Stereogum still has some 2015 reminiscence on deck, but 2016 is fast approaching — and with it, dozens of highly anticipated new releases. Below, as has become our tradition, you’ll find a list of the 101 albums we’re most excited to hear next year.
It’s amazing how many projects from last year’s list are back here again, yet to be released. Our writers and commenters alike have rhapsodized repeatedly about 2015’s bumper crop of LPs, and the wall-to-wall quality this year is extra impressive considering our Most Anticipated list for 2016 could have easily included a blockbuster top 10 entirely composed of rumored 2015 albums that never dropped. Indeed, a lot of those repeat inclusions are clogging up the top of the rankings, but they’re not the only titles up there. In addition to the many intriguing projects that have been officially announced, still others have been taking shape in the studio. Based on the ones we know about, and what we’ve heard from a bunch of them so far, here’s what’s got us on the edge of our desk chairs.
101 Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
100 The Afghan Whigs (Sub Pop)
99 Tove Lo
98 Gwen Stefani
97 Tortoise – The Catastrophist (Thrill Jockey, 1/22)
96 Sleigh Bells
95 MGMT
94 Jesu/Sun Kil Moon – Jesu/Sun Kil Moon (Caldo Verde/Rough Trade, 1/21)
93 Porches – Pool (Domino, 2/5)
92 Band Of Horses
91 Alvvays
90 The Horrors
89 The Shins
88 Weezer
87 Warpaint
86 Wild Nothing – Life Of Pause (Captured Tracks, 2/19)
85 The Smashing Pumpkins – Day For Night
84 The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It (Vagrant, 2/26)
83 Tim Hecker (4AD)
82 Crying (Run For Cover)
81 Florist – The Birds Outside Sang (Double Double Whammy, 1/29)
80 Pity Sex – White Hot Moon (Run For Cover, Spring)
79 Santigold – 99¢ (Atlantic, 2/26)
78 Diet Cig
77 Swearin’
76 Weaves (Buzz Records)
75 Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger (Drag City, 1/22)
74 CL
73 Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost (Run For Cover)
72 Cullen Omori – Cullen Omori (Sub Pop)
71 LVL UP
70 Shura
69 DIIV – Is The Is Are (Captured Tracks, 2/5)
68 Tinashe – Joyride
67 Metallica
66 Chairlift – Moth (Columbia, 1/22)
65 My Morning Jacket
64 The Last Shadow Puppets
63 TOPS (Arbutus)
62 Explosions In The Sky
61 Mothers – When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired (Grand Jury/Wichita, 2/26)
60 Perfect Pussy
59 Savages – Adore Life (Matador, 1/22)
58 Spiritualized
57 Ariana Grande – Moonlight (Republic)
56 The Jesus And Mary Chain
55 Hannah Diamond (Columbia/PC Music)
54 Steve Gunn
53 YG – Still Krazy
52 Rihanna – Anti (Def Jam)
51 Animal Collective – Painting With (Domino, 2/19)
50 School Of Seven Bells – SVIIB (Vagrant, 2/12)
49 M.I.A. – Matahdatah (Interscope)
48 Sturgill Simpson
47 Frightened Rabbit
46 Cobalt – Slow Forever (Profound Lore)
45 A$AP Ferg – Always Strive And Prosper
44 Strand Of Oaks (Dead Oceans)
43 Tool
42 Mitski (Dead Oceans)
41 Tegan And Sara
40 Mutual Benefit (Mom + Pop)
39 Sigur Rós
38 Crystal Castles
37 Alice Glass
36 Kvelertak
35 FKA Viet Cong
34 Wet – Don’t You (Columbia, 1/29)
33 Against Me!
32 Grandaddy
31 Blood Orange
30 Gorillaz
29 Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial (Matador)
28 ANOHNI – Hopelessness (Secretly Canadian, Spring)
27 Brand New
26 Swans
25 Missy Elliott (Goldmind/Atlantic)
24 Beck
23 PJ Harvey (Spring)
22 Pusha T – King Push (G.O.O.D. Music)
21 Charli XCX (Asylum/Atlantic)
20 David Bowie – ? (Blackstar) (Columbia, 1/8)
19 James Blake – Radio Silence
18 White Lung
17 Chance The Rapper
16 Grizzly Bear
15 The Strokes
14 The xx
13 Lorde
12 Sky Ferreira – Masochism (Capitol)
11 M83 (Mute)
10 Chromatics – Dear Tommy (Italians Do It Better)
9 Radiohead
8 Vampire Weekend
7 Run The Jewels – RTJ3
6 Haim (Polydor/Columbia)
5 Drake – Views From The 6
4 The Wrens
3 Kanye West – SWISH (Def Jam)
2 Japandroids
1 Frank Ocean – Boys Don’t Cry (Def Jam)