This is what played CDs before there were MP3s.

50) Ice Cream - Battles (Ft. Matias Aquayo). The truth is, this song kind of irritates me. I like the opening build, but once it gets going, it gives off too much of a Smash Mouth vibe. In the interest of fairness it should be noted that this song is better than anything Smash Mouth ever wrote.

49) 17 - Youth Lagoon

48) Whirring - The Joy Formidable. This track is a killer guilt-free rock track. Hayley Williams totally wants to be Ritzy Bryan when he grows up.

47) How Deep Is Your Love - The Rapture. This song is on the list in spite of the obvious (and shameful) Sisquo call back.

46) Yonkers - Tyler, The Creator

45) Snooze 4 Love - Todd Terje. If you don’t know this track than A) you don’t read Clef Notes diligently enough, and B) you don’t know jack about awesome electronica.

44) The Other Shoe - Fucked Up

43) My Angel Is Broken - Atlas Sound

42) I Don’t Want Love - The Antlers. You should start practicing this song on your acoustic guitar before it gets warm, so it’ll be ready to lure the ladies. Of course there is almost no chance you have the required falsetto.

41) Youlogy - Shabazz Palaces

40) Street Halo - Burial. The father (or at least, the older uncle) of dub-step didn't want the kids to forget about him, so he returned triumphantly to show then how it's done.

39) Winter Beats - I Break Horses. I like to think that I Break Horses exists to keep my obsession with Sweden strong... Oh, and the song is an awesome example of post-shoegaze (yeah, I am also sickened by writing that hyphenated atrocity).

38) The Great Pan Is Dead - Cold Cave

37) Crystalline - Bjork

36) Rolling In The Deep - Adele. Face it, the song is pretty solid, and she sings better than you do anything.

35) Lotus Flower - Radiohead. I had to drug myself in order to keep this song from ending up higher than it deserved.

34) Headlines - Drake. This is the first of my boyfriend's three mentions on this list. More than any other artist (SQUEE!).

33) We Bros - Wu Lyf

32) Otis - Kanye West & Jay - Z. “You ain’t accustomed to customs/ you ain’t been nowhere, hanh?”

31) Prizewinning - Juliana Barwick

30) Ungirthed - Purity Ring. You really need to give this song a try. There is something both bewitching and fascinating about the track’s musical construction, and the way it's juxtaposed against the vocals...  [Be warned this video is NSFW]

29) Looping State Of Mind -  The Field

28) Monopoly - Danny Brown. This track is admittedly not for the easily offended, nor for those with an aversion to scatological hooks.

27) Honey Bunny - Girls

26) Novacane - Frank Ocean

25) Marvin’s Room - Drake. Drake narrowly beat out Frank Ocean according to my algorithm. The deciding factor? Drake’s cutene-, I mean "Canadianess."

24) Queen Of Hearts - Fucked Up

23) Blue Eyes - Destroyer

22) R4 Theme Song - Big K.R.I.T

21) Last Night At The Jetty - Panda Bear. This song features the best utilization of a two word bridge possibly in the history of music.

20) Glass Jar - Gang Gang Dance

19) I’m On One - DJ Khaled (Drake, Rick Ross, Lil’ Wayne). This song comes complete with Syrup quality control guidelines. Thanks Drizzy you're the best!

18) The Wall - Yuck

17) Vomit - Girls

16) Replica - Oneohtrix Point Never. This song is not for everyone, just those of you who enjoy ambient music, loneliness, and feeling your soul die.

15) Believer - John Maus. I can’t really explain how, but this song is so much better than it is. Also, you should note that I consider the top fifteen to be essential listening!

14) Cruel - St. Vincent

13) 212 - Azealia Banks (Ft. Lazy Jay). Watch out for this young lady next year, she is going to be bigger than Nicki Minaj, and this song is the proof of my claim.

12) House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls - The Weeknd

11) Dreamin’ - Big K.R.I.T

10) Abducted - Cults. There is a good chance you heard this song more than any other song on the list this year. There is also a good chance you have a beard, wear glasses, and are older than you tell people you are.

9) Need You Now - Cut Copy

8) Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

7) Holocene - Bon Iver. AHHHHHH!!!!

6) Califonia - EMA

5) The Wilhelm Scream- James Blake

4) The Words That Maketh Murder - PJ Harvey

3) Gangsta - tUnE-yArDs. If this list reflected my own personal taste, and not the distilled mathematical certainties of countless hours of work, then Gangsta would have been the number one song of the year. Merril Garbus broke the mold with this cut, which features a uniqueness that is missing not just from music, but from life. To say that this song is odd is an understatement. The truth is, it’s gloriously strange. That being said, it’s also catchy as hell, and makes you want to move, which is something that, frankly, we can all do a little more.

2) Video Games - Lana Del Rey. What often gets lost amid all of the hate and conspiracy theories that surround and obscure Lana Del Ray is that this woman really can sing (face it, haters). Video Games is without a doubt the most written-about song of 2011 but, beyond that, it is also exquisitely produced (I know, I know, by Illuminati taste-makers), well written, and features the sleepy, slightly apathetic/slightly wistful, very seductive charms of a woman who will be huge in 2012, whether you like it or not (P.S. I hear she recently signed a modeling contract!).

