Albums
1. 21 - Adele
2011 was Adele's year, and rightfully so after delivering a break-up record that ranks up there with Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, Joni Mitchell's Blue and Elliot Smith's X0. Laced with anger, sarcasm and melancholy, the album managed to be both uplifting and heart-wrenching – often in the same song. Universally acclaimed as a display of the power of one voice and the humanity and relatability of words, 21 is the record that made listeners everywhere feel something which is, after all is said and done, the true power of music.
2. Watch the Throne - JAY Z and Kanye West
What could have been an exercise in pure braggadocio ends up being something else, thanks to the two gifted MCs who make up The Throne. Jay hit listeners with some of his most honest and personal rhymes to date, while Ye continued to push the music and himself in new and exciting directions. While much of it is “luxury rap,” as West says, tracks like “New Day” and “Murder to Excellence” showed that there's more to the album than the shine the cover shows.
3. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes' debut album introduced the world to the sensuous and sumptuous vocal and musical harmonies the band created, but Helplessness Blues showed that the band is capable of not just sounding lovely, but delving into deep subjects. The title track has the band getting existential, while “The Shrine/An Argument” sounds like Ornette Coleman's take on folk.
4. Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie
Being one of the handful of indie bands who have made it big without sacrificing their sound, Death Cab largely tossed away the guitars that drove Narrow Stairs and instead embraced pianos and synths, creating a layered and yet accessible record. It features some of the bands most lyrically uplifting tracks, like “Stay Young, Go Dancing,” and one of the band's best with “You Are A Tourist.”
5. The King is Dead - The Decemberists
Taking a step back never sounded as good as on The Decemberists' sixth record, where they abandon the weighty, grandiosity that dragged them down a bit on The Hazards of Love and embraced a sound right out of Neil Young's Harvest album. Earthy, adventurous and infinitely catchy, the music proves that these kings are far from dead.
6. Circuital - My Morning Jacket
Ever since 2005's Z, this Kentucky band has proven that they're not in the least bit afraid of taking their brand of southern prog-rock to new places, and no record has been better proof of this than Circuital. The band oscillates from spaced out jams to a rocking tribute to black metal music, while still being able to tap a mean pedal guitar. Listen up – this is classic rock in the making.
7. The Whole Love – Wilco
Wilco's last two records passed on the experimentalism of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, but the group has finally figured out a way to marry their alt. country roots with sonic adventures, producing their finest recording since Yankee. The Whole Love really is the whole package – dense without being overbearing, light without being flippant, and full of the top-class musicianship that has been a hallmark of the group since it's inception.
8. Ashes and Fire - Ryan Adams
There was some worry about what a Ryan Adams record would sound like now that he is actually happy, not strung out on drugs or booze, and focused on the music. Ashes & Fire proved that all concerns were null, as Adams turned out his most simplistic, direct and lovely record to date. Tapping longtime friend Norah Jones to do backing vocals was a stroke of genius, and Adams ably shows that clean Ryan is just as compelling as fuzzy Ryan.
9. So Beautiful or So What - Paul Simon
Definitely Simon's best album since Graceland, So Beautiful takes on mortality and God in a way that only Simon can – with wit, humor and no small amount of beauty. Showcasing some of his finest guitar work, and most direct songwriting, Simon showed that he still has plenty to say about the world around him. There is nothing “so what” about this album.
10. Suck It and See - Arctic Monkeys
The best straight-up rock album of the year, the Arctic Monkeys stepped back from their dance-floor punk sound cultivated on their first two records and dug into classic rock, from The Kinks to The Doors. Best of all, they manage to do this while still sounding like the Arctic Monkeys – take numbers like “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” that these guys are just getting warmed up.
11. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Justin Vernon had a lot to live up to on his second record recording as Bon Iver, but he managed to hit it out of the park by expanding his music while keeping that fragility in his voice that made For Emma, Forever Ago such a standout. The result is perhaps the prettiest sounding album of the year and a definite statement to the power of simplicity.
12. Take Care – Drake
Drake might well be the hip-hop world's most somber superstar, but that's what makes his music so interesting. Sure he has more money, women and fame than most people could ever hope for, but he treats all that like what it really is: matter-of-fact aspects of his life. None of it solves anything – he still has a broken heart, gets lonely and on the best evening rap record in ages, he gets listeners into this same beautiful melancholy.
13. El Camino - The Black Keys
The Ohio duo manage to ratchet up their sound, add a little funk and some 70's style grooves without losing an ounce of their blues acumen. El Camino is their fullest sounding record, which might turn some fans who love their raw sounding music from their first records, but that would be a mistake. Instead take a long listen to one of the last, best blues bands finding a new swagger.
