Year-End Lists

NME: 50 Best Albums of 2012

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

1. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
2. Visions
   Grimes
3. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
4. (III)
   Crystal Castles
5. An Awesome Wave
   alt-J
6. Given to the Wild
   The Maccabees
7. Beard, Wives, Denim
   Pond
8. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
   The Cribs
9. Jake Bugg
   Jake Bugg
10. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
11. Django Django
    Django Django
12. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
13. Oshin
    DIIV
14. Coexist
    The xx
15. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
16. Melody’s Echo Chamber
    Melody’s Echo Chamber
17. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
18. Baby
    Tribes
19. Toy
    Toy
20. America Give Up
    Howler
21. Sun
    Cat Power
22. Bloom
    Beach House
23. Standing at the Sky’s Edge
    Richard Hawley
24. Children of Desire
    Merchandise
25. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
26. Enjoy It While It Lasts
    Spector
27. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
28. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
29. 2
    Mac DeMarco
30. Other People’s Problems
    Breton
31. Cruel Summer
    G.O.O.D. Music
32. A+E
    Graham Coxon
33. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
34. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
35. METZ
    METZ
36. Come of Age
    The Vaccines
37. A Flash Flood of Colour
    Enter Shikari
38. Trouble
    Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
39. Wixiw
    Liars
40. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
41. Twins
    Ty Segall
42. Sonik Kicks
    Paul Weller
43. Wiki93
    Ratking
44. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
45. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
46. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
47. fIN
    John Talabot
48. Be Strong
    The 2 Bears
49. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
50. Shrines
    Purity Ring

The Guardian: Best Albums of 2012

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

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Visions
   Grimes
3. Devotion
   Jessie Ware
4. Swing Lo Magellan
   Dirty Projectors
5. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
6. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
7. An Awesome Wave
   alt-J
8. Coexist
   The xx
9. In Our Heads
   Hot Chip
10. The Bravest Man in the Universe
    Bobby Womack
11. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
12. Django Django
    Django Django
13. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
14. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
15. Playin’ Me
    Cooly G
16. Red
    Taylor Swift
17. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
18. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
19. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
20. Ill Manors
    Plan B
21. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
22. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
    The Cribs
23. Classical Curves
    Jam City
24. Armor On
    Dawn Richard
25. RIP
    Actress
26. Make Me Believe in Hope
    Bright Light Bright Light
27. Give You the Ghost
    Poliça
28. Baby
    Tribes
29. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
30. Reservation
    Angel Haze
31. Electra Heart
    Marina and the Diamonds
32. My Teenage Dream Ended
    Farrah Abraham
33. Mala in Cuba
    Mala
34. One Day I’m Going to Soar
    Dexys
35. One Second of Love
    Nite Jewel
36. Bloom
    Beach House
37. Wonky
    Orbital
38. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
39. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
40. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Pazz & Jop: Top 100 Albums of 2011 (an annual poll of critics, published by The Village Voice)

