2012 BEST ALBUMS

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. The album earned four Grammy Award nominations at the 2014 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Metacritic score = 91/100 from 36 reviews, #4 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 90/100 from 32 reviews, no.2 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on BBC, Complex, Earmilk, Exclaim!, FACT Magazine, No Ripcord, Pitchfork, no.2 in SPIN, The 405, The Needle Drop, TIME), placing 2nd in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 2nd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 2nd in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching 1st place in BestEverAlbums, 2nd place in SputnikMusic, 1st place in RateYourMusic and 1st place in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.2 in US Billboard 200, Canadian Albums, no.7 in New Zealand Albums, no.16 in UK Albums, no.20 in Danish Albums, no.23 in Australian Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 80th and 24th in US Billboard 200 year-end charts for 2012 and 2013. The album placed 3rd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Channel Orange is the debut studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. At the 2013 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Metacritic score = 92/100 from 46 reviews, #3 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 91/100 from 42 reviews, no.1 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Slant, Entertainment Weekly, Consequence of Sound, musicOMH, The Guardian, A.V. Club, Treble, PopMatters, Paste, SPIN), placing 1st in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 1st in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 1st in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 3 in BestEverAlbums, top 80 in SputnikMusic, top 5 in RateYourMusic and top 10 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.2 in US Billboard 200, UK Albums, Danish Albums, no.3 in Canadian Albums, no.9 in Australian Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 29th and 75th in Danish Albums, 78th and 56th in Australian Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013, 74th in US Billboard 200 year-end chart for 2012. The album placed 7th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple. The album received a nomination at the 2013 Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album. Metacritic score = 89/100 from 35 reviews, #5 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 87/100 from 31 reviews, no.3 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Stereogum, TIME, Pretty Much Amazing, Spinner, no.2 on Entertainment Weekly, Consequence of Sound, no.3 on AllMusic, Pitchfork, PopMatters, no.4 on Paste), placing 3rd in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 5th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 4th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in BestEverAlbums, top 45 in SputnikMusic, top 10 in RateYourMusic and top 10 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.3 in US Billboard 200, no.13 in Canadian Albums, no.20 in Portuguese Albums, no.23 in Australian Albums, no.28 in Swiss Albums weekly charts. The album placed 17th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

The Seer is the twelfth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. Metacritic score = 87/100 from 32 reviews, #12 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 86/100 from 34 reviews, no.6 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Cokemachineglow, The Quietus, no.3 on Tiny Mix Tapes, no.4 on Stereogum, No Ripcord, no.5 on Pitchfork, PopMatters, Consequence of Sound, no.6 on TIME, no.7 on SPIN, A.V. Club, MAGNET), placing 7th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 7th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 7th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in BestEverAlbums, top 15 on SputnikMusic, top 3 on RateYourMusic, top 3 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album placed 54th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Lonerism is the second studio album by Australian musical project Tame Impala. At the 2013 ARIA Awards, the album won Best Rock Album and Album of the Year, while at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album. At the J Awards of 2012, the album won Australian Album of the Year. Metacritic score = 88/100 from 35 reviews, #7 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 86/100 from 35 reviews, no.4 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on NME, Obscure Sound, Urban Outfitters, FILTER, no.2 on Crack Magazine, musicOMH, No Ripcord, Under the Radar, no.3 on Treble, no.4 on Pitchfork, Pretty Much Amazing), placing 6th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 3rd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 3rd in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching 2nd place in BestEverAlbums, top 15 in RateYourMusic and top 15 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.4 in Australian Albums, no.14 in UK Albums, no.27 in Norwegian Albums, no.34 in US Billboard 200, no.38 in Belgian Flanders Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 94th and 90th in Australian Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013. The album placed 19th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Visions is the third studio album by Canadian musician Grimes. The album won a Juno Award and was also nominated for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize. Metacritic score = 80/100 from 42 reviews. AOTY score = 80/100 from 41 reviews, no.78 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Rough Trade, Gorilla vs. Bear, AllMusic, no.2 on The Fly, NME, Cokemachineglow, The Guardian, DIY, no.3 on FILTER, no.5 on Clash, Exclaim!), placing 9th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 4th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 6th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in BestEverAlbums, top 85 in RateYourMusic and top 55 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.46 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.65 in Irish Albums, no.67 in UK Albums, no.98 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts. The album placed 32nd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Celebration Rock is the second studio album by Canadian rock duo Japandroids. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 33 reviews, #43 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 34 reviews, no.38 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.2 on A.V. Club, PopMatters, no.3 on Entertainment Weekly, Alternative Press, Spinner, SPIN, no.4 in DIY, no.5 in Pretty Much Amazing, no.6 in MAGNET, no.7 in Stereogum, Slant, The Line of Best Fit), placing 4th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 6th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 5th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 20 in BestEverAlbums, top 65 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.37 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts. The album placed 86th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

