Year-End Lists

The New York Times: 10 Best Books of 2012

[see also The 10 Best Books of 2023 • 100 Notable Books of 2023 • The 10 Best Books of 2022 • 100 Notable Books of 2022 • The 10 Best Books of 2021 • 100 Notable Books of 2021 • The 10 Best Books of 2020 • 100 Notable Books of 2020 • 100 Notable Books of 2019 • The 10 Best Books of 2019 • 10 Best Books of 2018 • 100 Notable Books of 2018 • 100 Notable Books of 2017 • 10 Best Books of 2017 • 10 Best Books of 2016 • 10 Best Books of 2015 • The 10 Best Books of 2014 • The 10 Best Books of 2013 • 100 Notable Books of 2012 • 100 Notable Books of 2011 • Ten Best Books of 2011]

Fiction

• Bring Up the Bodies
  Hilary Mantel
• Building Stories
  Chris Ware
• A Hologram for the King
  Dave Eggers
• NW
  Zadie Smith
• The Yellow Birds
  Kevin Powers

Nonfiction

• Behind the Beautiful Forevers

  Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
  Katherine Boo
• Far From the Tree

  Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity
  Andrew Solomon
• The Passage of Power

  The Years of Lyndon Johnson
  Robert A. Caro
• The Patriarch

  The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy
  David Nasaw
• Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story
  Jim Holt

David Edelstein: Top Ten Movies of 2012, as published by New York Magazine

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
5. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
6. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
7. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
   David France
7. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
   Alison Klayman
8. Pitch Perfect
   Jason Moore
9. Oslo, August 31st
   Joachim Trier
10. Friends With Kids
    Jennifer Westfeldt

Best Film of 2005 (First Viewed in 2012)

• Margaret
  Kenneth Lonergan

I Love You, Too, Damn It

• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• Flight
  Robert Zemeckis
• Starlet
  Sean Baker
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  Stephen Chbosky
• Detropia
  Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
• Monsieur Lazhar
  Philippe Falardeua
• Killer Joe
  William Friedkin
• Skyfall
  Sam Mendes
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell
• Take This Waltz
  Sarah Polley
• Return
  Liza Johnson
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin

The Fly: Top 50 Albums of 2012

[see also 2011]

1. Tramp
   Sharon Van Etten
2. Visions
   Grimes
3. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
4. Sun
   Cat Power
5. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
6. Django Django
   Django Django
7. Plumb
   Field Music
8. World, You Need a Change of Mind
   Kindness
9. Given to the Wild
   The Maccabees
10. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
11. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
12. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
13. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
14. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
15. Shrines
    Purity Ring
16. Come of Age
    The Vaccines
17. Coexist
    The xx
18. Beard, Wives, Denim
    Pond
19. Oshin
    DIIV
20. King Tuff
    King Tuff
21. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
    The Cribs
22. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
23. Confess
    Twin Shadow
24. All Hell
    Daughn Gibson
25. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
26. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
27. Something
    Chairlift
28. TOY
    TOY
29. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
30. A+E
    Graham Coxon
31. A Different Ship
    Here We Go Magic
32. Bloom
    Beach House
33. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
34. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
35. America Give Up
    Howler
36. Wixiw
    Liars
37. Rispah
    The Invisible
38. The Only Place
    Best Coast
39. Radlands
    Mystery Jets
40. Allah-Las
    Allah-Lahs
41. Beacon
    Two Door Cinema Club
42. 119
    Trash Talk
43. Tough Love
    Pulled Apart By Horses
44. Into The Diamond Sun
    Stealing Sheep
45. Have Some Faith in Magic
    Errors
46. Good Don’t Sleep
    Egyptian Hip Hop
47. 2:54
    2:54
48. Spooky Action at a Distance
    Lotus Plaza
49. Like I Used To
    Lucy Rose
50. Ester
    Trailer Trash Tracy’s

