Year-End Lists

Jonah Weiner: 10 Favorite Albums of 2011, as published by Slate

1. XXX
   Danny Brown
2. Instrumental Mixtape
   Clams Casino
3. Blvcklvnd Rvdix 66.6 (1991)
   Spaceghostpurrp
4. Take Care
   Drake
5. LIVE.LOVE.A$AP
   A$AP Rocky
6. James Blake
   James Blake
7. inhale c-4 $$$$$
   BEBETUNE$
8. Eye Contact
   Gang Gang Dance
9. Severant
   Kuedo
10. Whokill
    Tune-Yards

Jody Rosen: 10 Favorite Albums of 2011, as published by Slate

1. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
2. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
3. All I Want Is You
   Miguel
4. Hell on Heels
   Pistol Annies
5. So Beautiful or So What
   Paul Simon
6. Soul Punk
   Patrick Stump
7. XXX
   Danny Brown
8. Chief
   Eric Church
9. Nostalgia, Ultra
   Frank Ocean
10. Femme Fatale
    Britney Spears

Pinpoint Music: Top 25 Albums of 2011

1. No Time For Dreaming
   Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
2. Smoke Ring for My Halo
   Kurt Vile
3. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
   M83
4. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
   Girls
5. On the Water
   Future Islands
6. David Comes to Life
   Fucked Up
7. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
8. Black Up
   Shabazz Palaces
9. El Camino
   The Black Keys
10. Too Beautiful to Work
    The Luyas
11. Burst Apart
    The Antlers
12. Moody, Standard and Poor
    Obits
13. Georgia Swan
    Sundelles
14. Let England Shake
    PJ Harvey
15. Cults
    Cults
16. James Blake
    James Blake
17. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
18. A Good Woman is Hard to Find
    PAPA
19. Yuck
    Yuck
20. I Am Very Far
    Okkervil River
21. 936
    Peaking Lights
22. Whokill
    Tune-Yards
23. Carrion Crawler/The Dream
    Thee Oh Sees
24. Days
    Real Estate
25. Strange Mercy
    St. Vincent

Sarah Rodman: Top Albums of 2011, as published by The Boston Globe

1. Resolutions
   Dave Hause
2. 21
   Adele
3. The King is Dead
   The Decemberists
4. Lorraine
   Lori McKenna
5. Chief
   Eric Church
6. The Light of the Sun
   Jill Scott
7. Guitar Slinger
   Vince Gill
8. Wasting Light
   Foo Fighters
9. Undun
   The Roots
10. Go-Go Boots
    Drive-By Truckers

Austin Town Hall: Top 50 Albums of 2011

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2012]

1. Civilian
   Wye Oak
2. The Twerps
   Twerps
3. The Ornament
   Gold Leaves
4. Days
   Real Estate
5. Cloud Nothings
   Cloud Nothings
6. Pleasure
   Pure X
7. Go With Me
   Seapony
8. Burst Apart
   The Antlers
9. New Brigade
   Iceage
10. Helplessness Blues
    Fleet Foxes
11. Tamer Animals
    Other Lives
12. Light for Fire
    Light for Fire
13. Dead to Me
    Girls Names
14. Belong
    Pains of Being Pure at Heart
15. Diamond Mine
    King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
16. Laminate Pet Animal
    Snowmine
17. Portamento
    The Drums
18. Howl of the Lonely Crowd
    Comet Gain
19. The Big Roar
    Joy Formidable
20. Yuck
    Yuck
21. Idle Labor
    Craft Spells
22. Mind Spiders
    Mind Spiders
23. Parallax
    Atlas Sound
24. Fading Parade
    Papercuts
25. Ducktails III
    Ducktails
26. Slave Ambient
    The War on Drugs
27. Hollow
    Cut Off Your Hands
28. Prom
    Grooms
29. No Future
    Wax Idols
30. Dye It Blonde
    Smith Westerns
31. Hit After Hit
    Sonny and the Sunsets
32. I Am Very Far
    Okkervil River
33. Euphoria
    Devon Williams
34. Cherish the Light Years
    Cold Cave
35. In Love With Oblivion
    Crystal Stilts
36. Nothing Hurts
    Male Bonding
37. Diaper Island
    Chad Van Gaalen
38. Apokalypsis
    Chelsea Wolfe
39. Kings of the Weekend
    Bad Sports
40. Magic Trick
    Tim Cohen
41. Loud Planes Fly Low
    The Rosebuds
42. Moody, Standard and Poor
    Obits
43. Kaputt
    Destroyer
44. Only in Dreams
    Dum Dum Girls
45. Vanity is Forever
    Geoffrey O'Connor
46. Embracing the Modern Age
    Blue Skies for Black Hearts
47. Departing
    The Rural Alberta Advantage
48. Celestial Electric
    AM & Shawn Lee
49. Strange Hearts
    Secret Cities
50. The New Tigers
    The New Tigers

SFGate: 10 Best Albums of 2011

1. 21
   Adele
2. Barton Hollow
   The Civil Wars
3. 4
   Beyoncé
4. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
5. Nostalgia, Ultra
   Frank Ocean
6. The Movie
   Betty Wright and the Roots
7. Hell on Heels
   Pistol Annies
8. Undun
   The Roots
9. Own the Night
   Lady Antebellum
10. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
    Beastie Boys

