Year-End Lists

Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker: 40 Best Albums of 2012 (listed chronologically, exceptional albums marked with asterisks)

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

• Rich Forever
  Rick Ross
• Nehru Jackets
  Heems
• Elemental: I-IV
  Demdike Stare
• Reign of Terror
  Sleigh Bells
• The Block Brochure
  E-40
• Icon Give Thank
  Sun Araw, MGG & Congos
• R.I.P.
  Actress
• The Money Store
  Death Grips
• Fifty-One
  Kool A.D.
• The Drawbar Organ/Music for the Quiet Hour
  Shackleton
• R.A.P. Music
  Killer Mike
• Cancer 4 Cure
  El-P
• We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head
  Swans
• The Cherry Thing
  Neneh Cherry & the Thing
• The Idler Wheel…
  Fiona Apple
• Aun soundtrack
  Christian Fennesz
• Channel Orange
  Frank Ocean
• Mungodelics
  Mungolian Jetset
• The Seer
  Swans
• Sun
  Cat Power
• Eight
  Deadbeat
• Live
  Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin
• METZ
  METZ
• ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
  Godspeed You! Black Emperor
• The World Is Too Much With Us
  Peace
• Jiaolong
  Daphni
• Tempest
  Tussle
• Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
  Jamey Johnson
• Luxury Problems
  Andy Stott
• 4 EPs (Derren, Harem, Alfur, Realise)
  Old Apparatus
• good kid, m.A.A.d city
  Kendrick Lamar
• Red
  Taylor Swift
• Alone Together
  Karriem Riggins
• Fistful of Buddha
  Christiaan Virant
• Get Lost V (mixed by Acid Pauli)
  various artists
• The Cherry Thing Remixes
  Neneh Cherry & the Thing
• Paradise
  Lana Del Rey
• Lux
  Brian Eno
• Today Bread, Tomorrow Secrets
  Moon Wiring Club
• Bish Bosch
  Scott Walker

AllMusic: 50 Best Albums of 2012

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

1. Visions
   Grimes
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
4. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
5. Kaleidoscope Dream
   Miguel
6. Until the Quiet Comes
   Flying Lotus
7. Harmonicraft
   Torche
8. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
9. Love this Giant
   David Byrne & St. Vincent
10. Kiss
    Carly Rae Jepsen
11. Breakup Song
    Deerhoof
12. 3 Pears
    Dwight Yoakam
13. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
14. Black Radio
    Robert Glasper Experiment
15. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
16. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
17. Beams
    Matthew Dear
18. The Money Store
    Death Grips
19. America
    Dan Deacon
20. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
21. Electric Cables
    Lightships
22. Bloom
    Beach House
23. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
24. Alone Together
    Karriem Riggins
25. Christian aTunde Adjuah
    Christian Scott
26. All We Love We Leave Behind
    Converge
27. By Your Side
    Breakbot
28. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
29. Some Nights
    fun.
30. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
31. Sun
    Cat Power
32. Coexist
    The xx
33. Perfectly Imperfect
    Elle Varner
34. Researching the Blues
    Redd Kross
35. Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
    Jamey Johnson
36. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
37. Master of My Make-Believe
    Santigold
38. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
39. Oceania
    Smashing Pumpkins
40. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
    Kelly Hogan
41. Off!
    Off!
42. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
43. The Seer
    Swans
44. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
45. The Temper Trap
    The Temper Trap
46. The Ghost in Daylight
    Gravenhurst
47. Silver Age
    Bob Mould
48. Heaven
    Walkmen
49. 777 - Cosmosophy
    Blut Aus Nord
50. Life is People
    Bill Fay

Kitty Empire: 10 Best Pop Albums of 2012, as published by The Observer, in no particular order

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

• Coexist
  The xx
• Toward the Low Sun
  Dirty Three
• Be Strong
  The 2 Bears
• Tramp
  Sharon Van Etten
• Wrecking Ball
  Bruce Springsteen
• Old Ideas
  Leonard Cohen
• Blunderbuss
  Jack White
• Channel Orange
  Frank Ocean
• Ill Manors
  Plan B
• Shields
  Grizzly Bear

Karina Longworth: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by The Village Voice

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2014 • 2011]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
4. Attenberg
   Athina Rachel Tsangari
5. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
6. Rust and Bone
   Jacques Audiard
7. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
8. Anna Karenina
   Joe Wright
9. Chronicle
   Josh Trank
10. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino

