NPR Music - Our no. 1 songs: 2016

Episode Date: November 3, 2025

It was a year of staggering losses, from David Bowie and Prince to Leonard Cohen and George Michael. But it was also a year of monumental new music, including Beyonce’s 'Lemonade' and a mountain-sized rock anthem from Mitski.Note: This is a recurring series in celebration of All Songs Considered’s 25th anniversary. A shorter version of this episode ran earlier in the year.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It's all songs considered. I'm Robin Hilton. We're looking back at our number one songs from the past 25 years as part of the show's anniversary, our quarter century anniversary, doing a different year each week. Stephen Thompson here, as always. It's great to be here, Robin. You know, the whole time we've been doing this series, looking back at each year, I've let you go first every single time, but I'm going to go first this time.

Wow. Wow. Okay, fine. Yeah, because there was nothing greater from 2016. then basically... There's only one correct answer. So you're probably stealing my pick because there is only one correct answer.

Well, okay, let's just hit it and you're going to know it immediately, I think. Nope, not the correct answer. Come on, you know what this is, though. Is this Beyonce? Yeah. Oh, is this Don't hurt yourself with Jack White? This isn't one of my go-toes from this record.

I mean, this is a great record. Got away for the... Well, here's the thing. So don't hurt yourself from Lemonade. Yeah. To me, a once-in-a-generation album. Such a great record. Incredible.

I'd have gone with freedom. Okay, I was going to say, there are maybe better songs on this album, and there may be more important songs on this album. There are. But what I loved about this one is it was Beyonce stepping into the rock space and absolutely destroying it. This whole You ain't trying hard enough You ain't loving hard enough You don't love me deep enough

We're not reaching big to enough This whole album blew my mind And then the film I ran it too I remember watching it Next day came into work Everyone's talking about it

And somebody said Everyone will remember where they were When they saw that And then someone else said Yeah, they're living right Watching TV. You were watching television when that aired. But I thought that this was a monumental, like I said, once in a generation achievement, this whole record. Like, I don't know how anything

could ever top it when I heard it. It's a superb record, and it's a superb record across many genres. Yeah. You know, when she ended up, you know, putting out Cowboy Carter and finally winning the album of the year Grammy and everything, it was like, wow, look, she showed that she can operate in this space. It's like, you know, Of course she could operate in this space. I mean, there have been so many. The proof of concept has existed for album after album. Her self-titled record is maybe my favorite of her.

Oh, okay. I mean, it's neck and neck between that and lemonade. But, I mean, you don't win album of the year for a record like this. I mean, that's just like, that's it. I am out. I'm done. I know I've said that every year with the Grammys, literally every year with the Grammys,

but this is what I think of when I think of 2016. Yeah, for album. I think that makes all the sense in the world. But the reason I was like, well, there is only one correct answer. I bet I know. I bet I know what you're going to pick. So song-wise, to me, this is, if you just said, Stephen Thompson, what is the best song of the 2010s?

Like, what is the best song of that decade? My immediate thought would be the following. Your best American girl by Mitzki. If I could be your, kiss your finger, have so much to do. I have no. You might be right, man. Every time I hear this song, when that drop comes in, it is just the anthem of our lifetime.

I mean, it's incredible. I mean, not for nothing. It's also a song that speaks to identity and speaks to the songwriter's place in the world and how she sees herself and how she feels she fits into a relationship and her identity. Like, the song is, the song has big ideas, right? it. But it also has this moment where that guitar kicks in and look the the the landscape of rock and roll is strewn with killer riffs. Yeah. Right? Like that is the engine that drives the rock and roll economy is you know as big riffs. But like I don't

know if I don't know how your how your brain works. I can't know the inside of your mind. For me when that guitar kicks in there is an animation that my brain manufacturers of Mitzki standing astride, like a stack of amplifiers. And when that chorus kicks in, the camera pans back to reveal that what she is standing on is a mountain made of amplifier. There is so much heft and power and just force behind the way that guitar comes in. I really sometimes have the feeling when I hear that song of like, why doesn't every song kick ass as hard as this song kicks ass? Yeah. You know, let me tell you, as someone who records a lot of music and plays a lot of music and there are so many ways to get guitar fuzz and distortion.

There's any number of combination of pedals and effects and things like that. And I can't tell you how many times I, and I know every other guitarist and musician out there, has tried all these different comedians, trying to come up with just the perfect fuzz, the perfect distortion. What will rule just a little bit harder? Can you just make it rule? And there have been a handful of guitarists and albums and songs over the years where you hear it and you think, they found it. They found the perfect guitar noise, guitar distortion and fuzz, and you hear that on that. Like, when that core, that power cord kicks in, it couldn't be more perfect. Like, please show me your effects chain.

How did you come up with that sound? It is such a perfect sound. Let's take a break here, and we'll talk about some of the other stuff we remember most from 2016 when we come back. Well, one thing about the year 2016, I don't think we can look back at that time without stopping to consider how many musicians we lost that year. Like, it was a weird year. And it really was kind of unrelenting. Yes. Throughout the year.

And it began in January with David Bowie and ended in December with George Michael. And Leonard Cohen was along the way. Prince. Fife Dog. Prince died in 2016. Did I not say Prince? You didn't say Prince? In the first sentence?

