Year-End Lists

Slant Magazine: 25 Best Albums of 2012

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

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
3. Master of My Make-Believe
   Santigold
4. The Haunted Man
   Bat for Lashes
5. Swing Lo Magellan
   Dirty Projectors
6. Kill for Love
   Chromatics
7. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
8. Fear Fun
   Father John Misty
9. Born to Die
   Lana Del Rey
10. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
11. Instinct
    Niki & The Dove
12. The Seer
    Swans
13. Locked Down
    Dr. John
14. Tigermending
    Carina Round
15. Half Made Man
    Ben Sollee
16. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
17. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
18. Beware and Be Grateful
    Maps and Atlases
19. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
20. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
    Kelly Hogan
21. Blue Chips
    Action Bronson
22. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
23. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
24. Animal Joy
    Shearwater
25. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees

The Quietus: 75 Favorite Albums of 2012

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

1. The Seer
   Swans
2. Bish Bosch
   Scott Walker
3. Transverse
   Carter Tutti Void
4. Desertshore/The Final Report
   X-TG
5. SSSS
   VCMG
6. Ghosts Of Chechnya
   Vatican Shadow
7. Widowmaker
   Dragged Into Sunlight
8. Quarantine
   Laurel Halo
9. Vanitas
   Anaal Nathrakh
10. V
    KTL
11. MM/KM
    Kassem Mosse & Mix Mup
12. Black is Beautiful
    Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland
13. Roman Roads IV – XI
    Land Observations
14. Classical Curves
    Jam City
15. Wixiw
    Liars
16. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
17. Dutch Tvashar Plumes
    Lee Gamble
18. Icon Give Thank
    Sun Araw, M. Geddes Gengras & The Congos
19. R.I.P.
    Actress
20. The Violence
    Darren Hayman and the Long Parliament
21. Frying On This Rock
    White Hills
22. Negative Fascination
    Silent Servant
23. The Ghost in Daylight
    Gravenhurst
24. 1612 Underture
    Eccentronic Research Council ft. Maxine Peake
25. Galgeberg/Gimle
    Necessary
26. Medium
    Emptyset
27. De Vermis Mysteriis
    High on Fire
28. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
29. Third Mouth
    Alexander Tucker
30. Doki Doki Run
    Fairhorns
31. Novaya Zemlya
    Thomas Koner
32. Quarter Turns Over A Living Line
    Raime
33. Movement
    Holly Herndon
34. The Drawbar Organ/Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
35. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
36. Posthuman
    JK Flesh
37. Verse of Birds
    Richard Skelton
38. Jiaolong
    Daphni
39. Natural History
    Dope Body
40. Sagittarian Domain
    Oren Ambarchi
41. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
42. No Holier Temple
    Hexvessel
43. Toy
    Toy
44. Da Mind of Traxman
    Traxman
45. Mengamuk
    Vindicatrix
46. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
47. ORO: Opus Primum/Alter
    UFOmammut
48. The Shape Of Things
    John Foxx and the Maths
49. When We Were Eating Unripe Pears
    Bee Mask
50. Motor: Nighttime World 3
    Robert Hood
51. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
52. Tighten That Muscle Ring
    Hirsute Pursuit
53. Kindred
    Burial
54. Sentenced To Life
    Black Breath
55. Music For People Who Hate Themselves
    The Pre New
56. Labour Division
    Forward Strategy Group
57. >>
    Beak
58. Sexual Harassment
    Turbonegro
59. MMXII
    Killing Joke
60. New War
    New War
61. Reservation
    Angel Haze
62. Astraea
    Rolo Tomassi
63. Oh No I Love You
    Tim Burgess
64. Intermezzo
    Sir Richard Bishop
65. Line The Wall
    Bo Ningen
66. fIN
    John Talabot
67. Blues Funeral
    Mark Lanegan Band
68. Devilman
    Devilman
69. The Death Defying Unicorn
    Motorpsycho And Ståle Storløkken
70. World Music
    Goat
71. See The World Given To A One Love Entity
    Guardian Alien
72. Photos Of Photos
    Carlton Melton
73. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
74. Ascent
    Six Organs of Admittance
75. Pansophical Cataract
    Man Forever