14. Metals – Feist
Taking a step back from the indie pop that made her the iPod wonder girl, Feist digs in deep with Metals to create a record of startling simplicity and depth. Marrying that sing-song style with darker lyrics – as on the standout “Graveyard – shows that for Feist, there's no need to sacrifice meaning in the name of popularity.
15. Mission Bell - Amos Lee
Lee was coming dangerously close to repeating the same sound over and over, so that's what made Mission Bell such a refreshing record. While not abandoning the coffee-house acoustic sound that helped him gain attention in the first place, he's stepped away from the jazz sound and embraced the country and alt-country sound. It doesn't hurt when you get Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson to help you out, either.
16. Belong - Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The best offering of the year from the “shoegazer rock” movement, Belong took the lo-fi guitars and swirling reverb and married them to earnest songwriting to create a record The Jesus & Mary Chain would have been proud of.
17. Bad As Me - Tom Waits
Waits has never been anything close to conventional, and despite his age, he shows no sign of conforming to anything on his latest record. A bawdy, stumbling affair, Waits shows how many hats he can wear, playing the boozed up beat poet with Mick Jagger's jangling guitars, to lovelorn drifter.
18. Nine Types of Light - TV on the Radio
The Brooklyn art-punk band delivered it's most listener-friendly, and romantic record to date. The band lost bassist Gerard Smith to lung cancer after the record was released, but Nine Types of Light stands as a fitting testament to a band forever pushing in new directions. Light is their most balanced album, and if they keep carrying on, one can only imagine where they'll be going next.
19. Last Night On Earth - Noah and the Whale
After releasing one of the best break-up records of the decade with The First Days of Spring, Noah got in touch with their pop side and the result was Last Night on Earth. Taking the best aspects of folk-pop and the lovely strings that were used on First Days, the British band created their best record to date. Don't mind the title – this is the sound of a band who is just finding their sound.
20. Lasers - Lupe Fiasco
This may not have been the record Fiasco wanted to release (although here's hoping we get it in 2012), and though he does go a little radio friendly, there's no denying that he is still one of the best MCs around. Radio hits like “Out of My Head” and “The Show Goes On”sounded like the smartest hip-hop tracks to hit the radio in a while – which they were – while cuts like “Words I Never Said” and “All Black Everything” showed that Fiasco's conscious style is better than ever.
21. Smart Flesh – The Low Anthem
22. Wasting Light - Foo Fighters
23. Pl3dge - Killer Mike
24. Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
25. Ceremonials - Florence and the Machine
26. Angles - The Strokes
27. The Bright Lights EP - Gary Clark Jr.
28. How to Become Clairvoyant - Robbie Robertson
29. Nothing is Wrong - Dawes
30. King of Limbs - Radiohead
31. Cape Dory - Tennis
32. Return of 4Eva - Big K.R.I.T.
33. James Blake – James Blake
34. Goblin – Tyler, The Creator
35. Smoke Ring for My Halo - Kurt Vile
36. Stone Rollin’ - Raphael Saadiq
37. Within and Without - Washed Out
38. Conatus – Zola Jesus
39. The People’s Key - Bright Eyes
40. Days - Real Estate
41. Yuck – Yuck
42. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
43. House of Balloons - The Weeknd
44. Slave Ambient - The War on Drugs
45. Four the Record - Miranda Lambert
46. Siberia - Lights
47. undun - The Roots
48. In the Pit of the Stomach - We Were Promised Jetpacks
49. The Dreamer, The Believer – Common
50. What Did You Expect From the Vaccines – The Vaccines
Songs
1. “Rolling in the Deep” - 21 – Adele
The song you couldn't escape in 2011, with good reason. Tapping into gospel, driving guitars and most importantly that voice, “Rolling in the Deep” is as catchy as it is a personal “fuck you” to the one who threw it all away. Anger and heartbreak has rarely sounded this good.
2. “Helplessness Blues” – Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Who would have thought that existential introspection could sound so pretty? Lead singer Robin Pecknold muses about whether or not it's worth standing out in today's world or better to just be a “cog in the machine” while his bandmates rain down vocal harmonies and shimmering guitars. Sorry Robin, but you're already that man on the screen.
3. “Holocene” – Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Only Bon Iver could appear to be cribbing one of The Who's most famous lines, while creating a lush track worthy of Nick Drake. While what is actually happening in the song might be a little hard to fully understand, there's nothing mysterious about the yearning in the vocals.
