Year-End Lists

A hand-curated, browsable index of notable year-end lists. Follow the link for each list to see essential commentary from its author, at the source.
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Highlights

2012
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2012 Music

Little White Earbuds: Top 10 Albums of 2012

17 December 2012

R.I.P. - Actress

Little White Earbuds: Top 10 Albums of 2012

  1. R.I.P.
    Actress
  2. Techno Primitivism
    Juju & Jordash
  3. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
  4. From The Far Future Pt. 2
    Terrence Dixon
  5. Noi No
    Madteo
  6. Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
  7. The Drawbar Organ EP
    Shackleton
  8. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
  9. Unicursal Hexagram
    Jahiliyya Fields
  10. Reform Club
    Claro Intelecto
  11. Galaxy Garden
    Lone
2012 Music

Aquarium Drunkard: 2012 Year in Review

17 December 2012

Lonerism - Tame Impala

Aquarium Drunkard: 2012 Year in Review, an "unranked list of albums that caught, and kept, our attention in 2012" included with their year-end review

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2014 • 2013]

2012 Music

Les Inrocks: Top 100 Albums of 2012

17 December 2012

An Awesome Wave - alt-J

Les Inrockuptibles: Top 100 Albums of 2012

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

  1. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
  2. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
  3. Wixiw
    Liars
  4. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
  5. Django Django
    Django Django
  6. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
  7. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
  8. Lescop
    Lescop
  9. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
  10. Coexist
    The xx
  11. Bloom
    Beach House
  12. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
  13. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
  14. Sun
    Cat Power
  15. Vengeance
    Benjamin Biolay
  16. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
  17. Beams
    Matthew Dear
  18. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
  19. Mondo
    Electric Guest
  20. Visions
    Grimes
  21. Places
    Lou Doillon
  22. World, You Need a Change of Mind
    Kindness
  23. Mermonte
    Mermonte
  24. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
  25. Here We Are
    Citizens
  26. Other People’s Problems
    Breton
  27. The invitation to the Voyage
    Eugene Mc Guiness
  28. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
  29. Vampiric way
    Bewitched Hands
  30. Oshin
    DIIV
  31. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  32. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
  33. Home Again
    Michael Kiwanuka
  34. Come of Age
    The Vaccines
  35. Acousmatic Sorcery
    Willis Earl Beal
  36. Life is People
    Bill Fay
  37. X-Pianos
    Chassol
  38. Vers les lueurs
    Dominique A
  39. America
    Dan Deacon
  40. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
  41. The Seer
    Swans
  42. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
  43. L’Amour, l’Argent, le vent
    Barbara Carlotti
  44. R.I.P.
    Actress
  45. Beacon
    Two Door Cinema Club
  46. Astronomie
    Avec Pas D’Casque
  47. Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
    Beth Jeans Houghton
  48. Big Inner
    Matthew E. White
  49. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
  50. Apnea
    O. Children
  51. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
  52. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
  53. Something
    Chairlift
  54. Cheek Mountain Thief
    Cheek Mountain Thief
  55. Orkney Symphony of The Magnetic North
    The Magnetic North
  56. Be Your Own King
    Concrete Knives
  57. We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart
    Jonathan Boulet
  58. Putrifiers II
    Thee Oh Sees
  59. A Wasteland Companion
    M. Ward
  60. Meat + Bone
    The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
  61. Manifest!
    Friends
  62. Nootropics
    Lower Dens
  63. Passion
    Para One
  64. We’re All Dying to Live
    Rich Aucoin
  65. Circles
    Moon Duo
  66. Rich Forever
    Rick Ross
  67. Locked Down
    Dr. John
  68. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
  69. Coline
    Baden Baden
  70. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
  71. Rover
    Rover
  72. Tantale
    Monogrenade
  73. Held
    Holy Other
  74. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
  75. Taranta
    Mina Tindle
  76. Desesperanza
    Meridian Brothers
  77. $O$
    Die Antwoord
  78. Pray to Be Free
    James Levy & The Blood Red Rose
  79. Riots in the Jungle
    SKIP&DIE
  80. La Fin De L’espèce
    Klub des Loosers
  81. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
  82. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
  83. O Deus que devasta mas também cura
    Lucas Santtana
  84. Given to the Wild
    The Maccabees
  85. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
  86. Rituels d’un nouveau monde
    Zombie Zombie
  87. Top Ten Hits of the End of the World
    Prince Rama
  88. Palindrome Hunches
    Neil Halstead
  89. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
  90. Free Time!
    Pinkunoizu
  91. Daughter of Cloud
    of Montreal
  92. Spooky Action at a Distance
    Lotus Plaza
  93. I Predict a Graceful Expulsion
    Cold Specks
  94. Futur
    Booba
  95. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
  96. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
  97. Please Her, Please Him
    Théodore Paul & Gabriel
  98. Shy Pursuit
    The Spinto Band
  99. Dept. of Disappearance
    Jason Lytle
  100. [Sic]
    Bang On!
2012 Books

