The Best Albums of 2012 Albums

The Best Albums of 2012

original ranker rockboy  833 views 56 items 5 followers
The best albums of 2012 are those top records from our favorite musical artists of the year that we could not get enough of. Featuring sounds ranging from that of the biggest names in rap and hip-top to the best rockers of 2012 to the best country music singers right now, these 2012 albums are both the favorite of music lovers and some of the best selling records of the year.

There were plenty of very familiar names on the 2012 list of best musical albums including a few who also were on the best albums of 2011 list. Returning with new music in 2012 included the likes of Jack White with "Blunderbuss," Mumford & Sons with "Babel," Neil Young and Crazy Horse with "Psychedelic Pill," Taylor Swift with "Red" and Bruce Springsteen with "Wrecking Ball," among many others.

On the newer side, Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange," Grizzly Bear's "Shields," Gary Clark Jr.'s "Blak and Blu," Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" and Schoolboy Q's "Habits & Contradictions" made sure that if these artists were not household names before that they sure were now.

So whether you were a fan of the new Madonna record "MDNA" or impressed by "Reign of Terror" from Sleigh Bells, it's likely that one album or another in 2012 caught your eye (or ear). Vote for your favorite 2012 albums, re-rank this list in your own order and add any we missed, all below! For more music goodness from the year, check out the best rap and hip-hop albums of 2012 and the best country albums of 2012!

List Criteria: Albums released from January to December 2012

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Rank     Name
  1. 1
    Up 49
    Down 26

    Blunderbuss

    Jack White
  2. 2
    Up 44
    Down 23

    Wrecking Ball

    Bruce Springsteen
  3. 3
    Up 25
    Down 21

    The Truth About Love

    P!nk
  4. 4
    Up 43
    Down 15

    The 2nd Law

    Muse
  5. 5
    Up 26
    Down 29

    Red

    Taylor Swift
  6. 6
    Up 33
    Down 28

    Babel

    Mumford & Sons
  7. 7
    Up 29
    Down 18

    Shields

    Grizzly Bear
  8. 8
    Up 32
    Down 22

    Psychedelic Pill

    Neil Young, Crazy Horse
  9. 9
    Up 12
    Down 8
    Gotye
  10. 10
    Up 19
    Down 17

    The Idler Wheel...

    Fiona Apple
  11. 11
    Up 25
    Down 22

    Channel Orange

    Frank Ocean
  12. 12
    Up 10
    Down 17

    On This Winter's Night

    Lady Antebellum
  13. 13
    Up 6
    Down 2

    The Lumineers

  14. 14
    Up 23
    Down 18

    Tempest

    Bob Dylan
  15. 15
    Up 24
    Down 20

    Celebration Rock

    Japandroids
  16. 16
    Up 23
    Down 17

    Bloom

    Beach House
  17. 17
    Up 2
    Down 2
    No image

    The View From The Bottom

    Lit
  18. 18
    Up 4
    Down 1

    The Lion's Roar

  19. 19
    Up 6
    Down 9

    Break it Yourself

    Andrew Bird
  20. 20
    Up 4
    Down 0
    No image

    Kiss

    Carly Rae Jepsen
  21. 21
    Up 4
    Down 1

    There's No Leaving Now

  22. 22
    Up 9
    Down 17

    Hope On The Rocks

    Toby Keith
  23. 23
    Up 4
    Down 3

    The Only Place

  24. 24
    Up 23
    Down 21

    Boys & Girls

    Alabama Shakes
  25. 25
    Up 1
    Down 2
    No image

    World From the Side of the Moon

    Phillip Phillips
  26. 26
    Up 10
    Down 12

    Blak and Blu

    Gary Clark Jr.
  27. 27
    Up 1
    Down 2
    No image

    That's Why God Made the Radio

    The Beach Boys
  28. 28
    Up 12
    Down 13

    Centipede Hz

    Animal Collective
  29. 29
    Up 2
    Down 2

    Generals

  30. 30
    Up 1
    Down 2
    No image

    Take Me Home

    One Direction
  31. 31
    Up 1
    Down 1

    What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

    Regina Spektor
  32. 32
    Up 3
    Down 2

    Stronger

    Kelly Clarkson
  33. 33
    Up 3
    Down 3

    Babel

    Mumford & Sons
  34. 34
    Up 13
    Down 16

    R.A.P. Music

    Killer Mike
  35. 35
    Up 0
    Down 1
    One Direction
  36. 36
    Up 15
    Down 20

    Born to Die

    Lana Del Rey
  37. 37
    Up 1
    Down 2

    Through the Deep, Dark Valley

    The Oh Hellos
  38. 38
    Up 6
    Down 8

    In Our Heads by Hot Chip

  39. 39
    Up 6
    Down 11

    Afterglow

    Black Country Communion
  40. 40
    Up 11
    Down 15

    Reign of Terror

    Sleigh Bells
  41. 41
    Up 12
    Down 20

    Blown Away

    Carrie Underwood
  42. 42
    Up 18
    Down 28

    Uno

    Green Day
  43. 43
    Up 4
    Down 7

    Clockwork Angels

    Rush
  44. 44
    Up 3
    Down 6

    Anastasis

    Dead Can Dance
  45. 45
    Up 4
    Down 11

    Sunken Condos

    Donald Fagen
  46. 46
    Up 6
    Down 12

    Habits & Contradictions

    Schoolboy Q
  47. 47
    Up 3
    Down 7

    Love This Giant By David Byrne & St. Vincent

  48. 48
    Up 8
    Down 13

    Living Things

    Linkin Park
  49. 49
    Up 5
    Down 14

    Strange Clouds

    B.O.B
  50. 50
    Up 5
    Down 13

    Dreamchasers 2

    Meek Mill
  51. +Add New Item

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