Stereogum's Top 50 Albums of 2011

http://stereogum.com/891411/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2011/franchises/listomania/

50 Youth Lagoon – The Year Of Hibernation
49 Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
48 Oddisee – Rock Creek Park
47 Wilco – The Whole Love
46 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
45 Adele – 21
44 James Blake – James Blake
43 Twin Sister – In Heaven
42 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
41 Das Racist – Relax
40 Kendrick Lamar – Section.80
39 Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise
38 Burst Apart – Burst Apart
37 Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
36 Cut Copy – Zonoscope
35 Atlas Sound – Parallax
34 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
33 SBTRKT – SBTRKT
32 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
31 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
30 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
29 Washed Out – Within And Without
28 Pictureplane – Thee Physical
27 Destroyer – Kaputt
26 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong
25 Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years
24 Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra
23 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
22 Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
21 Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape
20 Real Estate – Days
19 Iceage – New Brigade
18 Beyoncé – 4
17 Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
16 Neon Indian – Era Extraña
15 Zola Jesus – Conatus
14 Austra – Feel It Break
13 Yuck – Yuck
12 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
11 Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
10 Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne
09 ASAP Rocky – LIVELOVEA$AP
08 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
07 EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
06 Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
05 The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
04 Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
03 Bon Iver – Bon Iver
02 Drake – Take Care
01 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

[Edited 12/8/11 19:11pm]

Paste's Top 50 Albums of 2011

http://stereogum.com/890842/pastes-top-50-albums-of-2011/list/

50 Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones
49 Mates Of State – Mountaintops
48 Drake – Take Care
47 Real Estate – Days
46 Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!
45 Those Darlins – Screws Get Loose
44 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
43 The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
42 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
41 James Blake – James Blake
40 Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain, In The Cloud
39 Gillian Welch – The Harrow And The Harvest
38 Over The Rhine – The Long Surrender
37 The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
36 Mister Heavenly – Out Of Love
35 Childish Gambino – Camp
34 Seryn – This Is Where We Are
33 The Head And The Heart – The Head And The Heart
32 Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
31 Telekinesis – 12 Desperate Straight Lines
30 Tom Waits – Bad As Me
29 Feist – Metals
28 Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
27 Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
26 The Low Anthem – Smart Flesh
25 The Antlers – Burst Apart
24 TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
23 The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade
22 The Black Keys – El Camino
21 Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming
20 Beirut – The Rip Tide
19 Cults – Cults
18 Wye Oak – Civilian
17 The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
16 Yuck – Yuck
15 Deer Tick – Divine Providence
14 Adele – 21
13 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
12 Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
11 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
10 The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
09 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
08 Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
07 Wilco – The Whole Love
06 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s A Corporate World
05 Middle Brother – Middle Brother
04 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
03 My Morning Jacket – Circuital
02 Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
01 Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Uncut's Top 50 Albums of 2011

http://stereogum.com/891311/uncuts-top-50-albums-of-2011/list/

50 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
49 Arbouretum – The Gathering
48 Cornershop Featuring Bubbley Kaur – Cornershop And The Double-O Groove Of
47 The Caretaker – An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
46 Iceage – New Brigade
45 Mikal Cronin – Mikal Cronin
44 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
43 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
42 Jenny Hval – Viscera
41 Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
40 Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
39 Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
38 His Golden Messenger – From Country Hai East Cotton
37 Little Dragon – Ritual Union
36 Jonny – Jonny
35 My Morning Jacket – Circuital
34 Fatoumata Diawara – Fatou
33 Low – C’Mon
32 Gil Scott Heron & Jamie XX – We’re New Here
31 Destroyer – Kaputt
30 Tim Hecker – Ravendeath, 1972
29 Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What
28 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
27 Björk – Biophilia
26 The Decemberists – The King Is Dead
25 Bill Callahan – Apocolypse
24 Real Estate – Days
23 Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts
22 Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
21 James Blake – James Blake
20 Ry Cooder – Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down
19 Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
18 Tinariwen – Tassili
17 Feist – Metals
16 Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit
15 Wilco – The Whole Love
14 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
13 Tom Waits – Bad As Me
12 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
11 Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
10 The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
09 Bon Iver – Bon Iver
08 Wild Beasts – Smother
07 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
06 The Horrors – Skying
05 Josh T. Pearson – Last Of The Country Gentlemen
04 White Denim – D
03 Metronomy – The English Riviera
02 Gillian Welch – The Harrow & The Harvest
01 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Q's Top 50 Albums of 2011

