Year-End Lists

Pazz & Jop: Top 100 Albums of 2012 (an annual poll of critics, published by The Village Voice)

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
3. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
4. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
5. Kaleidoscope Dream
   Miguel
6. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
7. The Seer
   Swans
8. R.A.P. Music
   Killer Mike
9. Visions
   Grimes
10. Bloom
    Beach House
11. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
12. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
13. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
14. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
15. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
16. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
17. Red
    Taylor Swift
18. Pluto
    Future
19. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
20. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
21. Locked Down
    Dr. John
22. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
23. Sun
    Cat Power
24. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
25. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
26. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
27. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
28. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
29. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
30. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
31. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
32. Older Than My Old Man Now
    Loudon Wainwright III
33. Transcendental Youth
    The Mountain Goats
34. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
35. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
36. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
37. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
38. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
39. Kiss
    Carly Rae Jepsen
40. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
    Todd Snider
41. Some Nights
    fun.
42. Silver Age
    Bob Mould
43. All We Love We Leave Behind
    Converge
44. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
    Kelly Hogan
45. The Money Store
    Death Grips
46. Shrines
    Purity Ring
47. The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
    Nada Surf
48. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
49. Coexist
    The xx
50. Open Your Heart
    The Men
51. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
52. Local Business
    Titus Andronicus
53. World Music
    Goat
54. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
55. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
56. Metz
    Metz
57. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
58. Sorrow and Extinction
    Pallbearer
59. Kindred
    Burial
60. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
61. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
62. Life Is Good
    Nas
63. Black Radio
    Robert Glasper Experiment
64. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
65. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
66. Wixiw
    Liars
67. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
68. Blue Chips
    Action Bronson & Party Supplies
69. Researching the Blues
    Redd Kross
70. R.I.P.
    Actress
71. King Tuff
    King Tuff
72. Black is Beautiful
    Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland
73. Mr. M
    Lambchop
74. Heaven
    Walkmen
75. Sorry to Bother You
    The Coup
76. Americana
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
77. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
78. Confess
    Twin Shadow
79. The Carpenter
    Avett Brothers
80. Clockwork Angels
    Rush
81. Accelerando
    Vijay Iyer
82. I Bet on Sky
    Dinosaur Jr.
83. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
84. Master of My Make-Believe
    Santigold
85. Dark York
    Le1f
86. Perfectly Imperfect
    Elle Varner
87. The Lost Tapes
    Can
88. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
89. Warrior
    Ke$ha
90. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
91. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
92. Twins
    Ty Segall
93. 3 Pears
    Dwight Yoakam
94. Banga
    Patti Smith
95. Big Inner
    Matthew E. White
96. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
    Nicki Minaj
97. The Only Place
    Best Coast
98. Voyageur
    Kathleen Edwards
99. Signs & Signifiers
    J.D. McPherson
100. Falling Off the Sky
     The dB’s