It's a bit later in the New Year (2017) already than I had intended or would have preferred, but I'm still ahead of the Grammys in publishing my list of the 2016 Grampies. Here follows the compilation of my favorite albums of this past year across a variety of genres. In fact, I've further diversified my classifications, as compared to previous years, dividing the vast span of country music into two different categories (the first comprising tradition and modern, mainstream and retro country, and the second covering ground from folk to Americana), and creating a niche for music spanning progressive rock and symphonic metal.
Noting that "country" (even with a second category) still covers a broad span of music, I've provided a long list of albums under the main "Country" heading, almost twice as many as in the others. But the reality is that "Pop," "Rock," "Metal," and "Alternative" have a fair amount of overlap between them, and any number of albums could conceivably be categorized in a variety of these ways. I've had to make decisions, some of which are inevitably arbitrary and subjective. But it is my list, after all, and making those hard choices is part of the challenge and part of the fun of doing this each year.
As in the past, my thanks to Spotify and Amazon, to my local public library, to Fireworks and Powerplay rock and metal magazines, to Rolling Stone Country, to the Rate Your Music (rym) and the Album Of The Year (aoty) sites, and to my buddy, Rev. Erich Fickel, with whom I got to see Sturgill Simpson in concert this past year, and whose thoughts on music are encouraging.
To my ears, 2016 was a great year for music of all kinds, and I enjoy the chance to share my favorite discoveries with others. So, then, without any further ado, here are the 2016 Grampies:
D. Rick’s Album Top 50
1. Theocracy - Ghost Ship (Metal)
2. Sister Hazel - Lighter in the Dark (Pop)
3. Green River Ordinance - Fifteen (Country)
4. The Avett Brothers - True Sadness (Folk/Americana)
5. Andy Black - The Shadow Side (Alternative)
6. Volbeat - Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie (Metal)
7. The Roosevelts - The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn (Rock)
8. Parker Millsap - The Very Last Day (Folk/Americana)
9. Lori McKenna - The Bird & the Rifle (Folk/Americana)
10. Rachel Platten - Wildfire (Pop)
11. Brian Fallon - Painkillers (Rock)
12. Dori Freeman - Dori Freeman (Folk/Americana)
13. The Roomsounds - Elm St. (Rock)
14. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth (Alternative)
15. Brandy Clark - Big Day in a Small Town (Country)
16. Simple Plan - Taking One for the Team (Alternative)
17. Alter Bridge - The Last Hero (Metal)
18. Dream Theater - The Astonishing (Progressive)
19. Nordic Union - Nordic Union (Rock)
20. Brothers Osborne - Pawn Shop (Country)
21. Tremonti - Dust (Guitarist)
22. Miranda Lambert - The Weight of These Wings (Country)
23. Bon Jovi - This House Is Not for Sale (Rock)
24. Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor (Alternative)
25. Maren Morris - Hero (Country)
26. Rick Springfield - Rocket Science (Pop)
27. Poets of the Fall - Clearview (Alternative)
28. Joe Bonamassa - Blues of Desperation (Guitarist)
29. Treat - Ghost of Graceland (Rock)
30. Wigelius - Tabula Rasa (Rock)
31. Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio (Rock)
32. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter (Country)
33. Elton John - Wonderful Crazy Night (Pop)
34. Twin Atlantic - GLA (Alternative)
35. Holy Grail - Times of Pride and Peril (Metal)
36. Serenity - Codex Atlanticus (Progressive)
37. Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky (Rock)
38. Austin Allsup - This Weary Land (Country)
39. The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light (Alternative)
40. Aubrie Sellers - New City Blues (Country)
41. Lindsey Stirling - Brave Enough (Alternative)
42. BJ Barham - Rockingham (Folk/Americana)
43. Keith Urban - Ripcord (Guitarist)
44. Ryan Beaver - Rx (Country)
45. Eliza and The Bear - Eliza and The Bear (Alternative)
46. Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (Metal)
47. Dommin - Beautiful Crutch (Alternative)
48. Dare - Sacred Ground (Rock)
49. Sabaton - The Last Stand (Metal)
50. Megadeth - Dystopia (Metal)
Country (Traditional and Modern, Mainstream and Retro)
1. Green River Ordinance - Fifteen
