In 2012, R&B crooned underwater, metal went not-metal, and hip-hop fell into a K-hole, and these were just a few of the ways to make a big bang this year. Here’s SPIN’s favorite 50 albums — from the biggest-selling pop sensation (and pizza ad) of the year to anonymous Afro-psych from the wintry expanses of rural Sweden; from ground-breaking hip-hop IMAX cinema to garage-punk gnashing still being recorded by Steve Albini. Most critics’ taste levels ain’t at our waist level. Ain’t nobody fucking with our clique.
Best Albums
SPIN’s 50 Best Albums of 2012
