We’ve spent much of the past week looking back at the year that was, with many of the writers on staff posting their lists of their 11 favorite albums of 2011. Everything from indie rock to hip-hop got mentioned, and every writer that contributed an individual list (and a couple that didn’t) ranked their albums. Those rankings were then compiled and the result…a quick and dirty list of the site’s 40 favorite albums of the year. Suck it, Billboard!
1) Bon Iver | Bon Iver
2) 21 | Adele
3) Hot Sauce Committee Part II | Beastie Boys
4) Watch The Throne | Jay-Z & Kanye West
5) Wasting Light | Foo Fighters
6) How Do You Do? | Mayer Hawthorne
7) 4 | Beyonce
8) Helplessness Blues | Fleet Foxes
9) Camp | Childish Gambino
10) Undun | The Roots
11) Codes & Keys | Death Cab For Cutie
12) Condensate | The Original 7ven
13) So Beautiful Or So What | Paul Simon
14) Turtleneck & Chain | The Lonely Island
15) Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming | M83
16) Ceremonials | Florence + The Machine
17) Mirror | Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
18) The Whole Love | Wilco
19) Bleuphoria | Rahsaan Patterson
20) All You Need Is Now | Duran Duran
21) Raven In The Grave | The Raveonettes
22) The Hunter | Mastodon
23) Stone Rollin’ | Raphael Saadiq
24) Father, Son, Holy Ghost | Girls
25) The King of Limbs | Radiohead
26) What Were You Hoping For? | Van Hunt
27) Torches | Foster The People
28) Kiss Each Other Clean | Iron & Wine
29) Twenty | Boyz II Men
30) Metals | Feist
31) Charity Starts At Home | Phonte
32) Sky Full Of Holes | Fountains Of Wayne
33) Yes And Also Yes | Mike Doughty
34) Nine Types Of Light | TV On The Radio
35) Reports From The Threshold Of Death | Junius
36) Mylo Xyloto | Coldplay
37) Nothing Is Wrong | Dawes
38) David Comes to Life | Fucked Up
39) Ritual | White Lies
40) Ashes & Fire | Ryan Adams
Also…because you sat through this list, the guys and girls on the staff also put together Spotify playlists featuring their favorite music of the year. Click on them below and give your ears a feast!
Happy holidays!