Every year, WPKN polls our hosts to nominate their favorite picks of the year, and 2016 is no different. Our hosts are volunteers, and they put everything they’ve got into making the most unique, entertaining, and informative programs together.

Bob Anderson: “A Little Bit Of Everything”

  • A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic)
  • Bobby Rush: Porcupine Meat (Rounder)
  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • Iggy Pop: Post Pop Depression (Loma Vista)
  • Jim James: Eternally Even (ATO)
  • John Scofield: Country For Old Men (Impulse!)
  • Miles Davis & Robert Glasper: Everything’s Beautiful (Legacy)
  • NRBQ: High Noon – A 50-Year Retrospective (Omnivore)
  • Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)
  • The Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome (Rolling Stones)

Daniel Bass: “Monsoon Radio”

  • The Frightnrs: Nothing More to Say (Daptone)
  • Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial (Matador)
  • A-Wa: Habib Galbi (Way-Up/S-Curve)
  • Mitski: Puberty 2 (Dead Oceans)
  • V/A: Soul Sok Sega (Strut)
  • Sunflower Bean: Human Ceremony (Fat Possum)
  • case/lang/viers: case/lang/viers (Anti-)
  • V/A: Thai Funk Volume 2 (Zud Rang Ma)
  • A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic)
  • Angel Olsen: My Woman (Jagjaguwar)

Bob Chamenko

  • Anders Osborne: Spacedust & Ocean Views (Back on Dumaine)
  • Charlie Hayden & Liberation Music Orchestra: Time Life – Song for the Whales & Other Beings (Impulse!)
  • The Claypool Lennon Delirium: Monolith Of Phobos (ATO)
  • Gov’t Mule: The TelStar Sessions (Evil Teen)
  • Hard Working Americans: Rest in Chaos (Melvin)
  • Jack DeJohnette/Ravi Coltrane/Matthew Garrison: In Movement (ECM)
  • The Legendary Pink Dots: Pages of Aquarius (Metropolis)
  • Lucinds Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20 (Highway 20)
  • NRBQ: High Noon: A 50-Year Retrospective (Omnivore)
  • Tortoise: The Catastrophist (Thrill Jockey)

Eric Cocks: “Connections”

  • Anna Rose: Strays In The Cut EP (Noble Steed)
  • The Beatles: Live at The Hollywood Bowl (Apple/UMG)
  • Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings Box Set (Columbia)
  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • The Kinks: The Mono Collection (Sanctuary/BMG)
  • Leonard Cohen: You Want I Darker (Columbia)
  • Richard Barone: Sorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village in the 1960s (RBM Special Editions)
  • Sam Phillips: Human Contact Is Never Easy (Littlebox)
  • Steve Addabbo: Out Of Nothing (Agf Entertainment)
  • Suzanne Vega: Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers (Perpetual Sounds)

Del “in Transition”

  • Eric Krasno: Blood From A Stone (Feel)
  • Paul Simon: Stranger To Stranger (Concord)
  • The Claypool Lennon Delirium: Monolith Of Phobos (ATO)
  • Bombino: Azel (Partisan)
  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO)
  • Throttle Elevator Music: IV (Wide Hive)
  • Delta Generators: Hipshakers & Heartbreakers (Delta Generators)
  • Hard Working Americans: Rest In Chaos (Melvin)
  • Jane Lee Hooker: No B! (Ruf)
  • The Heavy: Hurt & The Merciless (Bad Son)

Steve di Costanzo: “Radio Base Camp”

  • Acid Arab: Musique de France (Crammed Discs)
  • The Avalanches: Wildflower (Modular)
  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • Drive-By Truckers: American Band (ATO)
  • Family Atlantica: Cosmic Unity (Soundway)
  • Frank Ocean: Blonde (Boys Don’t Cry)
  • Pink Floyd: The Early Years 1967-1972 Cre/ation (Pink Floyd/Columbia)
  • Simian Mobile Disco: Welcome to Sideways (Delicacies)
  • Sunflower Bean: Human Ceremony (Fat Possum)
  • V/A: Let’s Go Down and Blow Our Minds – British Psychedelic Sounds of 1967 (Grapefruit)

Kevin Gallagher: “Kevin Gallagher’s Bagalan”