http://stereogum.com/891091/qs-50-best-albums-of-2011/list/

50 Justice – Audio, Video, Disco
49 Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra.
48 Noah And The Whale – Last Night On Earth
47 Mastodon – The Hunter
46 SBTRKT – SBTRKT
45 Miles Kane – The Colour Of The Trap
44 Death In Vegas – Trans-Love Energies
43 King Creosote – Diamond Mine
42 Josh T. Pearson – Last Of The Country Gentlemen
41 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
40 Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi – Rome
39 James Blake – James Blake
28 Feist – Metals
37 Washed Out – Within And Without
36 Katy B – On A Mission
35 Cass McCombs – Humour Risk
34 Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo
33 tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
32 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
31 Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two
30 Lady Gaga - Born This Way
29 Kasabian – Velociraptor
28 Gillian Welch – The Harrows And The Harvest
27 Ed Sheeran – +
26 Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
25 Wild Beasts – Smother
24 Real Estate – Days
23 Björk – Biophilia
22 White Lies – Ritual
21 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
20 The Weeknd – Thursday
19 Cass McCombs – WIT’S END
18 Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
17 Metronomy – The English Riviera
16 Kurt Vile – Smoke Rings For My Halo
15 Baxter Drury – Happy Soup
14 The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
13 Bombay Bicycle Club – A Different Kind Of Fix
12 Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
11 The Horrors – Skying
10 Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys
09 WU LYF – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
08 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
07 Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
06 Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne
05 Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
04 Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
03 Adele – 21
02 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
01 Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials

For the record, I don't believe these lists matter one bit. I don't believe they're important in the least. I don't believe that making one of these lists or winning an award makes any kind of art better, or worse, than the next piece of art.

However, I do think that lists like these can bring attention to artists that may otherwise get overlooked. For me, when an artist or bands album/song that I don't know about keeps turning up on these lists, it usually means they're at least worth doing YouTube search to see what they're about. That being the case, as these lists continue to be published through December and January, I'll continue to add them to the thread.

I don't do a lot of of online reading relating to country, hip-hop or R&B, so don't think I'm excluding those lists by choice. Please feel free to post lists you find in other places.

Also, to the four people who will reply (hey Timmy, sexton), discuss as you like. And please feel free to add you own choices, videos from the artists being discussed, etc.

Best Electronic Albums of the Year according to Albumoftheyear.org

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/6-electronic/2011/

25. Banjo Or Freakout - Banjo Or Freakout

24. The Chain Gang of 1974 - Wayward Fire

23. Ladytron - Gravity The Seducer

22. Prefuse 73 - The Only She Chapters

21. Casiokids - Aabenbaringen over aaskammen

20. Justic - Audio, Video, Disco

19. Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!

18. Hercules and Love Affair - Blus Songs

17. Memory Tapes - Player Piano

16. Matthew Herbert - One Pig

15. Radiohead - TKOL RMX 1234567

14. Metronomy - The English Riviera

13. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

12. Starfucker - Reptilians

11. Fujiya & Miyagi - Ventriloquizzing

10. Pictureplane - Thee Physical

09. Yacht - Shangri-La

08. Austra - Feel It Break

07. Peaking Lights - 936

06. Braids - Native Speaker

05. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

04. Korallreven - An Album By Korallreven

03. Junior Boys - It's All True

02. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise

01. The Field - Looping State Of Mind

Ooooh how I hate The Field. HATE, HATE, HATE! Lets hope they're not number one on future electronic lists.