New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2012

16 December 2012

The New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2012

[see also The 10 Best Books of 2023 • 100 Notable Books of 2023 • The 10 Best Books of 2022 • 100 Notable Books of 2022 • The 10 Best Books of 2021 • 100 Notable Books of 2021 • The 10 Best Books of 2020 • 100 Notable Books of 2020 • 100 Notable Books of 2019 • The 10 Best Books of 2019 • 10 Best Books of 2018 • 100 Notable Books of 2018 • 100 Notable Books of 2017 • 10 Best Books of 2017 • 10 Best Books of 2016 • 10 Best Books of 2015 • The 10 Best Books of 2014 • The 10 Best Books of 2013 • 10 Best Books of 2012 • 100 Notable Books of 2011 • Ten Best Books of 2011]

Fiction

Nonfiction

2012 Music

Treble: Top 50 Albums of 2012

16 December 2012

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

Treble: Top 50 Albums of 2012

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

  1. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
  2. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
  3. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
  4. Bloom
    Beach House
  5. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
  6. All We Love We Leave Behind
    Converge
  7. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
  8. Visions
    Grimes
  9. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
  10. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
  11. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
  12. The Seer
    Swans
  13. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
  14. Interstellar
    Frankie Rose
  15. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
  16. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
  17. Coexist
    The xx
  18. The Money Store
    Death Grips
  19. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
  20. Confess
    Twin Shadow
  21. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
  22. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
  23. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
  24. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
  25. Harmonicraft
    Torche
  26. R.I.P.
    Actress
  27. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
  28. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
  29. Sun
    Cat Power
  30. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
  31. Gossamer
    Passion Pit
  32. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
  33. Spooky Action at a Distance
    Lotus Plaza
  34. Open Your Heart
    The Men
  35. fIN
    John Talabot
  36. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
  37. 2
    Mac DeMarco
  38. Ocean Roar
    Mount Eerie
  39. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  40. Book Burner
    Pig Destroyer
  41. Shrines
    Purity Ring
  42. Pink
    Four Tet
  43. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
  44. Kindred
    Burial
  45. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
  46. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
  47. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
  48. (III)
    Crystal Castles
  49. Mr. M
    Lambchop
  50. Metz
    Metz
2012 Music

Gigwise: 50 Albums of the 2012

16 December 2012

Confess - Twin Shadow

Gigwise: 50 Albums of the 2012

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2011]

  1. Confess
    Twin Shadow
  2. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
  3. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
  4. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
  5. Valtari
    Sigur Rós
  6. The Only Place
    Best Coast
  7. Part & Parcel
    The Skints
  8. Coexist
    The xx
  9. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
  10. Come of Age
    The Vaccines
  11. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
  12. Django Django
    Django Django
  13. My Head is an Animal
    Of Monsters And Men
  14. Plumb
    Field Music
  15. Cruel Summer
    G.O.O.D. Music
  16. Votive Life
    Cave Painting
  17. TOY
    TOY
  18. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
  19. Visions
    Grimes
  20. Gossamer
    Passion Pit
  21. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
  22. The 2nd Law
    Muse
  23. Given to the Wild
    The Maccabees
  24. Make Me Believe in Hope
    Bright Light Bright Light
  25. Shrines
    Purity Ring
  26. Fragments
    Submotion Orchestra
  27. Time Capsules II
    Oberhofer
  28. The Money Store
    Death Grips
  29. Playin’ Me
    Cooly G
  30. Baby
    Tribes
  31. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
  32. World, You Need a Change of Mind
    Kindness
  33. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
  34. Port of Morrow
    The Shins
  35. TNGHT EP
    TNGHT
  36. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
  37. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
    The Cribs
  38. Lido
    Darren Hayman
  39. Master of My Make-Believe
    Santigold
  40. Halcyon
    Ellie Goulding
  41. Jake Bugg
    Jake Bugg
  42. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
  43. Portico Quartet
    Portico Quartet
  44. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
  45. Babel
    Mumford & Sons
  46. The Orbserver in the Star House
    The Orb Featuring Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
  47. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
  48. Instrumental Mixtape 2
    Clams Casino
  49. Happy to You
    Miike Snow
  50. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
2012 Music

musicOMH: Top 100 Albums of 2012

16 December 2012

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

musicOMH: Top 100 Albums of 2012

[see also 2011]

