NPR Music: 50 Favorite Albums of 2012 (alphabetical)
[see also 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2011]
- Ab-Soul — Control System
- Alabama Shakes — Boys & Girls
- Alisa Weilerstein & Daniel Barenboim — Elgar & Carter Cello Concertos
- alt-J — An Awesome Wave
- Andy Stott — Luxury Problems
- Astro — Astro
- Simon Rattle & The Berlin Philharmonic — Bach: St. Matthew Passion
- Bobby Womack — The Bravest Man in the Universe
- Bomba Estéreo — Elegancia Tropical
- Brooklyn Rider — Seven Steps
- Cafe Tacvba — El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco
- Carla Morrison — Dejenme Llorar
- Cat Power — Sun
- Cody ChesnuTT — Landing On A Hundred
- Dan Deacon — America
- Death Grips — No Love Deep Web
- Debo Band — Debo Band
- Dirty Projectors — Swing Lo Magellan
- Dwight Yoakam — 3 Pears
- Exitmusic — Passage
- Fiona Apple — The Idler Wheel…
- Flying Lotus — Until the Quiet Comes
- Frank Ocean — Channel Orange
- fun. — Some Nights
- Homeboy Sandman — First of a Living Breed
- Iris DeMent — Sing the Delta
- Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang — En Yay Sah
- Japandroids — Celebration Rock
- Karriem Riggins — Alone Together
- Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city
- Killer Mike — R.A.P. Music
- Leila Josefowicz — Salonen: Violin Concerto
- Leonard Cohen — Old Ideas
- Matt Ulery — By A Little Light
- Meek Mill — Dreamchasers 2
- Miguel — Kaleidoscope Dream
- Neneh Cherry & the Thing — The Cherry Thing
- Now, Now — Threads
- Pallbearer — Sorrow and Extinction
- Patrick Watson — Adventures In Your Own Backyard
- Pink — The Truth About Love
- Regina Spektor — What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
- San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas — Adams: Harmonielehre/Short Ride In A Fast Machine
- Sharon Van Etten — Tramp
- Swans — The Seer
- Ty Segall — Twins
- The Very Best — MTMTMK
- Vijay Iyer Trio — Accelerando
- Wadada Leo Smith — Ten Freedom Summers
- The 2 Bears — Be Strong