Crack Magazine: The Top 100 Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Fin
   John Talabot
2. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
3. Portico Quartet
   Portico Quartet
4. Open Your Heart
   The Men
5. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
6. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
7. Until the Quiet Comes
   Flying Lotus
8. Metz
   Metz
9. Dream On
   Ital
10. The Seer
    Swans
11. Tender New Signs
    Tamaryn
12. A+E
    Graham Coxon
13. World Music
    Goat
14. Visions
    Grimes
15. fabric 64
    Guy Gerber
16. Dependent and Happy
    Ricardo Villalobos
17. They!Live
    Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka
18. Brothers Fowl
    Dam Mantle
19. Black Radio
    Robert Glasper Experiment
20. Mantasy
    Michael Mayer
21. Adventures In Your Own Backyard
    Patrick Watson
22. Teklife Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi
    DJ Rashad
23. Future Rhythm Machine
    Auntie Flo
24. R.I.P.
    Actress
25. Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp
    Spaceghostpurrp
26. Wixiw
    Liars
27. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
28. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
29. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
30. Never
    Micachu & The Shapes
31. There’s No Leaving Now
    The Tallest Man on Earth
32. Nocturne
    Wild Nothing
33. Blondes
    Blondes
34. Tourist / Sleeper
    Seams
35. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
36. Phèdre
    Phèdre
37. Things That Fade
    Greeen Linez
38. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
39. Key To The Kuffs
    JJ DOOM
40. Rispah
    The Invisible
41. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
42. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
43. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
44. Versus
    Wolf + Lamb
45. Oshin
    DIIV
46. Galaxy Garden
    Lone
47. Bloom
    Beach House
48. World, You Need a Change of Mind
    Kindness
49. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
50. I Bet on Sky
    Dinosaur Jr.
51. Heaven
    Walkmen
52. State of Flux
    Mr. G
53. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
54. Shrines
    Purity Ring
55. Tender Leaf
    Erdbeerschnitzel
56. NZCA/LINES
    NZCA/LINES
57. The Integration LP
    LA Vampires with Maria Minerva
58. Held
    Holy Other
59. Everything Touching
    Tall Ships
60. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
61. Mala in Cuba
    Mala
62. Transverse
    Carter Tutti Void
63. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
64. Personality
    Scuba
65. Twins
    Ty Segall
66. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
67. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
68. 2
    Mac DeMarco
69. BEAK>
    Beak>
70. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
71. Black Propaganda
    Oscar Mulero
72. Pink
    Four Tet
73. Off!
    Off!
74. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
75. The Killer
    Shed
76. Transistor Rhythm
    Addison Groove
77. Sees the Light
    La Sera
78. Order of Noise
    Vessel
79. Breakup Song
    Deerhoof
80. Piramida
    Efterklang
81. Life Is Good
    Nas
82. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees
83. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
84. Beams
    Matthew Dear
85. Sun
    Cat Power
86. All We Love We Leave Behind
    Converge
87. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
88. Instrumental Tourist
    Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin
89. Towers
    Baltic Fleet
90. No Love Deep Web
    Death Grips
91. Free Time!
    Pinkunoizu
92. Jiaolong
    Daphni
93. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
94. Good Don’t Sleep
    Egyptian Hip Hop
95. The Very Last of the Saints
    Ghosting Season
96. Falling
    Seapony
97. Steam Days
    Nathan Fake
98. Solo Piano II
    Chilly Gonzales
99. Work is Love Made Visible
    Typesun
100. Hot Doctor
     Dagger Brothers

