100 Greatest Albums of 2012
Criteria: These music albums from the year 2012 were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. good kid, M.A.A.D. city
Kendrick Lamar
2. Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
3. Babel
Mumford & Sons
4. Red
Taylor Swift
5. Some Nights
fun.
Kendrick Lamar
2. Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
3. Babel
Mumford & Sons
4. Red
Taylor Swift
5. Some Nights
fun.
6. The Idler Wheel
Fiona Apple
7. Unorthodox Jukebox
Bruno Mars
8. Wrecking Ball
Bruce Springsteen
9. Blunderbuss
Jack White
10. The Heist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
11. R.A.P. Music
Killer Mike
12. Kaleidoscope Dream
Miguel
13. Night Visions
Imagine Dragons
14. Life is Good
Nas
15. Unapologetic
Rihanna
16. R.E.D.
Ne-Yo
17. An Awesome Wave
Alt-J
18. The 2nd Law
Muse
19. The Truth About Love
Pink
20. Tempest
Bob Dylan
21. Lonerism
Tame Impala
22. 18 Months
Calvin Harris
23. Born to Die
Lana Del Rey
24. Looking 4 Myself
Usher
25. Our Version of Events
Emeli Sandé
26. Boys & Girls
Alabama Shakes
27. Koi No Yokan
Deftones
28. Psychedelic Pill
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
29. The Lumineers
The Lumineers
30. Attack on Memory
Cloud Nothings
31. Bloom
Beach House
32. Cancer for Cure
El-P
33. Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
34. That’s Why God Made the Radio
The Beach Boys
35. Celebration Rock
Japandroids
36. Old Ideas
Leonard Cohen
37. Port of Morrow
The Shins
38. Tramp
Sharon Van Etten
39. Two Eleven
Brandy
40. Love This Giant
David Byrne & St. Vincent
41. Gossamer
Passion Pit
42. The Money Store
Death Grips
43. Handwritten
The Gaslight Anthem
44. Sun
Cat Power
45. Sunken Condos
Donald Fagen
46. Shields
Grizzly Bear
47. Clockwork Angels
Rush
48. Something
Chairlift
49. Kill for Love
Chromatics
50. Coexist
The xx
51. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
Nicki Minaj
52. Total Loss
How to Dress Well
53. Swing Lo Magellan
Dirty Projectors
54. Oceania
The Smashing Pumpkins
55. Les Voyages de l' me
Alcest
56. The Seer
Swans
57. III
Crystal Castles
58. A Thing Called Divine Fits
Divine Fits
59. Bish Bosch
Scott Walker
60. Skelethon
Aesop Rock
61. Shrines
Purity Ring
62. Halcyon
Ellie Goulding
63. Silver Age
Bob Mould
64. The Haunted Man
Bat for Lashes
65. The Only Place
Best Coast
66. Overexposed
Maroon 5
67. Take Me Home
One Direction
68. MDNA
Madonna
69. Reign of Terror
Sleigh Bells
70. Warrior
Ke$ha
71. Synthetica
Metric
72. 2
Mac DeMarco
73. Visions
Grimes
74. Oshin
DIIV
75. Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Spiritualized
76. Centipede Hz
Animal Collective
77. Jake Bugg
Jake Bugg
78. Valtari
Sigur Ros
79. Yellow & Green
Baroness
80. Neck of the Woods
Silversun Pickups
81. World, You Need a Change of Mind
Kindness
82. Habits & Contradictions
Schoolboy Q
83. Mature Themes
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
84. Local Business
Titus Andronicus
85. Uno!
Green Day
86. All the Little Lights
Passenger
87. Tank Full of Blues
Dion
88. Fear Fun
Father John Misty
89. The Bears for Lunch
Guided by Voices
90. Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The Magnetic Fields
91. In Our Heads
Hot Chip
92. Beacon
Two Door Cinema Club
93. We Don't Even Live Here
P.O.S.
