Taking On 2012: Top Albums

After yesterday's look at the best songs of 2012 and seeing just how much changed and shifted, as I started looking over my list for albums I wasn't sure exactly how much was going to change since I last updated in October. There were ultimately some movements, a few new additions, and even a few personal surprises. Once again I cannot stress enough that, despite 2012 not being the greatest year for all genres of music, it was definitely one of hip-hop's best years in recent memory. And with that preface, on to this year's list of the Best Albums of 2012!

Taking On 2012: Top Albums (Q3 Quarterly Review)

Albums, albums, albums! While the year is not yet over, it has truly been a fantastic year for full fledged musical works of artistry. So much so that when composing my list for this Quarterly Review, even compared to the first and second, selecting just ten albums was damned difficult. Unlike with songs, there are so many factors to consider when deciding what constitutes a great album. And while there are a number of entries that continue to linger, the new additions may very well move up as the year starts to close.

Taking On 2012: Top Albums (Q2 Quarterly Review)

We've gone through the songs, and that means it's time to start tackling the larger constructs that hold them all together. During my last quarterly review I was hesitant to call 2012 a great year for music at the time because, at that point, the releases were stretched fairly thin. Sure there were some gems, but even albums I thought would have staying power have faded away with what seems like an onslaught of top notch releases since the end of March.

There's quite a bit of ground to cover, so let us commence the counting down!

Taking On 2012: Top Albums (Q1 Quarterly Review)

Despite 2012 being a pretty great year for songs thus far, I'm going to come right out and say that, based on the limited number of albums I have listened to, it has been a pretty bad year for music. But, much like with other cultural forms of entertainment, I look toward the future and see that brighter pastures are ahead. With Japandroids, Beach House, Kanye West, Fiona Apple, and countless other artists set to release records in the coming year I can't help but feel hopeful.

And really the reason I do my Quarterly Reviews, aside from using them as an aid to keep track of what exactly I have listened to in the year, is to track how my feelings have changed. Unlike the past few years, I am not sure if my favorite album from the year has been already released, or is even on my radar. And that unknown excites me like a a kid who just won a timed shopping spree in Kay-Bee Toys.

But this isn't a most anticipated list. This is the present, and the present is a gift. So how about we get to unwrapping?