50. Why? – Mumps, etc.

49. Cat Power – Sun

48. Twin Shadow – Confess

47. P. O. S – We Don’t Even Live Here

46. Sharon van Etten – Tramp

45. Port St. Willow – Holiday

44. Pinback – Information Retrieved

43. Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky

42. Milo – Milo Takes Baths

41. Torche – Harmonicraft

40. Mount Eerie – Clear Moon

39. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself

38. Fang Island – Major

37. Japandroids – Celebration Rock

36. Purity Ring – Shrines

35. Mac DeMarco – 2

34. Liars – WIXIW

33. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind

32. Sun Kil Moon – Among The Leaves

31. Beach House – Bloom

30. Open Mike Eagle – 4NML HSPTL

29. Burial – Kindred EP

28. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

27. Waxahatchee – American Weekend

26. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth

25. Aesop Rock – Skelethon

24. Shearwater – Animal Joy

23. Grizzly Bear – Shields

22. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

21. Lazerbeak – Lava Bangers

20. Lone – Galaxy Garden

19. Wild Nothing – Nocturne

18. TNGHT – TNGHT EP

17. The Evens – The Odds

16. Death Grips – The Money Store

15. The Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now

14. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE

13. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light

12. Tame Impala – Lonerism

11. Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It

10. Dark Time Sunshine – ANX

9. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave

8. Matthew Dear – Beams

7. Jens Lekman – I Know What Love Isn’t

6. Deerhoof – Breakup Song

5. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do

4. Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory

3. Anaïs Mitchell – Young Man in America

2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ’Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

1. Swans – The Seer

Honorable mentions: Joie De Vivre – We’re All Better Than This, Grimes – Visions, Joyce Manor – Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, A Place to Bury Strangers – Worship, Screaming Females – Ugly, Serengeti – C.A.R., The Sea and Cake – Runner, Stars – The North, Moonface – Heartbreaking Bravery
***For some reason or another, I found these albums to be enjoyable but inconsistent in some way. They each had some incredible songs, but as a whole they didn’t resonate with me as strongly as the 50 albums I chose above.
What are YOUR favorite albums of 2012? I’m sure I missed out on a ton of albums, so please let me know any ones you think are worth checking out that didn’t make it onto my list.