Top 25 Albums of 2012

Updated by The Wild Honey Pie on December 8, 2020

Top 25 Albums of 2012

2012 was a spectacular year in music — one with so many records we truly loved that narrowing down the list was difficult. Ordering it, however, was almost impossible. This was a year of shifting genres and experimentation. This was a year that introduced us to some bands that will remain on rotation for years to come and albums that are already on their way to becoming modern classics.  Along with the return of many favorites, we were given the debuts from Django Django, alt-JFrank OceanKishi Bashi and Purity Ring — all records that seem poised to go into the pantheon of amazing first albums.

The list below is a collection of records that we all came back to over and over again, defining the experience we had in 2012 — it’s not definitive for everyone, but it’s absolutely definitive for us. Thanks to Lydia Conklin for creating the floral artwork for this playlist.

25. How To Dress WellTotal Loss
24. The MenOpen Your Heart
23. ChairliftChairlift at 6:15
22. Purity Ring - Shrines
21. CapybaraDave Drusky
20. Macklemore & Ryan LewisThe Heist
19. Lord HuronLonesome Dreams
18. Dirty ProjectorsSwing Lo Magellan
17. StepdadWildlife Pop
16. The xx - Coexist
15. Jessie Ware - Devotion
14. Perfume GeniusPut Your Back N 2 It
13. Frank Oceanchannel ORANGE
12. Grimes - Visions
11. Django Django Django Django
10. Fiona AppleThe Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
9. Beach House - Bloom
8. ChromaticsKill For Love
7. The Eastern Sea - Plague
6. Passion Pit - Gossamer
5. JapandroidsCelebration Rock
4. Tame Impala - Lonerism
3. Sharon Von Etten - Tramp
2. alt-JAn Awesome Wave
1. Kishi Bashi151a


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