I look at the Village Voice Pazz and Jop list every year, just because I am a list junkie when it comes to music. Even though it comes from something as uber-hip as VV, the Pazz and Jop list gets the opinions of something like 500 voters. 2011’s top album, Tune-Yards’ W H O K I L L, only showed up on 19 percent of ballots; Kanye’s 2010 disc set the high-water-mark by appearing on 37 percent of ballots.

The 2012 album approached Kanye heights, and it’s a real shocker…some guy who goes by Frank Ocean topped the list with his Channel Orange. Who saw that coming?!?

(Before I go on about Pazz and Jop, can I ask once again what’s so great about Channel Orange, especially when you consider just how amazing Ocean’s 2011 “mixtape” Nostalgia, Ultra is? That album is far more interesting and alive; I find Channel Orange to be boring by comparison. Where the fuck were all you people last year? I was at the front of the line, putting Nostalgia #2 of 2011, and Todd wasn’t far behind at #6. So I really wanted to like Channel Orange. Look at my top 3 discs of 2012: sophomore efforts by the xx, Sleigh Bells, and Best Coast. I don’t automatically jump ship after the debut…but I just don’t hear the greatness of Channel Orange.

Anyway…)

Given the huge number of voters and the obvious diversity in tastes, I thought it would be fun to line up our top 20 albums of 2012 against their rankings in Pazz and Jop.

Some more background…

• Somewhere between 1,500 and 1,600 albums received at least one mention. (Channel Orange had 170 mentions.)
• Kendrick Lamar was #2 (126 mentions) and Fiona Apple was #3 (101 mentions). No other “Century Club” members.
• The highest ranked album with single-digit mentions: #72, Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland, Black Is Beautiful (7 mentions)
• Van Halen’s new album came in #146 with 4 mentions

As you’ll see in the following side-by-side comparisons, a few of our favorite 2012 albums could have used our ballot. That’s right: some of our favorite albums didn’t get a single Pazz and Jop mention. #dafuq

Chris vs. Pazz and Jop

1. The xx, Coexist (Pazz and Jop: 49)
2. Sleigh Bells, Reign of Terror (Pazz and Jop: 60)
3. Best Coast, The Only Place (Pazz and Jop: 98)
4. A Place to Bury Strangers, Worship (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
5. The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter (Pazz and Jop: t79)
6. Sigur Ros, Valtari (Pazz and Jop: t-336)
7. Crystal Castles, (III) (Pazz and Jop: t-116)
8. Beach House, Bloom (Pazz and Jop: 10)
9. Tame Impala, Lonerism (Pazz and Jop: 6)
10. Diiv, Oshin (Pazz and Jop: 108)
11. Burial, Kindred (Pazz and Jop: 59)
12. Frankie Rose, Interstellar (Pazz and Jop: 128)
13. El Perro Del Mar, Pale Fire (Pazz and Jop: t-1361)
14. Wild Nothing, Nocturne (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
15. Japandroids, Celebration Rock (Pazz and Jop: 4)
16. Colleen Green, Milo Goes to Compton (Pazz and Jop: t-710)
17. The Men, Open Your Heart (Pazz and Jop: 50)
18. School of Seven Bells, Ghostory (Pazz and Jop: t-710)
19. Lone, Galaxy Garden (Pazz and Jop: 237)
20. Black Moth Super Rainbow, Cobra Juicy (Pazz and Jop: n/a)

I know Todd was surprised by my placement of A Place to Bury Strangers at #4; apparently the nation shares his assessment. Can’t believe my #14 (ranked even higher by Todd) didn’t rank; Black Moth Super Rainbow not landing a mention at all less surprising but still odd to me.

Todd vs. Pazz and Jop

1. Eternal Summers, Correct Behavior (Pazz and Jop: t-185)
2. Wild Nothing, Nocturne (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
3. Japandroids, Celebration Rock (Pazz and Jop: 4)
4. Seapony, Falling (Pazz and Jop: t-710)
5. Frankie Rose, Interstellar (Pazz and Jop: 128)
6. Best Coast, The Only Place (Pazz and Jop: 98)
7. Paws, Cokefloat! (Pazz and Jop: t-1253)
8. The Sea and Cake, Runner (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
9. Tennis, Young and Old (Pazz and Jop: t-308)
10. Diiv, Oshin (Pazz and Jop: 108)
11. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange (Pazz and Jop: 1)
12. Beach House, Bloom (Pazz and Jop: 10)
13. Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again (Pazz and Jop: t-170)
14. Hospitality, Hospitality (Pazz and Jop: 134)
15. Echo Lake, Wild Peace (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
16. Nude Beach, II (Pazz and Jop: t-356)
17. La Sera, Sees the Light (Pazz and Jop: n/a)
18. The Men, Open Your Heart (Pazz and Jop: 50)
19. Sleigh Bells, Reign of Terror (Pazz and Jop: 60)
20. Heems, Nehru Jackets/Wild Water Kingdom (Pazz and Jop: 137)

How the hell Wild Nothing got ZERO mentions is beyond me. Todd might lose his shit when he sees this. Nude Beach, coming in tied for #356 on Pazz and Jop, shares that distinction with Lionel Richie. La Sera should have a mention, right?

As with any list, take it with a grain of salt. Pazz and Jop’s album list has Taylor Swift at #17 and Carly Rae Jepsen at #40.

And Wild Nothing got no mentions.

#dafuq