Top 20 Albums of 2011!

Goblin, Tyler, the Creator

The out-of-the-blue breakthrough of Odd Future and its Svengali, MC-producer Tyler the Creator—highlighted by his unexpected Best New Artist win at the VMAs—was one of the biggest music stories of 2011. Tyler’s Goblin, with his twisted, confessional subject matter, one-of-a-kind sub-baritone delivery and Neptunes-on-meth production, backed up the hype and showed potential for a whole lot more. We can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Ambition, Wale

The pairing of the former Mark Ronson protégé with Rick Ross’s Mayback Music Group made many of us scratch our heads. But on Ambition, they proved their odd pairing somehow, transforming Wale into a flossy ladies’ man. The switch-up is sure to anger some of the D.C. rapper’s long-time fans, but the combination of his nimble rhyme patterns and MMG’s patented cinematically lush production hits an undeniable sweet spot.

Finally Famous, Big Sean

Big Sean’s album title was certainly prophetic: On his major-label debut, the Detroit rapper unveiled his own bombastic brand of pop-rap, combining his mentor Kanye West’s cocky charisma with a tween, for-the-ladies angle that made Sean ubiquitous on 106th & Park this year.

The Dreamer, The Believer, Common

With his focus on his now well-established acting career, Common’s first album in three years could’ve turned out one of two ways: rusty and out of practice or, hopefully, chomping-at-the-bit hungry. Luckily, it’s no doubt the latter, with a back-in-form Com reconnecting with his old co-defendant No I.D. for an album of dusty, early-’90s-inflected meat-and-potatoes hip-hop.

Talk That Talk, Rihanna

Rihanna, pop music’s most chameleon-like chanteuse, finally seems to find her true calling on Talk That Talk: urban dance music with a hypersexual dark side, equally at home in Ibiza super-clubs, Brooklyn dance halls or a candle-lit bedroom.

Hell: The Sequel

After a tumultuous decade of beefs, successes and pitfalls, Royce and Eminem reboot their storied late-’90s collaboration on this chart-topping album. Friendly competition gives this LP the anxious energy of a corner cipher, with both rappers, two of hip-hop’s most skilled technicians even on their worst days, matching each other bar for dizzying bar.

TM103: Hustlerz Ambition, Young Jeezy

After multiple well-publicized delays, Young Jeezy’s album shows that sometimes you can’t rush a good thing. TM103 is a worthy continuation of his Thug Motivation franchise, filled with his signature trap-rap capitalist anthems, but also showing a deeper, more introspective side on tracks like “F.A.M.E.”

Rolling Papers, Wiz Khalifa

With its electro-inflected beats and catchy sung hooks, Wiz successfully adapts the weed-rap personal aesthetic that made him a dorm-room sensation to the masses on Rolling Papers. His recent collaborations with Snoop make too much sense.

The R.E.D. Album, Game

Game lets loose like a drunken machine gunner on this scattershot of an album, complete with 21 tracks, all but four without guest appearances. He throws everything and everything’s mama at the wall, but a whole lot of it sticks, especially the weirdo-rap triumph “Martians vs. Goblins,” featuring Lil Wayne and Tyler the Creator.

Lasers, Lupe Fiasco

Lupe claimed this pop-rap album was the result of an overbearing, commercially-minded record label, but with its No. 1 debut on Billboard, maybe his A&R really was onto something. Lupe didn’t let the electro-leaning production or big, melodious hooks blunt his usual darts, making each track his, no matter how radio-friendly.

Self Made Vol. 1, Various Artists

You know the story: Rapper becomes superstar, rapper starts label and signs other not-as-good rappers, label puts out half-assed compilation. But Rick Ross and his Maybach Music Group switched the script with Self Made Vol. 1. His protégés, particularly Wale and an on-fire Meek Mill—who dominates with “I’ma Boss”—more than hold their own over MMG’s trademark luxurious production here. The result is one of the most solid albums of the year.

Undun, The Roots

Long one of rap’s most consistent groups, The Roots raise the bar with the artful concept album undun, giving a touching, thoughtul first-person perspective on Philly street life over breathtakingly gorgeous live backdrops.

My Life II…The Journey Continues: Act I, Mary J. Blige

Though this album falls well short of the high-water wark of its seminal predecessor, 1994’s My Life, Mary still shows that she can sing about heartbreak, pain, struggle and the ugly side of love better than any other singer of her generation.

F.A.M.E., Chris Brown

On F.A.M.E., Chris Brown breezes over mountains of criticism and self-inflicted troubles with his slickest, most solid effort yet. Inescapably catchy highlights like “Look at Me Now” dominated 106th & Park, and justifiably so.

Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne

Wayne was on another planet from 2005, when he began his torrential downpour of classic mixtapes, to 2008, when he released the runaway hit album, Tha Carter III. On Tha Carter IV, he comes down to earth (and off the sizzurp), but he still spits the same endearingly weird stream-of-conscious rhymes that first made him rap’s center of gravity. If you don’t believe us, ask the almost 1 millions fans who copped the album in its first week.

4, Beyoncé

Beyoncé continues her unassailable world-domination tour on 4, ensuring she keeps her throne well-beyond reach during her inevitable post-partum hiatus. She checks in with her patented Southern-bounce-meets-world-music party anthems on “Countdown” and “Run the World (Girls),” and also shows a surprising knack for charismatic, family-reunion-ready crowd-pleasers heavily influenced by 1980s R&B on “Love on Top” and “Party.”

Cole World: The Sideline Story

One of the most heart-warming trends in hip-hop this year was seeing quality, no-frills lyricism make a real impact commercially, and J. Cole’s major-label debut exemplified the phenomenon. Cole’s blue-collar raps lived up to the potential of his mixtapes here, and more than justitified Jay-Z’s decision to make him Roc Nation’s first signee.

21, Adele

The old cliché says that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but it forgot to mention that she can also make a hell of an album. Or at least if she’s Adele, who used a tough breakup to fuel one of the year’s most stirring releases, led by the stormy soul throwback “Rolling in the Deep.”

Take Care, Drake

Drake boldly expands his futuristic R&B/rap/ambient hybrid into newer, deeper, weirder places on Take Care. An unflinching meditation on fame and relationships over feathery, barely-there productions helmed by his partner 40, this is hip-hop at its most deeply personal.