1) Midnight City - M83. The first time I heard this song I knew it was the best track of the year. As a matter of fact,  I actually featured it as a Clef Notes Track of the Week twice in 2011 (which, as we all know, is basically the musical equivalent of winning a Nobel Prize). Anthony Gonzalez released one hell of a record in 2011 and Midnight City is its neon crown jewel from the future. The main sample that serves as the song’s backbone is actually Gonzalez’s voice, warped and distorted beyond recognition, then spliced and repeated to perfection. I can't explain what an amazing feat of inspiration and ingenuity it is to turn your voice into one of the year's most recognizable samples, so I won't even try (besides you wouldn't get it anyway... JK) Anyway... Midnight City is not only the year’s best song, it even manages to sneak in a saxophone outro while not infuriating me in the process, which to this day I still consider impossible. Bravo, Mr. Gonzalez, bravo.

(10) Fast Five

Jeremiah White:  What a way to kick off the Top 10!

Jeff Hart:  VROOM VROOM!

Jeremiah White:  Reuniting characters from the previous four installments, Fast Five felt like more than a shameless retread, it felt like a celebration of the thrill seeking franchise’s success, and excess. Everything about Fast Five is bigger than its predecessors: the stunts, the cast, the score, the biceps. In many summer blockbusters, that would mean a bloated, unenjoyable mess, but in the case of Fast Five, bigger is better.

Jeff Hart:  I know I bitched yesterday about the inclusion of 30 Minutes or Less as a credibility destroyer and Fast Five definitely sits outside my personal Top 10, but c’mon. It was awesome. Who cares about artistic merit when The Rock is spitting out shards of glass and power-slamming Vinny-Dees? Sometimes you just want to shut off your brain.

(9) Another Earth

Jeff Hart:  Here’s the third part of this year’s trio of cataclysm movies, along with Take Shelter and Melancholia, and it was the only one to make your list. Why?

Jeremiah White:  I was taken with the effortless and simple storytelling, and the lack of schmaltz despite a plot that could have been drenched in it.

Jeff Hart:  Another Earth is a poignant blending of science fiction with drama. Here’s this world-changing event, another planet just like ours hanging in the sky, and yet all the big sci-fi repercussions are cleverly handled through background noise and television broadcasts. Against this high concept backdrop we get a very relatable story of grief, penance, and redemption.

(8) Young Adult

Jeff Hart:  I was wary of Young Adult going in mainly because of the presence of screenwriter Diablo Cody. I was worried that the dialogue would be cute to the point of inhuman, like a retread of Juno.

Jeremiah White:  Definitely not. Cody left all the home-skillets out of this one.

Jeff Hart:  Jason Reitman surely knows that male midlife crisis movies are still all the rage, yet it’s rare to get a female equivalent. Charlize Theron has the range to really pull this role off, going from despicable to funny to vulnerable to pathetic. Thanks to Theron, Young Adult is bursting with those Curb Your Enthusiasm type moments of awkwardness so painful you want to turn away. Her relationship with Patton Oswald, who is quietly becoming a reliable dramatic actor, is sweet and human without ever becoming overly sentimental.

(7) The Tree of Life

Jeremiah White:  It’s difficult to talk about Tree of Life as one complete movie. The various sections of Terrence Malick’s 2 hour 20 minute epic could be easily divided and presented separately, and the scope is so large (creation of life to present day) that it can feel a bit unwieldy. However, the early section, which is basically a video art installation about the evolution of life, features such a variety of images, and is so packed with grandiose beauty, that it’s simply impossible for the eye to grow bored. And then the middle section, which focuses on a family in the 50s, brings the past to life with remarkable detail and manages to be completely engrossing with only the slightest traces of exposition and plot. It’s pure experience.

Jeff Hart:  Tree of Life has the unique honor of being the first Malick film I’ve been able to watch in a single sitting without falling asleep.

Jeremiah White:  Congratulations.

Jeff Hart:  Thanks. Look, there were points during the middle section where I thought this could be the best movie of the year; that its artistry elevated it above anything else I’ve seen this year and maybe beyond. That section is gripping, the editing is masterful. It’s the closest approximation to swimming through another person’s memory that you’re likely to find on film. But then Malick insists on closing on an overtly spiritual note, bombarding viewers with all the most hackneyed visual metaphors for an afterlife in existence. A beach? A mysterious white light filled doorway? A bridge? Come on. Did he credit the series finale of Lost for inspiration? That final misstep kept it out of my Top 10.

Jeremiah White:  That Lost bit is a low blow.

(6) Warrior

Jeremiah White:  Director Gavin O’Connor is fond of describing Warrior as “intervention in a cage.” There’s no doubt that a smart script, compelling characters, and powerful lead performances from Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton make Warrior great. But it’s ostensibly about an MMA tournament, and it’s a first rate sports movie in its own right.

Jeff Hart:  It’s too bad this came on the heels of last year’s overrated The Fighter, because Warrior is definitely the superior film. It might be the best sports movie since Rocky. There’s a certain amount of suspension of disbelief necessary to get us into the final showdown, but that comes easy thanks to strong performances from Hardy, Edgerton, and Nick Nolte.

Jeremiah White:  I was particularly impressed with how exciting the tournament was, despite a relatively small number of fighters. Every bout is different and memorable, with hard-hitting action and an attention to strategy. The use of two main characters makes the tournament results much less predictable, and the final match is genuinely suspenseful.

(5) The Guard

Jeff Hart:  Superficially, if you believe the spotty American marketing, The Guard is a fish-out-of-water buddy cop comedy starring Don Cheadle as an American FBI agent forced into working with Brendan Gleeson’s eccentric small town Irish cop. It nails down all the important elements of that genre with relative ease.