R.A.P. Music is the fifth studio album by American rapper Killer Mike. Metacritic score = 85/100 from 27 reviews, #34 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 84/100 from 27 reviews, no.12 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.3 on Exclaim!, no.5 on Earmilk, no.6 on Entertainment Weekly, Consequence of Sound, PopMatters, no.8 on SPIN, no.9 on Treble, Cokemachineglow, no.10 on TIME, no.11 on Gorilla vs. Bear), placing 8th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 11th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 10th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 45 in BestEverAlbums, top 45 in SputnikMusic, top 30 in RateYourMusic, top 30 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.82 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts. It placed 65th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Bloom is the fourth studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. Metacritic score = 78/100 from 45 reviews. AOTY score = 77/100 from 40 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.2 on Urban Outfitters, no.3 on Under the Radar, MAGNET, no.4 on Treble, Obscure Sound, PopMatters, no.6 on Cokemachineglow, no.7 on Gorilla vs. Bear, Idolator, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound), placing 10th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 8th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 13th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 5 in BestEverAlbums, top 10 on RateYourMusic, top 10 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album placed 41st in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart. The album peaked to no.5 in Norwegian Albums, no.7 in US Billboard 200, no.8 in Danish Albums, no.10 in Irish Albums, Portuguese Albums, Belgian Flanders Albums weekly charts.

Blunderbuss is the debut solo studio album by American musician Jack White. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 44 reviews, #51 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 82/100 from 41 reviews, no.35 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on MOJO, no.3 on Uncut, Rolling Stone, no.6 on A.V. Club, no.10 on NME, Slant, no.11 on Clash, no.13 on DIY, Pretty Much Amazing, no.14 on PopMatters), placing 11th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 14th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 9th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 15 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Belgian Flanders Albums, Canadian Albums, Swiss Albums, UK Albums, US Billboard 200 weekly charts. Also it placed 22nd in Belgian Flanders Albums, 43rd in Canadian Albums, 47th in Australian Albums, 66th in US Billboard 200, 72nd in Swiss Albums year-end charts for 2012. The album placed 33rd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Shields is the fourth studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear. Metacritic score = 86/100 from 36 reviews, #22 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 79/100 from 38 reviews, no.73 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.6 on Pretty Much Amazing, Obscure Sound, no.7 on Treble, no.8 on Uncut, no.9 on Piccadilly Records, Urban Outfitters, Under the Radar, no.10 on Pitchfork, No Ripcord, Clash), placing 27th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 10th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 13th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 15 in BestEverAlbums, top 100 in RateYourMusic, top 35 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.7 in US Billboard 200, no.13 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.14 in Irish Albums, no.17 in UK Albums, Australian Albums weekly charts. It placed 48th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

