Readers’ Picks: Best Albums of 2012

Don't miss out. Follow us on Twitter for new music. Don't forget: use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to move between posts quickly and easily.

Before 2012 officially closes, here are your favorite albums of the year.

Out of nearly 250 mentioned, albums from Frank Ocean and Beach House were clear favorites, standing far ahead of year-end stalwarts Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, and Fiona Apple. Top 20 surprises include Alt-J, Crystal Castles, Lana Del Rey and Passion Pit, which goes to show that music critics don’t know everything.

It’s also noteworthy that last year’s big winner, The Weeknd has managed to sneak up to the Top 30 with the exact same material. If that’s not longevity, we don’t know what is.

PMA READERS’ BEST ALBUMS OF 2012

1. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (109 points)
2. Beach House – Bloom (90)
3. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, mAAd city (62)
4. Purity Ring – Shrines (62)
5. Tame Impala – Lonerism (50)
6. Grimes – Visions (48)
7. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave (39)
8. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… (33)
9. The xx Coexist (32)
10. Japandroids – Celebration Rock (31)
11. Chromatics – Kill For Love (28)
12. Jessie Ware – Devotion (27)
13. Death Grips – The Money Store (26)
14. Grizzly Bear – Shields (26)
15. Crystal Castles – (III) (25)
16. Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (23)
17. Passion Pit – Gossamer (19)
18. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan (18)
19. Father John Misty – Fear Fun (17)
20. Hot Chip – In Our Heads (15)
21. Perfume Genius – Put UR Back N2 It (15)
22. Burial – Kindred (14)
23. iamamiwhoami – kin (14)
24. MS MR – Candy Bar Creep Show (14)
25. Twin Shadow – Confess (14)
26. DIIV – Oshin (13)
27. The Weeknd – Trilogy (13)
28. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (12)
29. Chairlift – Something (12)
30. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp (12)
31. Sigur Ros – Valtari (12)
32. Django Django – s/t (11)
33. Niki & The Dove – Instinct (11)
34. Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes (10)
35. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist (10)
36. The Shins – Port of Morrow (10)
37. The Walkmen – Heaven (10)
38. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man (9)
39. Jack White – Blunderbuss (9)
40. Marina & The Diamonds – Electra Heart (9)
41. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream (9)
42. How To Dress Well – Total Loss (8)
43. Joey Bada$$ 1991 (8)
44. Kimbra – Vows (8)
45. Miike Snow – Happy To You (8)
46. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal (8)
47. Polica – Give You The Ghost (8)
48. Big Boi – Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (7)
49. Captain Murphy – Duality (7)
50. Killer Mike – RAP Music (7)