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
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wrecking Ball | Bruce Springsteen | Mar-06-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #2 | channel ORANGE | Frank Ocean | Jul-10-2012, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Blunderbuss | Jack White | Apr-20-2012, Blues Rock |
| #4 | Tempest | Bob Dylan | 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 | Fiona Apple | Jun-18-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #6 | good kid, m.A.A.d city | Kendrick Lamar | Jan-01-2012, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #7 | Here | Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros | Jan-01-2012, Indie Folk |
| #8 | ¡Uno! | Green Day | Sep-21-2012, Pop Punk |
| #9 | Celebration Rock | Japandroids | Jun-05-2012, Indie Rock |
| #10 | Psychedelic Pill | Neil Young, Crazy Horse | Oct-15-2012, Psychedelic Rock |
| #11 | Babel | Mumford & Sons | Sep-25-2012, Folk Pop |
| #12 | Rebirth | Jimmy Cliff | Jan-01-2012, Roots Reggae |
| #13 | Old Ideas | Leonard Cohen | Jan-31-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #14 | The Only Place | Best Coast | May-15-2012, Indie Pop |
| #15 | Locked Down | Dr. John | Mar-30-2012, New Orleans R&B |
| #16 | Sun | Cat Power | Sep-03-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #17 | Born and Raised | John Mayer | May-18-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #18 | Life Is Good | Nas | Jul-17-2012, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #19 | Mirage Rock | Band of Horses | Sep-14-2012, Americana |
| #20 | R.A.P. Music | Killer Mike | May-15-2012, Southern Hip Hop |
| #21 | Attack On Memory | Cloud Nothings | Jan-24-2012, Post-Hardcore |
| #22 | Slipstream | Bonnie Raitt | Apr-10-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #23 | A Thing Called Divine Fits | Divine Fits | Aug-23-2012, Indie Rock |
| #24 | Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer (Edited Version) | Various Artists | Sep-18-2012, |
| #25 | Sunken Condos | Donald Fagen | Oct-16-2012, Sophisti-Pop |
| #26 | Django Django | Django Django | Aug-21-2012, Indie Pop |
| #27 | Blak and Blu | Gary Clark Jr. | Oct-16-2012, Blues Rock |
| #28 | Bloom | Beach House | May-15-2012, Dream Pop |
| #29 | Away From The World | Dave Matthews Band | Sep-11-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #30 | 1991 | Azealia Banks | May-28-2012, Hip House |
| #31 | Red | Taylor Swift | Oct-22-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Hospitality | Hospitality | Jan-31-2012, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Visions | Grimes | Feb-21-2012, Synthpop |
| #34 | Boys & Girls | Alabama Shakes | Apr-10-2012, Blues Rock |
| #35 | Shields | Grizzly Bear | Sep-17-2012, Indie Folk |
| #36 | The Bravest Man in the Universe | Bobby Womack | Jun-01-2012, Deep Soul |
| #37 | Nothings Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now | Justin Townes Earle | Mar-27-2012, Americana |
| #38 | Local Business | Titus Andronicus | Oct-22-2012, Indie Rock |
| #39 | Gossamer | Passion Pit | Jul-23-2012, Synthpop |
| #40 | Escort | Escort | Nov-15-2011, Funktronica |
| #41 | The Carpenter | The Avett Brothers | Jan-01-2012, Americana |
| #42 | Europe | Allo Darlin' | Apr-17-2012, Twee Pop |
| #43 | Some Nights | Fun. | Feb-21-2012, Pop Rock |
| #44 | Not Your Kind of People | Garbage | May-22-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #45 | Rich Forever - Single (Tribute to Rick Ross & John Legend) | Rich Forever | Apr-04-2012, |
| #46 | The 2nd Law | Muse | Sep-24-2012, Pop Rock |
| #47 | Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables | Todd Snider | Mar-06-2012, Americana |
| #48 | Oceania | The Smashing Pumpkins | Jun-19-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #49 | Folila | Amadou & Mariam | Apr-02-2012, Mande Music |
| #50 | Swing Lo Magellan | Dirty Projectors | Jul-10-2012, Art Pop |
Markdown
