Year-End Lists

Sonic Magazine: Best Albums of 2011 [staff lists]

[see also 2012]

1. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
2. The Harrow & The Harvest
   Gillian Welch
3. Circuital
   My Morning Jacket
4. So Beautiful or So What
   Paul Simon
5. Wounded Rhymes
   Lykke Li
6. James Blake
   James Blake
7. Helplessness Blues
   Fleet Foxes
8. Ashes & Fire
   Ryan Adams
9. Tassili
   Tinariwen
10. Metals
    Feist
11. Bon Iver
    Bon Iver
12. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
13. Black Up
    Shabazz Palaces
14. The Whole Love
    Wilco
15. Nostalgia, Ultra
    Frank Ocean
16. Believers
    A.A. Bondy
17. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
18. 21
    Adele
19. Ravedeath, 1972
    Tim Hecker
20. Goblin
    Tyler, The Creator
21. Islands & Shores
    Deportees
22. Dedication
    Zomby
23. För evigt
    Ison & Fille
24. Holy Ghost!
    Holy Ghost!
25. Klagomuren
    Jonathan Johansson

Paste Magazine: 50 Best Albums of 2011

[see also 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
2. Helplessness Blues
   Fleet Foxes
3. Circuital
   My Morning Jacket
4. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
5. Middle Brother
   Middle Brother
6. It’s A Corporate World
   Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
7. The Whole Love
   Wilco
8. Nothing is Wrong
   Dawes
9. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
   M83
10. The King is Dead
    The Decemberists
11. Strange Mercy
    St. Vincent
12. Kiss Each Other Clean
    Iron & Wine
13. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
13. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
14. 21
    Adele
15. Divine Providence
    Deer Tick
16. Yuck
    Yuck
17. Barton Hollow
    The Civil Wars
18. Civilian
    Wye Oak
19. Cults
    Cults
20. The Rip Tide
    Beirut
21. No Time for Dreaming
    Charles Bradley
22. El Camino
    The Black Keys
23. The Belle Brigade
    The Belle Brigade
24. Nine Types of Light
    TV on the Radio
25. Burst Apart
    The Antlers
26. Smart Flesh
    The Low Anthem
27. Arabia Mountain
    Black Lips
28. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
29. Metals
    Feist
30. Bad as Me
    Tom Waits
31. 12 Desperate Straight Lines
    Telekinesis
32. Ashes & Fire
    Ryan Adams
33. The Head and the Heart
    The Head and the Heart
34. This Is Where We Are
    Seryn
35. Camp
    Childish Gambino
36. Out of Love
    Mister Heavenly
37. Slave Ambient
    The War on Drugs
38. The Long Surrender
    Over the Rhine
39. Torches
    Foster the People
40. In the Mountain in the Cloud
    Portugal. The Man
41. James Blake
    James Blake
42. Wild Flag
    Wild Flag
43. The Big Roar
    Joy Formidable
44. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
45. Screws Get Loose
    Those Darlins
46. Holy Ghost!
    Holy Ghost!
47. Days
    Real Estate
48. Take Care
    Drake
49. Mountaintops
    Mates of State
50. England Keep My Bones
    Frank Turner

Q Magazine: Top 50 Albums of 2011

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2012]

1. Ceremonials
   Florence + The Machine
2. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
3. 21
   Adele
4. Bon Iver
   Bon Iver
5. Mylo Xyloto
   Coldplay
6. Watch the Throne
   Jay-Z and Kanye West
7. Suck It and See
   Arctic Monkeys
8. Strange Mercy
   St. Vincent
9. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
   WU LYF
10. Build a Rocket Boys!
    Elbow
11. Skying
    The Horrors
12. A Creature I Don’t Know
    Laura Marling
13. A Different Kind of Fix
    Bombay Bicycle Club
14. House of Balloons
    The Weeknd
15. Happy Soup
    Baxter Dury
16. Smoke Ring for My Halo
    Kurt Vile
17. The English Riviera
    Metronomy
18. Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi
19. WIT’S END
    Cass McCombs
20. Thursday
    The Weeknd
21. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
    Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
22. Ritual
    White Lies
23. Biophilia
    Björk
24. Days
    Real Estate
25. Smother
    Wild Beasts
26. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
27. +
    Ed Sheeran
28. The Harrow & The Harvest
    Gillian Welch
29. Velociraptor!
    Kasabian
30. Born This Way
    Lady Gaga
31. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
    Beastie Boys
32. The King of Limbs
    Radiohead
33. Whokill
    Tune-Yards
34. Hotel Shampoo
    Gruff Rhys
35. Humor Risk
    Cass McCombs
36. On A Mission
    Katy B
37. Within and Without
    Washed Out
38. Metals
    Feist
39. James Blake
    James Blake
40. Rome
    Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi
41. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
42. Last of the Country Gentlemen
    Josh T Pearson
43. Diamond Mine
    King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
44. Trans-Love Energies
    Death In Vegas
45. Colour of the Trap
    Miles Kane
46. SBTRKT
    SBTRKT
47. The Hunter
    Mastodon
48. Last Night on Earth
    Noah & The Whale
49. Nostalgia, Ultra
    Frank Ocean
50. Audio,Video,Disco
    Justice

Rise: Records of the Year 2011 [main list]

1. Slave Ambient
   The War on Drugs
2. Whokill
   Tune-Yards
3. Coracle
   Walls
4. Gentle Spirit
   Jonathan Wilson
5. Last of the Country Gentlemen
   Josh T Pearson
6. Smoke Ring for My Halo
   Kurt Vile
7. Let England Shake
   PJ Harvey
8. Burst Apart
   The Antlers
9. Ritual Union
   Little Dragon
10. Black Up
    Shabazz Palaces
11. The English Riviera
    Metronomy
12. Wander / Wonder
    Balam Acab
13. West
    Wooden Shjips
14. Native Speaker
    Braids
15. Space is Only Noise
    Nicolas Jaar
16. Veronica Falls
    Veronica Falls
17. Wounded Rhymes
    Lykke Li
18. Days
    Real Estate
19. Strange Mercy
    St. Vincent
20. Civilian
    Wye Oak
21. D
    White Denim
22. Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
    Ghostpoet
23. Everything Is Dancing
    Fair Ohs
24. Ashes & Fire
    Ryan Adams
25. Tamer Animals
    Other Lives
26. Looping State of Mind
    The Field
27. Bad as Me
    Tom Waits
28. The Whole Love
    Wilco
29. Father, Son, Holy Ghost
    Girls
30. Gracious Tide, Take Me Home
    Lanterns on the Lake
31. Anna Calvi
    Anna Calvi
32. Gloss Drop
    Battles
33. Past Life Martyred Saints
    EMA
34. Broadcast
    Hyetal
35. Cults
    Cults
36. Cat’s Eyes
    Cat’s Eyes
37. Cadenza
    Dutch Uncles
38. Coastal Grooves
    Blood Orange
39. Deerhoof vs. Evil
    Deerhoof
40. Battle For Seattle
    Little Roy
41. The Hunter
    Mastodon
42. W
    PLANNINGTOROCK
43. Katang
    Zun Zun Egui
44. Smother
    Wild Beasts
45. Apocalypse
    Bill Callahan
46. Eye Contact
    Gang Gang Dance
47. Diamond Mine
    King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
48. James Blake
    James Blake
49. The King is Dead
    The Decemberists
50. Welcome to Condale
    Summer Camp