Year-End Lists

PopMatters: 75 Best Albums of 2012

1. Frank Ocean
   Channel Orange
2. Japandroids
   Celebration Rock
3. Fiona Apple
   The Idler Wheel…
4. Beach House
   Bloom
5. Swans
   The Seer
6. Killer Mike
   R.A.P. Music
7. Tame Impala
   Lonerism
8. Jessie Ware
   Devotion
9. Kendrick Lamar
   good kid, m.A.A.d city
10. Chromatics
    Kill for Love
11. Grimes
    Visions
12. Carolina Chocolate Drops
    Leaving Eden
13. Walkmen
    Heaven
14. Jack White
    Blunderbuss
15. Baroness
    Yellow & Green
16. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
    ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
17. Pepe Deluxé
    Queen of the Wave
18. Cloud Nothings
    Attack on Memory
19. Grizzly Bear
    Shields
20. Avett Brothers
    The Carpenter
21. Spiritualized
    Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
22. The Maccabees
    Given to the Wild
23. Taylor Swift
    Red
24. The Mountain Goats
    Transcendental Youth
25. Galactic
    Carnivale Electricos
26. Dr. John
    Locked Down
27. Father John Misty
    Fear Fun
28. Andy Stott
    Luxury Problems
29. Death Grips
    The Money Store
30. Robert Glasper Experiment
    Black Radio
31. Hot Chip
    In Our Heads
32. Esperanza Spalding
    Chamber Music Society
33. Bat for Lashes
    The Haunted Man
34. The Touré-Raichel Collective
    The Tel Aviv Session
35. El-P
    Cancer 4 Cure
36. Nas
    Life Is Good
37. Miguel
    Kaleidoscope Dream
38. David Byrne & St. Vincent
    Love this Giant
39. Of Monsters And Men
    My Head is an Animal
40. The Men
    Open Your Heart
41. Quantic & Alice Russell
    Look Around the Corner
42. Flying Lotus
    Until the Quiet Comes
43. Metz
    Metz
44. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
    Theatre Is Evil
45. Bob Mould
    Silver Age
46. Julia Holter
    Ekstasis
47. Ryan Bingham
    Tomorrowland
48. Lambchop
    Mr. M
49. Iris DeMent
    Sing the Delta
50. Paul Weller
    Sonik Kicks
51. Todd Snider
    Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
52. How to Dress Well
    Total Loss
53. John Talabot
    fIN
54. BBU
    bell hooks
55. Wadada Leo Smith
    Ten Freedom Summers
56. Bruce Springsteen
    Wrecking Ball
57. Dirty Projectors
    Swing Lo Magellan
58. Sleigh Bells
    Reign of Terror
59. Redd Kross
    Researching the Blues
60. The Gaslight Anthem
    Handwritten
61. alt-J
    An Awesome Wave
62. Debo Band
    Debo Band
63. Islands
    A Sleep & A Forgetting
64. Ty Segall
    Twins
65. Krallice
    Years Past Matter
66. Passion Pit
    Gossamer
67. Rush
    Clockwork Angels
68. Goat
    World Music
69. Allo Darlin’
    Europe
70. Lianne La Havas
    Is Your Love Big Enough?
71. Purity Ring
    Shrines
72. Sun Araw/M. Geddes Gengras/The Congos
    FRKWYS Vol. 9: Icon Give Thank
73. The Tallest Man on Earth
    There’s No Leaving Now
74. Santigold
    Master of My Make-Believe
75. My Jerusalem
    Preachers