Best and Worst CD Releases of 2012

Here it is…the annual list containing my opinion of the best and worst music releases of 2012! There are three tabs on the bottom left of the Excel file: (1) Hell yes!, (2) Hell no! and (3) Would have liked to have heard. Each list is in alphabetical order by artist. Before digging in, please read the rules and disclaimers below.

The Rules:

(1) It had to be released in 2012. Yes, you might notice that many of these were originally released prior to 2012. However, reissues, remasters, deluxe editions, anniversary editions, bonus tracks, greatest hits, best of’s, etc. all make the list as long as it has a release date of 2012.

(2) There is an amazing amount of albums that are released each and every year. Without a doubt I missed some very good ones to check out. Please let me know which ones and I’ll queue them up! …except country/western…I just can’t do it. Even still, a couple albums still snuck in to my listening pile. Other than that, anything goes…you’ll see what I mean.

The Disclaimers:

(1) The absolute MOST important disclaimer: these are just my opinions. I guarantee you that I made fun of a band (or bands) that you love. Likewise, I guarantee you that I gave kudos to a band (or bands) that you absolutely cannot stand. I’m sure the guys in band X are super-cool…doesn’t mean I like their music. And I’m sure there are other bands/albums I dig where so-and-so is a complete prick. Again, these are just my opinions, not scientifically proven facts. No need to get your panties in a bunch!

(2) Hard to believe, but yes, this list is far from complete. I still have much more to listen to! They will be mentioned when I release next year’s list. Speaking of which…even if you have already seen the ‘Best/Worst’ releases from previous years, I urge you to check them out again…they are constantly updated and expanded!

(3) There were quite a few ‘tweener releases [releases that could have been in the Hell yes! or Hell no! category]. They had to be somewhere.

(4) Is it possible that I overlooked something, misspelled a word, etc? Absolutely…in fact, I hope so. Otherwise, that just means I’m a robot.

(5) There are a few choice words that I’ve used throughout…sorry if any of them offend you.

(6) Apologies for the short reviews. I don’t have time to write a dissertation on each release.

(7) If you want to see best/worst of lists from previous years, send me a request and I’ll email it to you directly.

What I hope to gain from this list:

(1) I hope I can turn you on to some great music and/or steer you away from some rather questionable releases.

(2) I hope to hear what music turned you on (or off) last year. Please share!!

Happy listening,

Troy Monteforte

Best releases of 2012_OLM

Best releases of 2011_OLM