When I need to be coaxed out of a rut, I often turn to music to lift my mood. So, I wasn’t surprised when my Spotify account informed me that I listened to more music in 2016 (64 days, 13 hours and 33 minutes worth, to be exact) than in my two previous years using the app’s Premium services.
This year was a trying one for me on several fronts. The musical landscape certainly didn’t escape unscathed, either. Two iconic figures in Prince and David Bowie, as well as other famous musicians such as Leonard Cohen, Phife Dawg and Natalie Cole, all passed away in 2016.
Thankfully, this year also produced a ton of incredible music. There are more genres and sub-genres now than ever before, and while it can be tiresome to distinguish and keep track of all of them, it’s also a signal that the musical spectrum is always widening. And that’s a good thing. Because even if you don’t enjoy the experimental songs of groundbreaking artists like Bowie and Bon Iver, there’s a good chance you’ll end up liking the music of someone they inspire down the line.
Anyway, here are my 25 favorites of the year, which I’ve collected in a Spotify playlist at the bottom of this page. On to 2017.
25. Holograma by Hinds — Listen
Despite their origin as an indie rock band from Madrid, “Holograma” is the first song written in Spanish released by Hinds. The all-female group made an exception to cover their friends and fellow Madrid-based outfit The Nastys, the original performers of the track — one Hinds holds close to its collective heart, as it’s the first tune they played in 2014 after a two-year hiatus. This act of loyalty is perfectly “on brand” (ugh) for Hinds, a spunky group of girls who come across in their music videos as a genuinely tight-knit crew and perhaps the most authentic humans in an industry littered with pretentiousness.
Hinds has become renowned in the indie landscape for putting on shows that feel like a massive house party with all your friends. They always invite their fans on stage near the conclusion of their set, a delightful tradition that might be hard to continue if the cozy venues they typically play continue to increase in size.
Even though I can’t entirely understand the lyrics of “Holograma,” the ditty perfectly captures Hinds’ enticingly breezy, happy-go-lucky version of post-punk.
24. Lose It by Flume ft. Vic Mensa — Listen
When recording their second album, artists face a choice: make another collection of songs to echo the unique sound that gained them attention, or dig deeper past the boundaries that corralled their first record.
Flume certainly chose to do the latter for Skin, and it’s a move I respect … But I didn’t ultimately like most of the tracks he released. It was all a little too dark and dependent on distortion — which isn’t all that surprising, considering he declared his desire to make music that sounds “like the fabric of the universe tearing.”
That being said, the Australian producer’s collaboration with Vic Mensa harkens back to the brighter times of his upbeat, genre-defining debut LP. When Mensa opens the song by imploring us to “Put away your inhibitions/Let the beast in you just get loose,” it’s difficult to disobey.
23. Real Friends by Kanye West — Listen
It’s a fool’s errand to untangle and fully comprehend the various aspects of Kanye’s life that the entertainer reveals to a ravenous audience of fans and media (Is he really broke? Why is he meeting with Donald Trump?).
However, true to its name, “Real Friends” is probably the most sincere track on Saint Pablo. It’s easy to depict the emotions permeating a song in which he bemoans the depressing experience of having to buy a stolen laptop back from his cousin. Before he gets to that, however, he raps:
“I’m a deadbeat cousin, I hate family reunions/Fuck the church up by drinking at the communion/Spilling free wine, now my tux is ruined.”
I like sad, introspective Kanye — as long as he doesn’t get too whiny about his first world problems.
22. Long Wait by Dusky — Listen
Many who dislike the deep house genre point to its repetitive style, both in terms of beats and lyrics. Though I somewhat understand this criticism, I’d like to introduce those naysayers to Dusky, a two-man act that comfortably oscillates between soothing, piano-driven ballads and horn-heavy thumpers. They’ve shown they can expertly straddle those endpoints, too, on previous standouts “Nobody Else” and “Yoohoo.”
Nothing on their second full-length release Outer tops those old peaks, but “Long Wait” might be Dusky’s best chance at achieving some measure of crossover appeal. They acknowledged as much by releasing a radio edit, which immediately jumps into a spacious soundscape we’re guided through by Solomon Grey’s haunting vocals.