The Money Store is the debut studio album by American experimental hip hop trio Death Grips. Metacritic score = 81/100 from 27 reviews, #94 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 83/100 from 26 reviews, no.18 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on The Needle Drop, no.2 on Time Out London, no.3 on No Ripcord, no.4 on Clash, no.6 on BBC, no.8 on The 405, no.9 on Pitchfork, no.15 on The Wire, no.16 on Consequence of Sound, Tiny Mix Tapes), placing 46th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 17th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 25th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 5 in BestEverAlbums, top 60 in SputnikMusic, top 3 in RateYourMusic, top 3 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album placed 18th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Red is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The album received nominations for Album of the Year at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards, and Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Metacritic score = 77/100 from 23 reviews. AOTY score = 74/100 from 19 reviews. Included in several year-end lists by publications (no.2 on Idolator, no.16 on The Guardian, no.19 on Stereogum, no.23 on PopMatters, no.31 on Rolling Stone, no.38 on SPIN), placing 17th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 63rd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 21st in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 25 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Australian Albums, Canadian Albums, Irish Albums, New Zealand Albums, UK Albums, US Billboard 200 weekly charts. Also it placed 4th and 2nd in US Billboard 200, 7th and 24th in Australian Albums, 10th and 8th in Canadian Albums, 6th and 17th in New Zealand Albums, 42nd and 27th in UK Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013. The album placed 2nd in United World Chart YE2012 and 11th in United World Chart YE2013. It placed 2nd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Kaleidoscope Dream is the second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Miguel. Metacritic score = 86/100 from 20 reviews, #18 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 80/100 from 16 reviews, no.69 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Idolator, no.4 on Entertainment Weekly, no.5 on SPIN, AllMusic, no.9 on Gorilla vs. Bear, no.11 on The Guardian, no.12 on Stereogum, Exclaim!, no.13 on A.V. Club, no.14 on Earmilk, Obscure Sound), placing 5th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 16th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 11th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 70 in BestEverAlbums, top 90 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.3 in US Billboard 200, no.26 in Danish Albums, no.45 in Australian Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 89th in US Billboard 200 year-end chart for 2012.

GRRR! is a greatest hits album by the English rock band Rolling Stones. Metacritic score = 82/100 from 7 reviews. AOTY score = 87/100 from 7 reviews. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 35 in RateYourMusic compilations chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Austrian Albums, German Albums, no.3 in UK Albums, Irish Albums, Greek Albums, no.4 in Belgian Flanders Albums, Dutch Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 23rd and 91st in Dutch Albums, 31st and 95th in UK Albums, 50th and 83rd in Belgian Wallonia Albums, 64th and 80th in Belgian Flanders Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013, 23rd in German Albums, 32nd in Australian Albums year-end charts for 2012.

Wrecking Ball is the seventeenth studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards. Metacritic score = 78/100 from 41 reviews. AOTY score = 77/100 from 34 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Rolling Stone, no.5 on American Songwriter, no.10 on Uncut, no.15 on musicOMH, no.22 on MAGNET, no.47 on Gigwise, no.56 on PopMatters), placing 15th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 44th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate, 20th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate ratings on music sites, reaching top 40 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Austrian Albums, Belgian Flanders Albums, Croatian Albums, Danish Albums, Dutch Albums, Finnish Albums, German Albums, Irish Albums, Italian Albums, New Zealand Albums, Norwegian Albums, Spanish Albums, Swedish Albums, Swiss Albums, UK Albums, US Billboard 200 weekly charts. Also it placed 5th in Swedish Albums, 10th in Spanish Albums, Dutch Albums, 16th in Finnish Albums, 17th in Italian Albums, 19th in Belgian Flanders Albums year-end charts for 2012. The album placed 47th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart. The album placed 16th in United World Chart YE2012.

