THE ULTIMATE 50 BEST ALBUMS OF 2016: WE CRUNCHED EVERY END-OF-YEAR POLL INTO ONE MEGA LIST

It’s now far enough into 2016 that all of the end of year lists are out – including NME‘s own 50 best albums of 2016 – and we’ve crunched 18 of the biggest ones into one ultimate list. The basis for this is pretty simple arithmetic: each #1 album gets 50 points, #2 gets 49, and so on until #50, which receives a single point. To give you some idea of how that adds up, scores of more than 500 are rare and therefore highly respectable, and it’s so close in some cases that even the first and second places are just a single point apart.

So, according to maths, the 50 albums that follow are the 2016 albums you really need to listen to according to the music press as a whole. The lists we crunched come from Stereogum, Spin, Clash, Paste, The Times, Uncut, Q, Billboard, Crack, Noisey, Complex, Pitchfork, The Guardian, The 405, Mojo, FACT, The Line of Best Fit and, of course, NME.

50. James Blake – ‘The Colour in Anything’ – 97 points

Release date: May 6
Best Track: ‘Choose Me’
Highest Ranking: #24 in Consequence of Sound
50. James Blake – 'The Colour in Anything' – 97 points

49. Kevin Gates – ‘Islah’ – 99 points

Release date: January 29
Best Track: ‘2 Phones’
Highest Ranking: #18 in Complex
49. Kevin Gates – 'Islah' – 99 points

48. Nicholas Jaar – ‘Sirens’ – 103 points

Release Date: September 13
Best Track: ‘No’
Highest Ranking: #20 in Pitchfork
48. Nicholas Jaar – 'Sirens' – 103 points

47. Let’s Eat Grandma – ‘I, Gemini’ – 113 points

Release date: June 17
Best Track: ‘Eat Shiitake Mushrooms’
Highest Ranking: #26 in The Line of Best Fit
47. Let's Eat Grandma - 'I, Gemini' - 113 points

45. White Lung – ‘Paradise’ – 113 points

Release date: May 6
Best Track: ‘Below’
Highest Ranking: #17 in Stereogum
45. White Lung – 'Paradise' – 113 points

45. Noname – ‘Telefone’ – 113 points

Release date: July 31
Best Track: ‘Diddy Bop’ feat. Cam O’bi & Raury
Highest Ranking: #25 in Complex
45. Noname - 'Telefone' – 113 points

44. Pinegrove – ‘Cardinal’ – 117 points

Release date: February 12
Best Track: ‘Aphasia’
Highest Ranking: #16 in Paste
44. Pinegrove – 'Cardinal' – 117 points

43. Wilco – ‘Schmilco’ – 121 points

Release date: September 9
Best Track: ‘Someone to Lose’
Highest Ranking: #15 in Uncut
43. Wilco – ‘Schmilco’ – 121 points

42. Margo Price – ‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ – 134 points

Release date: March 25
Best track: ‘Hands of Time’
Highest Ranking: #12 in Paste
42. Margo Price – ‘Midwest Farmer's Daughter’ – 134 points

41. Lambchop – ‘Flotus’ – 137 points

Release date: November 4
Best track: ‘NIV’
Highest ranking: #4 in Mojo
41. Lambchop – ‘Flotus’ – 137 points

39. Whitney – ‘Light Upon the Lake’ – 138 points

Release date: June 3
Best track: ‘No Matter Where We Go’
Highest ranking: #24 in The Line of Best Fit
39. Whitney – ‘Light Upon the Lake’ – 138 points

39. Cass McCombs – ‘Mangy Love’ – 138 points

Release date: August 26
Best track: ‘Bum Bum Bum’
Highest ranking: #7 in Q
39. Cass McCombs – ‘Mangy Love’ – 138 points

38. The Avalanches – ‘Wildflower’ – 139 points

Release date: July 1
Best track: ‘Subways’
Highest Ranking: #15 in The Guardian
38. The Avalanches – ‘Wildflower’ – 139 points

37. Paul Simon – ‘Stranger to Stranger’ – 147 points

Release date: June 3
Best Track: ‘Wristband’
Highest Ranking: #8 in Mojo
37. Paul Simon – ‘Stranger to Stranger’ – 147 points

