Ho! ho! ho! It's the time of year where critics and music lovers alike devise their end of year lists. Our combined end of year list will be revealed nearer
to Christmas, but for now the MRD writers will personalise our top 50. I don't particular
have genre preferences, I guess you could say I sway towards independent
'alternative' releases. I've spent plenty of time shaping my list to what I
believe to be the best albums of 2012. This does mean there will be some omissions.
They may be quite noticeable omissions that haven’t made my list mostly due to
this year’s output quality. There's nothing more I can say... Here are my top
50 albums of 2012.
1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
2. Scott Walker – Bish Bosch
3. Beach House - Bloom
4. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
5. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
6. Death Grips - The Money Store
7. Wild Nothing - Nocturne
8. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
9. Julia Holter - Ekstasis
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
11. Actress - R.I.P.
12. Tame Impala - Lonerism
13. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
14. Grimes - Visions
15. Django Django - Django Django
16. Frankie Rose - Interstellar
17. Jessie Ware - Devotion
18. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
19. Swans - The Seer
20. How to Dress Well - Total Loss
21. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil
22. Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance
23. Laurel Halo - Quarantine
24. Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester
25. Twin Shadow - Confess
26. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
27. Nas - Life is Good
28. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
29. Matthew Dear - Beams
30. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
31. Grizzly Bear - Shields
32. Clinic - Free Reign
33. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
34. The Best Pessimist - Love Is...
35. Cat Power - Sun
36. Moon Duo - Circles
37. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
38. Holy Other - Held
39. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America
40. Passion Pit - Gossamer
41. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
42. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
43. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
44. Titus Andronicus - Local Business
45. The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know
46. Tindersticks - The Something Rain
47. The xx - Coexist
48. The Cribs - In The Belly of The Brazen Bull
49. Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
50. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
2. Scott Walker – Bish Bosch
3. Beach House - Bloom
4. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
5. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
6. Death Grips - The Money Store
7. Wild Nothing - Nocturne
8. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
9. Julia Holter - Ekstasis
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
11. Actress - R.I.P.
12. Tame Impala - Lonerism
13. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
14. Grimes - Visions
15. Django Django - Django Django
16. Frankie Rose - Interstellar
17. Jessie Ware - Devotion
18. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
19. Swans - The Seer
20. How to Dress Well - Total Loss
21. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil
22. Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance
23. Laurel Halo - Quarantine
24. Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester
25. Twin Shadow - Confess
26. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
27. Nas - Life is Good
28. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
29. Matthew Dear - Beams
30. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
31. Grizzly Bear - Shields
32. Clinic - Free Reign
33. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
34. The Best Pessimist - Love Is...
35. Cat Power - Sun
36. Moon Duo - Circles
37. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
38. Holy Other - Held
39. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America
40. Passion Pit - Gossamer
41. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
42. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
43. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
44. Titus Andronicus - Local Business
45. The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know
46. Tindersticks - The Something Rain
47. The xx - Coexist
48. The Cribs - In The Belly of The Brazen Bull
49. Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
50. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
I'm posting this on the verge of December 2012, so obviously there may be
one or two changes depending on the final few releases of the year. Kevin
Shields announced the third My Bloody Valentine album will be out this year,
which will knock the boss out of the top 50 I’m sure. Whatever happens in the
closing twelfth of 2012, I hope you (the reader, all five of you) have a
spectacular Christmas and a crazy New Year.
~Eddie