Devotion is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Jessie Ware. The album was nominated for the Album of the Year category at the 2012 Mercury Prize. Metacritic score = 85/100 from 28 reviews, #28 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 35 reviews, no.43 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on The Line of Best Fit, no.2 on Slant, no.3 on Idolator, The Guardian, no.4 on BBC, Time Out London, no.5 on The Fly, Stereogum, Gorilla vs. Bear, no.8 on PopMatters, AllMusic), placing 30th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 12th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 11th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 80 in BestEverAlbums, top 100 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.5 in UK Albums, no.8 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.12 in Croatian International Albums, no.13 in Polish Albums, no.22 in Norwegian Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 93rd in Belgian Flanders Albums year-end chart for 2012. It placed 72th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Old Ideas is the twelfth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Metacritic score = 85/100 from 32 reviews, #29 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 35 reviews, no.55 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Uncut, no.4 on MOJO, American Songwriter, no.5 on Spinner, no.9 on Obscure Sound, no.13 on Rolling Stone, no.16 on A.V. Club, no.34 on Consequence of Sound, no.39 on Paste, no.44 on Under the Radar), placing 22nd in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 35th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 25th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate ratings on music sites, reaching top 75 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Belgian Flanders Albums, Belgian Wallonia Albums, Canadian Albums, Croatian Albums, Czech Albums, Dutch Albums, Finnish Albums, Hungarian Albums, New Zealand Albums, Norwegian Albums, Polish Albums, Spanish Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 4thin Belgian Flanders Albums, 13th in Belgian Wallonia Albums, 14th in Dutch Albums, 16th in Canadian Albums, 19th in Polish Albums year-end charts for 2012.

Kill for Love is the fourth studio album by American electronic music band Chromatics. Metacritic score = 80/100 from 18 reviews. AOTY score = 82/100 from 24 reviews, no.33 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Gorilla vs. Bear, no.2 on Treble, Beats Per Minute, no.4 on musicOMH, no.5 on Urban Outfitters, no.6 on Slant, no.7 in Piccadilly Records, Pretty Much Amazing, no.8 on Pitchfork, no.10 on PopMatters), placing 28th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 9th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 18th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 25 in BestEverAlbums, top 70 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.27 in Norwegian Albums, no.67 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.93 in Dutch Albums weekly charts.

Until the Quiet Comes is the fourth studio album by American electronic music producer Flying Lotus, Metacritic score = 83/100 from 36 reviews, #52 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 83/100 from 34 reviews, no.22 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Beats Per Minute, The 405, no.4 on Exclaim!, no.6 on AllMusic, no.7 on Crack Magazine, Clash, no.8 on MAGNET, No Ripcord, no.11 on Treble, Obscure Sound), placing 63rd in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 13th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 13th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 45 in BestEverAlbums, top 100 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.26 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.34 in US Billboard 200, UK Albums, no.41 in in Japanese Albums, no.50 in Irish Albums weekly charts.

Attack on Memory is the second studio album by American indie rock band Cloud Nothings. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 33 reviews, #54 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 78/100 from 30 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.3 on A.V. Club, no.4 on Consequence of Sound, no.6 on Stereogum, The Line of Best Fit, no.8 on Exclaim!, no.13 on SPIN, Treble, no.14 on No Ripcord, no.17 on Urban Outfitters, no.18 on PopMatters), placing 13th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 21st in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 13th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 15 in BestEverAlbums, top 50 in RateYourMusic, top 30 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album placed 97th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Light Up Gold is the second studio album by American indie rock band Parquet Courts. Metacritic score = 84/100 from 24 reviews, #36 Best Album of 2013. AOTY score = 82/100 from 26 reviews, no.37 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on The Fly, no.8 on Time Out London, no.9 on Rough Trade, The Daily Beast, no.11 on Rolling Stone, no.18 on Uncut, no.19 on Crack Magazine, no.23 on Paste, no.24 on NME, no.33 on Q Magazine), placing 24th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll 2013, 40th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate 2013 and 10th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists 2013. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 20 in BestEverAlbums, top 75 in RateYourMusic and top 70 in AOTY charts for 2012.

