Exclaim!'s Top 27 Albums of 2016 So Far

Published Jun 28, 2016

As June turns to July and summer enters full swing, we're taking a chance to look back on what's been an insane year not just for music, but for surprise music. In the span of less than three weeks, Beyoncé, Drake, James Blake, Radiohead and Chance the Rapper all dropped hugely anticipated albums whose release dates were hinted at mere days before their release. There have been pleasant surprises aplenty, too: a painterly masterwork by a California soul singer, an album of Toronto pop-punk anthems, a debut record from a veteran UK composer, an '80s horror film-referencing death metal opus and a gorgeous, jazzy swansong from a culture legend.We couldn't cut it down to just 25 records, and why should we, when there were riches beyond? And so, without further ado: Exclaim!'s Top 27 Albums of 2016 So Far.Click next to read through the albums one by one, or use the list below to skip ahead to your favourites.