Top 20 Albums of 2012
The best LPs in a great year for breakthrough music.
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Top 20 Albums of 2012 - If you weren’t paying attention, 2012 might have underwhelmed musically. Most of the usual household stars who take over iTunes and sell out big-box stores—Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Drake—stayed relatively quiet after dropping blockbuster albums last year. But nature abhors a vacuum, and so does music. The void left by crossover superstars in 2012 was filled by left-field, uncompromising albums from overlooked or just-emerging artists. The result was a great year for music. It was easy to miss some of these fantastic LPs—many were released independently, and didn’t produce the expected radio hits. But isn’t that what the Internet’s for? Here, BET.com counts down the best albums in an exciting year for breakthrough music. —Alex Gale
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Alicia Keys, Girl on Fire - On Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys emerges refreshed after motherhood and marriage by opening up her normally closed creative process to outside talents, including Jamie XX, Emeli Sandé and Maxwell. The overbearing title track aside, Alicia delivers some of her finest vocal work here, and the album's experimental, unexpected moments hint at exciting new directions for one of R&B's safest, most comfortable stars. (Photo: Columbia Records)
Photo By Columbia Records
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Usher, Looking 4 Myself - Usher continued his late-career fascination with dance music on his new album, but he's evolved past the expected Ibiza-approved fist-pumpery, thankfully. Led by the beautiful Diplo-produced "Climax," Usher experiments with ambient, dub step and more, and his falsettoed tones are as glassy as ever. (Photo: RCA Records)
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Maybach Music Group, Self Made 2 - This album lacked the big records of last year's predecessor ("I'ma Boss," "Tupac Back"), and Omarion is a downgrade from Teedra Moses. But it once again showcased Rick Ross and friends in their wheelhouse, spitting grandiose rap fantasies over massive beats. The Maybach boss has an undeniable vision, and a talented team of artists and producers who know how to make it reality. (Photo: Maybach Music Group)
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Meek Mill, Dreams and Nightmares - Meek Mill's breakout hits, “I’ma Boss” and “Tupac Back,” may have set an impossibly high bar, and at times his debut strains under the expectations (see the misinformed Kirko Bangz collabo, “Young and Gettin’ It”). But the album confirms that no one does pure rap adrenaline rushes better (“Young Kings”), and also reveals Meek’s growing gift for paranoid street tales (“Tony Story Pt. 2”). (Photo: Warner Bros Records)
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Big Boi, Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors - It's not an Outkast record, but it's the next best thing. Big Boi continued the Dungeon Family of tradition of pushing hip hop in bold new directions on his second solo album, collaborating with indie and electronica acts including Little Dragon, Phantogram and Wavves to create a futuristic mash-up that's all his own. (Photo: DEF Jam Records)
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Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don’t - Following up Rich Forever, arguably the mixtape of the year, Rick Ross’s fifth studio album had big shoes to fill. The album loses steam when it tries too hard for crossover success ("Touch'N You"), but the grimier, boom-trap heaters ("3 Kings," "Hold Me Back") find Ross at his grandiose best. (Photo: Maybach Music Group)
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Wiz Khalifa, O.N.I.F.C. - After Taylor Gang fans complained about the crossover-pop leanings of his major-label debut, Rolling Papers, Wiz Khalifa returned to the spacey, dorm-room odes to green money and green weed that put him on the map. As a result, O.N.I.F.C. doesn't have anything approaching the stadium-size singalong power of "Black and Yellow," but it's filled with smoky, sublime moments like "The Plan" and "Remember You." (Photo: Atlantic Records)
Photo By Atlantic Records
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G.O.O.D. Music, Cruel Summer - Many were disappointed with this breathlessly hyped album, which was much less consistent and focused than most helmed by Kanye West. But it produced five of the year's most undeniable bangers—"New God Flow," "Cold," "Clique," the "I Don't Like" remix and, of course, "Mercy"—probably more than any other album on this list. If anything, the project let some fans down because these amazing songs leaked before the rest of the album. Call it a casualty of hype. (Photo: G.O.O.D. Music)
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Ka, Grief Pedigree - This Brownsville old head created the most slept-on rap album of the year, fueled by a raspy wisdom that recalls Nas, gloomy production that favors vintage Havoc, and above all, a singular vision of the grimy, forgotten side of Brooklyn where Girls episodes don't dare tread.(Photo: Iron Works Records)
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Killer Mike, R.A.P. Music - Killer Mike broke the mold on his sixth album, linking with New York indie-rap vet for El-P on production. The result, a gumbo of futuristic electro-hop, old-school boom bap and Southern swing, is the finest album of his career, led by monster posse-cut “Big Beast” and angry crack-era memorial “Reagan.” (Photo: Williams Street Records)
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2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story - Yes, his 2011 mixtape T.R.U. Realigion was better. But backed by eager A-list collaborators and his quirky sense of humor, 2 Chainz's studio solo debut produced big moments and big records, from the chart-topping "No Lie" with Drake to the self-explanatory "I Luv Dem Strippers." (Photo: DEF Jam Records)
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T.I., Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head - After years of legal troubles and underwhelming musical output, many questioned if the one-time self-proclaimed King of the South was worthy of the throne. But on Trouble Man, his first album after his second prison stay in two years, T.I. sounds as hungry as ever, with the agile flow, brash delivery and trap-focused content that put him on the map in the first place. (Photo: Atlantic Records)
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Game, Jesus Piece - Game's fifth studio album, his best in years, is every bit as memorable as its controversial cover art. A loose religious concept honed his often unfocused vision, a prime guest list forced him to step it up rhyme-wise, and Game's ear for great beats did the rest. (Photo: Interscope Records)
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Rihanna, Unapologetic - Rihanna—or her songwriters, at least—addresses her roller-coaster relationship with Chris Brown head on with her most personal work yet. She experiments boldly with dub-step, pop balladry and electronica, but still manages to deliver a focused, consistent album, possibly her best. (Photo: DEF Jam Records)
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