The A.V. Club: 25 Best Albums of 2012

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

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
3. Attack on Memory
   Cloud Nothings
4. Tramp
   Sharon Van Etten
5. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
6. Blunderbuss
   Jack White
7. The Seer
   Swans
8. Silver Age
   Bob Mould
8. Local Business
   Titus Andronicus
9. We Don’t Even Live Here
   P.O.S.
10. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
11. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
12. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
13. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
14. Clockwork Angels
    Rush
15. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
16. Open Your Heart
    The Men
17. Plumb
    Field Music
18. The Plot Against Common Sense
    Future of the Left
18. Heaven
    Walkmen
19. Among the Leaves
    Sun Kil Moon
20. Sun
    Cat Power
21. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
22. Tank Full Of Blues
    Dion
24. Guilty Guilty
    Pilot To Gunner

PopMatters: 75 Best Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2011]

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
3. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
4. Bloom
   Beach House
5. The Seer
   Swans
6. R.A.P. Music
   Killer Mike
7. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
8. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
9. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
10. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
11. Visions
    Grimes
12. Leaving Eden
    Carolina Chocolate Drops
13. Heaven
    Walkmen
14. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
15. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
16. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
17. Queen of the Wave
    Pepe Deluxé
18. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
19. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
20. The Carpenter
    Avett Brothers
21. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
22. Given to the Wild
    The Maccabees
23. Red
    Taylor Swift
24. Transcendental Youth
    The Mountain Goats
25. Carnivale Electricos
    Galactic
26. Locked Down
    Dr. John
27. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
28. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
29. The Money Store
    Death Grips
30. Black Radio
    Robert Glasper Experiment
31. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
32. Chamber Music Society
    Esperanza Spalding
33. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
34. The Tel Aviv Session
    The Touré-Raichel Collective
35. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
36. Life Is Good
    Nas
37. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
38. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
39. My Head is an Animal
    Of Monsters And Men
40. Open Your Heart
    The Men
41. Look Around the Corner
    Quantic & Alice Russell
42. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
43. Metz
    Metz
44. Theatre Is Evil
    Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
45. Silver Age
    Bob Mould
46. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
47. Tomorrowland
    Ryan Bingham
48. Mr. M
    Lambchop
49. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
50. Sonik Kicks
    Paul Weller
51. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
    Todd Snider
52. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
53. fIN
    John Talabot
54. bell hooks
    BBU
55. Ten Freedom Summers
    Wadada Leo Smith
56. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
57. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
58. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
59. Researching the Blues
    Redd Kross
60. Handwritten
    The Gaslight Anthem
61. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
62. Debo Band
    Debo Band
63. A Sleep & A Forgetting
    Islands
64. Twins
    Ty Segall
65. Years Past Matter
    Krallice
66. Gossamer
    Passion Pit
67. Clockwork Angels
    Rush
68. World Music
    Goat
69. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
70. Is Your Love Big Enough?
    Lianne La Havas
71. Shrines
    Purity Ring
72. FRKWYS Vol. 9: Icon Give Thank
    Sun Araw/M. Geddes Gengras/The Congos
73. There’s No Leaving Now
    The Tallest Man on Earth
74. Master of My Make-Believe
    Santigold
75. Preachers
    My Jerusalem

BBC Music: Top 25 Albums of 2012

1. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. One Day I’m Going to Soar
   Dexys
4. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
5. Trouble
   Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
6. The Money Store
   Death Grips
7. Reggae Music Again
   Busy Signal
8. Love this Giant
   David Byrne & St. Vincent
9. An Awesome Wave
   alt-J
10. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
11. Mala in Cuba
    Mala
12. Transverse
    Carter Tutti Void
13. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
14. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
    Nicki Minaj
15. The Seer
    Swans
16. Wixiw
    Liars
17. Django Django
    Django Django
18. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
19. Life is People
    Bill Fay
20. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
21. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
22. Our Version of Events
    Emeli Sande
23. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
24. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
25. Shields
    Grizzly Bear

NPR Music: 50 Favorite Albums of 2012 (alphabetical)