36. Kano – ‘Made in the Manor’ – 159 points

Release date: March 4
Best Track: ‘3 Wheel-ups’ feat. Wiley & Giggs
Highest Ranking: #9 in Noisey
36. Kano – ‘Made in the Manor’ – 159 points

35. Sturgill Simpson – ‘A Sailor’s Guide To Earth’ – 160 points

Release date: April 15
Best track: ‘In Bloom’
Highest ranking: #7 in Uncut
35. Sturgill Simpson – ‘A Sailor's Guide To Earth’ – 160 points

34. PJ Harvey – ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ – 166 points

Release date: April 15
Best track: ‘The Wheel’
Highest Ranking: #3 in Q
34. PJ Harvey – ‘The Hope Six Demolition Project’ – 166 points

33. Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Love & Hate’ – 173 points

Release date: July 15
Best track: ‘Love & Hate’
Highest Ranking: #2 in Mojo
33. Michael Kiwanuka – 'Love & Hate' – 173 points

32. Schoolboy Q – ‘Blank Face LP’ – 175 points

Release date: July 8
Best track – ‘That Part’ ft. Kanye West
Highest ranking: #9 in Complex
32. Schoolboy Q – ‘Blank Face LP’ – 175 points

31. Parquet Courts – ‘Human Performance’ – 179 points

Release date: April 8
Best track: ‘Captive Of The Sun’
Highest Ranking: #13 in Crack
31. Parquet Courts – ‘Human Performance’ – 179 points

30. Iggy Pop – ‘Post Pop Depression’ – 185 points

Release date: March 18
Best track: ‘Gardenia’
Highest Ranking: #8 in NME
30. Iggy Pop – ‘Post Pop Depression’ – 185 points

29. Christine and the Queens – ‘Chaleur Humaine’ – 193 points

Release date: February 26
Best track – ‘Tilted’
Highest ranking: #3 in NME
29. Christine and the Queens – ‘Chaleur Humaine’ – 193 points

28. Kamaiyah – ‘A Good Night in the Ghetto’ – 208 points

Release date: March 23
Best Track: ‘Out The Bottle’
Highest Ranking: #6 in FACT
28. Kamaiyah – ‘A Good Night in the Ghetto’ – 208 points

27. Drake – ‘Views’ – 224 points

Release date: April 29
Best track – ‘Controlla’
Highest Ranking: #14 in The Times
27. Drake – 'Views' – 224 points

26. YG – ‘Still Brazy’ – 228 points

Release date: June 17
Best track: ‘FDT’
Highest Ranking: #14 in FACT
26. YG – ‘Still Brazy’ – 228 points

25. Young Thug – ‘Jeffery’ – 278 points

Release date: August 26
Best track: ‘Harambe’
Highest Ranking: #10 in Rolling Stone
25. Young Thug – ‘Jeffery’ – 278 points

24. Kendrick Lamar – ‘untitled unmastered.’ – 284 points

Release date: March 4
Best track: ‘Untitled 05 09.21.2014.’
Highest Ranking: #8 in Crack
24. Kendrick Lamar – ‘untitled unmastered.’ – 284 points

23. Jenny Hval – ‘Blood Bitch’ – 356 points

Release date: September 30
Best track: ‘Conceptual Romance’
Highest Ranking: #1 in The Line of Best Fit, FACT
23. Jenny Hval – 'Blood Bitch' – 356 points

22. Car Seat Headrest – ‘Teens of Denial’ – 362 points

Release date: May 20
Best track: ‘Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales’
Highest Ranking: #4 in Rolling Stone
22. Car Seat Headrest - 'Teens of Denial' – 362 points

21. Skepta – ‘Konnichiwa’ – 363 points

Release date: May 6
Best track: ‘Crime Riddim’
Highest Ranking: #3 in Clash
21. Skepta – ‘Konnichiwa’ – 363 points

20. Blood Orange – ‘Freetown Sound’ – 367 points

Release date: June 28
Best track: ‘Best To You’
Highest Ranking: #7 in Crack
20. Blood Orange – ‘Freetown Sound’ – 367 points

19. The 1975 – ‘I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It’ – 399 points

Release date: February 26
Best track: ‘Somebody Else’
Highest Ranking: #1 in NME
19. The 1975 – ‘I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It’ – 399 points