Jeremiah White:  They're a great pair, and the evolution of their relationship from antagonistic to cooperative to friendly feels natural and earned.

Jeff Hart:  But the real star here is Gleeson who, along with writer/director John Michael McDonagh, has created the latest entry in the pantheon of great detectives. Gleeson’s character is fully-formed, unique in his worldview, and just enigmatic enough that I’m dying to see another of his misadventures. This is probably how people felt after reading the first Hercule Poirot novel or something. Except Gleeson is hilarious.

(4) Attack the Block

Jeremiah White:  I don’t think I had more fun watching a movie all year. Ill-equipped humans battling alien invaders is a frequent occurrence in Hollywood, but when a British street gang takes on wild animals from outer space in Attack the Block, the action and humor feel organic despite such a contrived premise. While Super 8 may look every bit like a Spielberg movie, Attack the Block may be the more fitting tribute as it sparkles with imagination and adventure.

Jeff Hart:  I don’t think Attack the Block’s youth gang has the necessary sense of wonder to really fit the Spielberg tribute mold. Spielberg would never dare begin in such a cynical place. But Attack the Block does reflect some of those early Spielberg projects – like Gremlins and Goonies – that were more about rollicking adventure than sentimentality. I grew up on those movies. Attack the Block, while more targeted at grown-up kids like us, could still end up being one of those monster adventure favorites for the new generation. At the very least, it’s an instant cult classic.

(3) Martha Marcy May Marlene

Jeff Hart:  This was my #1 movie of the year for the very simple reason that weeks after seeing it, I still want to talk about it. I’ve had so many conversations about M4 over the last few weeks and each of those conversations has revealed a different way of interpreting the film’s events. The way the narrative floats along, blending present with memory and reality with paranoid fantasy, makes for a captivating experience. I was constantly ill-at-ease during M4, and yet I didn’t want it to end. I think that’s one of the biggest compliments I can pay the film; that I wanted another 30 minutes. Also, Elizabeth Olsen? Wow.

Jeremiah White:  Yeah, she’s great. You might describe her performance as a revelation, if that revelation is that a member of the Olsen family is actually talented.

Jeff Hart:  Zing. Olsen deserves Best Actress consideration. Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes really bring it as well.

(2) Drive

Jeff Hart:  As cool as it gets, right?

Jeremiah White:  Totally. Let me pull on my leather typing gloves while staring stonily into the distance.

Jeff Hart:  Drive proved to be a really divisive film this year, disappointing a lot of people suckered in because they thought they’d be getting car chases and maybe Ryan Gosling tearfully embracing Carey Mulligan on a beach. Instead, they ended up with Nicholas Winding Refn’s moody 70s exploitation tribute, with its weird retro music and horrifying ultra-violence. It still amazes me that a movie like Drive, which might have more style than substance but is still very much an art-house flick, got such a major release.

(1) Super

Jeremiah White:  What a shocker!

Jeff Hart:  I did not see that coming!

Jeremiah White:  Even as I was putting the finishing touches on my list, I didn’t expect to be putting Super at #1. But ultimately, Super is the movie that I feel the most passionately about recognizing. It’s a sharp piece of entertainment, with smart super hero humor and engaging action sequences. But there’s so much more to unpack! Writer/director James Gunn shines a harsh light on the super hero fantasy. What kind of a person would deem themselves worthy of acting as judge and jury? Who has the stomach to willingly enter into a world of constant violence (represented onscreen by a mix of splatter film gore and visceral brutality)? In this case, the answer to both questions is a self-pitying, ineffectual dimwit with a moral superiority complex, played expertly by Rainn Wilson.

Jeff Hart:  The answer is also a hyperactive super-fan with delusions of invincibility as played by a maniacally intense Ellen Page. She’s the kind of person that Super would ostensibly appeal to: the Kick-Ass worshipper that relishes casual violence and lives for escapist fantasy. Gunn’s film is so energetic and colorful, so poppy and free-wheeling, that it’s extremely disquieting when the realization finally hits just how fucked up this twisted idea of super heroics is. All of a sudden, you realize you’ve been watching a genre critique.

Jeremiah White:  In the midst of a super hero fad entering its second decade, and with many interpretations opting for grittier, more psychological approaches, and movies like Kick-Ass espousing a sort of “we can all be heroes” philosophy, Super feels incredibly timely. It’s a dynamic, bold, thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly thought-provoking oddity. Nothing made me more excited about filmmaking in 2011.

In the interest of full disclosure, here are our editors' Top 20 lists along with the point totals they assigned each film:

Jeremiah's Top 20:
1) Super (30)
2) Drive (25)
3) Attack the Block (23)
4) The Tree of Life (22)
5) Martha Marcy May Marlene (21)
6) The Journals of Musan (19)
7) Warrior (19)
8) Another Earth (17)
9) The Guard (17)
10) Young Adult (16)
11) Win Win (15)
12) Fast Five (15)
13) 30 Minutes or Less (12)
14) Blackthorn (10)
15) Cedar Rapids (9)
16) The Future (8)
17) Beats, Rhymes and Life (8)
18) Carnage (5)
19) Midnight in Paris (5)
20) We Need to Talk About Kevin (4)

Jeff’s Top 20:
1) Martha Marcy May Marlene (29)
2) Drive (26)
3) The Guard (25)
4) Warrior (23)
5) Super (22)
6) Attack the Block (22)
7) Young Adult (20)
8) Another Earth (19)
9) Take Shelter (18)
10) We Need to Talk About Kevin (17)
11) The Tree of Life (15)
12) Meek’s Cutoff (14)
13) Melancholia (12)
14) Shame (10)
15) Fast Five (8)
16) Midnight in Paris (6)
17) Beginners (6)
18) Win Win (3)
19) Blackthorn (3)
20) Rubber (2)

Jeff Hart:  Let's do a brief introduction!