2. Brandy Clark - Big Day in a Small Town
3. Brothers Osborne - Pawn Shop
4. Miranda Lambert - The Weight of These Wings
5. Maren Morris - Hero
6. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
7. Austin Allsup - This Weary Land
8. Aubrie Sellers - New City Blues
9. Ryan Beaver - Rx
10. Loretta Lynn - Full Circle
11. Dianna Corcoran - In America
12. The Honeycutters - On the Ropes
13. Florida Georgia Line - Dig Your Roots
14. Ward Thomas - Cartwheels
15. Casey Donahew - All Night Party
16. The Warhorses - The Warhorses
17. Thorne Hill - No More Holding Back
18. Jared Deck - Jared Deck
19. Paul Cauthen - My Gospel
20. Frankie Ballard - El Río
21. Cody Johnson - Gotta Be Me
22. Seth James & Jessica Murray - A Million Miles of Love
23. Drake White - Spark
24. Reckless Kelly - Sunset Motel
25. Garth Brooks - Gunslinger
26. Derek Hoke - Southern Moon
27. Randy Rogers Band - Nothing Shines Like Neon
28. Wynonna & The Big Noise - Wynonna & The Big Noise
29. Jamestown Revival - The Education of a Wandering Man
30. Kenny Chesney - Cosmic Hallelujah
31. Cody Jinks - I'm Not the Devil
32. Zane Williams - Bringin' Country Back
33. Levi Parham - These American Blues
34. Phil Vassar - American Soul
35. Whiskey Myers - Mud
36. High Valley - Dear Life
37. Kane Brown - Kane Brown
38. Martina McBride - Reckless
39. Jamie Kent - All American Mutt
40. The Cactus Blossoms - You're Dreaming
41. Shane Owens - Where I'm Comin' From
42. Shannon Labrie - War & Peace
43. The Cadillac Three - Bury Me in My Boots
44. Willie Nelson - For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price
45. The Shires - My Universe
46. Ronnie Dunn - Tattooed Heart
47. Jon Pardi - California Sunrise
48. Mark Chesnutt - Tradition Lives
49. William Michael Morgan - Vinyl
50. Karen Jonas - Country Songs
Country Folk ~ Rustic Americana
1. The Avett Brothers - True Sadness
2. Parker Millsap - The Very Last Day
3. Lori McKenna - The Bird & the Rifle
4. Dori Freeman - Dori Freeman
5. BJ Barham - Rockingham
6. Flatland Cavalry - Humble Folks
7. The Stray Birds - Magic Fire
8. Brent Cobb - Shine on Rainy Day
9. Hayes Carll - Lovers and Leavers
10. Shovels & Rope - Little Seeds
11. Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent
12. Sara Watkins - Young in All the Wrong Ways
13. Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Things That We Are Made Of
14. Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life
15. Aoife O'Donovan - In the Magic Hour
16. John Prine - For Better, or Worse
17. Dylan LeBlanc - Cautionary Tale
18. Darrell Scott - Couchville Sessions
19. Amanda Shires - My Piece of Land
20. Kate Rusby - Life in a Paper Boat
21. Lee DeWyze - Oil & Water
22. case / lang / veirs - case / lang / veirs
23. Jason Eady & Courtney Patton - Something Together
24. Kelsey Waldon - I've Got a Way
25. The Time Jumpers - Kid Sister
26. Robbie Fulks - Upland Stories
27. Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller
28. The Lumineers - Cleopatra
29. Dwight Yoakam - Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars...
30. Amos Lee - Spirit
31. Seth Lakeman - Ballads of the Broken Few
32. Paper Bird - Paper Bird
33. John Paul White - Beulah
Pop
1. Sister Hazel - Lighter in the Dark
2. Rachel Platten - Wildfire
3. Rick Springfield - Rocket Science
4. Elton John - Wonderful Crazy Night
5. American Authors - What We Live For
6. Anthony D'Amato - Cold Snap
7. Parachute - Wide Awake
8. Jace Pawlak - Promise
9. Britt Nicole - Britt Nicole
10. Colbie Caillat - The Malibu Sessions
11. Regina Spektor - Remember Us to Life
12. Passenger - Young as the Morning Old as the Sea
13. Jacob Whitesides - Why?
14. Lewis & Leigh - Ghost
15. OneRepublic - Oh My My
16. Sia - This Is Acting
17. Muddy Magnolias - Broken People
18. Dawes - We're All Gonna Die
19. Gavin DeGraw - Something Worth Saving
20. Jimmy Barnes - Soul Searchin'
21. Andrew Leahey & The Homestead - Skyline in Central Time
22. Lake Street Dive - Side Pony
23. Meghan Trainor - Thank You
24. Josh Kelley - New Lane Road
25. KT Tunstall - KIN
26. Lights - Midnight Machines
27. Roxette - Good Karma
28. Tegan and Sara - Love You to Death
29. Sabrina Carpenter - EVOLution
30. Britta Phillips - Luck or Magic
31. The Candles - Matter + Spirit
32. Audrey Spillman - Thornbird
33. BROODS - Conscious
Rock (Rock ‘n’ Roll, Classic Rock, Retro Radio Rock, Modern Rock)