Good to see The Weeknd on the Q and Stereogum lists

Interesting lists. I dig The Weeknd's album.

That's the reason i stopped buying Q, i'm just not into what they like anymore, the only albums in that 50 i have are

Adele

Noel Gallagher

Coldplay

Arctic Monkeys

Bjork

Lady GaGa

Beasti Boys

Radiohead

Mastadon

Noah And The Whale

years ago i used have most of their top 50.

The four main lists all have St Vincent's album on them. I agree with that. My own album of the year is the Horrors' Skying so it's nice to see that one appear a few times.

Lots of good stuff mentioned, though I though Cults put out a pretty awesome debut album this year, and they got a good amount of indie/college radio support. I'm surprised not to see it anywhere.

No Art Slave...

purplethunder3121 said:

No Art Slave...

You got a best-of?

Though I agree, Art Slave is great. To be honest, I doubt many really listened to it except for some affocionados of nu-funk.

Timmy84 said:

purplethunder3121 said:

No Art Slave...

You got a best-of?

Though I agree, Art Slave is great. To be honest, I doubt many really listened to it except for some affocionados of nu-funk.

I'll be straight up 100% honest and say I've never even heard the name before. And I listen to a TON of music. Sounds intriguing, though, so I'll check it out.

OK. So the artist is Amalia, the album is Art Slave, right? I'm diggin' it. Future funk. The production is maybe a little too clean for my tastes some of the time. I was really feelin' Zebra Butt-a-fly until whoever that is dropped the verse. Bonafide is tight, too. "Put your whole head in it" The truck load of loose hand claps on All The Funk I Need made me do this

Cerebus said:

Timmy84 said:

You got a best-of?

Though I agree, Art Slave is great. To be honest, I doubt many really listened to it except for some affocionados of nu-funk.

I'll be straight up 100% honest and say I've never even heard the name before. And I listen to a TON of music. Sounds intriguing, though, so I'll check it out.

Judging from your reaction, glad you dig it. LOL @ "too clean". Polished funk is as good as raw funk.

Rolling Stones 50 Best Albums Of 2011

50 The Lonely Island – Turtleneck & Chain
49 Wavves – Life Sux
48 Charles Bradley – No More Time For Dreaming
47 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
46 White Denim – D
45 Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator
44 Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin
43 The Kills – Blood Pressures
42 Destroyer – Kaputt
41 Little Dragon – Ritual Union
40 Gary Clark Jr. – The Bright Lights
39 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
38 Mastodon – The Hunter
37 Panda Bear – Tomboy
36 Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Mirror Traffic
35 Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
34 SuperHeavy – SuperHeavy
33 Josh T. Pearson – Last Of The Country Gentlemen
32 Big K.R.I.T. – Return Of 4Eva
31 Miranda Lambert – Four The Record
30 Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman – World Wide Rebel Songs
29 Pistol Annies – Hell On Heels
28 Das Racist – Relax
27 Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials
26 St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
25 Beyoncé – 4
24 Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra.
23 Tom Waits – Bad As Me
22 Drake – Take Care
21 Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
20 Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
19 Eric Church – Chief
18 Feist – Metals
17 TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
16 R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now
15 Cage The Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday
14 Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2
13 tUnE-YarDs – w h o k i l l
12 The Black Keys – El Camino
11 My Morning Jacket – Circuital
10 Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant
09 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
08 Wilco – The Whole Love
07 The Decemberists – The King Is Dead
06 Lady Gaga – Born This Way
05 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
04 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
03 Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What
02 Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne
01 Adele – 21

Top singles:

