Year-End Lists

The Source: Top 20 Albums of 2012

1. Life Is Good
   Nas
2. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Jesus Piece
   The Game
4. Live From The Underground
   Big K.R.I.T.
5. Control System
   Ab-Soul
6. Cruel Summer
   G.O.O.D. Music
7. Welcome To: Our House
   Slaughterhouse
8. Habits & Contradictions
   Schoolboy Q
9. Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1
   Lupe Fiasco
10. Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head
    T.I.
11. Based On A T.R.U. Story
    2 Chainz
12. God Forgives, I Dont
    Rick Ross
13. Wu Block
    Wu Block
14. Mic Tyson
    Sean Price
15. Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors
    Big Boi
16. Reloaded
    Roc Marciano
17. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
18. Dreams And Nightmares
    Meek Mill
19. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
20. Kiss the Ring
    DJ Khaled

Dennis Cooper: 16 Favorite Films of 2012 (as numbered on Cooper’s site, but note that he precedes the list with “in no order”)

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

1. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. The Cabin in the Woods
   Drew Goddard
4. Oslo, August 31st
   Joachim Trier
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. Take Shelter
   Jeff Nichols
7. The Second Cabin: Stemple Pass
   James Benning
8. All Divided Selves
   Luke Fowler
9. Free Radicals
   Pip Chodorov
10. Middle of Nowhere
    Michael Salerno and Marcus Whale
11. Shitty Youth
    Adam Humphrey
12. My Best Thing
    Frances Stark
13. Stand in the Stream
    Stanya Kahn
14. The Wilding
    Grant Scicluna
15. This is Not a Film
    Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
15. ParaNorman
    Chris Butler & Sam Fell

Dennis Cooper: 20 Favorite Albums of 2012 (as numbered on Cooper’s site, but note that he precedes the list with “in no order”)

[see also 2019 • 2015 • 2013 • 2011]

1. No Love Deep Web
   Death Grips
2. Bish Bosch
   Scott Walker
3. Quarter
   Raime
4. The Bears for Lunch
   Guided By Voices
5. The Disintegration Loops
   William Basinski
6. Information Retrieved
   Pinback
7. Until the Quiet Comes
   Flying Lotus
8. However Strange
   Détective
9. Bela Tarr 7-13
   New White Light
10. The Seer
    Swans
11. Jack Sells the Cow
    Robert Pollard
12. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
13. Visions
    Grimes
14. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
15. R.I.P.
    Actress
16. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
17. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
18. 555/666/777
    Los Angeles
19. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
20. (III)
    Crystal Castles

Ben Sachs: 20 Favorite Films of 2012, as published by The Chicago Reader

[see also 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Life Without Principle
   Johnnie To
2. Possession (1981)
   Andrzej Zulawski
3. A Simple Life
   Ann Hui
4. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
5. Sack Barrow
   Ben Rivers
6. We Have a Pope
   Nanni Moretti
7. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
8. The Paperboy
   Lee Daniels
9. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
10. Cosmopolis
    David Cronenberg
11. Outside Satan
    Bruno Dumont
12. Silver Linings Playbook
    David O. Russell
13. Magic Mike
    Steven Soderbergh
14. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson
15. Unforgivable
    André Téchiné
16. Paradise: Love
    Ulrich Seidl
17. The Grey
    Joe Carnahan
18. A Burning Hot Summer
    Philippe Garrel
19. The Secret World of Arrietty
    Hiromasa Yonebayashi
20. Bernie
    Richard Linklater

J.R. Jones: 22 Favorite Movies of 2012, as published by The Chicago Reader

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

1. A Separation
   Asghar Farhadi
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. In the Family
   Patrick Wang
4. God Bless America
   Bobcat Goldthwait
5. Le Grand Amour (1969)
   Pierre Etaix
6. The House I Live In
   Eugene Jarecki
7. Beyond the Hills
   Cristian Mungiu
8. Rust and Bone
   Jacques Audiard
9. Compliance
   Craig Zobel
10. The Color Wheel
    Alex Ross Perry

Runners Up (alphabetical)

• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• Bernie
  Richard Linklater
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies
• Detropia
  Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
• Elena
  Andrey Zvyagintsev
• End of Watch
  David Ayer
• The Invisible War
  Kirby Dick
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Take This Waltz
  Sarah Polley
• Ted
  Seth MacFarlane
• This is Not a Film
  Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
• Your Sister’s Sister
  Lynn Shelton

Austin Town Hall: Top 100 Albums of 2012

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2011]

1. Killing Time
   Terry Malts
2. Attack on Memory
   Cloud Nothings
3. Freak Waves
   Sea Pinks
4. There’s No Leaving Now
   The Tallest Man on Earth
5. Leaving Atlanta
   Gentleman Jesse & His Men
6. You Love It Here
   I Was a King
7. Heaven
   Walkmen
8. All Blackshirts to Me
   Cats on Fire
9. Shields
   Grizzly Bear
10. Confess
    Twin Shadow
11. Radlands
    Mystery Jets
12. Open Your Heart
    The Men
13. Royal Headache
    Royal Headache
14. Bend Beyond
    Woods
15. Internal Logic
    Grass Widow
16. Bloom
    Beach House
17. Out of Sight, Out of Town
    Standard Fare
18. Hairdresser Blues
    Hunx
19. Nocturne
    Wild Nothing
20. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
21. Long Slow Dance
    The Fresh & Onlys
22. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
23. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
24. Correct Behavior
    Eternal Summers
25. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
26. Arab Spring
    Literature
27. Ruler of the Night
    Magic Trick
28. Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me
    The Intelligence
29. Bad Expectations
    Punks On Mars
30. II
    Nude Beach
31. Moth
    Exlovers
32. Love Will Prevail
    Cult of Youth
33. Interstellar
    Frankie Rose
34. Oshin
    DIIV
35. A Different Arrangement
    Black Marble
36. Untogether
    Letting Up Despite Great Faults
37. Home
    The Bankees
38. I Love You, It’s Cool
    Bear In Heaven
39. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees
40. 2
    Mac DeMarco
41. Plateaus
    Plateaus
42. On a Bedroom Wall
    Still Flyin
43. Stray Ashes
    JBM
44. Hands of Glory
    Andrew Bird
45. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
46. Deep Time
    Deep Time
47. Television Youth
    Sonic Avenues
48. Plumb
    Field Music
49. (III)
    Crystal Castles
50. Mixed Emotions
    Tanlines
51. Hospitality
    Hospitality
52. Valentina
    The Wedding Present
53. OBN IIIs
    OBN IIIs
54. Sun
    Cat Power
55. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
56. Long Black Cars
    The Wave Pictures
57. Two Wounded Birds
    Two Wounded Birds
58. Coexist
    The xx
59. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
60. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
61. Holograms
    Holograms
62. The Ghost in Daylight
    Gravenhurst
63. The Clearing
    Bowerbirds
64. Ugly
    Screaming Females
65. The Nature of Things
    The Daredevil Christopher Wright
66. Make a Mess of Sacred Ground
    We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves
67. Meltdown
    Mind Spiders
68. Summer Bodies
    Dana Buoy
69. All of Us Together
    Teen Daze
70. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
71. Shut Down the Streets
    A.C. Newman
72. A Date With You
    Grape Street
73. WWIII
    White Wires
74. Sees the Light
    La Sera
75. Dry Land is Not a Myth
    White Arrows
76. Winter Garden Light
    Dot Dash
77. All Gone
    Pop Singles
78. Plague
    The Eastern Sea
79. Four Girls
    Woolen Kits
80. King Tuff
    King Tuff
81. Hard in Heaven
    Natural Child
82. Evans the Death
    Evans the Death
83. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
84. Arrivals & Departures
    The Calm Blue Sea
85. Our House on the Hill
    The Babies
86. Light Up Gold
    Parquet Courts
87. Local Business
    Titus Andronicus
88. Land Grab
    Unnatural Helpers
89. Pinata
    Volcano
90. The Memories
    The Memories
91. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
92. All Hell
    Daughn Gibson
93. Stoned and Alone
    The Pharmacy
94. Life Less Ordinary
    Big Wave Riders
95. Warm Nothing
    So Many Wizards
96. Endless Flowers
    Crocodiles
97. Metz
    Metz
98. Voyeur
    Saint Motel
99. Wild Quiet
    Junk Culture
100. The Garden of Joy and the Well of Loneliness
     Lace Curtains