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
2. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
3. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
4. Wild Flag
   Wild Flag
5. Bad as Me
   Tom Waits
6. 21
   Adele
7. Kaputt
   Destroyer
8. Take Care
   Drake
9. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
10. Black Up
    Shabazz Palaces
11. David Comes to Life
    Fucked Up
12. Strange Mercy
    St. Vincent
13. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
14. So Beautiful or So What
    Paul Simon
15. Past Life Martyred Saints
    EMA
16. Nostalgia, Ultra
    Frank Ocean
17. Undun
    The Roots
18. Helplessness Blues
    Fleet Foxes
19. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
    M83
20. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
21. El Camino
    The Black Keys
22. The Whole Love
    Wilco
23. Hell on Heels
    Pistol Annies
24. Yuck
    Yuck
25. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
26. 4
    Beyoncé
27. The Harrow & The Harvest
    Gillian Welch
28. XXX
    Danny Brown
29. The King is Dead
    The Decemberists
30. Born This Way
    Lady Gaga
31. Apocalypse
    Bill Callahan
32. Days
    Real Estate
33. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
34. James Blake
    James Blake
35. Replica
    Oneohtrix Point Never
36. Ravedeath, 1972
    Tim Hecker
37. 50 Words for Snow
    Kate Bush
38. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
39. Stone Rollin’
    Raphael Saadiq
40. Civilian
    Wye Oak
41. Ashes & Fire
    Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
42. New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
    Colin Stetson
43. Nine Types of Light
    TV on the Radio
44. Section.80
    Kendrick Lamar
45. The SMiLE Sessions
    The Beach Boys
46. Mirror Traffic
    Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
47. The Hunter
    Mastodon
48. Relax
    Das Racist
49. Slave Ambient
    The War on Drugs
50. No Time for Dreaming
    Charles Bradley
51. Eye Contact
    Gang Gang Dance
52. On A Mission
    Katy B
53. Femme Fatale
    Britney Spears
54. Wasting Light
    Foo Fighters
55. Only in Dreams
    Dum Dum Girls
56. New Brigade
    Iceage
57. Leave Home
    The Men
58. The Big Roar
    Joy Formidable
59. Metals
    Feist
60. Ceremonials
    Florence + The Machine
61. Instrumental Mixtape
    Clams Casino
61. Parallax
    Atlas Sound
63. Sky Full of Holes
    Fountains of Wayne
64. Circuital
    My Morning Jacket
65. All Eternals Deck
    The Mountain Goats
66. Space is Only Noise
    Nicolas Jaar
67. Return of 4Eva
    Big KRIT
68. Burst Apart
    The Antlers
69. Tomboy
    Panda Bear
70. Tassili
    Tinariwen
71. Blood Pressures
    Kills
72. C’mon
    Low
73. Collapse Into Now
    R.E.M.
74. Tryptych
    Demdike Stare
74. The Old Magic
    Nick Lowe
76. KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
    Hayes Carll
77. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
    Beastie Boys
78. COIN COIN Chapter One: Gens de Couleur Libres
    Matana Roberts
79. Conatus
    Zola Jesus
80. Skying
    The Horrors
81. D
    White Denim
82. Within and Without
    Washed Out
83. Belong
    Pains of Being Pure at Heart
84. An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
    The Caretaker
85. Feel It Break
    Austra
86. The Magic Place
    Julianna Barwick
87. Four the Record
    Miranda Lambert
88. Aesthethica
    Liturgy
89. Build a Rocket Boys!
    Elbow
89. A Creature I Don’t Know
    Laura Marling
91. Cults
    Cults
92. The Book of David
    DJ Quik
93. LIVE.LOVE.A$AP
    A$AP Rocky
94. Lulu
    Lou Reed & Metallica
95. Here Before
    The Feelies
96. A I A
    Grouper
97. Chief
    Eric Church
98. Goblin
    Tyler, The Creator
99. Native Speaker
    Braids
100. Goodbye Bread
     Ty Segall

Margaret Wappler: Top 10 Albums of 2011, as published by The Los Angeles Times

1. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
2. Apocalypse
   Bill Callahan
3. Kaputt
   Destroyer
4. Metals
   Feist
5. Helplessness Blues
   Fleet Foxes
6. Black Up
   Shabazz Palaces
7. A Creature I Don’t Know
   Laura Marling
8. So Beautiful or So What
   Paul Simon
9. Last Summer
   Eleanor Friedberger
10. Days
    Real Estate

Todd Martens: Top 15 Albums of 2011, as published by The Los Angeles Times

1. Sin Sin Sin
   Le Butcherettes
2. What Were You Hoping For?
   Van Hunt
3. David Comes to Life
   Fucked Up
4. Undun
   The Roots
5. Anna Calvi
   Anna Calvi
6. Stone Rollin’
   Raphael Saadiq
7. The Whole Love
   Wilco
8. Wild Flag
   Wild Flag
9. Birds & Drums
   Bewitched Hands
10. Indestructible Machine
    Lydia Loveless
11. Whokill
    Tune-Yards
12. Metals
    Feist
13. Go-Go Boots
    Drive-By Truckers
14. Black Up
    Shabazz Palaces
15. Here Before
    The Feelies

Bleep: Top 10 Albums of 2011

1. SyMeta
   Byetone
2. Glass Swords
   Rustie
3. We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
   John Maus
4. GLAQJO XAACSSO
   patten
5. Ghost People
   Martyn
6. 936
   Peaking Lights
7. Breaking the Frame
   Surgeon
8. In Dust
   Roll The Dice
9. Space is Only Noise
   Nicolas Jaar
10. Aftertime
    Roly Porter