Uncut Magazine: 75 Best Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Old Ideas
   Leonard Cohen
2. Tempest
   Bob Dylan
3. Blunderbuss
   Jack White
4. Locked Down
   Dr. John
5. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
6. Life is People
   Bill Fay
7. Hair
   Ty Segall & White Fence
8. Shields
   Grizzly Bear
9. Psychedelic Pill
   Neil Young & Crazy Horse
10. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
11. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
12. On The Hot Dog Streets
    Go-Kart Mozart
13. One Day I’m Going to Soar
    Dexys
14. Mid Air
    Paul Buchanan
15. Plumb
    Field Music
16. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
17. Visions
    Grimes
18. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
19. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
20. Coexist
    The xx
21. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
22. Blues Funeral
    Mark Lanegan Band
23. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
24. Allah-Las
    Allah-Lahs
25. Banga
    Patti Smith
26. A+E
    Graham Coxon
27. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
28. Sonik Kicks
    Paul Weller
29. Big Moon Ritual
    The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
30. Election Special
    Ry Cooder
31. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
32. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
33. Never
    Micachu & The Shapes
34. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
35. Ascent
    Six Organs of Admittance
36. Among the Leaves
    Sun Kil Moon
37. Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance
    Patterson Hood
38. Electric Cables
    Lightships
39. Toward the Low Sun
    Dirty Three
40. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
41. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
42. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
43. Americana
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
44. Icon Give Thank
    Sun Araw & M Geddes Gengras meet the Congos
45. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
46. Sun
    Cat Power
47. Young Man in America
    Anaïs Mitchell
48. The Russian Wilds
    Howlin Rain
49. Dr. Dee
    Damon Albarn
50. Silencio
    Laetitia Sadier
51. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
52. Cyrk
    Cate Le Bon
53. This is PiL
    PiL
54. The Echo Show
    Yeti Lane
55. Be Strong
    The 2 Bears
56. Beard, Wives, Denim
    Pond
57. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
58. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
59. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
60. Crystal Anis
    The Liminanas
61. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees
62. When I’m President
    Ian Hunter & The Rant Band
63. Algiers
    Calexico
64. Wonky
    Orbital
65. One Second of Love
    Nite Jewel
66. World Music
    Goat
67. Urban Turban: The Singhles Club
    Cornershop
68. Bend Beyond
    Woods
69. Twins
    Ty Segall
70. Simone Felice
    Simone Felice
71. Between the Times and the Tides
    Lee Ranaldo
72. Out of The Game
    Rufus Wainwright
73. Meat + Bone
    The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
74. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
75. Transverse
    Carter Tutti Void

Sonic Magazine: 25 Best Albums of 2012

[see also 2011]

1. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. World, You Need a Change of Mind
   Kindness
4. The Lion’s Roar
   First Aid Kit
5. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
   Godspeed You! Black Emperor
6. Visions
   Grimes
7. Sing the Delta
   Iris DeMent
8. The Bravest Man in the Universe
   Bobby Womack
9. Ceremony
   Anna von Hausswolff
10. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
11. Sun
    Cat Power
12. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
13. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
14. Beväpna dig med vingar
    Thåström
15. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
16. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
17. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
18. Life is People
    Bill Fay
19. Coexist
    The xx
20. A Tender Trap
    Joel Alme
21. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
22. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
23. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
24. Life Is Good
    Nas
25. Locked Down
    Dr. John

Paste Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Fear Fun
   Father John Misty
3. Local Business
   Titus Andronicus
4. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
5. Tramp
   Sharon Van Etten
6. Boys & Girls
   Alabama Shakes
7. Swing Lo Magellan
   Dirty Projectors
8. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
9. Bloom
   Beach House
10. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
11. Open Your Heart
    The Men
12. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
13. Port of Morrow
    The Shins
14. Heaven
    Walkmen
15. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
16. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
17. Break It Yourself
    Andrew Bird
18. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
19. Out of The Game
    Rufus Wainwright
20. Transcendental Youth
    The Mountain Goats
21. The Lumineers
    The Lumineers
22. Hospitality
    Hospitality
23. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
24. Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
    Justin Townes Earle
25. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
26. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
27. Provincial
    John K. Samson
28. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
29. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
30. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
31. The Carpenter
    Avett Brothers
32. Bend Beyond
    Woods
33. America Give Up
    Howler
34. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
35. King Tuff
    King Tuff
36. Sun
    Cat Power
37. O’ Be Joyful
    Shovels and Rope
38. Locked Down
    Dr. John
39. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
40. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
    Todd Snider
41. My Head is an Animal
    Of Monsters And Men
42. Thankful ‘N’ Thoughtful
    Bettye LaVette
43. The North
    Stars
44. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
45. Who’s Feeling Young Now?
    Punch Brothers
46. Maraqopa
    Damien Jurado
47. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
48. Lonesome Dreams
    Lord Huron
49. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
    Kelly Hogan
50. Visions
    Grimes