That was not in your first breath, no. Prince, Merle Haggard, Sharon Jones. Gosh. It was a stagger. year of losses. And in some of those cases, it happened right after we got what ended up being the last album from some of these singers. Yeah. In January, David Bowie, like first week of January, David Bowie was releasing an album called Black Star. And advance, you know, for us, you know, advances kind of trickled out a few days before it came out. And I put it on them, like,

this is the best thing this guy's done in years. And I not only was excited about the record, But I really had this thought of like, man, he's still got it. I can't wait to hear more music. And within days, they announced that he had died. And it really, unfortunately, was a harbinger of an incredibly rough year. Well, I'm glad you brought up Black Star because if I had to pick a song from that one, I would say Lazarus. Lazarus, stunning song. Look up here.

I'm in heaven. It's got scars that can't be seen. I've got drama can't be stolen. Body knows me now. It really is a staggering record. Yeah, he's working with some of the best musicians on Earth, and it shows. And there's a certain humility to that, you know, where he is front and center, but he's giving space to all these other artists.

And the result is just tremendous. And then later in the year in October, we got an album from Leonard Cohen called You Want It Darker, and just like a couple weeks after that came out, then we lost Leonard Cohen as well. You know, both of those records can't help but be in conversation with the circumstances surrounding their release. And so Leonard Cohen's record,

when you're suddenly realizing that he is making this record with such an awareness of his imminent mortality, it, you know, as the kids say, it hits different. Yeah. the dealer, I'm out of the game. If you are the healer means I'm broken and lame. If thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame. You want it darker, be killed or flame. That sanctified be thy holy name. vilified, crucified in the human frame, a million candles burning for the help that never came.

I remember one thing about this, and when I first heard the record, and we didn't know he had so little time left. I remember thinking, 82 years old, and he makes this record, that's just amazing. And I've thought of him often over the years whenever, because now there are so many incredible musicians who've gotten, reached their 80s,

and they're still recording and making incredible music. Yeah. But what else from 2016? Well, one of the biggest records, just from a standpoint of the year in music and just kind of titanic artistic achievements that we were really celebrating at the end of the year, I think we have to mention Solange. Oh, that's right. And a seat at the table. You know, and she hasn't put out a record since 2019. But, you know, at the time, it was really like she was giving lemonade a run for its money, you know, Solange's Biont's sister. And, you know, they both made these very, very different, extremely ambitious, thoughtful, and searching records. You go back and listen to Cranes in the Sky from that record. And that is a killer song.

I tried to drink it away. I tried to put one in the air. I tried to dance it away. I tried to change it with my hair. Credit it got it. You talk about giving lemonade a run for its money. Didn't PR Music? Had a vote, and we actually ended up picking Salonja's record as the number one album that year.

And I remember being in the room when we realized that, we were all kind of like looking at each other and we're like, well. Okay, so we're doing this. I guess we're doing this. But, yeah. Another one I'd mention for 2016 is Radiohead's a moon-shaped pool. It had the song Daydreaming. Such a gorgeous song. I really love this album. And, you know, it's been almost a decade now since radio heads put anything out. But I just read this amazing interview with them where... With Tom York.

Well, no, it was the whole band. With the whole band in the Sunday Times. And they talked about how they had... They just really needed to take a break. I think Tom York said that the wheels had kind of fallen off. He hadn't taken any time to grieve the loss of his wife. And they just needed the time. But, you know, they're... About to go on tour again? Yeah, and as far as, you know, taking a break for Tom York. Well, yes. Just means he's putting out records as the smile. He's putting out records as Tom York. I mean, with Mark Pritcher. With Mark Pritcher.

I'm like he has, he had a record out this year. Yeah. They've all been doing solo projects, Johnny Greenwood, all this film scoring and everything. But what else for 2016? Well, I mean, I know we have talked. We have talked about Bonnie Verre on this show. Bonie Verre Jar. Yes.

Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many times dating back to like 2007, 2008. But my favorite record of 2016 was that Bonnevere record 22 a million. There's a song called 715 Creeks. Down along the creek, I remember something. It is so, I listened to it just the other day,

and it is still so, so beautiful. Yeah, would you say this was sort of a turning point for Justin Vernon and BonoVare? Like, it was pretty clear the direction he wanted to go with his music and not just stay in the frame or forever ago, Ling. Yeah, I mean, I think in general, like, he is very resistant to making the same record twice. And the fact that he has made as many great records as he has constantly pivoting to something new

speaks not only to his talent, but to the legacy that he has built. Well, if you're going to mention Bonavere again, then I'm going to mention Wilco again. We got to be us, Robin. Because Wilco had an album out in 2016, Wilco Schmilko, and it has what? is my all-time favorite Wilco song. And there are many contenders for that. I was going to say, that's one of your favorite bands, and they have some great songs. Yeah, there's no shortage of songs I could pick.

But my favorite Wilco song opens the record. It's called Normal American Kids. Myself, myself long ago, for I could drive, before I could vote, all of time holding it grudge, Four hundred people could die just because Shire from the sling, head full of buzz. I knew what I liked was not very much. I had the time tied to the grid. Always afraid of those normal American kids.

I just don't think I've ever heard a song, at least for me, that so perfectly captures what it's like to be a disaffected, angry young kid in this country. And he's back, you know, like just all the little images that he and things that he brings up. And it really resonate with me. I remember we did the NPR Music 10th anniversary show at the 930 Club in 2017. So this record had only been out about a year. And Jeff played a solo set.

And I was backstage screaming between every song going, normal American kids. And I remember one time he looked back and he kind of like squinted like, Who is that lunatic back there? We'll go out on this. We could keep going, but we'll go out on this from Wilco, Schmilko, normal American kids. And until next time when we do 2017, thanks as always, Stephen.

Thank you, Robin. And for you, PR music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs considered. As high as I can loom under the sheets in my bed. Always high as I can get. Always afraid of those normal American kids.