Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Favorite Music Videos Playlist & Best of Mix

Think of this as the Best of 2012 epilogue. The first playlist contains the 40 best music videos of 2012. Despite contrary belief, music videos keep getting better and better, and these are solid evidence of that. It almost makes one long for some kind of “music television” channel that had curated playlists of videos. Oh well, one can dream. I also kept a continual playlist of tracks, which I threw every song I really enjoyed into over the course of 2012. By the year’s end, I concluded with a massive 340 songs. The playlist serves as a good way to sample bands you've been meaning to check out, as I probably have their best track in there.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 10-01

I think I've made it clear over the course of this blog that I have a serious music addiction, probably worthy of its own show on TLC, the “learning” channel. I’m not sure how big the audience is for watching me strung out around a pile of records, listening to my tenth of the day, and ranting about Brian Eno's genius; but hey, I’m willing to field offers from networks. Anyway, we have reached my Top 10, which I have culled from an astonishing 433 albums that I listened to in 2012. If you are wondering how I knew that number, I kept a list that I continually updated after I listened to something new. Sure this borders on insanity, but the records that made the cut mean more to me than I can probably put into text. These are the ones that came with me through many important and often frustrating moments in my life over the past year. Without further ado, I give you the definitive ten best albums of 2012.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 20-11

The ten albums that start my Top 20 countdown contain many that others were disappointed with but I still loved. Whether I have an affinity towards the odder entries in a band’s discography or I’m just a hopeless fanboy is for you, the internet troll to decide. Either way, these records left an indelible impression on me. I believe that a lot of these have simply evaded other music critics and are remarkable albums that deserve a larger audience, so I urge you to check out everything after the jump.