30. case/lang/veirs – case/lang/veirs 
One of the year’s most splendid surprises was this collaboration between three of folk music’s most compelling voices. The familiarity that Neko Case, k.d. Lang and Laura Veirs share between one another on case/lang/veirs makes it feel like a record from a group that has played together for years rather than a recent (and hopefully not one-off) collaboration. The record is driven by the trio’s wonderful close harmonies and songwriting, with songs like “Atomic Number” and “Best Kept Secret” spotlighting the group’s combined skills. – Ryan Gibbs
29. Lapsley – Long Way Home
Long Way Home sounds as if it were conceived within some hole-in-the-wall, electro-synth nightclub – a gem of a place where Lapsley’s smoky and soulfully smooth vocals oozes through textured soundscapes like silk. Sharing the same label as Adele has certainly resulted in comparisons of merit between the two artists. Though stark differences in the production of say Adele’s 19 and that of the 19-year-old’s debut is hard to overlook. Each of Lapsley’s tracks were written, engineered (with some help from music producer Rodaidh McDonald), and produced by the young singer-songwriter, with some of its best tracks (“Heartless” and “Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me)”) revolving around the pain of a crumbling romance without ever feeling contrived or pandering in the ways some confessional pop songs can. Minimalistic and spacious, Long Way Home has all the evocations of a rising star full of promise and artistic poise. – Jennifer Baugh
28. Tegan and Sara – Love You to Death
A wonderful follow-up to 2013’s Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara returned with mega pop producer Greg Kurstin for Love You to Death. Still at the top of their songwriting game, Tegan and Sara get a tiny bit rawer, nuanced and plainspoken about their romantic desires with the tracks on this album, but remain musically upbeat. – Gabrielle Bondi
27. How to Dress Well – Care
I’m going to break one of my unspoken rules of criticism and speak directly to you about this album which is, undoubtedly, excellent, and it seems as if no one was talking about it. To see it so high on this list even was a surprise since it seemed as if it had successfully managed to fly low under the radar. Catchy, soulful and not afraid to hit hard with club beats, Care is one of the most distinctive albums of the year and if you haven’t listened to the song “I Was Terrible” yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice. – Allyson Johnson
26. Jamila Woods – HEAVN
The Knowles sisters’ albums are more famous portrayals of black womanhood in 2016 – with Bey’s fire and Solange’s cool – but Jamila Woods’ warmth shuts out the possibility for comparison. Its playfulness knows no bounds, interpolating everything from “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed On Freedom)” to the Dawson’s Creek theme to clapping game “Miss Mary Mack.” Some of the year’s best albums, think Tribe or Beyoncé, inspired us to get up and fight. HEAVN is a rarer sort of album: a soothing tonic for an uncertain time. – Joey Daniewicz
25. Lady Gaga – Joanne
Lady Gaga’s attempt for a soft-rock, country-like album may not have been what fans expected, especially after hearing Joanne’s first single, “Perfect Illusion.” But it’s what we got, and her crack at a new sound does not go without merit. It’s rare when a pop artist who has reached the fame and standing of Gaga experiment so fully with her sound. So while not every track on Joanne is a standout, it’s hard not to appreciate the restrained and modest quality of the record. – Gabrielle Bondi
24. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered.
Another surprise of 2016 was undoubtedly this follow-up to Kendrick Lamar’s triumph, To Pimp a Butterfly. With this set of songs, Lamar sort of basks in all the success he’s had in the last year, and it reads best as an epilogue or extended part of To Pimp a Butterfly, since it’s so connected to it on many levels. Yet, on its own, it’s a fine listen as Lamar’s personality and witticisms shine through in every second of it. – Gabrielle Bondi
23. Birdy – Beautiful Lies
The best trajectories for artists are when the both take creative leaps while simultaneously not straying too far from their roots. They don’t want to sound like a new artist all together, but they don’t want to produce the same ten tracks as the last album. Birdy managed to toe this fine line expertly with an album that doesn’t forget her singer-songwriter roots while adding an undoubted amount of soul influences. Remarkably catchy, her vocal gymnastics are as impressive as ever. But even more so is her ability to play with typical rhythms and natural song progressions for transitions that sound refreshingly new. – Allyson Johnson
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22. Whitney – Light Upon the Lake
It’s impossible to listen to a track like “Golden Days” and not immediately want to melt into its hazy country-crooning arms. The ever-cathartic “Na Na Na” that serves as the outro to the track feels every bit as timeless as The Faces’ 1973 hit “Ooh La La”. Boyish falsettos, directly-spoken lyrics, and bellowing horns that dips its toes into the autumn streams of a 1970s Americana altogether provides that sweet, summery twang – balancing out melancholic themes of lovesick pain, heartbreak, and learning to let it all go. With hopes on making at least 5-6 more records, Light Upon The Lake is certainly an epic start for the multi-talented supergroup. – Jennifer Baugh
21. Sleigh Bells – Jessica Rabbit
They’ve gotten better as they’ve concerned themselves less with tune and more with the noise that made them stand out so much in the first place. The songs show up, of course, but only after the noise gets you to your third or fourth listen. – Matt Rice
50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
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