18. Kaytranada – ‘99.9%’ – 429 points

Release date: May 6
Best track: ‘Glowed Up’ feat. Anderson .Paak
Highest Ranking: #5 in NME
18. Kaytranada - '99.9%' – 429 points

17. Anderson .Paak – ‘Malibu’ – 437 points

Release date: January 15
Best track: ‘Come Down’
Highest Ranking: #8 in Consequence of Sound
17. Anderson .Paak – ‘Malibu’ – 437 points

16. Mitski – ‘Puberty 2’ – 443 points

Release date: June 17
Best track: ‘Your Best American Girl’
Highest Ranking: #4 in The Line of Best Fit
16. Mitski – ‘Puberty 2’ – 443 points

15. Leonard Cohen – ‘You Want It Darker’ – 463 points

Release date: October 21
Best track: ‘Travelling Light’
Highest Ranking: #2 in Q
15. Leonard Cohen – ‘You Want It Darker’ – 463 points

14. Rihanna – ‘Anti’ – 471 points

Release date: January 28
Best track: ‘Work’ feat. Drake
Highest Ranking: #7 in The Guardian
14. Rihanna – ‘Anti’ – 471 points

13. Danny Brown – ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ – 501 points

Release date: September 27
Best track: ‘Really Doe’
Highest Ranking: #2 in The Line of Best Fit
13. Danny Brown – ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ – 501 points

12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘Skeleton Tree’ – 547 points

Release date: September 9
Best track: ‘Rings of Saturn’
Highest Ranking: #1 in Crack
12. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘Skeleton Tree’ – 547 points

11. Chance the Rapper – ‘Coloring Book’ – 596 points

Release date: May 13
Best track: ‘No Problem’ feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz
Highest Ranking: #2 in Consequence of Sound, Complex & The 405
11. Chance the Rapper – ‘Coloring Book’ – 596 points

10. Anohni – ‘Hopelessness’ – 597 points

Release date: May 6
Best track: ‘Drone Bomb Me’
Highest Ranking: #4 in The 405
10. Anohni – ‘Hopelessness’ – 597 points

9. Bon Iver – ‘22, A Million’ – 607 points

Release date: September 30
Best track: ‘8 (circle)’
Highest Ranking: #3 in The Times
9. Bon Iver – ‘22, A Million’ – 607 points

8. Kanye West – ‘The Life of Pablo’ – 608 points

Release date: February 14
Best track: ‘Ultralight Beam’
Highest Ranking: #2 in NME & Billboard
8. Kanye West – ‘The Life of Pablo’ – 608 points

7. Angel Olsen – ‘My Woman’ – 609 points

Release date: September 2
Best track: ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’
Highest Ranking: #4 in The 405
7. Angel Olsen – ‘My Woman’ – 609 points

6. A Tribe Called Quest – ‘We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service’ – 646 points

Release date: November 11
Best track: ‘Dis Generation’
Highest Ranking: #3 in Complex
6. A Tribe Called Quest – ‘We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service’ – 646 points

5. Radiohead – ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ – 670 points

Release date: May 8
Best track: ‘Daydreaming’
Highest Ranking: #1 in The Times
5. Radiohead - 'A Moon Shaped Pool' – 670 points

4. Solange – ‘A Seat At The Table’ – 753 points

Release date: September 30
Best track: ‘Cranes In The Sky’
Highest Ranking: #1 in Spin, Clash, Pitchfork & the 405
4. Solange – 'A Seat At The Table' – 753 points

3. Frank Ocean – ‘Blonde’ – 773 points

Release date: August 20
Best track: ‘Ivy’
Highest Ranking: #1 in Noisey
3. Frank Ocean – 'Blonde' – 773 points

2. Beyonce – ‘Lemonade’ – 863 points

Release date: April 23
Best track: ‘Hold Up’
Highest Ranking: #1 in Rolling Stone, Consequence of Sound, Stereogum, Billboard, Complex & The Guardian
2. Beyonce – 'Lemonade' – 863 points

1. David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’ – 864 points

Release date: January 8
Best track: ‘Lazarus’
Highest Ranking: #1 in Paste, Uncut, Q, Mojo
1. David Bowie – 'Blackstar' – 864 points