Since Dec. 23, Flagpole Music Editor Gabe Vodicka has counted down his top 10 (non-local) albums of 2016. 

1. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

We Got It From Here dropped just post-election, and the album, along with the group's unflinching "SNL" performance that weekend, revealed that Tribe's music—and its message—is as vital as it was 25 years ago. A tribute to fallen member Phife Dawg, We Got It From Here also had a certain healing power, offering catharsis along with, yes, a glimmer of hope.

(It also reminded us, or at least me, that Busta Rhymes is one of the most underrated '90s-era MCs. Where's E.L.E. 2, Busta?)

Gabe's Top 10:

1. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
2. Jeff Parker: The New Breed
3. The Hotelier: Goodness
4. Frank Ocean: Blonde
5. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool
6. John K. Samson: Winter Wheat
7. Kanye West: The Life of Pablo
8. Pinegrove: Cardinal
9. Samara Lubelski: The Gilded Raid
10. Kendrick Lamar: Untitled Unmastered