AllMusic's Top 50 Albums of 2012

AllMusic's Top 50 Albums of 2012

Original Source →

50.

August 21, 2012
Critic Score
82
22 reviews
It is not a comeback record but a late continuation, a great work of art.

48.

May 29, 2012
Critic Score
79
35 reviews

47.

September 4, 2012
Critic Score
73
26 reviews
This is a king rightfully reclaiming his dominion.

45.

The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap
June 5, 2012
Critic Score
56
13 reviews

A sophisticated, epic, slow burn of an album, The Temper Trap finds the band taking the creative long view, and updating its bombastic guitar rock with a moody, somewhat synth-oriented sound.

44.

October 15, 2012
Critic Score
77
44 reviews

Focus and restraint might not sound exciting in and of themselves, but The Haunted Man is more direct than any of Bat for Lashes' previous work, and manages to keep the air of mystique around Khan that has made her one to watch and listen to since her early days.

43.

August 28, 2012
Critic Score
86
34 reviews

Two years after My Father Will Lead Me Up to a Rope to the Sky, The Seer is the most sprawling, ambitious, thoughtfully conceived and tightly performed recording in the band's catalog.

42.

June 12, 2012
Critic Score
78
34 reviews
For as haunting as parts of the album are, there is no fetishization of death on the parts of Albarn and Russell; even with a tinge of melancholy coloring the fringes of the album, this is an album that affirms the power of life, in all of its mess and glory.

41.

May 8, 2012
Critic Score
76
21 reviews

39.

June 18, 2012
Critic Score
70
28 reviews

Conceptual conceits aside, these are some of the most memorable and rousing songs Corgan has delivered since 1993's Siamese Dream.

38.

September 18, 2012
Critic Score
79
38 reviews

While it's not as obviously big a statement as Veckatimest was, Shields is plenty ambitious in its own right, and its complexity demands and rewards patient listening.

36.

April 24, 2012
Critic Score
82
41 reviews
Contradictions are nothing new for Jack White but he's never been as emotionally direct as he is here, nor has he been as musically evasive, and that dichotomy makes Blunderbuss a record that only seems richer with increased exposure.

35.

Jamey Johnson - Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
October 16, 2012
Critic Score
79
9 reviews
Johnson doesn't attempt to draw attention to himself, but instead, presents a series of excellent performances of Cochran's songs with himself as an anchor.

34.

August 7, 2012
Critic Score
78
19 reviews
Not only is it their best-sounding album yet, totally alive and raw, but it contains some of the hookiest songs and most thrilling performances of their almost-35-year career in rock & roll.

33.

Elle Varner - Perfectly Imperfect
August 7, 2012
Critic Score
85
2 reviews

32.

September 11, 2012
Critic Score
78
46 reviews

Coexist's exploration of isolation and intimacy is demanding and rewarding in its bold subtlety and eloquent simplicity.

31.

September 4, 2012
Critic Score
79
43 reviews

30.

June 11, 2012
Critic Score
75
41 reviews

29.

February 21, 2012
Critic Score
55
17 reviews
It's an impressive achievement and Fun. deserves every bit of acclaim that comes its way because of it.

27.

Breakbot - By Your Side
September 17, 2012
Critic Score
67
3 reviews

26.

October 9, 2012
Critic Score
85
20 reviews
What Converge has always done masterfully is to fuse the cyclonic, mosh-pit chaos of punk with the unrelenting precision of thrash, and blistering, cuts like "Vicious Muse," "Shame in the Way," and "Sparrow's Fall" deliver that mission statement in bloody, two minute bursts that further cements the group's reputation as the Webster's definition of American hardcore.

24.

October 22, 2012
Critic Score
76
5 reviews

22.

May 15, 2012
Critic Score
77
40 reviews

It's not the band's most immediate music, but the album's challenging mix of heartbroken words and aloof sounds rewards patient and repeated listening.

21.

April 2, 2012
Critic Score
78
13 reviews

18.

April 21, 2012
Critic Score
83
26 reviews

The Money Store is an important record that's also compelling, loaded with kinetic blows against the empire and fully stuffed with that attractive maverick spirit.

17.

August 28, 2012
Critic Score
79
28 reviews

16.

October 16, 2012
Critic Score
73
15 reviews

Long a master of obfuscation, Fagen plays it straight on Sunken Condos, tightening his songwriting and letting his music swing, and the results are an absolute joy.

15.

May 15, 2012
Critic Score
83
28 reviews

While R.A.P. Music is filled with all the heartbreak, pain, anger, and earnestness praised above, it's also an incredibly fly and fun record, filled with that prime MC/producer chemistry while striking that perfect balance of persuasive and powerful. Revolutionary stuff and absolutely no fluff, R.A.P. Music is outstanding.

13.

October 5, 2012
Critic Score
86
35 reviews

This combination gives Lonerism the best of both worlds, allowing it the creative freedom to emerge as one of the most impressive albums of the home-recording era while still feeling superbly refined.

12.

September 18, 2012
Critic Score
84
5 reviews

11.

September 4, 2012
Critic Score
76
24 reviews

Breakup Song is fresh and addictive enough to make listeners fall in love all over again.

10.

September 18, 2012
Critic Score
62
10 reviews

After a string of fantastical glamazon pop stars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj, there's something to be said for Jepsen's girl-next-door persona, which helps make Kiss one of 2012's best, and sweetest, pop albums.

9.

September 11, 2012
Critic Score
76
39 reviews
It's a remarkably catchy and concise set of songs featuring some of the most vibrant work that either one of them has produced.

8.

August 20, 2012
Critic Score
81
35 reviews

An album of uncommon depth, a sophisticated but stimulating hybrid of pop, soul, and adult contemporary.

7.

April 24, 2012
Critic Score
77
16 reviews

6.

October 2, 2012
Critic Score
83
34 reviews

5.

September 25, 2012
Critic Score
80
16 reviews
There are instances where the lyrical content edges too close to "artsy" teenage erotic poetry, but no song is without an attractive quality, whether it's a heavenly melody, a riveting rhythm, or a boggling production nuance.

4.

October 22, 2012
Critic Score
90
32 reviews
Any hesitation about the horror of it all is quickly wiped away by Kendrick's mix of true talk, open heart, open mind, and extended hand. Add it all up and even without the hype, this one is still potent and smart enough to rise to the top of the pile.

3.

June 19, 2012
Critic Score
87
33 reviews
Stripped of all her carnivalesque accouterments, Fiona Apple remains as rich and compelling as she ever was, perhaps even more so.

2.

July 10, 2012
Critic Score
91
42 reviews

One listen to Channel Orange makes it obvious that he is as free as an artist as he is as a man. The album doesn't have as many slyly powerful hooks as Nostalgia, Ultra, but Ocean's descriptive and subtle storytelling is taken to a higher level. 

1.

February 21, 2012
Critic Score
80
41 reviews

Fresh and surprisingly accessible despite its quirks, Visions is bewitching.

Original Source: http://www.allmusic.com/lists/best-of/albums/2012/50
Comments
Sign in to comment
No one has said anything yet.
Connect with AOTY
Like Us
Follow Us

February Playlist