Our top 10 Best Rock Albums List of 2016 takes a look at some of the best releases our favorite classic rock artists have delivered to their fans in the past twelve months. This year has been a tough one with the loss of David Bowie, Glen Frey, Paul Kanter, Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Prince and so many others. However, their music and spirit will live on forever.
In 2016, we saw a heavy release schedule from some of classic rock’s greatest artist. Any year will be viewed as special if it’s a year that a new Rolling Stones record is released. In this new era of artists making very little money on record sales due to all the new streaming services, it’s getting rarer to see classic rock artists still releasing new albums. So we will take what we can get. A long time ago Roger Daltry once sang the words “Rock Is Dead.” Well we know now that rock and roll will never die, it just keeps changing media formats.
In this article, multiple writers here at ClassicRockHistory.com have chosen their favorite albums of 2016. We hope that you check out some of these great records.
Brian Kachejian’s Top 10 Rock Albums of 2016
# 10 – The Pretenders – Alone
One of the greatest facts of life is that Chrissie Hynde never releases a bad record. Further proof of that statement can be easily found on the grooves of her brilliant 2016 release “Alone.”
# 9 – Beth Hart – Fire On The Floor
No one sings the blues with the fever that resonates from Beth Hart’s vocal performances. Her 2016 CD Fire on the Floor continues her astonishing release of blues rock albums that are among the best blues records released in the 21st Century. Don’t miss this one.
# 8 – Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 1
Ace Frehley’s great 2016 CD was perfectly titled. On the album Frehley provided fans with great covers of some of the best of classic rock with an amazing cast of guest appearances by rock legends like Lita Ford, Slash and Paul Stanley. Great killer performances and arrangements made this a welcome surprise for old-time Kiss fans.
# 7 – Cheap Trick – Bang, Zoom,Crazy…Zoom
Cheap Trick is probably one of the most underrated bands in classic rock history. This album proved once again that the music of Cheap Trick defines the concept of the rock and roll pop song.
# 6 – Garbage – Strange Little Birds
This band never releases a weak album. One of the latest groups that we now associate with classic rock. Strange Little Birds was another stellar effort by the band, and one of the best records of 2016.
# 5 – Heart – Beautiful Broken
Heart returned once again to their earlier 1970’s sound, which is what they have done on their past three studio albums. But this one rocked harder and delivered some great songs that would have become classics if radio would only play this type of music anymore.
# 4 – David Bowie – Blackstar
It’s hard to separate the darkness from this album with the fact that David Bowie died at the time of the album’s release. It’s all connected, it’s all beautiful and it’s all sad. But it’s also all brilliant.
# 3 – The Rolling Stones – Blue and Lonesome
The new Stones records sounds like not only old Rolling Stones, but rather vintage Rolling Stones. This is what the Stones sounded like on their first two albums. Mick Jagger really shines on this one!
# 2 – Metallica – Hardwired… to Self-Destruct
Metallica’s Hardwired… to Self Destruct was easily their best album since The Black Album. As heavy as it gets and loaded with an abundance of new material over two CDs. Amazing Record!
# 1 – Van Morrison – Keep Me Singing
Van Morrison’s brilliant new album Keep Me Singing was released in November of 2016. The album was the 36th studio release of the singer’s career. The album was a throwback to the late 1970’s /early 1980’s sound of albums like Into the Music and Wavelength. Great songs, great singing, pure Van Morrison at his best.
