In 2016, we'll officially be a year further in the future than even Doc Brown could envision. And now that musicians have the technology to release albums with absolutely no advance notice, it's becoming more and more difficult to predict what the next year will sound like. 

But there are a few threads we can follow through next year's upcoming albums: There are few long-awaited reunions (Grandaddy, the Jesus and Mary Chain); plenty of marquee names who really have no excuse to delay their next efforts any longer (looking at you, Tool and Frank Ocean), a ton of legitimately exciting new side projects (like Pinback singer Rob Crow's new band) and Vampire Weekend guitarist Rostam Batmanglij seems to be involved in one way or another with about half of all these records. So pop the gulf-wing doors on that DeLorean and take a ride through the albums we're cautiously optimistic we'll hear in 2016.

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