Anyway, even if you don’t like the song, I’d bet you’d enjoy its accompanying single-shot video that depicts some sort of underwater disco I’d very much like to attend.
21. Good Grief (MK Remix) by Bastille — Listen
I kind of loathe Bastille for some intangible reason, but vocalist Dan Smith is undeniably talented.
MK (real name: Marc Kinchen) has been producing relentless house beats for more than two decades, and his rendition of Bastille’s pop love letter is a heart-pounding banger that proves he’s still in his prime.
20. 1st Day Out Tha Feds by Gucci Mane — Listen
Rap is at its best when the lyrics detail a personal reaction — serious or hilarious — to a chain of events. Well, it doesn’t get much more personal than Gucci Mane using his first day out of prison, fresh off a three-year sentence, to record and release a de facto three-minute diary entry pondering his troubled past.
“I did some things to some people that was downright evil/My own mama turned her back on me/And that’s my mama.”
Mike WiLL Made-It is one of the most accomplished producers in the world, but he didn’t have to do much here beyond laying down a menacing bass loop and backing drums. Even so, Gucci said on the Bill Simmons podcast that “1st Day Out Tha Feds” is the best song he’s ever released. I have to agree.
19. Long Nights by Amtrac — Listen
I was shocked to learn Amtrac hails from Kentucky. His sinister, calculating take on house music is not something you would associate with the Bluegrass State. It’s more like the soundtrack to a winding red-eye train ride through a vast countryside. Perhaps that’s how he came up with his artist moniker.
Regardless, this is a guy who clearly isn’t defined by his roots. He doesn’t like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Jack Daniels, either.
18. Epoch by Tycho — Listen
Scott Hansen has been operating at the intersection of post-rock and ambient electronic via his musical project Tycho for about 15 years. But the San Francisco-based act has become a festival staple over the last few years, perhaps most effectively attracting a loyal following via annual transcendent sunrise sets at Burning Man.
You don’t have to be a burner or any other subset of hippie to enjoy Tycho’s tranquil blend of synth progressions and spacey melodies. But his music will likely conjure a pulling desire to get outside and inhale the freshest, deepest breath of air you can manage.
Tycho’s Grammy-nominated fourth album, Epoch, features some of the most upbeat, euphoric music he’s ever produced. The title track is my personal favorite, but the beauty of Tycho is the consistent greatness of his work. If you ever need to relax, just switch on any Tycho song and feel your worries wash away with the strums of his guitars.
17. Silhouette by Goldroom — Listen
This summer, Goldroom decided to play a series of shows on boats up and down the West Coast, letting fans groove to his sun-tinted house while hundreds of yards offshore.
It’s hard to think of a better setting to take in Goldroom, a Boston native who attended USC and adopted his DJ name from a dingy dive bar in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Goldroom’s music does not take on the tone of its drab namesake, however. The title of his debut LP, West of the West, represents his vibe far more accurately. His songs effectively transport listeners to the vast Pacific Ocean, or a tropical beach where all your cares go away — even though Goldroom’s lyrics are often downright somber.
“Without you, I’m a silhouette” he repeatedly croons as the lone five words comprising the lyrics of “Silhouette.” At least the shadow is being cast by the bright, warm sun.
16. A Mountain With No Ending by Classixx ft. Panama — Listen
In creating their second album, electro-pop duo Classixx enlisted the help of a cavalcade of vocalists, from T-Pain to Passion Pit lead singer Michael Angelakos. This plan proved to be most effective in recruiting Panama frontman Jarrah McCleary, whom they’d previously collaborated with by remixing Panama’s hit “Always” back in 2014.
In “A Mountain With No Ending,” McCleary’s wistful vocals perfectly complement Classixx’s somber take on 80s new wave. It serves as a perfect lesson in how to use the steel drum to elicit tender melancholy rather than the joyous tropical vibes the instrument usually evokes. It’s also the sort of trick Classixx is used to performing since emerging in the mid-2000s as part-precursor, part-foil to the tropical house genre that’s enveloped electronic music over the last few years.