John Waters: 10 Best Films of 2012, as published by Artforum

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
2. Paradise: Faith
   Ulrich Seidl
3. Paradise: Love
   Ulrich Seidl
4. Amour
   Michael Haneke
5. Killer Joe
   William Friedkin
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
7. Compliance
   Craig Zobel
8. Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
   Matthew Akers
9. Beloved
   Christophe Honoré
10. The Imposter
    Bart Layton

Piccadilly Records: Top 100 Albums of 2012

[see also 2011]

1. World Music
   Goat
2. The Lion’s Roar
   First Aid Kit
3. White Manna
   White Manna
4. Django Django
   Django Django
5. Blood Speaks
   Smoke Fairies
6. Circles
   Moon Duo
7. Kill for Love
   Chromatics
8. Tramp
   Sharon Van Etten
9. Shields
   Grizzly Bear
10. Manifest!
    Friends
11. Toy
    Toy
12. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
13. Endless Flowers
    Crocodiles
14. And Never Ending Nights
    Loops Of Your Heart
15. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
16. Icon Give Thank
    The Congos / Sun Araw / M. Geddes Gengras
17. Visions
    Grimes
18. Lucifer
    Peaking Lights
19. There Are Witches In The Woods
    Pretty Lightning
20. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
21. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
22. Kingdoms
    Fort Romeau
23. Between the Times and the Tides
    Lee Ranaldo
24. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees
25. The Drawbar Organ/Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
26. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
27. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
28. Pre Language
    Disappears
29. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
30. Coexist
    The xx
31. The Return Of Love
    Woolfy Vs Projections
32. RIP
    Actress
33. Zeros
    The Soft Moon
34. Living In Patterns
    Pollyn
35. Heavy Electrics
    Eat Lights Become Lights
36. Nocturne
    Wild Nothing
37. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
38. The Seer
    Swans
39. Plumb
    Field Music
40. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
41. Life is People
    Bill Fay
42. Electric Sound Of Summer
    Füxa
43. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
44. Sun
    Cat Power
45. Aqua Disco
    Seahawks
46. Will Happiness Find Me?
    Maria Minerva
47. Oh No I Love You
    Tim Burgess
48. Bloom
    Beach House
49. Into The Diamond Sun
    Stealing Sheep
50. Key To The Kuffs
    JJ DOOM
51. Blues Funeral
    Mark Lanegan Band
52. Strange Weekend
    Porcelain Raft
53. Oshin
    DIIV
54. Electric Cables
    Lightships
55. The Savage Heart
    The Jim Jones Revue
56. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
57. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
58. Jiaolong
    Daphni
59. Three
    Flavor Crystals
60. Photos Of Photos
    Carlton Melton
61. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
62. Holograms
    Holograms
63. A Wasteland Companion
    M. Ward
64. The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
    The Flaming Lips
65. Port of Morrow
    The Shins
66. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
67. A World Out Of Time
    Eternal Tapestry
68. Ultraísta – Bonus Disc Edition
    Ultraísta
69. Themes For An Imaginary Film
    Symmetry
70. Total Dust
    Dusted
71. The Echo Show
    Yeti Lane
72. Mungodelics
    Mungolian Jetset
73. Temporary Happiness
    Mock & Toof
74. Tosta Mista
    Hooded Fang
75. The Inner Treaty
    Sun Araw
76. Interstellar
    Frankie Rose
77. Advaitic Songs
    OM
78. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
79. Held
    Holy Other
80. Frying On This Rock
    White Hills
81. Good Music
    Colorama
82. Black Music
    Dark Horses
83. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
84. One Second of Love
    Nite Jewel
85. Metz
    Metz
86. Presents In Motion #1
    The Cinematic Orchestra
87. Smalhans
    Lindstrøm
88. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
89. Breakthrough
    The Gaslamp Killer
90. Algiers
    Calexico
91. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
92. Sweet Lights
    Sweet Lights
93. The Orbserver in the Star House
    The Orb Featuring Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
94. Valtari
    Sigur Rós
95. Survival & Resistance
    Adrian Sherwood
96. In Ghostlike Fading
    My Best Fiend
97. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
98. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
99. Fin
    John Talabot
100. Lay Hollow
     Howse