4. “Ni**as in Paris” – Watch the Throne - JAY Z and Kanye West
Infinitely catchy, undoubtedly the most radio-play Will Ferrell has ever gotten, JAY raps about escaping the streets to party in Paris, while Ye just goes all over the place, in high style. The sample used from Blades of Glory is correct: it's provocative and gets the people going.
5. You Are A Tourist – Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie
6. Take Care (feat. Rihanna) – Take Care - Drake
7. The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala – Suck It and See - Arctic Monkeys
8. High for This – House of Balloons - The Weeknd
9. Pumped Up Kicks – Torches - Foster the People
10. Dirty Rain – Ashes and Fire - Ryan Adams
11. Don’t Carry It All – The King is Dead - The Decemberists
12. Holdin’ on to Black Metal – Circutial - My Morning Jacket
13. Walk – Wasting Light - Foo Fighters
14. Under Cover of Darkness – Angles - The Strokes
15. I’m On One (feat. Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne) – We the Best Forever - DJ Khaled
16. Lonely Boy – El Camino - The Black Keys
17. Will Do – Nine Types of Light - TV On the Radio
18. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall – Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
19. Bad As Me – Bad As Me - Tom Waits
20. Things Are Changin’ (Live) [Solo Acoustic] – The Bright Lights EP - Gary Clark Jr.
21. Blue Cassette – Pala - Friendly Fires
22. Only If For A Night – Ceremonials - Florence and The Machine
23. Dazzling Blue – So Beautiful, So What - Paul Simon
24. Stay Young, Go Dancing – Codes and Keys - Death Cab for Cutie
25. Limit to Your Love – James Blake - James Blake
26. Gold on the Ceiling – El Camino - The Black Keys
27. Words I Never Said (feat. Skylar Grey) – Lasers - Lupe Fiasco
28. Dedication to My Ex (Miss That) (feat. Lil Wayne and Andre 3000) – King of Hearts - Lloyd
29. Exile Vilify – from Portal 2 - The National
30. One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiely’s Boyfriend) – The Whole Love - Wilco
31. Otis (feat. Otis Redding) – Watch the Throne - JAY Z and Kanye West
32. Windows Are Rolled Down – Mission Bell - Amose Lee
33. Springsteen – Chief - Eric Church
34. I 4 U and U 4 Me (Home Demo) – Long Live the King - The Decemberists
35. So Well – Nothing is Wrong - Dawes
36. So Glorious – Pl3dge - Killer Mike
37. When the Sun Goes Down – Arthur soundtrack - Ben Gibbard
38. Please Ask For Help – 12 Desperate Sraight Lines - Telekenisis
39. Ghost Woman Blues – Smart Flesh - The Low Anthem
40. Codex – The King of Limbs - Radiohead
41. Broken Open – Mine is Yours - Cold War Kids
42. Fine Tune – Four the Record - Miranda Lambert
43. Baby’s Arms – Smoke Ring for My Halo - Kurt Vile
44. Heart in the Heartbreak – Belong - The Pains of Being Pure of Heart
45. Love and Hard Times – So Beautiful, So What - Paul Simon
46. Whirring – The Big Roari - The Joy Formidable
47. Hurts Like Heaven – Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
48. I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together – Elsie - The Horrible Crows
49. The Wilhelm Scream – James Blake - James Blake
50. Ready Set Go (feat. T.I.) – Pl3dge - Killer Mike
51. Graveyard – Metals - Feist
52. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. – Last Night on Earth - Noah and the Whale
53. Poison and Wine – Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
54. Turning Tables – 21 - Adele
55. Little Black Submarines – El Camino - The Black Keys
56. The Walk – How Do You Do -- Mayer Hawthorne
57. Blessed - Blessed - Lucinda Williams
58. Progress (feat. Yim Yames) – The Road from Memphis - Booker T. Jones
59. Stutter – Yuck - Yuck
60. 1+1 – 4 - Beyonce
61. The Lady is a Tramp (Duet with Lady Gaga) – Duets II - Tony Bennett
62. (I Wanna Live in A Dream In My) Record Machine – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
63. Just Another Rider – Low Country Blues - Gregg Allman
64. Siberia – Lights - Lights
65. Housewife’s Prayer – Hell on Heels - Pistol Annies
66. Champagne Year – Strange Mercy - St. Vincent
67. Come On Baby (feat. Swizz Beatz & Jay-Z) – The Greatest Story Never Told - Saigon
