2016 was the most fruitful year for fantastic new music in recent memory, and although the rest of the year presented itself as a kind of horrifying shit-pile of social, political, cultural turmoil, we had the music – a lot of it.
Everyone here at Howl & Echoes has really diverse musical preferences, so instead of putting together a single list, each year we ask our writers to pick their own top ten songs and albums of the year.
Enjoy! And click here to check out our favourite albums.
Lauren Ziegler
A.B Original, January 26
The Body, Two Snakes
Childish Gambino, Me And Your Mama
Danny Brown, Really Doe ft. Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul
The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nothing to Forget
DJ Shadow, Nobody Speak ft. Run The Jewels
The Drones, To Think That I Once Loved You
Frank Ocean, Nikes/Nights/Solo (Reprise) ft. Andre 3000/Self Control/Solo (I know, I couldn’t decide)
Moreton, Johana
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, I Need You
James Tait
Bon Iver, 8 (circle)
Client Liaison, World Of Our Love
Cub Sport, Come On Mess Me Up
DZ Deathrays, Blood On My Leather
Frank Ocean, Self Control
James Blake, I Need A Forest Fire (ft. Bon Iver)
Miike Snow, Genghis Khan
The Strokes, OBLIVIUS
Twin Peaks, Wanted You
Violent Soho, Viceroy
Alex Crellin
Alasdair Belling
Andrew Adrian
Alex Osborne
A.B. Original, January 26 ft. Dan Sultan
ASAP Ferg, Flem
B Wise, Drugs & Drama
Billy Davis, No Longer Lovers
Cash Savage, One Of Us
De La Soul, Drawn ft. Little Dragon
Flatbush Zombies, Bounce
Flatbush Zombies, This Is It
Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate
Plutonic Lab, The Crib ft. Guilty Simpson
Ruby-Rose Pivet-Marsh
A.B Original, January 26
Chance The Rapper, All Night
Client Liaison, Wild Life
Frank Ocean, Ivy
George Maple, Sticks And Horses
Kami, Home Movies
Kimbra, Sweet Relief
Solange, Cranes In The Sky
Tegan & Sara, Boyfriend
The 1975, Somebody Else
Riley Fitzgerald
Angel Olsen, Intern
Brian Eno, The Ship
DAG, Staying Up At Night
The Drones, To Think That I Once Loved You
Dungen, Alberto Balsam (Aphex Twin Cover) –
Julia Jacklin, Pool Party
Lower Plenty, Bondi’s Dead
Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval, The Spoils
Radiohead, Burn The Witch
Whitney, No Woman
Dani Hansen
Cage The Elephant, Trouble
Cherry Glazerr, Told You I’d Be With The Guys
Flume, Numb & Getting Colder Ft. Kai
Kaytranada, Weight Off Ft. BADBADNOTGOOD
MOSSY, Waterfall
Mura Masa, What If I Go
The Murlocs, Happy Face
Parquet Courts, Berlin Got Blurry
The Strokes, OBLIVIUS
Tourist, To Have You Back
Liz Ansley
Chris Palmer
Ta-ku and Wafia, Love Somebody
Tobias Handke
Alicia Keys, In Common Remix Ft. Kanye West & Travi$ Scott
Angle Olsen, Not Gonna Kill You
Drake, Fake Love
Fat Joe & Remy Ma, All The Way Up Ft. French Montana
Kano, 3 Wheel-Ups Ft. Wiley & Giggs
Kanye West, Real Friends Ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Kings Of Leon, WALLS
Rae Sremmurd, Black Beatles Ft. Gucci Mane
Rihanna, Work Ft. Drake
Young Thug & Travi$ Scott, Pick Up The Phone Ft. Quavo
Sam Weston
Jack Ball
Anfernee, Small House
A Tribe Called Quest, We The People…
Big Words, The Answer
Loyle Carner, Stars and Shards
Loyle Carner, No CD ft. Rebel Kleff
Otis Junior & Dr. Dundiff, Reaching
Remi, Hate You ft. Baro
Remi, For Good ft. Sampa the Great
Sticky Fingers, Sad Songs
Young Franco, Drop Your Love (Swindail Remix)