Q Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2012 (alphabetical)

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2011]

• Be Strong
  The 2 Bears
• Boys & Girls
  Alabama Shakes
• An Awesome Wave
  alt-J
• Banks
  Paul Banks
• The Haunted Man
  Bat for Lashes
• Bloom
  Beach House
• Jake Bugg
  Jake Bugg
• Love this Giant
  David Byrne & St. Vincent
• Sun
  Cat Power
• Old Ideas
  Leonard Cohen
• Jiaolong
  Daphni
• Born to Die
  Lana Del Rey
• Swing Lo Magellan
  Dirty Projectors
• Django Django
  Django Django
• Tempest
  Bob Dylan
• Cancer 4 Cure
  El-P
• Plumb
  Field Music
• On The Hot Dog Streets
  Go-Kart Mozart
• Visions
  Grimes
• Shields
  Grizzly Bear
• Through The Night
  Ren Harvieu
• Standing at the Sky’s Edge
  Richard Hawley
• A Different Ship
  Here We Go Magic
• In Our Heads
  Hot Chip
• Good Morning To The Night
  Elton John Vs. Pnau
• Portrait
  Josephine
• Battle Born
  The Killers
• World, You Need a Change of Mind
  Kindness
• Blues Funeral
  Mark Lanegan Band
• Given to the Wild
  The Maccabees
• Mala In Cuba
  Mala In Cuba
• Babel
  Mumford & Sons
• The 2nd Law
  Muse
• Channel Orange
  Frank Ocean
• Wonky
  Orbital
• Lucifer
  Peaking Lights
• Ill Manors
  Plan B
• Our Version of Events
  Emeli Sande
• Words and Music by Saint Etienne
  Saint Etienne
• Ghostory
  School Of Seven Bells
• Wrecking Ball
  Bruce Springsteen
• Lonerism
  Tame Impala
• Trouble
  Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
• Come of Age
  The Vaccines
• Tramp
  Sharon Van Etten
• Heaven
  Walkmen
• Devotion
  Jessie Ware
• Sonik Kicks
  Paul Weller
• Blunderbuss
  Jack White
• The Bravest Man in the Universe
  Bobby Womack

Mojo Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Blunderbuss
   Jack White
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. Life is People
   Bill Fay
4. Old Ideas
   Leonard Cohen
5. One Day I’m Going to Soar
   Dexys
6. El Camino
   The Black Keys
7. Django Django
   Django Django
8. Locked Down
   Dr. John
9. Ekstasis
   Julia Holter
10. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
11. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
12. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
13. Coexist
    The xx
14. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
15. Sun
    Cat Power
16. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
17. Blues Funeral
    Mark Lanegan Band
18. Wonky
    Orbital
19. A Shut-In’s Prayer
    Advance Base
20. Faithful Man
    Lee Fields & the Expressions
21. Clear Moon
    Mount Eerie
22. Charmer
    Aimee Mann
23. TOY
    TOY
24. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
25. Father Creeper
    Spoek Mathambo
26. No Love Lost
    The Nightingales
27. La Futura
    ZZ Top
28. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
29. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
30. Plumb
    Field Music
31. Crown And Treaty
    Sweet Billy Pilgrim
32. Dr. Dee
    Damon Albarn
33. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
34. Visions
    Grimes
35. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
36. Home Again
    Michael Kiwanuka
37. This Is PiL
    Public Image Ltd.
38. Sudden Fiction
    Dan Michaelson
39. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
40. Bloom
    Beach House
41. CYRK
    Cate Le Bon
42. Twins
    Ty Segall
43. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
44. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
45. R.I.P.
    Actress
46. Mid Air
    Paul Buchanan
47. That’s Why God Made The Radio
    The Beach Boys
48. Sonik Kicks
    Paul Weller
49. Jake Bugg
    Jake Bugg
50. Audience Of One
    Oren Ambarchi