Jeremiah White:  Go for it.

Jeff Hart:  2011 was a weird year for films. The usual end-of-year Oscar bait films really sort of suck this year, so we ended up with a lot of strange stuff on this list; indies that haven't gotten their due, mostly. Overall, there were a lot of really great movies, but nothing that really jumped out to me as a surefire Best Movie of the year.

Jeremiah White:  We both got behind The Social Network last year. This time, we didn't have a consensus #1. I think that made for a more provocative list. I can almost guarantee that no other site on the entire internet will share our Best Movie of the Year.

Jeff Hart:  The prevalent theme in film this year seemed to be the end of the world. There are three films on my list that deal explicitly with a literally Earth-changing event, and a bunch of others that are powered by smaller world-shattering tragedies. Filmmakers be nervous, yo.

Jeremiah White:  That's not so much a pattern on my list. I'm noticing I leaned toward genre tweaks this year. Some filmmakers played in familiar territory this year and really got it right. Those were my favorite movies.

(20) Shame

Jeff Hart:  I had a lot of problems with Shame. The shaggy long takes employed by director Steve McQueen often left his actors looking lost and the film ultimately charts a very predictable addiction narrative, but Michael Fassbender’s performance is too brave to ignore. It won him our title of Badass of the Year. It isn’t a film I could see myself sitting through again. That might be a compliment.

Jeremiah White:  I’ll second your gripes, especially with an ending that seems to undo the nuance of the first two acts. Still, for much of its runtime, Shame is an intriguing portrait of addiction and disconnect in the 21^st century. And yes, Fassbender is great.

(19) Midnight in Paris

Jeremiah White:  Woody Allen’s 2011 entry may not end up being particularly noteworthy in a legendary career that has spanned six decades, but it’s extremely easy to like. It’s attractive, charming and funny, and smartly wastes no time on the why’s and how’s of Owen Wilson’s time traveling. It’s a straightforward love letter to Paris, the artistic minds of the 1920s, and romanticism in general.

Jeff Hart:  At times, that love of romanticism makes Midnight in Paris a bit too precious, but the thrill of gallivanting with Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald makes up for it.

Jeremiah White:  Too precious, huh? Maybe you’d prefer the cynicism of Whatever Works?

Jeff Hart:  Don’t be stupid. WHO WANTS TO FIGHT?

(18) 30 Minutes Or Less

Jeremiah White:  Maybe I’m overcompensating for the critic disdain and audience apathy, but I really liked 30 Minutes. A lot.

Jeff Hart:  You’re probably overcompensating. Every year you have one of these credibility destroying picks that undermine our entire list. Last year it was MacGruber.

Jeremiah White:  Ah, one of my proudest moments as a critic. I’m fine with overcompensating on the behalf of Ruben Fleischer’s sophomore effort. It balances action and comedy better than anything in recent memory, the five leads all deliver, and references to the best 80s action movies abound.

Jeff Hart:  Yeah yeah, and even at 83 minutes long, the first act feels like filler. I enjoyed 30 Minutes as much as… well, pretty much anyone who isn’t you, but this isn’t a landmark cinematic achievement.

Jeremiah White:  That’s exactly what they told Will Forte.

(17) Melancholia

Jeremiah White: Basically, any movie with Kirsten Dunst nude moon-bathing was assured to make your Top 20, right?

Jeff Hart:  Well, yes. If Spider-Man 3 had featured 200% more Dunst staring moodily into the ether without a shirt on, it would’ve been my movie of the decade. Baser inclinations aside, this latest entry in the Lars Von Trier catalog of manic depressive horror shows is as visually enthralling as it is unsettling. Melancholia is a crushingly hopeless affair for much of its runtime, something to wallow in, which makes the feeling of optimism generated by its apocalyptic conclusion bafflingly wonderful.

Jeremiah White:  Eh. Nothing about Melancholia felt remotely human to me. As usual with Von Trier, the characters seem like nothing more than vehicles for his depression.

(16) Blackthorn

Jeremiah White:  Back in April, Blackthorn looked like a shoo-in for the year’s best Western. But 2011 was still young, and that title might ultimately belong to the film that landed one spot higher. Still, if you’re looking for a traditional Western, this little bit of revisionist history that imagines an elderly Butch Cassidy coming out of retirement is the best the past year has to offer.

Jeff Hart:  Plus there’s Jaime Lannister as a Robert Redford era Cassidy for Game of Thrones fans!

Jeremiah White:  There is, and beautiful landscapes, a gruff but likable protagonist, a few pulse-quickening action sequences (including one showstopper of a centerpiece), and some heavy themes like mortality and the inexorable march of time.

(15) Meek’s Cutoff

Jeremiah White:  So we learned this year that the Oregon Trail is a lot worse than the computer game would have us believe.

Jeff Hart:  No kidding! Although it seems natural to call Meek’s Cutoff a Western and compare it to its neighbor Blackthorn, Kelly Reichardt has made a film that doesn’t naturally fit into any genre. Meek’s Cutoff is probably best described as a bleak feminist existential thriller.

Jeremiah White: They should put that on the poster.