Hot Press: Top 30 Albums of 2011

1. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
2. Bad as Me
   Tom Waits
3. Passenger
   Lisa Hannigan
4. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
5. Skying
   The Horrors
6. To the Death of Fun
   Cashier No. 9
7. Build a Rocket Boys!
   Elbow
8. The King of Limbs
   Radiohead
9. Smother
   Wild Beasts
10. Biophilia
    Björk
11. 50 Words for Snow
    Kate Bush
12. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
    M83
13. The Olympus Sound
    Pugwash
14. Born This Way
    Lady Gaga
15. The Whole Love
    Wilco
16. James Blake
    James Blake
17. Closer To You
    The Coronas
18. Suck It and See
    Arctic Monkeys
19. Ceremonials
    Florence + The Machine
20. Metals
    Feist
21. Watch the Throne
    Jay-Z and Kanye West
22. Marcata
    The Minutes
23. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
24. Camp
    Childish Gambino
25. Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi
26. Today I Realised I Could Walk Home Backwards
    We Cut Corners
27. SBTRKT
    SBTRKT
28. Fallen Empires
    Snow Patrol
29. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
30. An Appointment with Mr. Yeats
    The Waterboys

Rip It Up: 10 Best Albums of 2011

1. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
2. SBTRKT
   SBTRKT
3. Velociraptor!
   Kasabian
4. Azari & III
   Azari & III
5. Skying
   The Horrors
6. Wasting Light
   Foo Fighters
7. El Camino
   The Black Keys
8. Suck It and See
   Arctic Monkeys
9. Prisoner
   The Jezabels
10. Zonoscope
    Cut Copy

Guitar World: Top 50 Albums of 2011

1. Wasting Light
   Foo Fighters
2. Heritage
   Opeth
3. Reckless & Relentless
   Asking Alexandria
4. Worship Music
   Anthrax
5. The Hunter
   Mastodon
6. Dust Bowl
   Joe Bonamassa
7. Relentless Reckless Forever
   Children of Bodom
8. TH1RT3EN
   Megadeth
9. Thank You, Happy Birthday
   Cage the Elephant
10. A Dramatic Turn of Events
    Dream Theater
11. Set the World on Fire
    Black Veil Brides
12. 2
    Black Country Communion
13. I’m With You
    Red Hot Chili Peppers
14. Weightless
    Animals As Leaders
15. Unto the Locust
    Machine Head
16. Low Country Blues
    Gregg Allman
17. Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
    Explosions in the Sky
18. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
19. The Flood
    Of Mice & Men
20. Man in Motion
    Warren Haynes
21. The Drug in Me Is You
    Falling In Reverse
22. The Whole Love
    Wilco
23. Scurrilous
    Protest the Hero
24. The Path of Totality
    Korn
25. This Is Country Music
    Brad Paisley
26. Forever Abomination
    Skeletonwitch
27. Revelator
    Tedeschi Trucks Band
28. Dystopia
    Iced Earth
29. Empros
    Russian Circles
30. How I Go
    Kenny Wayne Shepherd
31. Ritual
    Black Dahlia Murder
32. Green Naugahyde
    Primus
33. Balls Out
    Steel Panther
34. The Great Escape Artist
    Jane’s Addiction
35. Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites
    Jimmie Vaughan
36. El Camino
    The Black Keys
37. Digital Veil
    The Human Abstract
38. Chaos of Forms
    Revocation
39. Move Like This
    The Cars
40. 2120 South Michigan Ave.
    George Thorogood and the Destroyers
41. Dead Throne
    The Devil Wears Prada
42. Mirror Traffic
    Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
43. Carnival is Forever
    Decapitated
44. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
    Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
45. Dualism
    Textures
46. Chickenfoot III
    Chickenfoot
47. Content
    Gang of Four
48. American Capitalist
    Five Finger Death Punch
49. Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL!
    Brian Setzer
50. In Waves
    Trivium

Margaret Moser: Top 10 Albums of 2011, as published by The Austin Chronicle

1. Blessed
   Lucinda Williams
2. The King is Dead
   The Decemberists
3. 21
   Adele
4. Bad as Me
   Tom Waits
5. Barton Hollow
   The Civil Wars
6. El Camino
   The Black Keys
7. I’m Alright
   Cornell Dupree
8. Lioness: Hidden Treasures
   Amy Winehouse
9. Low Country Blues
   Gregg Allman
10. The Harrow & The Harvest
    Gillian Welch