'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is the fourth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The album won the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. Metacritic score = 81/100 from 34 reviews, #92 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 83/100 from 33 reviews, no.24 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.7 on Obscure Sound, no.8 on FILTER, no.9 on No Ripcord, The Needle Drop, no.12 on Pitchfork, no.13 on Cokemachineglow, Stereogum, no.14 on SPIN, no.16 on PopMatters, no.17 on Exclaim!), placing 36th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 23rd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 20 in BestEverAlbums, top 15 in RateYourMusic and top 15 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.41 in UK Albums, no.45 in US Billboard 200, no.47 in Finnish Albums, no.49 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.94 in Swiss Albums weekly charts.

Born to Die is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Metacritic score = 62/100 from 37 reviews. AOTY score = 63/100 from 39 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Complex, no.9 on Slant, no.11 on The Fly, no.17 on The Guardian, no.19 on FACT Magazine, no.42 on Gigwise, no.45 on NME, Spinner, no.50 on Earmilk, no.51 on Uncut), placing 54th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 57th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Australian Albums, Austrian Albums, Belgian Wallonia Albums, French Albums, German Albums, Greek Albums, Irish Albums, Norwegian Albums, Swiss Albums, UK Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 2nd and 29th in Swiss Albums, 4th and 59th in UK Albums, 4th and 77th in German Albums, 14th and 76th in Australian Albums, 70th and 53rd in US Billboard 200 year-end charts for 2012 and 2013. The album placed 4th in United World Chart YE2012. It placed 1st in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Tempest is the 35th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 36 reviews, #49 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 84/100 from 33 reviews, no.17 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on American Songwriter, no.2 on Uncut, no.4 on Rolling Stone, no.7 on The Wire, no.10 on MOJO, no.11 on MAGNET, no.23 on A.V. Club, no.26 on Paste, no.32 on Pretty Much Amazing), placing 16th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 34th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 23rd in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 50 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Austrian Albums, Croatian Albums, Danish Albums, Dutch Albums, Norwegian Albums, Swedish Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 31st in Swedish Albums, 32nd in Dutch Albums, 39th in Austrian Albums, 51st in Belgian Flanders Albums, 89th in German Albums year-end charts for 2012. The album placed 64th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Blur 21 is a CD, DVD and vinyl box set encompassing the vast majority of music by English rock band Blur. Metacritic score = 92/100 from 17 reviews. AOTY score = 86/100 from 12 reviews. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in RateYourMusic compilations chart for 2012.

All We Love We Leave Behind is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Converge. Metacritic score = 88/100 from 19 reviews, #9 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 84/100 from 18 reviews, no.11 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.6 on Treble, no.7 on Exclaim!, no.9 on Consequence of Sound, no.21 on The Needle Drop, no.26 on AllMusic, no.40 on Stereogum, no.46 on Tiny Mix Tapes, no.49 on No Ripcord, no.86 on Crack Magazine), placing 42nd in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 55th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 25th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 80 in BestEverAlbums, top 25 in SputnikMusic, top 10 in RateYourMusic and top 20 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.70 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts.

Tramp is the third album by American singer–songwriter Sharon Van Etten. Metacritic score = 81/100 from 31 reviews, #83 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 34 reviews, no.53 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on The Fly, no.4 on A.V. Club, no.5 on Paste, no.6 on American Songwriter, no.7 on Spinner, no.8 on Piccadilly Records, no.12 on No Ripcord, Consequence of Sound, no.15 on NME, MAGNET), placing 19th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 15th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 18th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 50 in BestEverAlbums, top 95 in AOTY charts for 2012.

Swing Lo Magellan is the sixth studio album by American experimental rock group Dirty Projectors. Metacritic score = 80/100 from 41 reviews. AOTY score = 80/100 from 44 reviews, no.68 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on TIME, The Guardian, no.5 on Slant, no.7 on Paste, Under the Radar, no.10 on Stereogum, no.11 on Urban Outfitters, Spinner, Exclaim!, No Ripcord), placing 12th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 19th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 28th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 20 in BestEverAlbums, top 60 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.22 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts.

