Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2012

Year with Frank Ocean's 'Channel Orange'; when Dylan drenched us in blood; as well as pop-punk vets, disco orchestras, Scottish oddballs.

Published: December 05, 2012 12:00 Source

# 1

Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen

Album • Mar 06 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Heartland Rock Americana

# 2

channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean

Album • Jul 10 / 2012 Alternative R&B Contemporary R&B

# 3

Blunderbuss by Jack White

Album • Apr 20 / 2012 Blues Rock Garage Rock Revival

# 4

Tempest by Bob Dylan

Album • Sep 10 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter

# 5

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

Album • Jun 18 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Art Pop

# 6

good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar

Album • Jan 01 / 2012 West Coast Hip Hop Conscious Hip Hop

# 7

Here by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Album • Jan 01 / 2012 Indie Folk Folk Rock

# 8

¡Uno! by Green Day

Album • Sep 21 / 2012 Pop Punk

# 9

Celebration Rock by Japandroids

Album • Jun 05 / 2012 Indie Rock

# 10

Psychedelic Pill by Neil Young + Crazy Horse

Album • Oct 15 / 2012 Psychedelic Rock Country Rock

# 11

Babel by Mumford & Sons

Album • Sep 25 / 2012 Folk Pop Indie Folk

# 12

Rebirth by Jimmy Cliff

Album • Jan 01 / 2012 Roots Reggae Jamaican Ska

# 13

Old Ideas by Leonard Cohen

Album • Jan 31 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter

# 14

The Only Place by Best Coast

Album • May 15 / 2012 Indie Pop Indie Surf

# 15

Locked Down by Dr. John

Album • Mar 30 / 2012 New Orleans R&B

# 16

Sun by Cat Power

Album • Sep 03 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Art Pop

# 17

Born and Raised by John Mayer

Album • May 18 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Folk Rock

# 18

Life Is Good by Nas

Album • Jul 17 / 2012 East Coast Hip Hop

# 19

Mirage Rock by Band of Horses

Album • Sep 14 / 2012 Americana

# 20

R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike

Album • May 15 / 2012 Southern Hip Hop Hardcore Hip Hop Political Hip Hop

# 21

Attack On Memory by Cloud Nothings

Album • Jan 24 / 2012 Post-Hardcore Indie Rock Emo

# 22

Slipstream by Bonnie Raitt

Album • Apr 10 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Blue-Eyed Soul

# 23

A Thing Called Divine Fits by Divine Fits

Album • Aug 23 / 2012 Indie Rock

# 24

Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer (Edited Version) by Various Artists

Album • Sep 18 / 2012

# 25

Sunken Condos by Donald Fagen

Album • Oct 16 / 2012 Sophisti-Pop Jazz Pop

# 26

Django Django by Django Django

Album • Aug 21 / 2012 Indie Pop Neo-Psychedelia

# 27

Blak and Blu by Gary Clark Jr.

Album • Oct 16 / 2012 Blues Rock

# 28

Bloom by Beach House

Album • May 15 / 2012 Dream Pop Indie Pop

# 29

Away From The World by Dave Matthews Band

Album • Sep 11 / 2012 Alternative Rock Pop Rock Jazz-Rock

# 30

1991 by Azealia Banks

EP • May 28 / 2012 Hip House

# 31

Red by Taylor Swift

Album • Oct 22 / 2012 Singer-Songwriter Pop Rock Pop

# 32

Hospitality by Hospitality

Album • Jan 31 / 2012 Indie Pop

# 33

Visions by Grimes

Album • Feb 21 / 2012 Synthpop

# 34

Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes

Album • Apr 10 / 2012 Blues Rock Southern Rock

# 35

Shields by Grizzly Bear

Album • Sep 17 / 2012 Indie Folk Indie Rock

# 36

The Bravest Man in the Universe by Bobby Womack

Album • Jun 01 / 2012 Deep Soul Electronic

# 37

Nothings Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now by Justin Townes Earle

Album • Mar 27 / 2012 Americana Singer-Songwriter

# 38

Local Business by Titus Andronicus

Album • Oct 22 / 2012 Indie Rock Punk Rock

# 39

Gossamer by Passion Pit

Album • Jul 23 / 2012 Synthpop Indietronica

# 40

Escort by Escort

Album • Nov 15 / 2011 Funktronica Nu-Disco

# 41

The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers

Album • Jan 01 / 2012 Americana Folk Pop

# 42

Europe by Allo Darlin'

Album • Apr 17 / 2012 Twee Pop Indie Pop

# 43

Some Nights by Fun.

Album • Feb 21 / 2012 Pop Rock Alt-Pop

# 44

Not Your Kind of People by Garbage

Album • May 22 / 2012 Alternative Rock Pop Rock

# 45

Rich Forever - Single (Tribute to Rick Ross & John Legend) by Rich Forever

Single • Apr 04 / 2012

# 46

The 2nd Law by Muse

Album • Sep 24 / 2012 Pop Rock Alternative Rock Art Rock

# 47

Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables by Todd Snider

Album • Mar 06 / 2012 Americana Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter

# 48

Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins

Album • Jun 19 / 2012 Alternative Rock

# 49

Folila by Amadou & Mariam

Album • Apr 02 / 2012 Mande Music

# 50

Swing Lo Magellan by Dirty Projectors

Album • Jul 10 / 2012 Art Pop Indie Pop Progressive Pop