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Best albums of 2016

A brutal year for losing people. It started in January and did not let up, and what survived it was mostly about grief or race or endurance. Two of the year's essential albums were made by artists who already knew they were dying, which you can hear in both.

According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 2016 is Battle Cry by Judas Priest, rated 4.6/5 by 16 listeners.

  1. Battle Cry cover№ 1Battle CryJudas Priest · 20164.4Weighted score4.6 avg · 16 ratings
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  1. 299.9% cover99.9%Kaytranada · 20164.4 score · 4.6 avg · 11 ratings
  2. 3Everything You've Come to Expect coverEverything You've Come to ExpectThe Last Shadow Puppets · 20164.4 score · 4.8 avg · 5 ratings
  3. 4JEFFERY coverJEFFERYYoung Thug · 20164.3 score · 5.0 avg · 3 ratings
  4. 5Made in the Manor coverMade in the ManorKano · 20164.3 score · 4.8 avg · 4 ratings
  5. 6Lemonade coverLemonadeBeyoncé · 20164.3 score · 4.3 avg · 262 ratings
  6. 7“Awaken, My Love!” cover“Awaken, My Love!”Childish Gambino · 20164.3 score · 4.5 avg · 10 ratings
  7. 8The Art of Hustle coverThe Art of HustleYo Gotti · 20164.3 score · 4.8 avg · 3 ratings
  8. 9Alles nix Konkretes coverAlles nix KonkretesAnnenMayKantereit · 20164.3 score · 4.6 avg · 5 ratings
  9. 10S.T.D coverS.T.DCupcakKe · 20164.3 score · 4.6 avg · 5 ratings
  10. 11Before The Trap: Nights In Tarzana coverBefore The Trap: Nights In TarzanaChris Brown · 20164.3 score · 4.4 avg · 9 ratings
  11. 124Ever cover4EverPrince · 20164.2 score · 4.6 avg · 4 ratings
  12. 13Slime Season 3 coverSlime Season 3Young Thug · 20164.2 score · 4.3 avg · 27 ratings
  13. 14Therapy Session coverTherapy SessionNF · 20164.2 score · 4.3 avg · 15 ratings
  14. 15Bad Vibrations coverBad VibrationsA Day to Remember · 20164.2 score · 4.4 avg · 9 ratings
  15. 16Where Is l'album de Gradur coverWhere Is l'album de GradurGradur · 20164.2 score · 4.3 avg · 27 ratings
  16. 17Atrocity Exhibition coverAtrocity ExhibitionDanny Brown · 20164.2 score · 4.3 avg · 16 ratings
  17. 18Crybaby coverCrybabyLiL PEEP · 20164.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  18. 19Lost Whispers coverLost WhispersEvanescence · 20164.2 score · 4.4 avg · 8 ratings
  19. 20Blonde coverBlondeFrank Ocean · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 492 ratings
  20. 21Puberty 2 coverPuberty 2Mitski · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 401 ratings
  21. 22Who Really Cares coverWho Really CaresTV Girl · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 94 ratings
  22. 23untitled unmastered. coveruntitled unmastered.Kendrick Lamar · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 150 ratings
  23. 24Anvil Is Anvil coverAnvil Is AnvilAnvil · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 4 ratings
  24. 25The Life of Pablo coverThe Life of PabloKanye West · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 423 ratings
  25. 26Louisiana Hot Sauce coverLouisiana Hot SauceMaster P · 20164.2 score · 4.4 avg · 5 ratings
  26. 27Blue & Lonesome coverBlue & LonesomeThe Rolling Stones · 20164.2 score · 4.3 avg · 11 ratings
  27. 28Love & Hate coverLove & HateMichael Kiwanuka · 20164.2 score · 4.2 avg · 29 ratings
  28. 29À bout de rêves coverÀ bout de rêvesSlimane · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  29. 30How to Be a Human Being coverHow to Be a Human BeingGlass Animals · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  30. 31Following My Intuition coverFollowing My IntuitionCraig David · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  31. 32The Nashville Session coverThe Nashville SessionThe New Mastersounds · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  32. 33Miss Sharon Jones! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) coverMiss Sharon Jones! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings · 20164.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  33. 34Slaughter King coverSlaughter King21 Savage · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 7 ratings
  34. 35Anti coverAntiRihanna · 20164.1 score · 4.1 avg · 403 ratings
  35. 36You Want It Darker coverYou Want It DarkerLeonard Cohen · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 18 ratings
  36. 37Hollywood Vampires coverHollywood VampiresAlice Cooper · 20164.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings
  37. 38What One Becomes coverWhat One BecomesSumac · 20164.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings
  38. 39Platinum Hits coverPlatinum HitsJason Derulo · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 12 ratings
  39. 40Illuminate coverIlluminateShawn Mendes · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 20 ratings
  40. 41Joytime coverJoytimeMarshmello · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 13 ratings
  41. 42Rise coverRiseKaty Perry · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings
  42. 43Last Year Was Complicated coverLast Year Was ComplicatedNick Jonas · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings
  43. 44Anomalie coverAnomalieLouise Attaque · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings
  44. 45Arctic Thunder coverArctic ThunderDarkthrone · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings
  45. 46Blackstar coverBlackstarDavid Bowie · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 5 ratings
  46. 47Darkness and Light coverDarkness and LightJohn Legend · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 15 ratings
  47. 48New English coverNew EnglishDesiigner · 20164.1 score · 4.3 avg · 6 ratings
  48. 49The Stage coverThe StageAvenged Sevenfold · 20164.1 score · 4.2 avg · 7 ratings
  49. 50A Seat at the Table coverA Seat at the TableSolange · 20164.1 score · 4.1 avg · 27 ratings

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Best albums of 2016 by genre

The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.

The artists of 2016

Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.

Every artist of 2016, ranked →

2016, month by month

Not everything that came out, just where the weight fell. Some months carried a year; some were quiet and worth knowing about.

FAQ

What are the best albums of 2016?
On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 2016 is Battle Cry by Judas Priest (4.6/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
How is the 2016 ranking decided?
By Riffiter listeners. Each album's community rating sets its place. Until a release has enough ratings, its popularity stands in, and the order shifts as more people rate.
Does the best-of-2016 list change?
Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 2016 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.