68. Lost In My Mind – The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
69. Fear of Falling (feat. Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood) – How to Become Clairvoyant - Robbie Robertson
70. Hard Times – The Harrow amd The Harvest - Gillian Welch
71. I Don’t Want to Live There – Arrows - The Lonely Forest
72. I Wanna Be Dave Grohl – Life Sux - Wavves
73. Sore Thumb – In the Pit of the Stomach - We Were Promised Jetpacks
74. Heartaches and Pain – No Time for Dreaming - Charles Bradley
75. Lighthouse feat. Dice Raw – undun - The Roots
76. All the Same – Days - Real Estate
77. Celebrate – The Dreamer, The Believer - Common
78. You Know What I Mean – Cults - Cults
79. Killer Dope – The Book of David - DJ Quik
80. Gathering Stories – We Bought A Zoo soundtrack - Jonsi
81. Fire Fly – Camp - Childish Gambino
82. Hikikomori – Conatus - Zola Jesus
83. All Land Crabs and Divinity Ghosts – No Witch - The Cave Singers
84. Good Man –Stone Rollin’ - Raphael Saadiq
85. Marvin and Chardonnay feat. Kanye West – Finally Famous - Big Sean
86. Bizness – W H O K I L L - Tune-Yards
87. Drunk on Love – Talk That Talk - Rihanna
88. These Walls – Revelator - Tedeschi Trucks Band
89. No Sleep – Rolling Papers -Wiz Khalifa
90. Slow Train – Dust Bowl - Joe Bonamassa
91. Tied to Me – Gold in the Shadow - William Fitzsimmons
92. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (feat. Santigold) – Hot Sauce Comittee Part 2 - Beastie Boys
93. Snowed In At Wheeler Street – 50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush
94. You Can Count On Me – Tomboy - Panda Bear
95. You’re True – Ukelele Song - Eddie Vedder
96. Hearing the Melody feat Skyzoo Fashawn and King Mez – The Wonder Years - 9th Wonder
97. Walk It Back – Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
98. Pennies In A Jar –Pennies In A Jar - Nikki Jean
99. Always Like the Son – Come Back to Us - Release the Sunbird
100. Alligator Sky – All Things Bright and Beautiful - Owl City
Reissues
1. Some Girls (Deluxe Edition) – The Rolling Stones
2. Achtung Baby (Super Deluxe Edition) – U2
3. Quadrophenia (Director’s Cut) – The Who
4. Layla (40th Anniversary Edition) – Derek and the Dominoes
5. Winterland – Jimi Hendrix
6. Nevermind (20th Anniversary Edition) – Nirvana
7. Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th Anniversary Edition) – Simon and Garfunkel
8. Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) – Elvis Presley
9. Piano Man (Legacy Edition) – Billy Joel
10. vs.and Vitalogy (3 CD Version) – Pearl Jam
Live Albums
1. Live in Europe 1967 – Miles Davis
2. Winterland – Jimi Hendrix
3. Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Adele
4. Inni – Sigur Ros
5. Live in London – Randy Newman
6. London Sessions – LCD Soundsystem
7. Play the Blues – Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton
8. Live from Red Rocks – John Butler Trio
9. Ramble at the Ryman – Levon Helm
10. Bestival Live 2011 – The Cure
Music DVDs
1. Twenty – Pearl Jam
2. Back and Forth – Foo Fighters
3. Live at the Royal Albert Hall – Adele
4. Beats, Rhymes and Life – A Tribe Called Quest
5. Talihina Sky – Kings of Leon
6. Scenes from the Suburbs – Arcade Fire
7. Live at Mount Baker Theater – Death Cab for Cutie
8. Water on the Road – Eddie Vedder
9. Inni – Sigur Ros
10. Ramble at the Ryman – Levon Helm
Soundtracks
1. Submarine – Alex Turner
2. We Bought A Zoo – Jonsi
3. Twenty – Pearl Jam
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Alexandre Desplat
6. Drive – Various Artists
7. Hanna – The Chemical Brothers
8. Crazy Stupid Love – Various Artists
9. Game of Thrones – Ramin Djawadi
10. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Various Artists
Box Sets:
1. Achtung Baby (Super Deluxe Set) – U2
2. The Smile Sessions – The Beach Boys
3. Some Girls (Super Deluxe) – The Rolling Stones
4. Quadrophenia (Director’s Cut) – The Who
5. The Dark Side of the Moon (Immersion Box Set) – Pink Floyd
6. Winterland (5 Disc) – Jimi Hendrix
7. Complete – The Smiths
8. Live in Europe 1967 – Miles Davis
9. Discovery Box Set: The Complete Studio Recordings – Pink Floyd
10. 25 Years – Sting
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