  1. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
  2. Lonerism
    Tame Impala
  3. Beams
    Matthew Dear
  4. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
  5. Blondes
    Blondes
  6. fIN
    John Talabot
  7. Oshin
    DIIV
  8. Wixiw
    Liars
  9. Transverse
    Carter Tutti Void
  10. SSSS
    VCMG
  11. Portico Quartet
    Portico Quartet
  12. Young Man in America
    Anaïs Mitchell
  13. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
  14. One Day I’m Going to Soar
    Dexys
  15. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
  16. TOY
    TOY
  17. Palindrome Hunches
    Neil Halstead
  18. Plumb
    Field Music
  19. Make Me Believe in Hope
    Bright Light Bright Light
  20. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
  21. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
  22. Tarnished Gold
    Beachwood Sparks
  23. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
  24. Visions
    Grimes
  25. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
  26. An Awesome Wave
    alt-J
  27. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
  28. Crown And Treaty
    Sweet Billy Pilgrim
  29. My God Is Blue
    Sébastien Tellier
  30. Rispah
    The Invisible
  31. Six Cups of Rebel
    Lindstrøm
  32. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
  33. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
  34. This Is PiL
    Public Image Ltd.
  35. The Seer
    Swans
  36. Bloom
    Beach House
  37. Sun
    Cat Power
  38. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
  39. Playin’ Me
    Cooly G
  40. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
  41. Ground Of Its Own
    Sam Lee
  42. The Silicone Veil
    Susanne Sundfør
  43. Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
  44. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
  45. RIP
    Actress
  46. Other People’s Problems
    Breton
  47. Ten Freedom Summers
    Wadada Leo Smith
  48. America
    Dan Deacon
  49. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  50. 2:54
    2:54
  51. In A Dim Light
    Nedry
  52. Toward the Low Sun
    Dirty Three
  53. Heaven
    Walkmen
  54. Into The Diamond Sun
    Richard Hawley
  55. Into The Diamond Sun
    Stealing Sheep
  56. Mid Air
    Paul Buchanan
  57. Isle Of Dogs
    Tigercats
  58. Race The Loser
    Lau
  59. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
  60. Nude
    The Irrepressibles
  61. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
  62. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
  63. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
  64. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
  65. Everything Touching
    Tall Ships
  66. Among the Leaves
    Sun Kil Moon
  67. Koïma
    Sidi Touré
  68. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
  69. The Money Store
    Death Grips
  70. Paszport
    Katy Carr
  71. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
  72. The Violence
    Darren Hayman and the Long Parliament
  73. Confess
    Twin Shadow
  74. Bouger Le Monde!
    Staff Benda Bilili
  75. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
  76. Coexist
    The xx
  77. The Something Rain
    Tindersticks
  78. Django Django
    Django Django
  79. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
  80. Locked Down
    Dr. John
  81. The Light The Dead See
    Soulsavers
  82. World Music
    Goat
  83. Accelerando
    Vijay Iyer Trio
  84. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
  85. DROKK
    Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury
  86. We’ll Be The Moon
    Fixers
  87. Oh No I Love You
    Tim Burgess
  88. Warato’o
    Narasirato
  89. Steam Days
    Nathan Fake
  90. 1982 + BJ Cole
    1982 + BJ Cole
  91. Narrow
    Soap & Skin
  92. Mad Love
    Cheval Sombre
  93. The Plot Against Common Sense
    Future of the Left
  94. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
  95. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
  96. Algiers
    Calexico
  97. Banks
    Paul Banks
  98. Apnea
    O. Children
  99. A+E
    Graham Coxon
  100. World, You Need a Change of Mind
    Kindness
2012 Movies

New York Times: Stephen Holden: Top 11 Films of 2012

16 December 2012

Stephen Holden: Top 11 Films of 2012, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2011]

  1. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg
  2. Amour
    Michael Haneke
  3. Zero Dark Thirty
    Kathryn Bigelow
  4. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Benh Zeitlin
  5. Argo
    Ben Affleck
  6. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
  7. Elena
    Andrey Zvyagintsev
  8. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France
  9. The Invisible War
    Kirby Dick
  10. The Sessions
    Ben Lewin
  11. Rust and Bone
    Jacques Audiard
2012 Movies

New York Times: Manohla Dargis: Top 36 Movies of 2012

16 December 2012

Amour - Michael Haneke

Manohla Dargis: Top 36 Movies of 2012, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

  1. Amour
    Michael Haneke
  2. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
  3. The Gatekeepers
    Dror Moreh
  4. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax
  5. The Master
    Paul Thomas Anderson
  6. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson
  7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
  8. Searching for Sugar Man
    Malik Bendjelloul
  9. Silver Linings Playbook
    David O. Russell
  10. Zero Dark Thirty
    Kathryn Bigelow

Rest of the List, Alphabetically

2012 Movies

New York Times: A.O. Scott: 25 Favorite Films of 2012

16 December 2012

Amour - Michael Haneke

A.O. Scott: 25 Favorite Films of 2012, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

  1. Amour
    Michael Haneke
  2. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg
  3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Benh Zeitlin
  4. Footnote
    Joseph Cedar
  5. The Master
    Paul Thomas Anderson
  6. Zero Dark Thirty
    Kathryn Bigelow
  7. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino
  8. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve
  9. Neighboring Sounds
    Kleber Mendonça Filho
  10. The Grey
    Joe Carnahan

Honorable Mention, Alphabetically

Top Five Documentaries

  1. The Gatekeepers
    Dror Moreh
  2. The Queen of Versailles
    Lauren Greenfield
  3. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France
  4. This is Not a Film
    Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
  5. The Central Park Five
    Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon

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Year-end lists are fingerprints; aggregate statistics are smudges. Therefore, I make no tallies.