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

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

Idolator: 10 Best New Albums of 2012

1. Kaleidoscope Dream
   Miguel
2. Red
   Taylor Swift
3. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
4. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
5. Heal
   Loreen
6. Make Me Believe in Hope
   Bright Light Bright Light
7. Bloom
   Beach House
8. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
9. Kiss
   Carly Rae Jepsen
10. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple

Spinner: 50 Best Albums of 2012

1. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
4. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
5. Old Ideas
   Leonard Cohen
6. A Thing Called Divine Fits
   Divine Fits
7. Tramp
   Sharon Van Etten
8. Boys & Girls
   Alabama Shakes
9. Bloom
   Beach House
10. Visions
    Grimes
11. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
12. We Don’t Even Live Here
    P.O.S.
13. Synthetica
    Metric
14. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
15. Jiaolong
    Daphni
16. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
17. True
    Solange
18. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
19. Ugly
    Screaming Females
20. Silver Age
    Bob Mould
21. Is Your Love Big Enough?
    Lianne La Havas
22. United States of Being
    PUJOL
23. Shrines
    Purity Ring
24. Voyageur
    Kathleen Edwards
25. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
26. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
27. Babel
    Mumford & Sons
28. Habits & Contradictions
    Schoolboy Q
29. Young and Old
    Tennis
30. 2
    Mac DeMarco
31. Post-Empire
    Will Stratton
32. Coexist
    The xx
33. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
34. (III)
    Crystal Castles
35. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
36. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
37. Local Business
    Titus Andronicus
38. Busting Visions
    Zeus
39. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
40. The North
    Stars
41. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
42. Metal Moon
    Dirty Ghosts
43. Heaven
    Walkmen
44. Faithful Man
    Lee Fields
45. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
46. Pink
    Four Tet
47. Lex Hives
    The Hives
48. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
49. Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon
    Murder by Death
50. The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
    The Flaming Lips

Fact Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2012

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

1. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
2. Diversions 1994-1996 / Dutch Tvashar Plumes
   Lee Gamble
3. Playin’ Me
   Cooly G
4. Celestial Joy
   Horrid Red
5. God Of Black
   Spaceghostpurrp
6. Total Loss
   How to Dress Well
7. Classical Curves
   Jam City
8. From The Far Future Pt. 2
   Terrence Dixon
9. The Seer
   Swans
10. Rückverauberung 6
    Wolfgang Voigt
11. R.I.P.
    Actress
12. Late Nights: The Album
    Jeremih
13. Noi No
    Madteo
14. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
15. Motor City
    Sand Circles
16. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
17. “M” Megamix
    I:Cube
18. Step Freestyles
    Wiley
19. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
20. Negative Fascination
    Silent Servant
21. Ebony
    Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland
22. Pluto
    Future
23. Death Surf
    Heroin In Tahiti
24. Purple Naked Ladies
    The Internet
25. Bossalinis & Fooliyones
    Main Attrakionz
26. Visions
    Grimes
27. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
28. Ku Klux Glam
    Ariel Pink & R. Stevie Moore
29. Dependent and Happy
    Ricardo Villalobos
30. Whispers In The Dark
    Supreme Cuts
31. Life Is Good
    Nas
32. Music For Keyboards vol. 1
    D’Eon
33. Tenement Yard vol. 3
    Altered Natives
34. Quantum Jelly
    Lorenzo Senni
35. Space Zone
    Young Smoke
36. Bogota Rich: The Prequel
    Gunplay
37. Dark York
    LE1F
38. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
39. Sentenced To Life
    Black Breath
40. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
41. Express OG EP
    Cocaine 80s
42. Habits & Contradictions
    Schoolboy Q
43. Transverse
    Carter Tutti Void
44. NXB
    Triad God
45. Timon Irnok Manta
    Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
46. Shrines
    Purity Ring
47. Coexist
    The xx
48. Oxyconteen
    Haleek Maul
49. Impossible Symmetry
    Helm
50. Machines That Make Civilization Fun
    Bigg Jus