94. Little Broken Hearts
Norah Jones
95. Until the Quiet Comes
Flying Lotus
96. What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
Regina Spektor
97. Open Your Heart
The Men
98. WIXIW
Liars
99. Among the Leaves
Sun Kil Moon
100. Kiss
Carly Rae Jepsen
Fiona Apple
7. Unorthodox Jukebox
Bruno Mars
8. Wrecking Ball
Bruce Springsteen
9. Blunderbuss
Jack White
10. The Heist
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
11. R.A.P. Music
Killer Mike
12. Kaleidoscope Dream
Miguel
13. Night Visions
Imagine Dragons
14. Life is Good
Nas
15. Unapologetic
Rihanna
16. R.E.D.
Ne-Yo
17. An Awesome Wave
Alt-J
18. The 2nd Law
Muse
19. The Truth About Love
Pink
20. Tempest
Bob Dylan
21. Lonerism
Tame Impala
22. 18 Months
Calvin Harris
23. Born to Die
Lana Del Rey
24. Looking 4 Myself
Usher
25. Our Version of Events
Emeli Sandé
26. Boys & Girls
Alabama Shakes
27. Koi No Yokan
Deftones
28. Psychedelic Pill
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
29. The Lumineers
The Lumineers
30. Attack on Memory
Cloud Nothings
31. Bloom
Beach House
32. Cancer for Cure
El-P
33. Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
34. That’s Why God Made the Radio
The Beach Boys
35. Celebration Rock
Japandroids
36. Old Ideas
Leonard Cohen
37. Port of Morrow
The Shins
38. Tramp
Sharon Van Etten
39. Two Eleven
Brandy
40. Love This Giant
David Byrne & St. Vincent
41. Gossamer
Passion Pit
42. The Money Store
Death Grips
43. Handwritten
The Gaslight Anthem
44. Sun
Cat Power
45. Sunken Condos
Donald Fagen
46. Shields
Grizzly Bear
47. Clockwork Angels
Rush
48. Something
Chairlift
49. Kill for Love
Chromatics
50. Coexist
The xx
51. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
Nicki Minaj
52. Total Loss
How to Dress Well
53. Swing Lo Magellan
Dirty Projectors
54. Oceania
The Smashing Pumpkins
55. Les Voyages de l' me
Alcest
56. The Seer
Swans
57. III
Crystal Castles
58. A Thing Called Divine Fits
Divine Fits
59. Bish Bosch
Scott Walker
60. Skelethon
Aesop Rock
61. Shrines
Purity Ring
62. Halcyon
Ellie Goulding
63. Silver Age
Bob Mould
64. The Haunted Man
Bat for Lashes
65. The Only Place
Best Coast
66. Overexposed
Maroon 5
67. Take Me Home
One Direction
68. MDNA
Madonna
69. Reign of Terror
Sleigh Bells
70. Warrior
Ke$ha
71. Synthetica
Metric
72. 2
Mac DeMarco
73. Visions
Grimes
74. Oshin
DIIV
75. Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Spiritualized
76. Centipede Hz
Animal Collective
77. Jake Bugg
Jake Bugg
78. Valtari
Sigur Ros
79. Yellow & Green
Baroness
80. Neck of the Woods
Silversun Pickups
81. World, You Need a Change of Mind
Kindness
82. Habits & Contradictions
Schoolboy Q
83. Mature Themes
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
84. Local Business
Titus Andronicus
85. Uno!
Green Day
86. All the Little Lights
Passenger
87. Tank Full of Blues
Dion
88. Fear Fun
Father John Misty
89. The Bears for Lunch
Guided by Voices
90. Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The Magnetic Fields
91. In Our Heads
Hot Chip
92. Beacon
Two Door Cinema Club
93. We Don't Even Live Here
P.O.S.
94. Little Broken Hearts
Norah Jones
95. Until the Quiet Comes
Flying Lotus
96. What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
Regina Spektor
97. Open Your Heart
The Men
98. WIXIW
Liars
99. Among the Leaves
Sun Kil Moon
100. Kiss
Carly Rae Jepsen
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 2012
An unheralded great album from 2012
Ryan's choice:
2:54
Lew's choice:
The White Buffalo
Ryan's choice:
2:54
Lew's choice:
The White Buffalo
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Edited By: Ryan