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Best albums of 2012

A concept album about one day in Compton, and a coming-out record disguised as a soul album, released months apart from the same Los Angeles orbit. Trap production crossed into pop the same year and has not left the charts since.

According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 2012 is 1999 by Joey Bada$$, rated 4.5/5 by 25 listeners.

  1. 1999 cover№ 11999Joey Bada$$ · 20124.4Weighted score4.5 avg · 25 ratings
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  1. 211ta Stock Sound cover11ta Stock SoundKurdo · 20124.4 score · 4.5 avg · 13 ratings
  2. 3Lonerism coverLonerismTame Impala · 20124.4 score · 4.5 avg · 20 ratings
  3. 4Vows Remixes coverVows RemixesKimbra · 20124.3 score · 4.7 avg · 5 ratings
  4. 5The Money Store coverThe Money StoreDeath Grips · 20124.3 score · 4.4 avg · 15 ratings
  5. 6Curdled Milk coverCurdled MilkNicole Dollanganger · 20124.3 score · 4.8 avg · 3 ratings
  6. 75280 cover5280Russ · 20124.3 score · 4.8 avg · 3 ratings
  7. 8Holiday at Lake Bodom: 15 Years of Wasted Youth coverHoliday at Lake Bodom: 15 Years of Wasted YouthChildren of Bodom · 20124.3 score · 4.8 avg · 3 ratings
  8. 9The Wörld Is Ours, Vol. 2 (Anyplace Crazy as Anywhere Else) coverThe Wörld Is Ours, Vol. 2 (Anyplace Crazy as Anywhere Else)Motörhead · 20124.3 score · 4.8 avg · 3 ratings
  9. 10Koi No Yokan coverKoi No YokanDeftones · 20124.3 score · 4.4 avg · 18 ratings
  10. 11Mit K coverMit KKraftklub · 20124.3 score · 4.5 avg · 7 ratings
  11. 12channel ORANGE coverchannel ORANGEFrank Ocean · 20124.2 score · 4.3 avg · 120 ratings
  12. 13Little Broken Hearts coverLittle Broken HeartsNorah Jones · 20124.2 score · 4.6 avg · 4 ratings
  13. 14Live 2012 coverLive 2012Coldplay · 20124.2 score · 4.2 avg · 266 ratings
  14. 15Pluto coverPlutoFuture · 20124.2 score · 4.4 avg · 7 ratings
  15. 162 cover2Mac DeMarco · 20124.2 score · 4.5 avg · 5 ratings
  16. 17Lillie: F-65 coverLillie: F-65Saint Vitus · 20124.2 score · 4.5 avg · 5 ratings
  17. 18Believe coverBelieveJustin Bieber · 20124.2 score · 4.3 avg · 28 ratings
  18. 19Advaitic Songs coverAdvaitic SongsOm · 20124.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  19. 20Sugaring Season coverSugaring SeasonBeth Orton · 20124.2 score · 4.7 avg · 3 ratings
  20. 21good kid, m.A.A.d city covergood kid, m.A.A.d cityKendrick Lamar · 20124.2 score · 4.2 avg · 668 ratings
  21. 22Of Breath and Bone coverOf Breath and BoneBe'lakor · 20124.2 score · 4.4 avg · 7 ratings
  22. 23Reloaded coverReloadedRoc Marciano · 20124.2 score · 4.4 avg · 7 ratings
  23. 24Days Go By coverDays Go ByThe Offspring · 20124.2 score · 4.4 avg · 5 ratings
  24. 25Trick coverTrickAlex G · 20124.2 score · 4.2 avg · 202 ratings
  25. 26Get What You Give coverGet What You GiveThe Ghost Inside · 20124.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  26. 27An Awesome Wave coverAn Awesome Wavealt-J · 20124.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  27. 28Get Disowned coverGet DisownedHop Along · 20124.2 score · 4.5 avg · 3 ratings
  28. 29Apocalyptic Love coverApocalyptic LoveSlash · 20124.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings
  29. 30Uno...Dos...Tré! coverUno...Dos...Tré!Green Day · 20124.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings
  30. 31City Cobra coverCity CobraChakuza · 20124.1 score · 4.4 avg · 4 ratings
  31. 32Murdered Love coverMurdered LoveP.O.D. · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 8 ratings
  32. 33Born To Die - The Paradise Edition coverBorn To Die - The Paradise EditionLana Del Rey · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 8 ratings
  33. 34Up All Night: The Live Tour coverUp All Night: The Live TourOne Direction · 20124.1 score · 4.2 avg · 17 ratings
  34. 35Bloom coverBloomBeach House · 20124.1 score · 4.2 avg · 10 ratings
  35. 36Jake Bugg coverJake BuggJake Bugg · 20124.1 score · 4.1 avg · 25 ratings
  36. 37The Strange Case of... coverThe Strange Case of...Halestorm · 20124.1 score · 4.2 avg · 7 ratings
  37. 38Reign Supreme coverReign SupremeDying Fetus · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  38. 39Monolith coverMonolithSylosis · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  39. 40Let the Fire Burn coverLet the Fire BurnArt of Dying · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  40. 41The Manticore and Other Horrors coverThe Manticore and Other HorrorsCradle of Filth · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  41. 42Old School coverOld SchoolAlice Cooper · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  42. 43Samen Solo coverSamen SoloRoxeanne Hazes · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  43. 44KU:PALM coverKU:PALMPhotek · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  44. 45Something coverSomethingChairlift · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  45. 46The Best of Us Bleed coverThe Best of Us BleedCryptopsy · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 3 ratings
  46. 47Trilogy coverTrilogyThe Weeknd · 20124.1 score · 4.1 avg · 183 ratings
  47. 48Love / Art Memoirs coverLove / Art MemoirsAlex Isley · 20124.1 score · 4.3 avg · 4 ratings
  48. 49House of Gold & Bones, Part 1 coverHouse of Gold & Bones, Part 1Stone Sour · 20124.1 score · 4.1 avg · 18 ratings
  49. 50Wild Ones coverWild OnesFlo Rida · 20124.1 score · 4.2 avg · 5 ratings

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Best albums of 2012 by genre

The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.

The artists of 2012

Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.

Every artist of 2012, ranked →

2012, month by month

Not everything that came out, just where the weight fell. Some months carried a year; some were quiet and worth knowing about.

FAQ

What are the best albums of 2012?
On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 2012 is 1999 by Joey Bada$$ (4.5/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
How is the 2012 ranking decided?
By Riffiter listeners. Each album's community rating sets its place. Until a release has enough ratings, its popularity stands in, and the order shifts as more people rate.
Does the best-of-2012 list change?
Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 2012 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.