| Rank | Album | Artist | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wrecking Ball | Bruce Springsteen | Album, Mar-06-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #2 | channel ORANGE | Frank Ocean | Album, Jul-10-2012, Alternative R&B |
| #3 | Blunderbuss | Jack White | Album, Apr-20-2012, Blues Rock |
| #4 | Tempest | 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 | Fiona Apple | Album, Jun-18-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #6 | good kid, m.A.A.d city | Kendrick Lamar | Album, Jan-01-2012, West Coast Hip Hop |
| #7 | Here | Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros | Album, Jan-01-2012, Indie Folk |
| #8 | ¡Uno! | Green Day | Album, Sep-21-2012, Pop Punk |
| #9 | Celebration Rock | Japandroids | Album, Jun-05-2012, Indie Rock |
| #10 | Psychedelic Pill | Neil YoungCrazy Horse | Album, Oct-15-2012, Psychedelic Rock |
| #11 | Babel | Mumford & Sons | Album, Sep-25-2012, Folk Pop |
| #12 | Rebirth | Jimmy Cliff | Album, Jan-01-2012, Roots Reggae |
| #13 | Old Ideas | Leonard Cohen | Album, Jan-31-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #14 | The Only Place | Best Coast | Album, May-15-2012, Indie Pop |
| #15 | Locked Down | Dr. John | Album, Mar-30-2012, New Orleans R&B |
| #16 | Sun | Cat Power | Album, Sep-03-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #17 | Born and Raised | John Mayer | Album, May-18-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #18 | Life Is Good | Nas | Album, Jul-17-2012, East Coast Hip Hop |
| #19 | Mirage Rock | Band of Horses | Album, Sep-14-2012, Americana |
| #20 | R.A.P. Music | Killer Mike | Album, May-15-2012, Southern Hip Hop |
| #21 | Attack On Memory | Cloud Nothings | Album, Jan-24-2012, Post-Hardcore |
| #22 | Slipstream | Bonnie Raitt | Album, Apr-10-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #23 | A Thing Called Divine Fits | Divine Fits | Album, Aug-23-2012, Indie Rock |
| #24 | Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer (Edited Version) | Various Artists | Album, Sep-18-2012, |
| #25 | Sunken Condos | Donald Fagen | Album, Oct-16-2012, Sophisti-Pop |
| #26 | Django Django | Django Django | Album, Aug-21-2012, Indie Pop |
| #27 | Blak and Blu | Gary Clark Jr. | Album, Oct-16-2012, Blues Rock |
| #28 | Bloom | Beach House | Album, May-15-2012, Dream Pop |
| #29 | Away From The World | Dave Matthews Band | Album, Sep-11-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #30 | 1991 | Azealia Banks | EP, May-28-2012, Hip House |
| #31 | Red | Taylor Swift | Album, Oct-22-2012, Singer-Songwriter |
| #32 | Hospitality | Hospitality | Album, Jan-31-2012, Indie Pop |
| #33 | Visions | Grimes | Album, Feb-21-2012, Synthpop |
| #34 | Boys & Girls | Alabama Shakes | Album, Apr-10-2012, Blues Rock |
| #35 | Shields | Grizzly Bear | Album, Sep-17-2012, Indie Folk |
| #36 | The Bravest Man in the Universe | Bobby Womack | Album, Jun-01-2012, Deep Soul |
| #37 | Nothings Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now | Justin Townes Earle | Album, Mar-27-2012, Americana |
| #38 | Local Business | Titus Andronicus | Album, Oct-22-2012, Indie Rock |
| #39 | Gossamer | Passion Pit | Album, Jul-23-2012, Synthpop |
| #40 | Escort | Escort | Album, Nov-15-2011, Funktronica |
| #41 | The Carpenter | The Avett Brothers | Album, Jan-01-2012, Americana |
| #42 | Europe | Allo Darlin' | Album, Apr-17-2012, Twee Pop |
| #43 | Some Nights | Fun. | Album, Feb-21-2012, Pop Rock |
| #44 | Not Your Kind of People | Garbage | Album, May-22-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #45 | Rich Forever - Single (Tribute to Rick Ross & John Legend) | Rich Forever | Single, Apr-04-2012, |
| #46 | The 2nd Law | Muse | Album, Sep-24-2012, Pop Rock |
| #47 | Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables | Todd Snider | Album, Mar-06-2012, Americana |
| #48 | Oceania | The Smashing Pumpkins | Album, Jun-19-2012, Alternative Rock |
| #49 | Folila | Amadou & Mariam | Album, Apr-02-2012, Mande Music |
| #50 | Swing Lo Magellan | Dirty Projectors | Album, Jul-10-2012, Art Pop |