Dennis Cooper: Favorite Albums of 2011

[see also 2019 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Let’s Go Eat the Factory
   Guided By Voices
2. New Brigade
   Iceage
3. Aesthethica
   Liturgy
4. Alien Observer/Dream Loss
   Grouper
5. David Comes to Life
   Fucked Up
6. A New Way to Pay Old Debts
   Bill Orcutt
7. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
   M83
8. Ravedeath, 1972
   Tim Hecker
9. Parallax
   Atlas Sound
10. L’un n’empêche pas l’autre
    Brigitte Fontaine
11. Wild Flag
    Wild Flag
12. Elegy for Beach Friday
    Bee Mask
13. Red Barked Tree
    Wire
14. Palace of Marvels (queered pitch)
    Marcus Schmickler
15. The Clearing
    Locrian

Complex: 25 Best Albums of 2011

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. House of Balloons
   The Weeknd
2. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
3. Take Care
   Drake
4. Nostalgia, Ultra
   Frank Ocean
5. Underneath the Pine
   Toro y Moi
6. XXX
   Danny Brown
7. Section.80
   Kendrick Lamar
8. Cults
   Cults
9. LIVE.LOVE.A$AP
   A$AP Rocky
10. Cole World: The Sideline Story
    J. Cole
11. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
    WU LYF
12. Undun
    The Roots
13. Self Made Vol. 1
    various artists (Maybach Music Group)
14. Relax
    Das Racist
15. Bon Iver
    Bon Iver
16. Fear of God II: Let Us Pray
    Pusha T
17. Finally Famous
    Big Sean
18. Radioactive
    Yelawolf
19. The Dreamer, The Believer
    Common
20. Within and Without
    Washed Out
21. Hell: The Sequel
    Bad Meets Evil
22. Black Up
    Shabazz Palaces
23. Camp
    Childish Gambino
24. Tomboy
    Panda Bear
25. Rolling Papers
    Wiz Khalifa

James Reed: Top Albums of 2011, as published by The Boston Globe

1. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
2. Smoke Ring for My Halo
   Kurt Vile
3. Stone Rollin’
   Raphael Saadiq
4. The Harrow & The Harvest
   Gillian Welch
5. 4
   Beyoncé
6. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
7. Bad as Me
   Tom Waits
8. Within and Without
   Washed Out
9. Grown Unknown
   Lia Ices
10. Only in Dreams
    Dum Dum Girls

Under the Radar: Top 80 Albums of 2011

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

1. Strange Mercy
   St. Vincent
2. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
   M83
3. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
4. Helplessness Blues
   Fleet Foxes
5. Skying
   The Horrors
6. Past Life Martyred Saints
   EMA
7. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
8. Yuck
   Yuck
9. Within and Without
   Washed Out
10. Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi
11. Slave Ambient
    The War on Drugs
12. Hearts
    I Break Horses
13. Ceremonials
    Florence + The Machine
14. SBTRKT
    SBTRKT
15. Codes and Keys
    Death Cab for Cutie
16. Build a Rocket Boys!
    Elbow
17. The Year of Hibernation
    Youth Lagoon
18. Cat’s Eyes
    Cat’s Eyes
19. Underneath the Pine
    Toro y Moi
20. The Rip Tide
    Beirut
21. We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
    John Maus
22. Whokill
    Tune-Yards
23. Wild Flag
    Wild Flag
24. Kaputt
    Destroyer
25. Paradise
    Slow Club
26. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
27. Smother
    Wild Beasts
28. Zonoscope
    Cut Copy
29. Days
    Real Estate
30. Nine Types of Light
    TV on the Radio
31. True Loves
    Hooray for Earth
32. Parallax
    Atlas Sound
33. Eye Contact
    Gang Gang Dance
34. James Blake
    James Blake
35. 12 Desperate Straight Lines
    Telekinesis
36. The English Riviera
    Metronomy
37. Welcome to Condale
    Summer Camp
38. Pala
    Friendly Fires
39. David Comes to Life
    Fucked Up
40. Only in Dreams
    Dum Dum Girls
41. The Whole Love
    Wilco
42. Dye It Blonde
    Smith Westerns
43. Belong
    Pains of Being Pure at Heart
44. Again Into Eyes
    S.C.U.M
45. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
46. The Stepkids
    The Stepkids
47. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
    WU LYF
48. Valhalla Dancehall
    British Sea Power
49. Collapse Into Now
    R.E.M.
50. Era Extraña
    Neon Indian
51. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
52. Kiss Each Other Clean
    Iron & Wine
53. Bad as Me
    Tom Waits
54. New Brigade
    Iceage
55. I Am Very Far
    Okkervil River
56. Hotel Shampoo
    Gruff Rhys
57. A Creature I Don’t Know
    Laura Marling
58. Player Piano
    Memory Tapes
59. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
60. Tomboy
    Panda Bear
61. Loud Planes Fly Low
    The Rosebuds
62. The King is Dead
    The Decemberists
63. Gloss Drop
    Battles
64. No Color
    The Dodos
65. BBDLP1
    Big Black Delta
66. C’mon
    Low
67. The Magic Place
    Julianna Barwick
68. Last Summer
    Eleanor Friedberger
69. Gracious Tide, Take Me Home
    Lanterns on the Lake
70. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
71. Creatures of an Hour
    Still Corners
72. Burst Apart
    The Antlers
73. On the Water
    Future Islands
74. Degeneration Street
    The Dears
75. Wolfroy Goes to Town
    Bonnie “Prince” Billy
76. Apocalypse
    Bill Callahan
77. Mirror Traffic
    Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
78. Music Sounds Better with You
    Acid House Kings
79. Bliss Release
    Cloud Control
80. The Devil’s Walk
    Apparat