As the year winds down, the elite albums of 2016 will further separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The year has seen several solid album releases, but truly, it’s easy to pick out the crème de la crème. In an age where tracks seem to carry more weight and are more likely to earn RIAA certification, the top-five albums on this edition of the 10 best albums are near-locks.
1. Beyoncé, Lemonade
[Sony]
- Gems: “Hold Up,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” “Sorry,” “Sandcastles,” “Freedom” and “Formation”
- Potential Grammys: Album of the Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Urban Contemporary Album
Photo Credit: Columbia





![Reid Zakos, ANGEL: Beaming with Pride No. 97 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; Reid Zakos Music ®; Cristyan Bohn, Ketut Subiyanto, Luis Morales Torres, SHVETS production, Uriel Mont from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay]](https://i0.wp.com/themusicalhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/reid-zakos-angel-beaming-with-pride-97-2026.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1)
![Dolly Parton vs. Kesha & Dolly Parton: Face Off No. 19 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; BMG Music, Kemosabe Records; fotografoedsonj ed, Marlon Schmeiski from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]](https://i0.wp.com/themusicalhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/dolly-parton-vs-kesha-x-dolly-parton-face-off-19-2026.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1)
![T.I., Bring Em Out: Bangerz N Bopz No. 70 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Grand Hustle, LLC / Cinq Recordings; Art Laurence Luzon, cottonbro studio, Osmar Vasques, Sebastian Ervi, Wallyson Nascimento from Pexels; Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]](https://i0.wp.com/themusicalhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/t-i-bring-em-out-bangerz-n-bopz-70-2026.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1)