Jeff Hart:  It’s a slow moving experience that certainly won’t be for everyone. If you can handle the pacing, Reichardt’s barren vistas drip with atmosphere and the characters, despite having little dialogue, are exceptionally well drawn.

(14) Win Win

Jeremiah White:  Admittedly, Win Win is the kind of feel good movie I usually avoid. The troubled teenager, the economically strapped family that takes him in, the elderly character suffering from dementia. But it manages to be warm and fuzzy without feeling manipulative or melodramatic. Plus, the comedy of Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Tambor and Bobby Cannavale as high school wrestling coaches is worth the price of admission alone.

 Jeff Hart:  Yeah, this is a serious case of feel-goodery, but sometimes that can be a good thing. Like you said, the cast is strong, and the script is tight enough that the happy ending feels earned. There's enough of an edge to Giamatti and newcomer Alex Shaffer's performance to keep things interesting. Also, the wrestling scenes are good.

(13) Take Shelter

Jeff Hart: The other the-end-is-nigh entry on this half of the list, Take Shelter is much more accessible than its companion Melancholia. Anchored by a forceful performance from Michael Shannon, Take Shelter takes the fear and uncertainty strangling Middle America and turns it into nightmarish visions of a coming apocalypse. Instead of joining The Tea Party, Shannon builds a bunker.

Jeremiah White:  I don’t want to spoil the ending as hopefully Take Shelter will find a larger audience soon – it’s definitely a film worth seeing – but it left me disappointed. So much of the film is spent by the audience trying to get into Shannon’s head. The process of determining whether he’s a madman or a prophet is integral to the experience. I didn’t like having the answer spelled out for me.

Jeff Hart:  I agree with that. Take Shelter would’ve been a much more intriguing film had it ended right after Shannon and Jessica Chastain (also excellent, good year for her) decide whether or not they should emerge from the bunker. I mean, that dimly lit bunker blow-up was maybe the most nail-biting scene of the year for me. Everything that follows is a touch much, but it’s still great and I’m looking forward to more from director Jeff Nichols.

(12) Journals of Musan

Jeremiah White:  Journals of Musan was easily my favorite viewing experience of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. It’s a dark and depressing look at a North Korean defector who finds himself friendless and broke in South Korea. I never felt that writer/director/star Jung-bum Park was punishing the audience, as there is humor and excitement to break things up, but undoubtedly its greatest achievement is in conveying the depth of Park’s loneliness and isolation.

Jeff Hart:  I also really enjoyed Musan, but it wasn't something that jumped out at me when I was making my final list. Unfortunately, I just don't remember much about Musan. Truly great films will stick with you.

Jeremiah White:  Yeah. Like 30 Minutes or Less.

(11) We Need To Talk About Kevin

Jeff Hart:  Never has a young mother throwing her poopy-pants toddler against the wall felt so cathartic!

Jeremiah White:  That’s dark.

Jeff Hart:  Seriously. In a year that saw a lot of dreamlike puzzle-box films, Kevin is a freaking nightmare. Tilda Swinton is excellent as usual as a mother grappling with the world’s worst case of nature vs. nurture after her demonic offspring commits a heinous act of violence. Unsettling literally from its opening frame, Kevin is the kind of movie that I love because it’s artful, dark, and begs for further discussion.

Jeremiah White:  Rarely do art and horror mesh so well. For all the vileness in it, Kevin avoids exploitation. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s worth it.

CONTINUE TO #10-1

10) Return Of 4 Eva - Big K.R.I.T

With Return Of 4 Eva, Big K.R.I.T. released what is without question my favorite hip-hop album of the year. A gifted producer and emcee, K.R.I.T has become one of the game’s fastest rising stars on the strength of numerous mixtapes, none more impressive than the retro blast of southern soul that is Return Of 4 Eva. Over the course of 21 tracks K.R.I.T blows out your speakers, with thumping bangers like R4 Theme Song, poignant social commentary like Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed And Encouraging Racism, and completely superb tales of coming up, and aspiration, like Dreamin', which is hands down one of 2011’s best tracks.

9) Black Up - Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palace’s Black Up is the most profound and exemplary work of art produced within the hip-hop genre in 2011. From a sonic, lyrical, and conceptual aspect, this record pushes the genre to a place it is not too familiar with, but desperately needs to be. From the moment the atmosphere of Free Press And Curl begins to build, you are aware that this is not your typical hip-hop release. As the warped beat and highly intellectual lyrics present themselves, you can’t help but be both impressed and intrigued. Over a brief but dense 36 minutes, this record delivers mind-altering cuts such as Youthology, The Kings New Clothes Were Made By His Own Hands, and Swerve The Reaping Of All That Is Worthwhile- tracks which just manage to scratch the surface of the discoveries within this unquestionably great LP.

8) House Of Balloons - The Weeknd

Over the course of 2011 you heard House of Balloons everywhere; at hip parties, trendy nightspots and, if you’re anything like the people I know (which, face it, you are), numerous times when you laid down with your significant other. House of Balloons is 2011’s best R&B release, its most influential non-dub step release, and most of all, a hazy, seductive, and superb record. By employing mysterious marketing techniques, unique album art aesthetics, and choosing to take a low profile in the custom of modern internet-born artists, The Weeknd themselves cultivated a serious mystique over the course of the year. That mystique coupled with sublime songwriting like in The Morning, High For This, and the terrifyingly catchy House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls (which also wins 2011's award for best use of a Siouxsie and the Banshees sample) it all adds up to an incredible debut and fantastic record.

