But if you think there’s nothing good out there, you are being obstinate. I admit, I often feel the impulse to just give up filling my head up with new shit and endlessly re-playing my Lou Reed, Sisters of Mercy and Wu Tang records. I sympathize by those that feel overwhelmed by the sheer massiveness of musical choices that are out there. If I went on any further I’d probably just grow more anxious about not mentioning even more (I also liked ‘Lemonade’ a lot when it first came out but have grown tired of no one ever even questioning Beyonce’s artistic choices.

I had to cut this top 50 list from an original list of 217 (which can be found on my Spotify playlists) and I’m already feeling guilt over my decision to not include great records from all-time favorites of mine: Aphex Twin, Autechre, Brian Eno, Neurosis, John Cale, PJ Harvey, Dead C, Wire, Mark Pritchard and Deftones and great new stuff from younger acts like Surgeon, Driftmachine, Okkultokrati, Sex Swing, Let’s Eat Grandma, Vince Staples, Preoccupations (formerly Viet Kong), Sumac, Tomaga, Marissa Nadler, Taman Shud, Mica Levi & Oliver Coates, Chance the Rapper, Ocean Wisdom, Via App, NoName, Tough Tits, Julianna Barwick, Serpent Music, and Circuit Des Yeux side project Jackie Lynn. But people haven’t given up on making new sounds.

2016 was actually an amazing year for new records, but there is just simply no economy for any musician less than a massive pop star and a couple indie acts that are able to get rich touring the festival circuit the working class rock star is gone. This is short-sighted: the complaint should be directed towards the music industry and not musicians. People complain about contemporary music.

Radiohead discografia mega