What else can be said about 2016 that hasn’t been said. The deaths of cultural touchstones I grew up with. For me it was Leonard Cohen, Prince and Bowie, as well as personal favourites such as Greg Lake (ELP and King Crimson) and Phife Dog (A Tribe Called Quest) Then to top it off, George Michael. But then there was this election. It still doesn’t make sense that Trump somehow got the office. But I guess emails were more important than ties to Putin and Russia. It was also the year the Chicago Cubs broke their drought and won the series. Last time I checked they were still celebrating in the streets of Chicago, and Leicester City won the Premier League championship. I am going to give you my top 10 albums this year but instead of reissues and singles, I will give my top 10 Leonard, Bowie and Prince tracks to pay tribute to losing three greats.
Best lbums of 2016
1. David Bowie – Blackstar
2. Radiohead – Moon Shaped Pool
3. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
4. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein – Stranger Things Vol 1 and 2 Soundtrack
5. Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression
6. Monkees – Good Times!
7. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here..Thank You For Your Service
8. Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
9. Frank Ocean – Blonde
10. Angel Olson – My Woman
11. Metallica – Hardwired to Self-Destruct
12. Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch 2
My Favourite Bowie Tracks
1. “Life On Mars?”
2. “Panic In Detroit”
3. “I’m Afraid of Americans”
4. “TVC 15”
5. “Black Country Rock”
6. “Five Years”
7. “Rock and Roll Suicide”
8. “Lazarus”
9. “Heroes”
10. “Scary Monsters”
My Favourite Prince Tracks
1. “Bob George”
2. “Erotic City”
3. “Seven”
4. “Musicology”
5. “I Feel For You”
6. “Take Me With You”
7. “Get Off”
8. “Baltimore”
9. “Mountains”
10. “Money Don’t Matter Tonight”
My Favourite Leonard Cohen Tracks
1. “Don’t Go Home With Your Hard On”
2. “First We Take Manhattan”
3. “The Future”
4. “Hey, That’s No One Way to Say Goodbye”
5. “Take This Longing”
6. “If It Be Your Will”
7. “Darkness”
8. “You Want It Darker”
9. “Chelsea Hotel #2”
10. “Joan of Arc”