7) Father, Son, Holy Ghost - Girls

I have no doubt that there are friends of yours out there who think this is the best album of the last ten years, and I also have no doubt that I don’t like those people. Every now and again a record comes around that is great, but is overshadowed (and maybe even a little distorted) by the hype that surrounds it, and to some extent this is the case with the latest Girls album. Father, Son, Holy Ghost is a great and, at moments, even timeless record, which I assure you is more than happy simply being one of the best of 2011. Christoper Owens manages to channel his unique childhood and an appreciation for 70s Americana into a brilliant collection of songs which play out like distant memories of places you never were. If you're looking for computer samples, psychedelia, or the beloved wobble, look elsewhere, as you will not find such things on this album. What you will find instead are near perfect representations of pop that your parents loved (Magic), six-plus minute odes to nostalgic melodrama (Vomit), and wildly catchy songs that you would have to be clueless not to appreciate (Honey Bunny). Father, Son, Holy Ghost is a prime example of using one’s influences as a sonic compass through the sea of musical composition and deserves most of the praise it has received in 2011.

6) James Blake - James Blake

To be fair, this record had made this list before it even came out. If I was a betting man, back in 2010 I would have wagered a massive sum that it would have been this year’s best. James Blake did not invent dub step, he was just responsible for bringing it to a whole new demographic of white kids. Regular readers should already be aware that I consider this young man to be a genius, and the reason is simple...this young man is a genius. In an era when bedroom recording has become a limitless conduit for inspiration, Blake crafts an obscured gray world of swells, clicks, pops, and stark silences. There is something both futuristic and organic about Blake’s music; it captures both the sterility of technology and, due mostly to the unique character of his voice, the warmth of the soul. Each track on his self-titled debut LP is a gem that deserves to be admired, but if I had to choose its best representatives I would direct your attention to Unluck, I Never Learnt To Share, and Lindesfarne I &II. If you don’t know who James Blake is as you read this column then you better act fast, because odds are the kids will move on sooner rather than later.

5) Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

As a man who was born and raised in the city my appreciation for all things pastoral is minimal at best. Because of my fear of grizzly bears, wolves, and some families of flowers, I don’t often venture out into the woods, but if I needed to I could do so by just sitting in my apartment and listening to Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues. Hailing from Seattle, this band of densely bearded acoustic guitar players has been enchanting listeners with their folk stylings since 2008. Their debut record has already become a modern classic, and its greatness has been completely eclipsed by the majesty of Helplessness Blues.

It is easy to describe art as "beautiful" due to the constraints of the English language, but in truth no other word can capture the amber glow of this record. Each song on Helplessness Blues contains a precious quality which makes them sound like they hang in the halls of quiet museums alongside the somber yet dignified works of Flemish masters. This record is pretty damn close to flawless and completely immersive. From the opening finger-picked figure of Montezuma we are drawn to the autumnal grandeur of this music, enjoying the wonders within Battery Kinzie, Sim Sala Bim, Blue Spotted Tail, and the album’s masterpiece and title-track.

4) Past Life, Martyred Saints - EMA

I was hip to EMA such a long time ago, I kind of want to stick a flag in her. Before the Nirvana covers, the Youtube video sensations, and the approval of Spin Magazine, I was already a devotee of this guitar-playing Viking descendant from South Dakota. There may be some of you out there saying “Hey man, what about her work with The Gowns?” to which I say: this is not about The Gowns, this is about the year’s best debut record and #4 album.

There’s something heartbreaking, shattered, and raw about Past Lives, Martyred Saints. The songs on this record feel like confessionals of a tortured woman who can’t possibly be in her twenties. The album aims to eviscerate you emotionally, starting with the apocalyptically bleak The Grey Ship and continuing through the gut-wrenching catharsis of California, the head-spinning bounce of Milkman, and the quiet brutality of Marked. With the release of such a stupendous debut record EMA has placed herself in a precarious position for delivering a follow-up, but we don’t need to worry about that now. All we need to do is listen to this record and be amazed.

3) Let England Shake - EMA

As I sit here typing, I have a hard time believing this album is only the third best record of the year. Since it dropped back in February, I have been nothing but captivated by the poetic and aural beauty of the ode to country/condemnation of war that is PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake. It goes without saying that Harvey is one of this era’s most consistent and dependable artists, but I suspect few truly believed that she had a record of this magnitude still left within her. Fortunately for us she did, and it stands here not only as one of the year’s best, but as the best by any female artist in 2011.

One can sit and listen to the first seven tracks of Let England Shake and encounter nothing but brilliance.  Harvey is in  mesmerizing form on this album and it is palpable from the opening seconds. As a listener it is easy to hear how much the content and themes both inspired and resonated with Harvey, and it gives the impression that we are reading diary entries that were never meant to be seen. For nearly 40 minutes this record surrounds you in a smoke-filled, cloudy, fading landscape where scenes of resplendence are mourned and tomorrows are feared. Frankly, if you are sitting there thinking “Hey man, this is the best record of the year, bro” while I would tell you that you were wrong, I would be really delicate with my arguments.

2) Hurry Up We're Dreaming - M83

Much like Kanye West last year, the fact that this record came out in November essentially voided its ability to be the best record of the year. That said, what Anthony Gonzalez accomplished on his two-disc magnum opus Hurry Up We’re Dreaming is the literal definition of phenomenal. Every time I discuss electronic work, I feel compelled to reiterate the extent of the sonic responsibilities which are the composer’s burden. The electronic composer is responsible for the inspiration, the majority of the performance, and the Herculean process of producing music which is comprised of seemingly limitless musical elements. When done well the listener is usually provided with highly enjoyable and entertaining music. When done remarkably, the listener is given the gift of utterly magnificent art...which is exactly what this record is.