15. I’m In Control (The Magician Remix) by AlunaGeorge ft. Popcaan — Listen
Aluna Francis is one half of the ascendant British duo AlunaGeorge. Over the past couple years, she’s basically become the Rihanna of electronic music, lending her voice to hits by Jack Ü, ZHU, Flume and Disclosure, among many others.
The production of George Reid usually leans a bit too poppy for my taste, often overusing snare drums and giving into the electro-pop flavor of the moment (moombahton, loud horns, collaborating with Popcaan, etc.).
Fortunately, producers can’t help but rework AlunaGeorge’s songs to fit their own sound. The duo’s 2016 sophomore effort, I Remember, gifted DJs with an opportunity to do just that with a fresh collection of tracks.
Belgian producer The Magician capitalized, turning “I’m In Control” into a triumphant, nu-disco dancefloor-filler. He also removed Popcaan’s verse and solely sampled Francis’ coveted pipes, a wise decision.
14. I Remember by AlunaGeorge — Listen
I know I just slighted George Reid, but he and Flume proved to be a perfect production pair for the title track of AlunaGeorge’s album. Flume’s patented stutters and synths — which, as I opined above, got a bit out of hand on his own 2016 album — are kept in check by Reid’s pop instincts, as Francis reminisces on a past love.
“I wanna feel like it’s the first night/I wanna meet you for the first time/I remember, I remember, I remember your smile/When your face lit up and it felt so right.”
13. Stop by Justice — Listen
Justice released its third LP in 2016 and continued to blur the line between rock and nu-disco. That doesn’t sound like an appealing combination on the surface, but the revered French duo has paved a path to success by melding shred-tastic instrumentation with epic melodies.
Though Justice’s appeal doesn’t depend on prescient songwriting, the opening lines of “Stop” might double as the most apt description for 2016 and a mission statement for how we must respond to its divisive events.
“So many times we rise and fall/After awhile it’s good and all together/Together/So many times we rise and fall/Wondering if we’ll find it all together/Together”
12. Give Me A Reason by Jagwar Ma — Listen
Jagwar Ma is a band that pleasantly melds pop, psychedelic rock, funky electronica and acid house — sometimes all in the same song.
“Give Me A Reason” is probably the best example of that in the Australian trio’s catalog. It’s a seven-minute adventure that starts as a straightforward pop-rock tune before incorporating choppier percussion and bright synths that prelude a throbbing house buildup and extended hazy fadeout.
Jagwar Ma’s live shows are a similar mix of rock and funk, with a dash of synth-y electronic thrown in. It’s an impressive gamut to run, one that hints at the group’s potential at becoming this generation’s version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Singer Gab Winterfield even looks and performs like famously energetic RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis. There’s no “Sox on Cox” gimmick with this crew, though — just feel-good festival music that you need to experience in person to fully appreciate.
11. Shelter by Porter Robinson and Madeon — Listen
Porter and Madeon teaming up was long the stuff of superfan dreams, as the music these two independently produce has always seemed to exist in the same euphoric universe.
This luscious single — which flawlessly pairs a signature chopped-up, Japanophile vocal sample from Porter with Madeon’s technicolor, electro-pop tendencies — was simultaneously released alongside a stirring anime music video and co-headlining tour dates, instantly sending the EDM industry into a collective tizzy. At nearly 27 million plays on Spotify, it’s Porter’s most popular song on the app, and Madeon’s second-most streamed track.
Not being able to attend one of their shows was a huge bummer (seriously, why’d they schedule all their California tour dates during Thanksgiving week?), but this combination that was once thought too good to be true now seems like it’s too perfect for them not to expand upon at some point.
10. Fingerprint by Lane 8 — Listen
Many electronic producers choose to fill their drops with as many different sounds they can possibly pack into a single moment.
Lane 8, reflecting the influence of his current German residency, takes the opposite approach on his anthem “Fingerprint.” The pulsating synths slowly layer on top of each other until he’s wound up his listeners to the point of climax … then drops them down delicately to a deeper level of house, setting the dance floor alight even as his track retreats into itself.
As part of his This Never Happened tour, Lane 8’s crew stuck tape over the phone camera of every incoming guest to avoid pictures being prioritized over listening to the music. Even if they hadn’t, “Fingerprint” is good enough to command the undivided attention of melodic deep house fans everywhere.