Nick Pinkerton: Top 10 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Village Voice Film Poll, published by The Village Voice, presented alphabetically

[see also 2011]

• Alps
  Yorgos Lanthimos
• Bernie
  Richard Linklater
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies
• The Grey
  Joe Carnahan
• Haywire
  Steven Soderbergh
• Magic Mike
  Steven Soderbergh
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes
• Wanderlust
  David Wain
• Zero Dark Thirty
  Kathryn Bigelow

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Best Films of 2012

Kevin B. Lee: 12 Best Films of 2012, as published by Fandor where it’s accompanied by an excellent video essay

[see also 2015 • 2014]

1. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. Let the Bullets Fly
   Jiang Wen
4. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
5. Consuming Spirits
   Chris Sullivan
6. Neighboring Sounds
   Kleber Mendonça Filho
7. In the Family
   Patrick Wang
8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
9. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
10. The Day He Arrives
    Hong Sang-soo
10. A Simple Life
    Ann Hui
12. Meanwhile
    Hal Hartley

Scott Foundas: 10 Best Films of 2012, as submitted to the Village Voice Film Poll

[see also 2013]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. Barbara
   Christian Petzold
5. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
6. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
8. The Dark Knight Rises
   Christopher Nolan
9. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
10. This Is 40
    Judd Apatow

This list contributes to:

• Village Voice Film Poll: Best Films of 2012

Mike D’Angelo: 15 Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

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

1. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
2. The Imposter
   Bart Layton
3. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
4. Miss Bala
   Gerardo Naranjo
5. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
6. Amour
   Michael Haneke
7. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
8. Only the Young
   Jason Tippet and Elizabeth Mims
9. Looper
   Rian Johnson
10. This Must Be the Place
    Paolo Sorrentino
11. Haywire
    Steven Soderbergh
12. You Are Here
    Daniel Cockburn
13. It’s Such a Beautiful Day
    Don Hertzfeldt
14. Argo
    Ben Affleck
15. Sister
    Ursula Meier

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

Noel Murray: 15 Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also The 10 Best Documentaries of 2022 • The 10 (or 11) Best Documentaries of 2021 • The Best Films of 2021 • The Best Films of 2020 • The Best Films of 2019 • Top 15 Films of 2018 • Best Films of 2017 • The Best Films of 2016 • The Best Films of 2015 • Top 15 Films of 2014 • Best Films of 2011]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
3. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
4. Damsels in Distress
   Whit Stillman
5. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
6. It’s Such a Beautiful Day
   Don Hertzfeldt
7. Photographic Memory
   Ross McElwee
8. Looper
   Rian Johnson
9. The Queen of Versailles
   Lauren Greenfield
10. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
11. Premium Rush
    David Koepp
12. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg
13. This Is 40
    Judd Apatow
14. I Wish
    Hirokazu Kore-eda
15. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

Cokemachineglow: Top 50 Albums of 2012

[see also 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. The Seer
   Swans
2. Visions
   Grimes
3. Cancer 4 Cure
   El-P
4. Ekstasis
   Julia Holter
5. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
6. Bloom
   Beach House
7. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
8. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
9. R.A.P. Music
   Killer Mike
10. Collection 1
    Friendzone
11. Open Your Heart
    The Men
12. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
13. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
14. The Drawbar Organ/Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
15. CIA TV
    L.W.H.
16. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
17. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
18. Kindred
    Burial
19. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
20. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
21. Habits & Contradictions
    Schoolboy Q
22. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
23. Breakup Song
    Deerhoof
24. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
25. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
26. Wixiw
    Liars
27. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
28. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
29. Clear Moon / Ocean Roar
    Mount Eerie
30. True
    Solange
31. fIN
    John Talabot
32. Fez OST
    Disasterpeace
33. Sorry
    White Lung
34. Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads
    Dustin Wong
35. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
36. Pluto
    Future
37. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
38. Children of Desire
    Merchandise
39. A Different Ship
    Here We Go Magic
40. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
41. The Bear Eats Me
    Amanda Jo Williams
42. Zammuto
    Zammuto
43. Heaven
    Walkmen
44. Skelethon
    Aesop Rock
45. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
46. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
47. Shrines
    Purity Ring
48. Heavily Spaced EP
    Each Other
49. Blue Chips
    Action Bronson & Party Supplies
50. Mr. M
    Lambchop