Within the universe of Hurry Up We’re Dreaming’s splendor we find a record conveying the sensation of what it is like to wish for your past while being at peace with your future. These are the songs of a man entering his third decade and coming to the realization that one does not end up where they expected. Thankfully, Gonzalez does not spend his time lost within lamentations, instead, he accepts the progression of both his art and his life, and with a spirit of adventure embarks on a journey to let all parties involved know it will be okay.

Because this is a double album, it would be absurd of me to highlight all of its fine moments. Not only is it hard to choose which tracks best depict this record's various glories, it also has to be experienced in its entirety to be completely appreciated. Not being one to back down from a challenge (or keep my opinion to myself) I will recommend Midnight City, Raconte-Moi Une Histoire, The Bright Flash, New Map, and Steve McQueen. Those songs all possess a little bit of Hurry Up We’re Dreaming’s stellar radiance and should be enough to convince you of its grandeur.

1) David Comes To Life - Fucked Up

Throughout history the greatest art has been propelled by equal parts ambition and inspiration, a  mixture of catalysts which compels the spirit to strive for more than the ordinary. Why create a bust of a hero when you could create a statue? Why aim for a simple painting when you could paint a mural? Why write a sentence when you could write a story? Why make just another hardcore record when instead you can compose a work about love, class, faith, and existence, all while making the best record of the year?

By this point, we’re all aware of the tragic love story that makes up the majority of David Comes To Life's narrative, but this album is about SO much more than (pfft) love. Being savvy and in-touch members of the modern world, Fucked Up interwove a murder-mystery, metaphysical struggle, and revelation into the fabric of this record, all in order to provide more than enough conversation fodder for dudes who enjoy wearing flannel and hanging out in bars. The thing is...when considering all of this record’s artistic worth (which is vast) it’s easy to forget that it totally kills. Just so we understand, when I say "kills" I don’t mean in some “current excuse/standard” for kills, I mean legit triple guitar high BPM shit. The musicians in Fucked Up have never sounded any tighter, impassioned, or unified, and their music is made infinitely better for it.

Before I go any further in this praise orgy, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the vocals of Damian Abraham. I understand the hardcore singing is an acquired taste and can be perceived as caustic to some listeners, but a matter of taste should not be enough for you to dismiss this album. If you can’t “get into” this record because Abraham’s voice turns you off then let me be the first to let you know that you are close-minded and myopic in your views on music (sorry).

Moving on.

Over 18 tracks this record delivers a constantly-pummeling attack of awesome which makes you feel like you want to get into a fight with the world (in a life conquering, non-violent way of course). As the album begins with the sublime instrumental Let Her Rest, it sets the stage for over one hour of kinetic, visceral, and unbelievably catchy tunes. This is the kind of record which rewards multiple listens, as each time you hear it your ear is drawn to a new lick, a newly deciphered line of vocals, or freshly discovered plot hook. There is no better exercise in listening than David Comes To Life, there is no finer moment in rock, and most of all, there is no greater album in 2011.

___

Well there you have it my dude and dudettes, another year past us, another Best Of List. 2011 wasn’t the strongest year of musical releases, but there were enough great records to put together a pretty solid top 20. As for those artists who just narrowly missed this list, I would like to extend my apologies to Cults, Oneohtrix Point Never, Raphael Saadiq, Gang Gang Dance, The Field, Kendirck Lamar, Ice Age, Wild Flag, Atlas Sound, and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. I loved your records, but apparently not enough. Time will only tell what 2012 has in store for us (other than the coming hysteria of course), but as a critic and fan of the world’s most personal art, I hope for the best.

So what do you think? Did your favorite record make the list? What was the biggest omission? Did you like Bon Iver more, or David Comes To Life less than I did? Should have I given Adele's 21 a spot? What are you looking forward to next year?

By most critical accounts 2011 was a below average year for musical releases. Over the last month or so, you’ve read my musical pundit brethren try to explain the year’s shortcomings, and in some obsequious cases even make excuses for it. Of course a given year’s deficiencies mean absolutely nothing to critics when it comes to making end of the year rankings. It’s the duty of the sonic-analyst (it’s a new title I am working on) to spend countless hours plugging unquantifiable variables into elaborate (read: imaginary) algorithms, and then use those calculations to formulate infallible end of the years lists. I personally allocate nearly twenty hours a week to the charts, graphs, computer simulations, runes, and entrails that comprise my ranking process, constantly reevaluating and refining my list, and now she is ready for you to consume, consider, and hopefully not condemn. 2011 has been a long and at times decent year, and here are its twenty best records.

(20) The King Of Limbs - Radiohead

If you would have told me that Radiohead’s 2011 release would only be twenty on my year end Best Of list, I would have guessed that somehow the order of numbers had changed, and now "twenty" was in fact "one." Don’t get me wrong, The King Of Limbs still manages to pack some sublime music into its far too few (eight) tracks, but I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that it needed more. Nevertheless, the album is still a exquisitely produced and composed work, which was crafted by the world’s best band, and for that we should be grateful (I write as a single tear rolls down my cheek).