9. 8 (circle) by Bon Iver — Listen
Oh, Bon Iver. He’s the master of evoking feels, even though no one can comprehend his lyrics on first listen. Or second. Or however many times it takes you to give up and look up his lyrics on Genius.
Personally, I’ve long given up trying to understand the mysterious motivations behind Bon Iver. I just know that Justin Vernon is my favorite singer, with his earthy upper register. And the inscrutable melodic construction throughout 22, A Million succeeds in evoking the emotions of a “good winter.”
In the words of Pitchfork, 22, A Million is “far from the kind of music made for mass consumption, yet something about it resonated for many.” That’s undoubtedly true, though I will admit I wouldn’t mind if Bon Iver swung back to its log-cabin roots on its next release. But I’d eagerly endorse just about any direction Vernon chooses to go with this project next, as long as we don’t have to wait another five years for the next album.
8. Redbone by Childish Gambino — Listen
Donald Glover probably had a more satisfying year than anyone, save perhaps Donald Trump. He created the critically acclaimed show Atlanta, then oversaw a transformation of his musical moniker Childish Gambino from playful rapper to bona fide funk/soul mastermind via his third studio album “Awaken, My Love!”.
And “Redbone” is the magnum opus, detailing Glover’s suspicions about his flame sleeping with another man. It’s shocking to hear his yowls reach high octaves he previously left untouched, but Glover insists the album contains no vocal edits — a claim that checks out upon hearing him live.
That begs the question: Who would cheat on a guy this talented?
7. Be Here by Duke Dumont — Listen
Duke Dumont is like the Prince of house music. His music emits funk, as he’s the king of infusing house with soulful vocal samples that encourage even the most awkward among us to leave everything on the dance floor. It’s the formula for every one of his big hits: “Need U (100%),” “I Got U,” “Ocean Drive” and now “Be Here.”
The Britain native has become one of the most in-demand producers on the planet. He spun a five-hour set in downtown Los Angeles back in September, an assignment many DJs wouldn’t dare undertake. It’s tough to keep the energy up in a club that long, especially in a city as apathetic as LA. But for the Duke, it was no problem. In fact, it was decidedly more difficult for his rapt audience to stop moving once they were in his vicinity.
6. For Sarah by Tourist — Listen
Tourist knows how to write beautiful, downtempo tracks. He received the best possible recognition of that talent in 2015, when he received a Song of the Year Grammy for co-writing Sam Smith’s ballad “Stay With Me.” This year, with the release of his debut album U, the 29-year-old Brit showcased his full skill set of production abilities. And he clearly doesn’t even need lyrics to craft soul-tugging songs.
When describing the inspiration for U, Tourist said, “This is an album that reflects on a relationship I had with someone. I called it ‘U’ as the word ‘You’ looks a bit accusatory, and the tone of this album certainly isn’t bitter. U is a shape that is balanced but also incomplete. I thought it was a nice visual metaphor for a failed relationship.”
“For Sarah” is the closing track of U, and it evokes the wide range of emotions of that failed relationship. Its buildup is a collection of coy-sounding synths, its peak a crescendo of pent-up emotion. And the warm outro hints that the failed relationship was nothing Tourist regrets, more of a learning experience he’ll remember forever. If only all failed relationships could be viewed that way, eh?
5. On Hold by The xx — Listen
Jamie xx saw his solo credentials skyrocket in 2015, and if “On Hold” is any indication, it seems as though The xx as a whole will be influenced more by his refined taste in funk and garage house. That’s a fantastic sign of things to come.
The single combines the brooding vocals of Oliver and Romy with Jamie’s uncanny knack for chopping soul vocals (in this case, a Hall & Oates sample) into memorable hooks. It’s a song that could just as easily be played in a club or post-breakup sobfest.
4. Weatherman by Justin Jay & Friends — Listen
In 2016, the youngest signee in Dirtybird Records history — Justin Jay inked with the label during the first week of his freshman year at USC — expanded his musical horizons beyond the techno/deep house roots that permeate the Dirtybird roster. In teaming up with three of his college peers (singer Josh Taylor, guitarist Benny Bridges and drummer Henry Was) to form the aptly named side project Justin Jay & Friends, Jay brought an exciting, refined flavor of rock to his funky techno production.