Kindred is the fifth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. Metacritic score = 88/100 from 17 reviews. AOTY score = 85/100 from 18 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Gorilla vs. Bear, no.16 on Pitchfork, no.18 on Cokemachineglow, no.23 on Obscure Sound, no.26 on No Ripcord, no.35 on Tiny Mix Tapes, no.44 on Treble, no.53 on The Quietus), placing 59th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 78th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 40 in BestEverAlbums, top 15 in SputnikMusic, top 3 in RateYourMusic EPs and top 15 in AOTY charts for 2012.

An Awesome Wave is the debut album by English indie rock band alt-J. The album won the 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize. Metacritic score = 71/100 from 20 reviews. AOTY score = 78/100 from 22 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.2 on Clash, no.3 on Gigwise, no.5 on NME, no.7 on Rough Trade, DIY, The Guardian, no.8 on Earmilk, no.9 on Time Out London, BBC, no.12 on The Fly), placing 18th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 8th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 10 in BestEverAlbums, top 65 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.9 in Australian Albums, no.11 in Irish Albums, no.13 in UK Albums, no.17 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.18 in Dutch Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 61st and 67th in UK Albums, 97th and 48th in Belgian Flanders Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013, 48th in Australian Albums year-end chart for 2013. The album placed 29th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Luxury Problems is the second studio album by English electronic musician Andy Stott. Metacritic score = 86/100 from 20 reviews, #19 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 83/100 from 18 reviews, no.23 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.3 on Beats Per Minute, no.4 on Resident Advisor, no.5 on The 405, no.8 on Tiny Mix Tapes, no.13 on Exclaim!, no.14 on Pitchfork, no.16 on Cokemachineglow, no.18 on The Wire, no.19 on Treble, no.20 on Gorilla vs. Bear), placing 29th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 27th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate, 28th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 50 in BestEverAlbums, top 55 in RateYourMusic, top 55 in AOTY charts for 2012.

The Truth About Love is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Pink. It was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Metacritic score = 77/100 from 16 reviews. AOTY score = 69/100 from 17 reviews. Included in year-end list by NPR Music. It received moderate ratings on music sites. The album peaked to no.1 in US Billboard 200, Swiss Albums, Swedish Albums, New Zealand Albums, German Albums, Canadian Albums, Austrian Albums, Australian Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 1st and 1st in Australian Albums, 24th and 3rd in Canadian Albums, 37th and 8th in US Billboard 200, 12th and 20th in UK Albums, 13th and 11th in German Albums, 41st and 89th in Dutch Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013. The album placed 7th in United World Chart YE2012 and 5th in United World Chart YE2013. It placed 21st in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Cancer 4 Cure is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer El-P. Metacritic score = 84/100 from 39 reviews, #37 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 35 reviews, no.41 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.3 on Cokemachineglow, no.10 on Complex, no.12 on Paste, The 405, no.14 on Exclaim!, no.15 on Stereogum, no.20 on Pretty Much Amazing, no.22 on Treble, no.25 on Consequence of Sound, no.28 on Earmilk), placing 26th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 36th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 75 in BestEverAlbums, top 70 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.71 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts.

Locked Down is a 2012 album by American R&B artist Dr. John. Metacritic score = 86/100 from 30 reviews, #23 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 83/100 from 27 reviews, no.25 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Uncut, no.8 on MOJO, no.13 on Slant, no.15 on Rolling Stone, no.26 on PopMatters, no.38 on Paste, mentioned on Glide list), placing 21st in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 56th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 85 in RateYourMusic chart for 2012.

Fear Fun is the first studio album released by American folk musician Josh Tillman under his pseudonym Father John Misty. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 29 reviews, #58 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 78/100 from 23 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.2 on Paste, no.8 on Slant, no.10 on The Line of Best Fit, no.13 on Under the Radar, no.14 on Spinner, no.15 on FILTER, no.16 on American Songwriter, no.20 on BBC, no.22 on Obscure Sound, no.27 on PopMatters), placing 14th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 31st in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate, 28th in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 20 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012.