Billboard: 10 Best Albums of 2012 (as voted by Billboard staff)

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

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
3. Kaleidoscope Dream
   Miguel
4. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
5. Red
   Taylor Swift
6. Bloom
   Beach House
7. Wrecking Ball
   Bruce Springsteen
8. Attack on Memory
   Cloud Nothings
9. Sun
   Cat Power
10. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J

Glenn Kenny: 25 Best Films of 2012

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

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
3. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
4. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
5. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
6. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
7. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
8. Looper
   Rian Johnson
9. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
10. Tabu
    Miguel Gomes
11. This is Not a Film
    Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
12. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
13. ParaNorman
    Chris Butler & Sam Fell
14. Hello, I Must Be Going
    Todd Louisa
15. Amour
    Michael Haneke
16. Flight
    Robert Zemeckis
17. Bernie
    Richard Linklater
18. Not Fade Away
    David Chase
19. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Benh Zeitlin
20. Skyfall
    Sam Mendes
21. The Dark Knight Rises
    Christopher Nolan
22. Damsels in Distress
    Whit Stillman
23. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve
24. Prometheus
    Ridley Scott
25. Red Hook Summer
    Spike Lee

Darren Hughes: 10 Best Films of 2012 (as published at Long Pauses, where he also has lists of favorite unreleased films, favorite discoveries, and “Movie Recommendations for People Who Don’t Like the Kinds of Movies I Like”)

[see also 2021 • 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014]

1. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
2. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
3. Barbara
   Christian Petzold
4. Almayer’s Folly
   Chantal Akerman
5. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
6. The Day He Arrives
   Hong Sang-soo
7. A Burning Hot Summer
   Philippe Garrel
8. Haywire
   Steven Soderbergh
9. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
10. Neighboring Sounds
    Kleber Mendonça Filho

Film Comment: 50 Best Films of 2012

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

1. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
2. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
4. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
7. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
9. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
10. Zero Dark Thirty
    Kathryn Bigelow
11. Tabu
    Miguel Gomes
12. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
13. Bernie
    Richard Linklater
14. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Benh Zeitlin
15. Cosmopolis
    David Cronenberg
16. Barbara
    Christian Petzold
17. The Loneliest Planet
    Julia Loktev
18. Silver Linings Playbook
    David O. Russell
19. Oslo, August 31st
    Joachim Trier
20. Neighboring Sounds
    Kleber Mendonça Filho
21. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino
22. Almayer’s Folly
    Chantal Akerman
23. Magic Mike
    Steven Soderbergh
24. Argo
    Ben Affleck
25. Attenberg
    Athina Rachel Tsangari
26. The Color Wheel
    Alex Ross Perry
27. Rust and Bone
    Jacques Audiard
28. Killer Joe
    William Friedkin
29. Looper
    Rian Johnson
30. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
31. A Man Vanishes
    Shohei Imamura
32. Skyfall
    Sam Mendes
33. The Gatekeepers
    Dror Moreh
34. Elena
    Andrey Zvyagintsev
35. Haywire
    Steven Soderbergh
36. Damsels in Distress
    Whit Stillman
37. Abendland
    Nikolaus Geyrhalter
38. Two Years at Sea
    Ben Rivers
39. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France
40. Keep the Lights On
    Ira Sachs
41. A Burning Hot Summer
    Philippe Garrel
42. Miss Bala
    Gerardo Naranjo
43. Footnote
    Joseph Cedar
44. Compliance
    Craig Zobel
45. Alps
    Yorgos Lanthimos
46. Kill List
    Ben Wheatley
47. Farewell, My Queen
    Benoît Jacquot
48. In Another Country
    Hong Sang-soo
49. The Dark Knight Rises
    Christopher Nolan
50. The Day He Arrives
    Hong Sang-soo