Here are 16 collections of songs that I consider to be 2011’s best music offerings in album format.  For me, these albums have more or less been on constant replay since their release/leak dates and will more than likely continue to be on my tape deck/phonograph/mp3 player for years to come.  I’ve decided to include a list for each entry which will contain 3 succinct points as to why I consider the album an essential listen for 2011.  Please remember to support your favorite artists and buy their music from your local record store.

*Of note, due to my undying love (and inevitable bias) for all the artists currently involved with my second day job, I have chosen to omit any albums associated with Chill Mega Chill Records.

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16 — Dirty Beaches // Badlands

dusty rockabilly, pompadoured cool, rocky landscapes

15 — SBTRKT // SBTRKT

cloistered neon chants, vibrating bass steam, cavernous soul

14 — Rustie // Glass Swords

explosive pop, candy sliced 8-bits, blinding disco shuffles

13 — Jamie Woon // Mirrorwriting

insular emotions, fluorescent pop glimpses, urban asphalt soul

12 — Tiger & Woods // Through The Green

patient groove builds, nuanced sample edits, monolithic dance grooves

11 — Beyoncé // 4 (Deluxe Edition)

sexed-up city ballads, soaring vocals, party pop anthems

10 — Unknown Mortal Orchestra // Unknown Mortal Orchestra

fidgety guitar distortion, blown speaker rattle, focused web of tangled melody

9 — Drake // Take Care

bedroom introspection, last-call club high, transitional relationship R&B

8 — The Weeknd // House Of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes Of Silence

soul noir, drugged after-party, michael jackson incarnate

7 — Kurt Vile // Smoke Ring For My Halo

picked folk variations, delicate melodic subtleties, inspired slacker philosophy

6 — Real Estate // Days

autumnal highway drift, lush coastal breeze, elegant guitar/vocal interplay

5 — Yuck // Yuck (Deluxe Edition)

buzzsaw garage anthems, rhythmic power, reckless youthful abandon

4 — The Caretaker // An Empty Bliss Beyond This World

crackling wax static, careless glee, sounds of a smoked filled ballroom

3 — AraabMuzik // Electronic Dream

masterful sample cues, build and release, euro club dance

2 — Youth Lagoon // The Year Of Hibernation

sandbox imagination, limitless opportunity, loss of adolescent innocence

1 — Bon Iver // Bon Iver

captivating sonic textures, expansive vocal themes, epic soft rock