  • Colter Wall: Imaginary Appalachia (Soccermom)
  • Daniel Bachman: Daniel Bachman (Three Lobed)
  • Jack White: Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 (Third Man/Columbia)
  • Larry Coryell: Barefoot Man: Sanpaku (Purple Pyramid)
  • Mandolin Orange: Blindfaller (Yep Roc)
  • Parker Millsap: The Very Last Day (Okrahoma)
  • Roberto Fonseca: ABUC (Impulse!)
  • Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome (Rolling Stones)
  • Shovels & Rope: Little Seeds (New West)
  • Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (Atlantic)

David Golden: “Radio Golden”

  • Alyssa Allgood: Out of the Blue (Jeru Jazz)
  • Frank Zappa: Meat Light (Zappa)
  • Jocelyn Michelle: Time to Play! (Chicken Coup)
  • John Scofield: Country For Old Men (Impulse!)
  • Larry Coryell: Barefoot Man – Sanpaku (Purple Pyramid)
  • Larry Young: In Paris – The ORTF Recordings (Resonance)
  • Luba Mason: Mixtura (Kookie)
  • Michael Spiro/Wayne Wallace/La Orquesta Sinfonietta: Canto América (Patois)
  • Snarky Puppy: Culcha Vulcha (Ground UP)
  • Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra: All My Yesterdays (Resonance)

Dave Hogan: “Dave Hogan Radio”

  • Jason P Krug: The Zen Of Losing (Jason P Krug)
  • John Prine: For Better, Or Worse (Oh Boy)
  • The Sawtelles: Brown (Sawtelles)
  • Robbie Fulks: Upland Stories (Bloodshot)
  • Ian Hunter & the Rant Band: Fingers Crossed (Proper)
  • Dan Carlucci: Rebirth (Dan Carlucci)
  • Alejandro Escovedo: Burn Something Beautiful (Fantasy)
  • Jim Lauderdale: This Changes Everything (Sky Crunch)
  • The Fleshtones: The Band Drinks For Free (Yep Roc)
  • Waco Brothers: Going Down In History (Bloodshot)

Rich Kaminsky: “Off-Beat”

  • Jeffrey Martin: “Just Like Me (Joseph Stalin Song)” – Five Years Of Gravy (Fluff and Gravy)
  • Lake Street Dive: “Hell Yeah” – Side Pony (Nonesuch)
  • The Shifting Sands: “Coming Back” – Cosmic Radio Station (Fishrider)
  • Willie Nile: “Forever Wild” – World War Willie (River House)
  • Low Cut HighTops: “Dumb Ol’ Kid” – Eh, Whatever (Low Cut HighTops)
  • The Strumbellas: “Young and Wild” – Hope (Glassnote)
  • Weezer: “California Kids” – Weezer (White Album) (Atlantic)
  • Beach Baby: “Sleeperhead” – No Mind No Money (Island)
  • Phasers On Kill: “16 Stairs” – 16 Stairs (Snatchee)
  • Drunken Prayer: “Fell into the Sun” – Five Years Of Gravy (Fluff and Gravy)

Binnie Klein: “A Miniature World”

  • Angel Olsen: My Woman (Jagjaguwar)
  • Anoushka Shankar: Land Of Gold (Deutsche Grammophon)
  • Bon Iver: 22: A Million (Jagjaguwar)
  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • Hype Williams: 10/10 (Hype Williams)
  • Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker (Columbia)
  • Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)
  • Warpaint: Heads Up (Rough Trade)
  • Zhu: Generationwhy (Columbia)
  • Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth (Mexican Summer)

Martha Willette Lewis: “Live Culture”

  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • The Bad Plus: It’s Hard (Okeh)
  • Bob Dylan: Fallen Angels (Columbia)
  • Jack White: Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 (Third Man)
  • Kate Tempest: Let Them Eat Chaos (Lex)
  • Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker (Columbia)
  • Mavis Staples: Livin’ On A High Note (Anti-)
  • Paul Simon: Stranger To Stranger (Concord)
  • Prince: 4Ever (NPG)
  • Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)

Allyson McCabe: “FM Mutations”

  • David Bowie: ★ (Blackstar) (ISO/Columbia)
  • Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker (Columbia)
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed)
  • Kate Bush: Before the Dawn (Fish People/Concord)
  • Cate Le Bon: Crab Day (Drag City)
  • Mary Halvorson Octet: Away With You (Firehouse 12)
  • Tony Molina: Confront The Truth (Slumberland)
  • Parquet Courts: Human Performance (Rough Trade)
  • V/A: Ork Records: New York, New York (Numero)
  • Sneaks: Gymnastics (Merge)

