Ken Tucker

After writing No. 1 hits for various country stars, Hemby now has an album of her own. Critic Ken Tucker says Puxico mixes country sentiments with a folksy sound.

It was a great year for old pros and newcomers, big pop stars and beloved cult stars, as well as a couple of not-yet-stars. As always, winnowing down a list that could have easily been double this length was tough — but it was also a pleasure, since it forced me to concentrate on what made this music the best of 2016. The following picks are arranged in alphabetical order.

Musgraves' new holiday record features old classics and new novelty songs. Critic Ken Tucker calls it "the rare Christmas album that can be listened to closely ... with both pleasure and admiration."