Koi No Yokan is the seventh studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones. Metacritic score = 86/100 from 18 reviews, #21 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 24 reviews, no.75 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in few year-end lists by publications (no.42 on DIY, no.44 on SPIN), placing 65th in Acclaimed Music chart. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 25 in BestEverAlbums, top 70 in SputnikMusic, top 10 in RateYourMusic and top 10 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.8 in New Zealand Albums, no.11 in US Billboard 200, no.13 in Canadian Albums, no.16 in Australian Albums, no.17 in German Albums weekly charts. The album placed 26th in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Fin is the debut studio album by Spanish electronic music producer John Talabot. Metacritic score = 80/100 from 20 reviews. AOTY score = 82/100 from 24 reviews, no.34 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Crack Magazine, no.2 on Rough Trade, no.3 on Resident Advisor, no.4 on Earmilk, no.6 on musicOMH, no.7 on Time Out London, no.11 on The Line of Best Fit, no.14 on Beats Per Minute, Consequence of Sound, no.22 on DIY, Urban Outfitters), placing 20th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 90 in BestEverAlbums, top 70 in AOTY charts for 2012.

EP's 1988–1991 is a compilation album by Irish-English shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine. Metacritic score = 0/100 from 0 reviews. AOTY score = 86/100 from 7 reviews. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 3 in RateYourMusic compilations chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.17 in Japanese Oricon Albums, no.21 in Irish Albums, no.33 in UK Albums, no.69 in South Korean Gaon Albums weekly charts.

Trilogy is the first compilation album and major label debut by Canadian singer the Weeknd. Metacritic score = 79/100 from 19 reviews. AOTY score = 82/100 from 20 reviews. Included in few year-end lists by publications (no.18 on Clash, no.31 on Obscure Sound). It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 45 in BestEverAlbums, top 10 in RateYourMusic compilations charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.4 in US Billboard 200, no.5 in Canadian Albums, no.22 in Danish Albums, no.37 in UK Albums, no.48 in Dutch Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 65th in US Billboard 200 year-end chart for 2013.

The Lost Tapes is a compilation album of studio outtakes and live recordings by the German experimental rock band Can. Metacritic score = 85/100 from 17 reviews. AOTY score = 84/100 from 15 reviews. It placed 87th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll. It received very high ratings on RateYourMusic.

Ekstasis is the second studio album by the American musician Julia Holter. Metacritic score = 83/100 from 18 reviews, #42 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 24 reviews, no.44 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Cokemachineglow, no.8 on The Wire, no.9 on MOJO, Beats Per Minute, no.14 on FACT Magazine, no.23 on Uncut, no.26 on Pitchfork, no.27 on musicOMH, no.28 on Treble, no.33 on No Ripcord), placing 37th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 40th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 65 in BestEverAlbums, top 60 in AOTY charts for 2012.

Django Django is the debut album by British art rock band Django Django. The album was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Music Prize. Metacritic score = 80/100 from 22 reviews. AOTY score = 81/100 from 25 reviews, no.56 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Piccadilly Records, no.5 on Under the Radar, no.6 on The Fly, no.7 on MOJO, Entertainment Weekly, no.8 on Rough Trade, Clash, no.11 on NME, no.12 on The Guardian, Gigwise), placing 22nd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate and 23rd in Metacritic Music Critic Top 10 Lists. It received moderate ratings on music sites, reaching top 30 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012.

