Complex: 50 Best Albums of 2012
[see also 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011]
- Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city
- Frank Ocean — Channel Orange
- Rick Ross — Rich Forever
- Lana Del Rey — Born to Die
- Schoolboy Q — Habits & Contradictions
- Fiona Apple — The Idler Wheel…
- Ka — Grief Pedigree
- Wiz Khalifa — Taylor Allderdice
- Future — Pluto
- El-P — Cancer 4 Cure
- Grimes — Visions
- Nas — Life Is Good
- Beach House — Bloom
- Meek Mill — Dreamchasers 2
- Ty Dolla $ign — Beach House
- Rihanna — Unapologetic
- Miguel — Kaleidoscope Dream
- Action Bronson — Blue Chips
- Crystal Castles — (III)
- Ab-Soul — Control System
- Mac DeMarco — 2
- Santigold — Master of My Make-Believe
- Bat for Lashes — The Haunted Man
- G.O.O.D. Music — Cruel Summer
- TNGHT — TNGHT EP
- Big Sean — Detroit
- The xx — Coexist
- Chief Keef — Finally Rich
- Purity Ring — Shrines
- Dom Kennedy — Yellow Album
- Japandroids — Celebration Rock
- Killer Mike — R.A.P. Music
- Jessie Ware — Devotion
- Ratking — Wiki93
- Cloud Nothings — Attack on Memory
- Lil Durk — I’m Still a Hitta
- Tame Impala — Lonerism
- Joey Bada$$ — 1999
- Titus Andronicus — Local Business
- Death Grips — The Money Store
- Captain Murphy — Duality
- Dirty Projectors — Swing Lo Magellan
- BJ The Chicago Kid — Pineapple Now-Laters
- Twin Shadow — Confess
- Game — Jesus Piece
- Michael Kiwanuka — Home Again
- Mr. Vegas — Sweet Jamaica
- Roc Marciano — Reloaded
- Norah Jones — Little Broken Hearts
- Mac Miller — Macadelic