Year-End Lists

The Wire: Top 50 Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Quarantine
   Laurel Halo
2. Icon Give Thank
   Sun Araw & M Geddes Gengras meet the Congos
3. RIP
   Actress
4. Fremde Zeit Addendum
   Jakob Ullmann
5. Songs About Nothing
   Jason Lescalleet
6. Live at the Grimm Museum 1
   CC Hennix & The Chora(s)san Time-Court Mirage
7. Tempest
   Bob Dylan
8. Ekstasis
   Julia Holter
9. Transverse
   Carter Tutti Void
10. Dependent and Happy
    Ricardo Villalobos
11. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
12. Blood Rushing
    Josephine Foster
13. Mabushii Itazura Na Inori
    Fushitsusha
14. Imikuzushi
    Haino/O’Rourke/Ambarchi
15. The Money Store
    Death Grips
16. Medium
    Emptyset
17. Black is Beautiful
    Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland
18. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
19. Wandelweiser und so Weiter
    V/A
20. Crippled Symmetry: At June in Buffalo
    Morton Feldman
21. Verse of Birds
    Richard Skelton
22. Back on the Streets
    The Bohman Brothers
23. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
24. Crosshatches
    Michael Pisaro and Toshiya Tsunoda
25. Reeling Skullways
    Bass Clef
26. Modern Jester
    Aaron Dilloway
27. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
28. The Drawbar Organ/Music for the Quiet Hour
    Shackleton
29. Wound Response
    Rhodri Davies
30. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
31. Ten Freedom Summers
    Wadada Leo Smith
32. Novaya Zemlya
    Thomas Koner
33. In our Name
    Annea Lockwood
34. Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
    Earth
35. Diversions 1994-1996
    Lee Gamble
36. Deviation
    Heatsick
37. Feel Free
    Duane Pitre
38. Quarter Turns over a Living Line
    Raime
39. The Seer
    Swans
40. Mbeuguel Dafa Nekh
    Mark Ernestus Presents Jeri-Jeri with Mbene Diatta Seck
41. Playin’ Me
    Cooly G
42. Da Mind of Traxman
    Traxman
43. Teklife Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi
    DJ Rashad
44. Streets
    Charles Gayle Trio
45. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
46. Sleep Games
    Pye Corner Audio
47. Sounds from Dangerous Places
    Peter Cusack
48. Effigy
    Pelt
49. Pretty Ugly
    DVA
50. Yatagarasu
    Brotzmann/Satoh/Moriyama