


Close your eyes and think of the year that was in music: What image comes to mind? The scrolling text of Kanye West's The Life of Pablo cover? Lady Gaga in cowboy profile on Joanne? D.R.A.M. and pup Idnit sharing a warm fuzzy moment on Big Baby D.R.A.M.? Hopefully not the puckered face adoring Sia's This Is Acting, anyway. No matter what picture first accompanies your memories of 2016 pop, it likely came from one of these 30 albums — so take one last look here, before your memory bank has to make room for a whole new set of unforgettable (for better or worse) covers in 2017.