Mark Mushin: “Monday Morning Music”

  • Stevie Nimmo: Sky Won’t Fall (Manhaton)
  • Davy Knowles: Three Miles From Avalon (WYAN)
  • Mike Zito: Make Blues Not War (Ruf)
  • Ana Popovic: Trilogy (ArtisteXclusive)
  • Aynsley Lister: Eyes Wide Open (Straight Talkin’)
  • Sari Schorr & The Engine Room: A Force Of Nature (Manhaton)
  • Andy Timmons Band: Theme From A Perfect World (Timstone)
  • Mark May Band & The Soul Satyr Horns: Blues Heaven (Connor Ray Music)
  • Ben Poole: Time Has Come (Manhaton)
  • Lance Lopez: Live In NYC (Cleopatra Blues)

Martha Nachman: “The Music Never Stopped”

  • V/A: Day Of The Dead (4AD)
  • Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: Person A (Community)
  • The Record Company: Give It Back To You (Concord)
  • Jeff Beck: Loud Hailer (Rhino)
  • The Felice Brothers: Life In The Dark (Yep Roc)
  • Colvin & Earle: Colvin & Earle (Fantasy)
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band: Let Me Get By (Fantasy)
  • Mavis Staples: Livin’ On A High Note (Anti-)
  • Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam: I Had A Dream That You Were Mine (Glassnote)
  • The Avett Brothers: True Sadness (American/Republic)

Rick Petrone: “The Jazz Sound”

  • Bill Evans: Some Other Time – The Lost Session from The Black Forest (Resonance)
  • Charles Lloyd & the Marvels: I Long To See You (Blue Note)
  • Freddie Cole: He Was The King (High Note)
  • Herlin Riley: New Direction (Mack Avenue)
  • Jeremy Pelt: #jiveculture (High Note)
  • Joey Alexander: Countdown (Motema)
  • John Scofield: Country For Old Men (Impulse)
  • One For All: The Third Decade (Smoke Sessions)
  • Sarah Vaughan: Live at Rosy’s (Resonance)
  • Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining – The Songs of Jerome Kern (Columbia)

Rod Richardson: “Radio Nothing”

  • Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyviotis: NYN (Riverboat)
  • Acid Arab: Musique de France (Crammed)
  • A-WA: Habib Galbi (S-Curve)
  • Xiu Xiu: Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks (Polyvinyl)
  • Beats Antique: Shadowbox (Beats Antique)
  • Mick Rossi: 160 (Innova)
  • George Hurd: Navigation Without Numbers (Innova)
  • Stan Ridgway & Pietra Wexstun: Priestess Of The Promised Land (A440)
  • Sarathy Korwar: Day To Day (Ninja Tune)
  • Ergo: As Subtle As Tomorrow (Cuneiform)

Valerie Richardson: “Radio Something”

  • The Claypool Lennon Delirium: Monolith of Phobos (ATO)
  • Cate Le Bon: Crab Day (Drag City)
  • Hazmat Modine: Extra-Deluxe-Supreme (JARO Medien
  • Jeff Beck: Loud Hailer (Rhino)
  • La Yegros: Magnetismo (Soundway)
  • Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker (Columbia)
  • Michael Kiwanuka: Love & Hate (Polydor)
  • Silas Lowe: Wandering Father, Forgotten Son (Silas Lowe)
  • Xenia Rubinos: Black Terry Cat (Anti-)
  • Zomba Prison Project: I Will Not Stop Singing (Six Degrees)

KC Ryan

  • Rhiannon Giddens: Live At Jazzfest 2016 (Munck Music)
  • Banjo Nickaru & The Western Scootches: Very Next Thing (On The Bol)
  • Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20 (Highway 20)
  • The Monkees: Good Times! (Rhino)
  • case/lang/veirs: case/lang/veirs (Anti-)
  • Brother Sun: Weights & Wings (Brother Sun)
  • Ronnie Spector: English Heart (429)
  • Stephan Mikes: Animal Tracks (Goin’ Native)
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Things That We Are Made Of (Lambent Light)
  • Bruce Springsteen: Chapter and Verse (Columbia)

