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Best albums of 2012

Released in 2012 · Ranked by critics

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Score

Critics Verified All ratings

Genre

1
channel ORANGE
Frank Ocean
10 July 2012Alternative r&b, contemporary r&b, disco
8.9
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2
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
21 October 2012Conscious hip hop, gangsta rap, hardcore hip hop
8.9

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Tidal (opens in a new tab)

—Verified

10.0All ratings

3

The Fire Is Mine

9 October 2012Heavy metal, rock

8.8

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4

8 October 2012Alternative rock, electronic, garage rock

8.7

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5

23 April 2012Blues rock, folk rock, garage rock revival

8.7

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6

25 September 2012Electronic, post-rock, rock

8.7

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7

24 February 2012Contemporary jazz, jazz

8.6

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8

27 January 2012Acoustic rock, art rock, contemporary folk

8.5

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9

15 August 2012Indie rock, rock

8.5

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10

Luxury Problems

18 October 2012Electronic, techno

8.5

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11

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

18 June 2012Alternative rock, art pop, ballad

8.4

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12

7 September 2012Folk, folk rock, singer-songwriter

8.4

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13

Young Man in America

Anaïs Mitchell

13 February 2012Folk

8.4

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14

18 September 2012Country

8.3

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15

Theatre Is Evil

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra

5 September 2012Alternative rock, indie rock, rock

8.3

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16

Attack on Memory

24 January 2012Garage rock, indie rock, lo-fi

8.3

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17

15 May 2012Dirty south, hip hop

8.2

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18

Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran

16 October 2012Country

8.2

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19

Spiritual Genocide

23 November 2012Heavy metal, rock, thrash metal

8.1

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20

10 August 2012Alternative rock, contemporary country, country

8.1

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21

17 September 2012Indie rock, rock

8.1

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22

14 May 2012Dream pop, indie pop, indie rock

8.1

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23

The Silicone Veil

Susanne Sundfør

26 March 2012Art pop, classical, electronic

8.1

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24

18 September 2012Garage psych, garage rock, psychedelic pop

8.1

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25

31 January 2012Disco, electro, electronic

8.1

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26

Father John Misty

30 April 2012Folk rock, indie rock, rock

8.0

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27

16 October 2012Alternative rock, electronic

8.0

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28

25 September 2012Christian metal, melodic death metal, melodic metalcore

8.0

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29

10 April 2012Blues, rock

8.0

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30

Patience (After Sebald)

12 January 2012Dark ambient, electronic, modern classical

8.0

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31

4 June 2012Alternative rock, electronic, experimental

8.0

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32

Sharon Van Etten

7 February 2012Experimental, folk, indie rock

8.0

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—Verified

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33

’ALLELUJAH! DON’T BEND! ASCEND!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

15 October 2012Post-rock, rock

8.0

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—Verified

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34

The Money Store

13 April 2012Experimental, experimental hip hop, hip hop

8.0

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—Verified

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35

Put Your Back N 2 It

15 February 2012Indie rock, rock

7.9

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—Verified

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36

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends

The Flaming Lips

21 April 2012Acid rock, alternative rock, electronic

7.9

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37

The Something Rain

20 February 2012Alternative rock, chamber pop, indie rock

7.9

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38

28 September 2012Black metal, progressive metal, rock

7.9

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—Verified

—All ratings

39

31 August 2012Blues rock, folk rock, rock

7.9

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40

No Love Deep Web

1 October 2012Electronic, experimental, experimental hip hop

7.9

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—All ratings

41

30 January 2012Electronic, indie rock, indie surf

7.8

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—Verified

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42

21 May 2012

7.8

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43

30 January 2012Dream pop, indie rock, lo-fi

7.8

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44

20 August 2012Afrobeat, heavy psych, krautrock

7.8

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45

A Different Kind of Truth

6 February 2012Arena rock, classic rock, hard rock

7.8

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46

One Day I’m Going to Soar

Dexys Midnight Runners

4 June 2012Blue-eyed soul, pop, pop rock

7.8

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47

Clear Heart Full Eyes

23 January 2012Alternative rock, indie rock, rock

7.8

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—Verified

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48

No Passion All Technique

8 October 2012Garage punk, garage rock, pop punk

7.7

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49

8 June 2012Alternative dance, dance-pop, electropop

7.7

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50

The Truth About Love

14 September 2012Ballad, dance-pop, electropop

7.7

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—Verified

—All ratings