2012 Album of the Year by Metascore

(Yes, I realize I've posted the last three topics on this board, but there's so little activity I don't think it will matter. Since the Grammy nominations were just announced, I expect the board will become more active in the next few months.)

I looked through Metacritic's listing of albums from the past two years, and here are 36 from the eligibility period (Oct 1, 2010-Sept 30, 2011) that meet my criteria for notability, which means I was aware of the album's existence before looking at the list. They are sorted by highest score to lowest, and the actual Album of the Year nominees are in bold.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (94)
Bon Iver by Bon Iver (86)
So Beautiful or So What by Paul Simon (85)
Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes (85)
Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 by Beastie Boys (83)
The Whole Love by Wilco (82)
This Is Country Music by Brad Paisley (82)
Revelator by Tedeschi Trucks Band (82)
The King of Limbs by Radiohead (80)
The Lady Killer by Cee-Lo Green (80)
Wasting Light by Foo Fighters (78)
Tron: Legacy OST by Daft Punk (78)
Speak Now by Taylor Swift (77)
The King is Dead by The Decemberists (77)
21 by Adele (76)
Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss and Union Station (76)
Watch the Throne by Kanye West and Jay-Z (76)
Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys (74)
4 by Beyonce (73)
Showroom of Compassion by Cake (72)
Born This Way by Lady Gaga (71)
Collapse Into Now by REM (71)
Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie (71)
Angles by The Strokes (71)
Torches by Foster the People (70)
Neighborhoods by blink-182 (69)
Move Like This by The Cars (68)
Loud by Rihanna (67)
Jeff Bridges by Jeff Bridges (65)
Mission Bell by Amos Lee (65)
I Am Not a Human Being by Lil Wayne (65)
Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon (64)
Born Free by Kid Rock (63)
I'm With You by Red Hot Chili Peppers (63)
In Your Dreams by Stevie Nicks (62)
Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars (61)

I know the Grammys couldn't care less about critical acclaim, but I think the results are interesting.

Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Albert Einstein