Year-End Lists

Robert Christgau: Top 102 Albums of 2012 (which Christgau calls “The Dean’s List”)

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017]

1. Americana
   Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2. Sounds of the Syrian Houran
   Dabke
3. Older Than My Old Man Now
   Loudon Wainwright III
4. The Truth About Love
   Pink
5. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
   Todd Snider
6. Bangarang
   Skrillex
7. Nehru Jackets
   Himanshu
8. Transcendental Youth
   The Mountain Goats
9. The Rough Guide to High Life
   various artists
10. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
11. 1991
    Azealia Banks
12. Listen . . . Oka!
    Chris Berry & The Bayaka of Yandoumbe
13. Between the Times and the Tides
    Lee Ranaldo
14. Coexist
    The xx
15. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
16. La Belle Époque: Volume 2 1973-1976
    Orchestra Baobab
17. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
18. Ndigal
    Karantamba
19. Another
    The Human Hearts
20. First of a Living Breed
    Homeboy Sandman
21. Father Creeper
    Spoek Mathambo
22. Tell Me That Before
    Greenberger Greenberg Cebar
23. Red
    Taylor Swift
24. The Greatest Story Never Told: Chapter Two: Bread and Circuses
    Saigon
25. C.A.R.
    Serengeti
26. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
27. The Good Sun
    Homeboy Sandman
28. Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts
    Omar Souleyman
29. Back on Time
    Plug
30. A Working Museum
    Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby
31. Wild Water Kingdom
    Heems
32. Perfectly Imperfect
    Elle Varner
33. Out of Sight, Out of Town
    Standard Fare
34. Falling Off the Sky
    The dB’s
35. Worship
    A Place to Bury Strangers
36. No Love Deep Web
    Death Grips
37. The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia
    various artists
38. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
39. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
40. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
41. Bloom
    Beach House
42. The Dreamer
    Etta James
43. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
44. The Only Place
    Best Coast
45. The Money Store
    Death Grips
46. Control System
    Ab-Soul
47. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
48. Songs for Desert Refugees
    various artists
49. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
50. Now What!
    Tommy Womack
51. Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp
    Public Enemy
52. No1 2 Look Up 2
    Big Baby Gandhi
53. Elysium
    Pet Shop Boys
54. Bouger Le Monde!
    Staff Benda Bilili
55. Kill My Blues
    Corin Tucker Band
56. The Queen of Vancouver Island
    Carolyn Mark
57. Beak & Claw
    s / s / s
58. The Moon in Transit
    Thomas Anderson
59. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
60. Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
    Jamey Johnson
61. The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco
    various artists
62. ¿Which Side Are You On?
    Ani DiFranco
63. Sadie
    P.S. Eliot
64. Sorry to Bother You
    The Coup
65. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
66. Balkan Beat Box
    Give
67. Lonely at the Top
    Lukid
68. 4Eva N a Day
    Big K.R.I.T.
69. Call Me Sylvia
    Low Cut Connie
70. 12 Bit Blues
    Kid Koala
71. The Complete Bowdoin College Concert 1960
    Pete Seeger
72. The Heist
    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
73. Sister Pili + 2
    Moreno and L’Orch First Moja-One
74. Street Halo/Kindred
    Burial
75. Bhiman
    Bhi Bhiman
76. Subject: Matter
    Homeboy Sandman
77. African Electronic Music 1975-1982
    Francis Bebey
78. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded: Deluxe Edition
    Nicki Minaj
79. MDNA
    Madonna
80. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
81. Love at the Bottom of the Sea
    The Magnetic Fields
82. Stunt Rhythms
    Two Fingers
83. Some Girls: Deluxe Edition
    The Rolling Stones
84. Sings Bolling Greene
    Dylan Hicks
85. Kenny Dennis EP
    Serengeti
86. Nothing to Fear
    Dobie
87. Onwards to the Wall
    A Place to Bury Strangers
88. Instrumental Mixtape
    Clams Casino
89. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
90. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
91. …But Fear Itself
    Dobie
92. Kiss You Down South
    Ned Sublette
93. En Yay Sah
    Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang
94. Kadior Demb
    Royal Band de Thiés
95. Folila
    Amadou & Mariam
96. Night and Day
    Andre Williams & the Sadies
97. Tchini Tchini
    Khaira Arby
98. La Familia Soriano
    Joan Soriano
99. Big Fucking Baby
    Big Baby Gandhi
100. Super Into On It
     Linkoban
101. The Original Sound of Cumbia
     various artists
102. There’s a Situation on the Homefront
     Tha Grimm Teachaz