10 The Decemberists – “Don’t Carry It All”
09 Lil Wayne – “Six Foot Seven Foot” (Feat. Cory Gunz)
08 Beyoncé – “Countdown”
07 Lady Gaga – “Edge Of Glory”
06 Radiohead – “Lotus Flower”
05 Paul Simon – “Rewrite”
04 Foo Fighters – “These Days”
03 Britney Spears – “Till The World Ends”
02 Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Niggas In Paris”
01 Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”

NME's 50 Best Albums Of 2011

50 Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne
49 SBTRKT – SBTRKT
48 Slow Club – Paradise
47 Real Estate – Days
46 Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
45 Austra – Feel It Break
44 Destroyer – Kaputt
43 Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
42 Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia
41 Death Grips – Ex-Military
40 Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years
39 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
38 Björk – Biophilia
37 White Denim – D
36 Iceage – New Brigade
35 TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
34 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
33 Justice – Audio, Video, Disco
32 Alex Turner – Submarine Soundtrack
31 Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials
30 Friendly Fires – Pala
29 Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
28 The Field – Looping State Of Mind
27 Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
26 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
25 Planningtorock – W
24 Big Talk – Big Talk
23 Yuck – Yuck
22 Noah & The Whale – Last Night On Earth
21 Kasabian – Velociraptor
20 Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
19 Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
18 Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes
17 Battles – Gloss Drop
16 Bombay Bicycle Club – A Different Kind Of Fix
15 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
14 The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
13 Suuns – Zeroes QC
12 Scum – Again Into Eyes
11 Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
10 WU LYF – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
09 tUnE-YarDs – w h o k i l l
08 Katy B – On A Mission
07 St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
06 Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
05 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
04 Wild Beasts – Smother
03 The Horrors – Skying
02 Metronomy – The English Riviera
01 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

This is a site I visit a few times a week and I figured their list would be completely different from all the rest. Definitely not disappointed.

American Songwriter's Top 50 Albums Of 2011

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/11/american-songwriters-top-50-albums-of-2011/

50. Centro-matic – Candidate Waltz

49. Beirut – The Rip Tide

48. Abigail Washburn – City of Refuge

47. Caitlin Rose – Own Side Now

46. Loney Dear – Hall Music

45. JEFF The Brotherhood – We Are The Champions

44. Tristen – Charlatans At The Garden Gate

43. Jonny Corndawg – Down On The Bikini Line

42. Noel Gallagher – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

41. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo

40. The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy

39. Those Darlins – Screws Get Loose

38. Real Estate – Days

37. Steve Earle – I’ll Never Get Out Of T...orld Alive

36. Old 97′s – The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2

35. KORT -Invariable Heartache

34. Joe Henry - Reverie

33. Honeyhoney – Billy Jack

32. Decemberists - The King Is Dead

31. Robert Ellis – Photographs

30. Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida

29. AA Bondy – Believers

28. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

27. Deer Tick – Divine Providence

26. Pieta Brown – Mercury

25. Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down

24. The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient

23. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

22. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

21. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

20. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

19. Radiohead – The King Of Limbs

18. Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire

17. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Tell Me

16. Miranda Lambert – Four The Record

15. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

14. My Morning Jacket – Circuital

13. Lucinda Williams – Blessed

12. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Here We Rest

11. Tom Waits – Bad As Me

10. Feist – Metals

9. The Black Keys- El Camino

8. Pistol Annies – Hell on Heels

7. Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What

6. Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO

5. Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong

4. Drive-By Truckers- Go-Go Boots

3. Adele – 21

2. Gillian Welch – The Harrow and the Harvest

1. Wilco – The Whole Love

I'd put Gillian Welch above Wilco's 'The Whole Love', though. They could release an album of Jeff Tweedy farting and somebody would place it number one on a best of list.

Cerebus said:

NME's 50 Best Albums Of 2011

18 Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes

I didn't expect this one to turn up on any lists. Very cool Horrors side project.