It’s that time of year again. It’s time for massive “Best Of 2011” lists to flood the internet and give you a recap of the best whatever the year had to offer. Nobody loves these lists more than music critics and writers.

Let’s face it, music critics can also be called music snobs or elitists (runs from mirror) and often stake their credibility on how obscure an artist they like is. You know the type, the writer who praises some new Scandinavian band that nobody has heard of.

They also like to give you flowery descriptions that describe the music such as “the looping tones of the lute were forged from the glacial flows of the fjords that made up the landscape of their youth.” This often leaves the reader confused and unsure of what the music sounds like.

The problem with these lists is twofold. First, how can anyone listen to every song or record that came out this past year? It’s impossible so usually you end up with a list of that particular writer’s playlist. Second, arguing over what the best record was is like arguing over what the best color is (it’s blue by the way).

Music is all about preference.

So, instead of telling you what I thought the best albums of the year were (hint: The Black Lips, P.J. Harvey, Fucked Up, Gillian Welch) here are the best, best of lists that are out there.

Check them out and Google the bands you have never heard of. You might just discover the next great Scandinavian band before your friends do.

Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2011
Pitchfork is known for scouring the music world and uncovering pretty much everything and anything worth listening to. This list has some pretty obscure bands on it and if you have heard of more than half of them, congratulations, you get to feel smug and superior to the rest of us all. There are some mainstream contributions on this list as Beyoncé comes in at number 27. For the most part, you will discover some new and great music on this list.

Best Music Writer Sentence: “The smeared mush of frequencies that characterized previous records falls away, revealing lilting cartoon xylophones, quizzical hiccups, and delicate percussive loops that crunch like boots in snow.”

SPIN Magazine’s 50 Best Albums of 2011

Nobody likes lists more than Spin as they run various lists all year long. This list has a couple of interesting entries. Such as, how is it that Britney Spears cracks it and how is she within three spots of the amazing Gillian Welch?

Best Music Writer Sentence: “a spectacular 40-minute wooze cruise — its ear-tickling beats, cresting harmonies, and cascades of synths unrelentingly lap at listeners’ pleasure centers (with the focus on live instru-mentation over samples).”

Spinner Magazine’s Best Songs of 2011

Spinner takes the list in a slightly different direction and focuses on the 60 best songs of the year. This list is perfect for the “can’t listen to an entire record” crowd. They have quite an eclectic selection of songs for you to check out. How many lists do Wilco and a band called Diarrhea Planet find themselves on together?

Best Music Writer Sentence: “This hangover-inspired anthem for rebirth will surely find its way on to people’s new-year workout playlists, or the soundtrack of the next Julia Roberts vehicle, no disservice intended”

Paste Magazine’s 50 Best Albums of 2011

This is a pretty solid list from Paste magazine, that actually has 51 songs on it despite claiming to be a top 50. We won’t hold it against them though since they chose some pretty good records. This list is less obscure than some of the others but will still provide you with some nice surprises.

Best Music Writer Sentence: “Track after track leads you one way, guides you down a path your feet have found before, and then, just when you’re used to going right, the music takes a sharp left.”

A.V. Club’s Best Music of 2011

This list by A.V. Club for some reason is a list of 26 best albums. 26? Seems like a random number but they explain that they have a voting system with all of their writers that probably led to this strange number. This list is pretty mainstream so it will make you feel good that you’ve probably heard of most, if not all of these artists.

Best Music Writer Sentence: “This is a record of strong contrasts—charming and somber, elegant and chaotic, energetic and sublime—and the group wades through the swamp of competing styles and moods with casual aplomb. “

What were your favorite records of 2011?