1. The Roosevelts - The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn
2. Brian Fallon - Painkillers
3. The Roomsounds - Elm St.
4. Nordic Union - Nordic Union
5. Bon Jovi - This House Is Not for Sale
6. Treat - Ghost of Graceland
7. Wigelius - Tabula Rasa
8. Jorn - Heavy Rock Radio
9. Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky
10. Dare - Sacred Ground
11. Epic - Like a Phoenix
12. 3 Doors Down - Us and the Night
13. Wolfmother - Victorious
14. Blackfoot - Southern Native
15. Rival Sons - Hollow Bones
16. Letters From the Fire - Worth the Pain
17. The Record Company - Give It Back to You
18. Blackberry Smoke - Like an Arrow
19. The Answer - Solas
20. Kings of Leon - Walls
21. The Black Moods - Medicine
22. Inglorious - Inglorious
23. Tim Montana and The Shrednecks - Tim Montana and the Shrednecks
24. Grand Slam - A New Dawn
25. Rob Moratti - Transcendent
26. Angels or Kings - Go Ask the Moon
27. Glenn Hughes - Resonate
28. Handful of Rain - Three Days to Come Back
29. Mudcrutch - 2
30. Nemesea - Uprise
31. Overland - Contagious
32. First Signal - One Step Over the Line
33. The Radio Sun - Outside Looking In
Progressive Rock ~ Symphonic Metal
1. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
2. Serenity - Codex Atlanticus
3. Avantasia - Ghostlights
4. Epica - The Holographic Principle
5. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
6. Delain - Moonbathers
7. Sonata Arctica - The Ninth Hour
8. DGM - The Passage
9. Rhapsody of Fire - Into the Legend
10. Sirenia - Dim Days of Dolor
11. Redemption - The Art of Loss
12. Insomnium - Winter's Gate
13. Opeth - Sorceress
14. Of Mice & Men - Cold World
15. Lacuna Coil - Delirium
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
1. Theocracy - Ghost Ship
2. Volbeat - Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie
3. Alter Bridge - The Last Hero
4. Holy Grail - Times of Pride and Peril
5. Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct
6. Sabaton - The Last Stand
7. Megadeth - Dystopia
8. Eden's Curse - Cardinal
9. Amaranthe - Maximalism
10. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
11. Rage of Angels - The Devils New Tricks
12. Pretty Maids - Kingmaker
13. Trapt - DNA
14. Freedom Call - Master of Light
15. Michael Sweet - One Sided War
16. Evergrey - The Storm Within
17. Stitched Up Heart - Never Alone
18. Striker - Stand in the Fire
19. Tyketto - Reach
20. Gemini Syndrome - Memento Mori
21. Myrath - Legacy
22. Innerwish - InnerWish
23. Last in Line - Heavy Crown
24. Primal Fear - Rulebreaker
25. Serious Black - Mirrorworld
26. HammerFall - Built to Last
27. Sixx:A.M. - Prayers for the Blessed Vol. 2
28. Resurrection Kings - Resurrection Kings
29. In Flames - Battles
30. Shakra - High Noon
31. Obscura - Akróasis
32. Wovenwar - Honor Is Dead
33. Killswitch Engage - Incarnate
Ambiguous Alternatives
1. Andy Black - The Shadow Side
2. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
3. Simple Plan - Taking One for the Team
4. Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor
5. Poets of the Fall - Clearview
6. Twin Atlantic - GLA
7. The Head and the Heart - Signs of Light
8. Lindsey Stirling - Brave Enough
9. Eliza and The Bear - Eliza and The Bear
10. Dommin - Beautiful Crutch
11. The Wild Feathers - Lonely Is a Lifetime
12. James McCartney - The Blackberry Train
13. As Vultures Circle - Human Conditions
14. Skillet - Unleashed
15. Drive-By Truckers - American Band
16. Needtobreathe - Hard Love
17. Switchfoot - Where the Light Shines Through
18. Good Charlotte - Youth Authority
19. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere
20. Nothing But Thieves - Nothing But Thieves
21. Yellowcard - Yellowcard
22. Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues
23. The Jayhawks - Paging Mr. Proust
24. Fitz & the Tantrums - Fitz & the Tantrums
25. Weezer - Weezer [White Album]
26. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
27. Phish - Big Boat
28. Goo Goo Dolls - Boxes
29. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - PersonA
30. Savages - Adore Life
31. Deftones - Gore
32. Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave
33. Young Guns - Echoes
Guitarists
1. Tremonti - Dust
2. Joe Bonamassa - Blues of Desperation
3. Keith Urban - Ripcord
4. Wolf Hoffmann - Headbangers Symphony
5. Scotty Bratcher - That Album
6. Zakk Wylde - Book of Shadows II
7. Vince Gill - Down to My Last Bad Habit
8. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By
9. Gary Hoey - Dust & Bones
10. Jeff Beck - Loud Hailer
11. Steffen Schackinger - Fire Dance
12. Rik Emmett & RESolution9 - RES 9
13. Punky Meadows - Fallen Angel
14. Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 1
15. Bonnie Raitt - Dig in Deep
16. Ana Popovic - Trilogy
17. Steve Wariner - All Over the Map
18. Monte Pittman - Inverted Grasp of Balance
19. Animals as Leaders - The Madness of Many
20. Stefan Berggren - Stranger in a Strangeland
21. Joanne Shaw Taylor - Wild
22. Andy Timmons - Theme From a Perfect World
23. Polyphia - Renaissance
24. Peter Frampton - Acoustic Classics
25. Kee Marcello - Scaling Up
26. Eric Clapton - I Still Do
27. Oz Noy - Who Gives a Funk
28. Eric Johnson - EJ
29. Paul Gilbert - I Can Destroy
30. Yngwie Malmsteen - World on Fire
31. Santana - Santana IV
32. Jack White - Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016
33. Neil Young - Peace Trail
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