Year-End Lists

Gigwise: Top 50 Albums of 2011

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2012]

1. The English Riviera
   Metronomy
2. Skying
   The Horrors
3. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
4. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
   Beastie Boys
5. Angles
   The Strokes
6. Velociraptor!
   Kasabian
7. Suck It and See
   Arctic Monkeys
8. Ceremonials
   Florence + The Machine
9. Helplessness Blues
   Fleet Foxes
10. Pala
    Friendly Fires
11. Wasting Light
    Foo Fighters
12. Smother
    Wild Beasts
13. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
14. Burst Apart
    The Antlers
15. Mylo Xyloto
    Coldplay
16. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
    The Vaccines
17. Watch the Throne
    Jay-Z and Kanye West
18. Kiss Each Other Clean
    Iron & Wine
19. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
    Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
20. Mirrorwriting
    Jamie Woon
21. A Different Kind of Fix
    Bombay Bicycle Club
22. Biophilia
    Björk
23. Arabia Mountain
    Black Lips
24. Coastal Grooves
    Blood Orange
25. Computers and Blues
    The Streets
26. The People’s Key
    Bright Eyes
27. Cults
    Cults
28. Build a Rocket Boys!
    Elbow
29. Violet Cries
    Esben and the Witch
30. We’re New Here
    Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx
31. Hunger
    Frankie and the Heartstrings
32. Veronica Falls
    Veronica Falls
33. James Blake
    James Blake
34. The Big Roar
    Joy Formidable
35. On A Mission
    Katy B
36. A Creature I Don’t Know
    Laura Marling
37. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
    Mogwai
38. Nine Types of Light
    TV on the Radio
39. Last Night on Earth
    Noah & The Whale
40. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
    Unknown Mortal Orchestra
41. Yuck
    Yuck
42. 21
    Adele
43. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
44. Rome
    Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi
45. Past Life Martyred Saints
    EMA
46. Carrier
    Sully
47. Glass Swords
    Rustie
48. SBTRKT
    SBTRKT
49. Leisure Seizure
    Tom Vek
50. Sinners Never Sleep
    You Me At Six

ChartAttack: 12 Favourite Albums of 2011, in no particular order

• Diaper Island
  Chad Van Gaalen
• Bon Iver
  Bon Iver
• Days
  Real Estate
• New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
  Colin Stetson
• Within and Without
  Washed Out
• Whokill
  Tune-Yards
• Exmilitary
  Death Grips
• Cape Dory
  Tennis
• Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
  Explosions in the Sky
• Helplessness Blues
  Fleet Foxes
• Underneath the Pine
  Toro y Moi
• Watch the Throne
  Jay-Z and Kanye West

Claire Suddath: Top 10 Albums of 2011, as published by Time Magazine

1. 21
   Adele
2. Ceremonials
   Florence + The Machine
3. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
4. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
5. Nostalgia, Ultra
   Frank Ocean
6. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
7. Own Side Now
   Caitlin Rose
8. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
   Beastie Boys
9. Barton Hollow
   The Civil Wars
10. El Camino
    The Black Keys

Magnet Magazine: Top 20 Albums of 2011

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Yuck
   Yuck
2. Bad as Me
   Tom Waits
3. Wild Flag
   Wild Flag
4. Mirror Traffic
   Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
5. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
6. Collapse Into Now
   R.E.M.
7. The People’s Key
   Bright Eyes
8. Civilian
   Wye Oak
9. Defender
   Bird of Youth
10. Apocalypse
    Bill Callahan
11. David Comes to Life
    Fucked Up
12. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
13. Bon Iver
    Bon Iver
14. Whokill
    Tune-Yards
15. The Whole Love
    Wilco
16. Blood Pressures
    Kills
17. Last Summer
    Eleanor Friedberger
18. Demolished Thoughts
    Thurston Moore
19. Tomboy
    Panda Bear
20. James Blake
    James Blake