“Weatherman” was the song that started it all, thrown together on a whim during a chaotic week before one of Jay’s DJ sets. It serves as a sort of mission statement for debut album Fantastic Voyage, with Bridges’ guitar providing power chords and a wild solo you’d expect to find on Guitar Hero. Taylor’s penchant for lyricism is also flaunted, weaving in seamlessly with the carefree mood Jay’s music typically reflects.
There’s something cool about a bird’s eye view/Where the city lights meets the sea/But you behave like all these waves are crashing for you and me/But what if I said/That the thoughts in your head/Came off as a little naive/I don’t mean to be rude/This is just thought for food/The less you talk the wiser you seem/But hey/These waves were here yesterday/and I can guarantee/That they’ll be here when we go away
If “Weatherman” doesn’t quite float your boat, consider checking out poppier efforts “Can’t Complain” and “Let Go.” I refuse to believe Fantastic Voyage has nothing for you to enjoy.
3. Generationwhy by ZHU — Listen
As someone who eagerly flipped on “Faded” at any house party I attended in 2014 and witnessed ZHU’s second-ever U.S. show (which lived up to the hype, and more), I was massively disappointed by the mysterious producer’s debut album Generationwhy. It featured a shocking amount of aimless house-pop filler, despite its best efforts to fuse live instrumentation with ZHU’s signature dark-noir aura and wispy vocals.
It didn’t help that he built my hopes up with the fantastic title track, released as a single a couple months beforehand. The synth-y buildups spanning “Generationwhy” recall the sounds of late-2000s Deadmau5 that turned on so many to electronic music in the first place. The drops splash down like waterfalls, elegant and translucent. And can you pen a more fitting refrain than “All the kids are waking up/And they’re naked when the beat drops” for a song with this title?
It might have been a little premature to compare ZHU to Daft Punk, but tracks like this leave a sliver of hope for such a maturation.
2. Somebody Else by The 1975 — Listen
Up until this year, I happily hated The 1975. Lead singer Matt Healy often whines his way through songs like a boy-band frontman, and much of the British outfit’s debut LP from 2013 reflected that sound. I initially ignored their pretentiously titled follow-up i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, but was put onto it by a friend whose taste I implicitly trust. And I’ll be damned if they didn’t mature by leaps and bounds, indefatigably jumping from genre to genre while still maintaining their 1980s nostalgia appeal.
“Please Be Naked” and “Lostmyhead” sound like Sigur Ros b-sides, while the video for lead single “The Sound” cheekily swipes back at the band’s fiercest critics while defending and sharpening their pop melodies.
But the clear standout is “Somebody Else,” which features Healy’s best songwriting as he laments seeing a former flame move onto another lover before he does.
“I don’t want your body/But I hate to think about you with somebody else/Our love has gone cold/You’re intertwining your soul with somebody else/I’m looking through you while you’re looking through your phone/And then leaving with somebody else/No, I don’t want your body/But I’m picturing your body with somebody else”
It’s not an entirely sympathetic position, but you’re lying if you haven’t felt that selfish pang before. “Somebody Else” fittingly swirls around your brain like a dreamy memory.
- Innerbloom (Lane 8 Remix) by RÜFÜS DU SOL — Listen
The original recording of “Innerbloom” was released in November 2015, technically rendering it ineligible for this list. Thankfully, a stacked lineup of producers lined up to remix the elegant masterpiece in 2016 after it established itself as a widespread festival favorite this summer.
RÜFÜS DU SOL always prepares its live audiences for “Innerbloom” by announcing an oncoming “musical journey through space.” A bit pretentious? If it came from an undeserved pedestal, sure. But these Aussies put their money where their mouth is by consistently delivering a stunning performance that leaves listeners in awe (as someone who saw RÜFÜS five times in 2016 — sorry, if you’re reading, Mom and Dad! — I feel pretty confident in saying that).
The Lane 8 remix maintains the compassionate construction of the original while rendering it club-compatible, making for a perfect track to end the night and leave the dance floor in a trail of uplifting feels.
If you want me/If you need me/I’m yours…