On the Impossible Past is the third studio album by American punk rock band The Menzingers. Metacritic score = 93/100 from 9 reviews, #2 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 78/100 from 5 reviews. Included in year-end list by DIY (no.20). It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 65 in BestEverAlbums, top 10 in SputnikMusic, top 50 in RateYourMusic and top 40 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album placed 82nd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

Bish Bosch is the fourteenth solo studio album by American singer Scott Walker. Metacritic score = 78/100 from 33 reviews. AOTY score = 78/100 from 33 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on Tiny Mix Tapes, no.2 on The Quietus, no.11 on MOJO, The Wire, no.12 on The Line of Best Fit, no.16 on The Needle Drop, no.20 on Cokemachineglow, no.27 on FACT Magazine, no.30 on Obscure Sound, Consequence of Sound), placing 25th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 37th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received high ratings on music sites, reaching top 50 in BestEverAlbums, top 65 in RateYourMusic charts for 2012.

Unorthodox Jukebox is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Grammy Awards and International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. Metacritic score = 70/100 from 16 reviews. AOTY score = 70/100 from 16 reviews. It received moderate low ratings on music sites. The album peaked to no.1 in Australian Albums, Canadian Albums, Hungarian Albums, Mexican Albums, Swiss Albums, UK Albums, US Billboard 200 weekly charts. Also it placed 24th and 6th in UK Albums, 38th and 3rd in Australian Albums, 61st and 5th in French Albums, 58th and 29th in Danish Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013, 4th in US Billboard 200, 4th in Canadian Albums year-end charts for 2013. The album placed 1st in United World Chart YE2013. It placed 22nd in Metacritic Most Discussed Albums chart.

The Lion's Roar is the second studio album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. Metacritic score = 81/100 from 27 reviews, #95 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 75/100 from 21 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.2 on Piccadilly Records, no.10 on Paste, Obscure Sound, no.13 on The Line of Best Fit, no.23 on BBC, no.38 on musicOMH, no.39 on American Songwriter, no.40 on Uncut, no.47 on DIY, no.49 on Under the Radar), placing 76th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 43rd in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 40 in BestEverAlbums chart for 2012. The album peaked to no.1 in Swedish Albums, no.3 in Norwegian Albums, no.14 in Danish Albums, no.19 in Finnish Albums, no.30 in Belgian Flanders Albums weekly charts. Also it placed 4th and 33rd in Swedish Albums year-end charts for 2012 and 2013.

One Wing is the fifth studio album by the American metalcore band The Chariot. Metacritic score = 94/100 from 6 reviews. AOTY score = 80/100 from 5 reviews, no.66 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. It received very high ratings on music sites, reaching top 30 in SputnikMusic, top 55 in RateYourMusic and top 40 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.85 in US Billboard 200 weekly charts.

WIXIW (pronounced "wish you") is the sixth studio album by experimental rock trio Liars. Metacritic score = 81/100 from 34 reviews, #100 Best Album of 2012. AOTY score = 81/100 from 33 reviews, no.40 Highest Rated Albums of 2012. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.1 on DIY, no.4 on The 405, no.8 on musicOMH, no.12 on FILTER, no.15 on Time Out London, The Quietus, no.16 on BBC, no.23 on Clash, no.24 on Under the Radar, no.26 on Crack Magazine, Cokemachineglow, Consequence of Sound), placing 66th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 30th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received moderate high ratings on music sites.

The Haunted Man is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes. Metacritic score = 78/100 from 36 reviews. AOTY score = 77/100 from 40 reviews. Included in many year-end lists by publications (no.4 on Slant, Under the Radar, no.6 on SPIN, no.10 on DIY, no.17 on Pitchfork, no.19 on Consequence of Sound, no.21 on The Guardian, no.23 on Treble, Complex, no.26 on The Fly), placing 34th in Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll, 26th in AOTY 2012 Music Year End List Aggregate. It received moderate high ratings on music sites, reaching top 70 in BestEverAlbums, top 75 in AOTY charts for 2012. The album peaked to no.6 in UK Albums, no.7 in Irish Albums, no.12 in Belgian Flanders Albums, no.18 in Finnish Albums, no.21 in Australian Albums, Belgian Wallonia Albums weekly charts.