The Word Magazine: Best Albums of 2011, unordered

• So Beautiful or So What
  Paul Simon
• Smoke Ring for My Halo
  Kurt Vile
• 4everevolution
  Roots Manuva
• Let England Shake
  PJ Harvey
• Long Player Late Bloomer
  Ron Sexsmith
• 101
  Keren Ann
• Metals
  Feist
• Bon Iver
  Bon Iver
• The Whole Love
  Wilco
• An American Trilogy
  Mickey Newbury

Exclaim: 30 Best Pop & Rock Albums of 2011

[see also 2023]

1. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
2. Strange Mercy
   St. Vincent
3. Metals
   Feist
4. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
   M83
5. Kaputt
   Destroyer
6. Native Speaker
   Braids
7. Feel It Break
   Austra
8. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
9. Creep On Creepin’ On
   Timber Timbre
10. Impossible Spaces
    Sandro Perri
11. Wild Flag
    Wild Flag
12. Transistor Sister
    Shotgun Jimmie
13. Belong
    Pains of Being Pure at Heart
14. The Rip Tide
    Beirut
15. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
16. Apocalypse
    Bill Callahan
17. Yuck
    Yuck
18. We’re All Dying to Live
    Rich Aucoin
19. Bad as Me
    Tom Waits
20. Gloss Drop
    Battles
21. Goodbye Bread
    Ty Segall
22. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
23. 21
    Adele
24. Sound Kapital
    Handsome Furs
25. Cults
    Cults
26. Past Life Martyred Saints
    EMA
27. Deformer
    Dog Day
28. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
29. The Whole Love
    Wilco
30. Departing
    The Rural Alberta Advantage

Chris Richards: Best Pop Albums of 2011, as published by The Washington Post

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

1. House of Balloons
   The Weeknd
2. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
3. Hell on Heels
   Pistol Annies
4. On A Mission
   Katy B
5. Take Care
   Drake
6. The National Mall
   Bluebrain
7. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
8. Days
   Real Estate
9. James Blake
   James Blake
10. Manshines
    Fauna

Jason Diamond: 25 Records Loved in 2011, as published by Impose Magazine

1. Kaputt
   Destroyer
2. New Brigade
   Iceage
3. Sons of Stone
   People’s Temple
4. Cult of Youth
   Cult of Youth
5. Apokalypsis
   Chelsea Wolfe
6. Widowspeak
   Widowspeak
7. David Comes to Life
   Fucked Up
8. Howlin’ Gang
   Slug Guts
9. Peer Amid
   The Skull Defekts
10. Blood & Venom
    White Mystery
11. Let the Poison Out
    The Beets
12. Not Nothing
    Xray Eyeballs
13. Some Easy Magic
    Fungi Girls
14. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
    M83
15. Eye Contact
    Gang Gang Dance
16. Aesthethica
    Liturgy
17. Goodbye Bread
    Ty Segall
18. The Year of Hibernation
    Youth Lagoon
19. You’re Never Going Back
    Coasting
20. Innings
    Nodzzz

Bob Boilen of NPR: 11 Favorite Albums of 2011

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

1. Diamond Mine
   King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
2. The Whole Love
   Wilco
3. Breakers
   Gem Club
4. Chamber Music
   Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal
5. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
6. The People’s Key
   Bright Eyes
7. Burst Apart
   The Antlers
8. The Devil’s Walk
   Apparat
9. James Blake
   James Blake
10. Wander / Wonder
    Balam Acab
11. Passenger
    Lisa Hannigan

Stephen Thompson of NPR: 10 Favorite Albums of 2011

[see also 2017]

1. Diamond Mine
   King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
2. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
3. Civilian
   Wye Oak
4. The Magic Place
   Julianna Barwick
5. Days
   Real Estate
6. We Are the Tide
   Blind Pilot
7. Talk That Talk
   Rihanna
8. The Whole Love
   Wilco
9. Undun
   The Roots
10. Come Back to Us
    Release the Sunbird