Bob Shapiro: “In The Evening”

  • Backtrack Blues Band: Way Back Home (Harpo)
  • Bob Lanza Blues Band: Time To Let Go (Connor Ray)
  • Brian Langlinais: Right Hand Road (Patoutville)
  • Duke Robillard: Full Circle (Stony Plain)
  • Erwin Helfer: Last Call (The Sirens)
  • J.W. Jones: High Temperature (Solid Blue)
  • Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne: Jumpin’ & Boppin’ (Stony Plain)
  • Liz Mandeville: The Stars Motel (Blue Kitty)
  • Sugar Ray and the Bluetones: Seeing Is Believing (Severn)
  • Tony Vega Band: Black Magic Box (Silver Belly)

Justin Shay: “JMS Jams”

  • Anthony Child: Electronic Recordings From Maui Jungle Vol. 2 (Editions Mego)
  • Ashley Bellouin: Ballads (Drawing Room)
  • H Takahashi: Body Trip (Constellation Tatsu)
  • Kyle Landstra: Rest Assured (Bridgetown)
  • Landing: Third Sight (El Paraiso)
  • Les Halles: Transient (Not Not Fun)
  • Lunaria: All Is Dream (Sounds Of The Dawn)
  • M. Sage: Needleworks (Patient Sounds)
  • Masayoshi Fujita & Jan Jelinek: Schaum (Faitiche)
  • Roberto Musci: Tower Of Silence (Music From Memory)

Rob Silber: “Rock Therapy”

  • Ian Hunter & the Rant Band: Fingers Crossed (Proper)
  • Willie Nile: World War Willie (River House)
  • The Monkees: Good Times! (Rhino)
  • Gary Frenay: File Under Pop Vocal (Northside)
  • Cheap Trick: Bang Zoom Crazy… Hello (Big Machine)
  • Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome (Rolling Stones)
  • Ana Popovic: Trilogy (ArtisteXclusive)
  • Alejandro Escovedo: Burn Something Beautiful (Fantasy)
  • V/A: Dear Jerry – Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia (Rounder)
  • Jeff Beck: Loud Hailer (Rhino)

Bruce Swan: “Music My Mother Wouldn’t Like”

  • The End of America: The End of America (Forest Park)
  • Brooks Williams: My Turn Now (Red Guitar Blue Music)
  • Poor Man’s Whiskey: Rockstar On The Weekend (Poor Man’s Whiskey)
  • The Belle Hollows: Miller’s Creek (Elm Hill)
  • Dave Gunning: Lift (Wee House of Music)
  • Robin Batteau: Concert In D (Nouveau Retro)
  • Dori Freeman: Dori Freeman (Trade Root)
  • Ladybird: Hey There, Ladybird EP (Ladybird)
  • National Park Radio: The Great Divide (MRI)
  • Steven Pellend: These Days (Beech Tree)

howard thompson: “PURE”

  • Kate Tempest: Let Them Eat Chaos (Lex)
  • Ian Hunter & The Rant Band: Fingers Crossed (Proper)
  • Joy Askew: Queen Victoria (Joy Askew)
  • The Rolling Stones: Blue & Lonesome (Rolling Stones)
  • Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation: Mirage (Rocket)
  • Jacob Collier: In My Room (Qwest)
  • Suicide: Suicide (Superior Viaduct)
  • Britta Phillips: Luck Or Magic (Double Feature)
  • Patti Smith: Horses – Live at Electric Lady Studios (Electric Lady)
  • Soulwax: “Heaven Scent” 12” (feat. Chloë Sevigny) (DeeWee)

Mike Zito

  • Birds of Chicago: Real Midnight (Five Head Entertainment)
  • Amelia White: Home Sweet Hotel (White-Wolf)
  • Elizabeth Cook: Exodus of Venus (Agent Love)
  • Carter Sampson: Wilder Side (Continental Song City)
  • Jeff Plankenhorn: Soulslide (Lounge Side)
  • Jack Ingram: Midnight Motel (New Rounder)
  • Parker Millsap: The Very Last Day (Okrahoma)
  • Bonnie Raitt: Dig in Deep (Redwing)
  • The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Friends: Circlin’ Back Celebrating 50 Years (NGDB)
  • Passenger: Young As The Morning Old As The Sea (Nettwerk)