All Songs Considered: Our No. 1 Songs — 2016

Host: Robin Hilton (NPR)
Guest: Stephen Thompson
Date: November 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is part of the "quarter century anniversary" series, revisiting NPR’s top songs from each year since All Songs Considered began in 2000. Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson delve into the music of 2016—sharing their top picks, reflecting on monumental albums, and discussing the emotional resonance of a year marked by both astounding releases and significant losses in the music world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Debate: The Best Song of 2016

• Robin insists on going first this time after years of letting Stephen take the lead.
• Both agree that 2016 was such a strong year for music that there are “only a few correct answers.”

Robin Hilton's Pick:

Beyoncé – "Don’t Hurt Yourself" (from Lemonade)

• Robin says, “There was nothing greater from 2016.” [00:42]

• Calls Lemonade a "once in a generation album." [02:41]

• Loves Beyoncé "stepping into the rock space and absolutely destroying.” [02:53]

• Reminisces about watching the Lemonade film and the cultural impact:

  “Everyone will remember where they were when they saw that. And then someone else said, yeah, their living room.” – Robin [03:23]

• Stephen notes the album spans many genres and was a proof of concept for everything Beyoncé would later achieve—including her Grammy win for Cowboy Carter:

  "The proof of concept has existed for album after album." – Stephen [04:15]

• Stephen’s alternative pick from Lemonade would be "Freedom." [02:47]

Stephen Thompson’s Pick:

Mitski – "Your Best American Girl"

• Stephen says, "If you just said, Stephen Thompson, what is the best song of the 2010s? ... my immediate thought would be the following." [04:45]
• Robin reacts:

  "Every time I hear this song and when that drop comes in, it is just the anthem of, of our lifetime." – Robin [06:46]

• Stephen discusses the song’s identity themes and Mitski’s unique guitar sound, describing it with vivid imagery:

  "There is an animation that my brain manufactures of Mitski standing astride like a stack of amplifiers... she is standing on a mountain made of amplifier." – Stephen [07:27] "Why doesn't every song kick ass as hard as this song kicks ass?" [08:05]

• Robin, as a musician, marvels at the perfection of the guitar fuzz/distortion:

  "Please show me your effects chain. How did you come up with that sound?" [08:53]

The Year of Loss: Remembering 2016's Musical Deaths

• Both reflect on the staggering number of major artists lost in 2016, including:

  • David Bowie (January)
  • Prince
  • George Michael (December)
  • Leonard Cohen
  • Phife Dawg
  • Merle Haggard
  • Sharon Jones
    [12:19–12:54]

• Stephen shares his experience hearing Bowie’s Blackstar:

  “I put it on. I’m like, this is the best thing this guy’s done in years... within days, they announced that he had died. And it really, unfortunately, was a harbinger of an incredibly rough year.” – Stephen [12:54–13:32]

David Bowie – "Lazarus" (from Blackstar)

• Robin selects "Lazarus" as the standout song from Bowie’s final album [13:38], playing a haunting clip.
• Stephen discusses Bowie’s humility and creative generosity on the record, describing it as "tremendous." [14:33]

Leonard Cohen – "You Want It Darker"

• Released shortly before Cohen’s death. Stephen notes the album’s “awareness of his imminent mortality”:

  “As the kids say, it hits different.” – Stephen [15:19]

• Robin admires Cohen’s creative vitality at age 82. [16:08]

More Standouts from 2016

Solange – A Seat at the Table

• Stephen:

  “…at the time, it was really like she was giving Lemonade a run for its money.” [16:46]

• NPR Music voted it as the No. 1 album that year:

  “We were all kind of, like, looking at each other… I guess we’re doing this." – Robin [17:55]

Key Song: "Cranes in the Sky"

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

• Robin highlights "Daydreaming" and refers to the album as “such a gorgeous song.” [18:50]
• Notes that the band needed a break, as revealed in a Sunday Times interview, and mentions Thom Yorke's solo and Smile projects, and Johnny Greenwood's film scoring. [19:20–19:33]

Bon Iver – 22, a Million

• Stephen’s favorite record of 2016; “It is still so, so beautiful.” [20:25]
• Robin asks whether this was a turning point for Justin Vernon and Bon Iver, marking his resistance to repetition and constant reinvention. [20:30–20:57]

Wilco – Schmilco

• Robin picks “Normal American Kids” as his all-time favorite Wilco song:

  “…so perfectly captures what it’s like to be a disaffected, angry young kid in this country.” [22:04]

• Recalls begging Jeff Tweedy to play it at NPR Music’s 10th Anniversary show:

  “I was backstage screaming between every song going ‘Normal American Kids’…. He looked back and he kind of squinted like, who is that lunatic back there?” [22:33]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Beyoncé’s Genre-Bending:
  “What I loved about this one is it was Beyonce stepping into the rock space and absolutely destroying.” – Robin Hilton [02:53]

• On Mitski’s Iconic Guitar Sound:
  “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... it couldn't be more perfect.” – Robin Hilton [08:53]

• On David Bowie’s Blackstar:
  “I put it on. I'm like, this is the best thing this guy’s done in years... within days, they announced that he had died.” – Stephen Thompson [12:54]

• On Solange’s Impact:
  “At the time, [Solange] was really giving Lemonade a run for its money.” – Stephen Thompson [16:46]
  “We were all kind of, like, looking at each other… I guess we’re doing this.” – Robin Hilton [17:59]

• On Wilco’s “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.” – Robin Hilton [22:04]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:18] Introduction; format for the retrospective
• [00:42] Robin’s top pick: Beyoncé – “Don’t Hurt Yourself”
• [01:08] Discussion of Lemonade and Beyoncé’s legacy
• [04:43] Stephen’s top pick: Mitski – “Your Best American Girl”
• [06:46] Robin’s reaction to Mitski; discussion of identity and guitar sound
• [12:05] Segment starts on artists lost in 2016
• [13:38] David Bowie – “Lazarus”; discussion of Blackstar
• [14:48] Leonard Cohen – “You Want It Darker”
• [16:31] Other major albums: Solange, Radiohead, Bon Iver, Wilco
• [21:13] Wilco – “Normal American Kids” and personal fan anecdotes

Episode Flow & Tone

The episode blends deep musical knowledge with warmth and nostalgia. The hosts, longtime music lovers and collaborators, share personal recollections and musical analyses, balancing fun banter with moving reflections on the music and artists that shaped 2016.

Essential Tracks Played

1. Beyoncé – “Don’t Hurt Yourself” [01:08]
2. Mitski – “Your Best American Girl” [05:11]
3. David Bowie – “Lazarus” [13:47]
4. Leonard Cohen – “You Want It Darker” [15:23]
5. Solange – “Cranes in the Sky” [17:13]
6. Radiohead – “Daydreaming” [18:09]
7. Bon Iver – “7 (You)” [19:58]
8. Wilco – “Normal American Kids” [21:31]

Listen-Along Guide

Listeners looking to revisit 2016’s pivotal tracks or learn the backstory of each, alongside engaging critical insight, will find this episode a rich resource and a bittersweet retrospective on an unforgettable music year.