
Here are the top 20 albums of the year, according to critics' scores on Metacritic:
SEE ALSO: Beyoncé tops the list of 2017 Grammy nominees — see the full list
20. Ian William Craig — "Centres"
Critic score: 86/100
User score: 7.5/10
What critics said:"There's an addictive, hypnagogic quality to this ghostly combination of ambient noise, treated vocals and bursts of static."— Uncut
19. Maxwell — "blackSUMMERS'night"
Critic score: 86/100
User score: 8.2/10
What critics said:"Maxwell's transcendent falsetto and the soulful jazz, electronic and soul arrangements need no cohesive story line to make them resonate."— Los Angeles Times
18. Michael Kiwanuka — "Love & Hate"
Critic score: 86/100
User score: 8.4/10
What critics said:"This is an album that sounds like a world of music in itself."— The Telegraph
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