Year-End Lists

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

David Ehrlich: 25 Best Films of 2012 (presented visually at Movies.com)

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

1. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
2. Like Someone in Love
   Abbas Kiarostami
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
5. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
6. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. Something in the Air
   Olivier Assayas
8. The Comedy
   Rick Alverson
9. Anna Karenina
   Joe Wright
10. Girl Walk // All Day
    Jacob Krupnick
11. Alps
    Yorgos Lanthimos
12. Wuthering Heights
    Andrea Arnold
13. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve
14. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
15. Cloud Atlas
    Lana & Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer
16. Skyfall
    Sam Mendes
17. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
18. Tabu
    Miguel Gomes
19. Oslo, August 31st
    Joachim Trier
20. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson
21. Shut Up and Play the Hits
    Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace
22. The Avengers
    Joss Whedon
23. Policeman
    Nadav Lapid
24. Cosmopolis
    David Cronenberg
25. Sound of Noise
    Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson

Atlantic Wire: 10 Best Movies of 2012 (alphabetical)

• The Amazing Spider-Man
  Marc Webb
• Amour
  Michael Haneke
• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• The Cabin in the Woods
  Drew Goddard
• How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
  David France
• Looper
  Rian Johnson
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Your Sister’s Sister
  Lynn Shelton
• Zero Dark Thirty
  Kathryn Bigelow

Lisa Schwarzbaum: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Entertainment Weekly

[see also 2015]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Amour
   Michael Haneke
5. Argo
   Ben Affleck
6. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
7. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
8. Skyfall
   Sam Mendes
9. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
10. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France

Owen Gleiberman: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Entertainment Weekly

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

1. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
2. Amour
   Michael Haneke
3. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
4. Room 237
   Rodney Ascher
5. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
   Stephen Chbosky
7. Killing Them Softly
   Andrew Dominik
8. Argo
   Ben Affleck
9. Flight
   Robert Zemeckis
10. Bernie
    Richard Linklater

Tom Shone (of The Economist: Intelligent Life magazine and The Guardian): 10 Best Films of 2012

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke
2. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
3. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
4. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
5. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
6. The Grey
   Joe Carnahan
7. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
8. Flight
   Robert Zemeckis
9. Magic Mike
   Steven Soderbergh
10. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino

Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012 (a poll of over 90 critics, published by Sight & Sound Magazine)

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

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
5. Berberian Sound Studio
   Peter Strickland
7. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
8. Beyond the Hills
   Cristian Mungiu
8. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
8. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb

This list summarizes other lists, including these:

• Artforum: Amy Taubin: Top 10 Films of 2012
• IndieWire Poll: Jonathan Rosenbaum: Top 10 Films of 2012
• Los Angeles Times: Kenneth Turan: Top 10+ Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Adrian Martin: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Agnieszka Gratza: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Alexander Horwath: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Andrea Picard: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Andrew Schenker: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Anna Smith: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Anton Bitel: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Armond White: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Barbara Wurm: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Brad Stevens: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Cameron Bailey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Carmen Gray: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Catherine Wheatley: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Charles Gant: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Christoph Huber and Olaf Möller: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Dan Callahan: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Daniela Michel: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: David Jenkins: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: David Thompson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Demetrios Matheou: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Derek Malcolm: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Dylan Cave: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Fernanda Solorzano: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Francine Stock: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Gabe Klinger: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Gareth Evans: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoff Andrew: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoffrey Macnab: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoffrey O’Brien: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Graham Fuller: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Henry K. Miller: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Ian Christie: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Isabel Stevens: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Bell: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Mottram: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Quandt: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jane Giles: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jason Wood: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jasper Sharp: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jean-Michel Frodon: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: John Wrathall: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jonathan Romney: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kate Muir: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kate Stables: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kieron Corless: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kim Newman: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kong Rithdee: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mar Diestro-Dopido: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Maria Delgado: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mark Cousins: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mark Le Fanu: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Matthew Taylor: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Melissa Anderson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michael Atkinson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michael Brooke: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michel Ciment: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Naman Ramachandran: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Bradshaw: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Hasted: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick James: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Roddick: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nicolas Rapold: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nicole Brenez: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Paul Tickell: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Peter Bradshaw: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Peter Hames: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip French: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip Horne: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip Kemp: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Robert Koehler: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Roger Clarke: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Ryan Gilbey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sam Wigley: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sergio Angelini: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: So Mayer: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sukhdev Sandu: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Suzy Gillett: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Thirza Wakefield: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Thomas Dawson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tim Robey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tom Charity: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tony Rayns: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vadim Rizov: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vic Pratt: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vlastimir Sudar: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Wendy Ide: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: William Fowler: Top 5 Films of 2012

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