The 2016 Albums of the Year

Music; the great communicator as the Chili Peppers once sang. The media form able to bind our ever-dividing world.

A year of turbulence, political upheaval, controversy and passing icons has left many down but, throughout it all, we've had the musical world to turn to.

Make no mistake, in musical release terms, it's been a wonderful year with some landmark releases by major artists and promising new talents alike.

We will always remember this year as the final one for some of music's biggest legends; some of the greatest talent to ever walk this green Earth. David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen have left a gaping chasm on the musical horizon but their legacy can be keenly felt in all of this year's releases and we were rewarded by two of them with some of their finest work.

After squabbles, in-fighting and more shuffling than a Vegas casino I present the best albums of 2016:

25. Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis

24. Solange - A Seat At The Table

23. Agnes Obel - Citizen Of Glass

22. Thee Oh Sees - A Weird Exits

21. Beyonce - Lemonade

20. Sunflower Bean - Human Ceremony

19. David Bowie - Blackstar

18. Angel Olsen - My Woman

17. Kings Of Leon – W.A.L.L.S.

16. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker

15. Frank Ocean - Blonde

14. Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book

13. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

12. Anderson. Paak - Malibu

11. CRX - CRX

10. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

9. Bon Iver – 22, A Million

8. Phantogram - Three

7. Wild Beasts – Boy King

6. Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression

5. The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It

4. Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial

3. Whitney – Light Upon The Lake

2. Kanye West – The Life Of Pablo

1. The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You’ve Come To Expect

Special mention to the incredible soundtrack to John Carney’s Sing Street; an album of originals which ranks alongside all of the above as one of the best things you will hear this year. And also a shout here to the soundtrack to Life On The Road by David Brent and Foregone Conclusion; a hilarious batch of songs and better musically than it has any right to be.

Also a nod to those albums which left me deliberating and fiddling with the list for ages: Metronomy, The Kills, Sturgill Simpson, Drowners, Frankie Cosmos, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Spring King, Jamie T, Banks & Steelz, Twin Peaks, Glass Animals, Gallant, Kevin Morby, Julia Jacklin and critical darlings Christine & The Queens and Michael Kiwanuka all spent some time in the top 20.

An extra special mention as well to the posthumous Viola Beach compilation; a band destined for greatness taken from us too soon and a snapshot of the talent they had.

Head here for the playlist of the year: the tracks of 2016.