(19) Take Care - Drake

Because I am an honest and open person, I will freely admit to all of you that I have a serious man-crush on Drake. Maybe I like his flow, maybe I like the cut of his jib, maybe my infatuation with him is just the newest manifestation of my love of Toronto. Whatever the reasons are, every time I hear a note of his work I feel compelled to stop, listen, and enjoy. Take Care is Drizzy’s second full-length LP, and it’s a nearly eighty minute long love letter from Drake to himself. From the opening cut’s first verse we find a Drake who knows how great he was, but is more interested in letting you know how great he is... The thing is, he’s right, but don’t take my word for it. Try asking your girl, your sister, or, yes, even your mom.

(18) Slave Ambient - The War On Drugs

With Slave Ambient, The War On Drugs released a record that managed to have one foot firmly entrenched in the musical splendors of  classic American rock, and the other on a shimmering plane of futuristic psychedelia. This record is both comforting and adventurous in an effortless and thrilling way, which makes you question why this band isn't more popular. Take its opener, Best Night, for example: the music slowly takes form from its scattered beginnings, and lulls you into its depths, before Adam Granduciel's voice tricks you into thinking its Tom Petty’s and you find yourself thinking... Have I heard this before? You have and you haven’t, and that is the beauty of Slave Ambient.

(17) Strange Mercy - St. Vincent

One of 2011’s best musical trends was without a doubt the impressive frequency of strong releases from female artists. There were a staggering amount of solid records from women this year, and the first to make this list belongs to the angelic St.Vincent. Strange Mercy is a sensual, moody, and diverse record full of haunting vocals, sonic surprises, and exemplary guitar playing (though admittedly not your father's guitar playing). Annie Clark’s sound is taken to new places on this record, and her listeners reap the benefits, as tracks like Northern Lights, Surgeon, and (one of 2011’s best songs) Cruel show off a myriad of the Texas native's considerable talents.

(16) Whokill - tUne-yArDs

Merrill Garbus is as singular an artist as exists within the current musical pantheon. For the last three years she has been releasing music as tUnE-yArDs, and crafting an unquestionably unique and peculiar sound that was perfected with her sophomore release, Whokill. There will be few records on this list which possess fascinating intricacies like those that make up this album’s ten tracks. Simply put, nothing else out there sounds like Bizness, Powa, or the ridiculously enjoyable Gangsta, and those tracks are just the tip of Whokill’s tremendous, and quirky iceberg.

(15) XXX - Danny Brown

Danny Brown is as new and exciting a voice as hip-hop has these days. The Michigan-born emcee dropped his debut record, XXX, back in August and from the moment it hits the streets the rap world took notice. Brown is yet another example of a new breed of emcee which is attuned to the trappings, vices, and complexes of the modern generation (and thankfully he is not a part of Odd Future). The "Adderall Admiral" exposed the world to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde like duality of his psyche on XXX, as imaginatively deranged cuts like Die Like A Rockstar and Monopoly exist side by side with grittier “message” tracks like Party All The Time and Scrap Or Die. I hope desperately that this debut is just a hint of the greatness to come from Mr. Brown.

(14) Bon Iver - Bon Iver

I am sure there are some of you out there who are surprised with this record’s placement on my list. After all, there are some major outlets (cough: Pitchfork) who have proclaimed it Album Of The Year. The thing is... It’s just not. Bon Iver’s self-titled second record is definitely a great album, which immaculately displays the incredibly otherwordly voice of Justin Vernon. Furthermore, there is no doubt that it has some beautiful songs on it - Holocene, Calgary, and Perth are definitely examples of that - it’s just a little monotonous. Honestly, if I had my way I would have rationalized a way to NOT put it on this list, but this isn’t about me, and in reality Bon Iver put out one of the year’s best records.

(13) Tomboy - Panda Bear

When Noah Lennox released Person Pitch back in 2007, most of the cool kids didn’t know who he or Animal Collective were, let alone the mainstream. Since that time, he and his Maryland cohorts have literally become music’s vanguard, and the expectations for his latest solo record, Tomboy, were sky high. Luckily for Lennox, his fans, and music in 2011, Tomboy was a superbly solid record (not Person Pitch, but still quite good). Because this record was basically all Lennox it displayed a more serene and heavenly quality than most Animal Collective stuff, and the departure from the heavily sampled sound of his preceding record was both welcome and effective.

(12) Kaputt - Destroyer

Fans of Dan Bejar are well aware of the self-contained Universe that his songs have given birth to. They are also familiar with his elegant voice, and the distinctive singing cadence he tends to employ. What they didn’t know was that he could take a left turn like he did on Kaputt and still put out a graceful and charming record. I found myself humming and singing this light, breezy record more than any other on this half of the list, as songs like Chinatown, Blue Eyes, and A Savage Night Of The Opera would make their way into my head and never leave, thankfully... I didn't want them to anyway.

(11) Yuck - Yuck

Every now and again a band comes along and puts out a debut record which makes me wish I was both young and one of their members. It used to The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, but they put out a record this year and it didn’t make the list. My current dream is to be in Yuck. Hailing from London, this fresh faced quartet put out a fuzz-drenched, obscenely catchy, and truly stellar self-titled first record. From the second Get Away makes your ears explode with it’s phased-out distortion and angular lead lick, this record sinks its hooks into you and refuses to let go, with songs like Georgia, The Wall, and downtempo numbers like Suicide Policeman, serving as heralds of the band's fresh and new awesome.

That’s it for now kids, check back on Monday for the top ten!

(10) The Walking Dead - Save the Last One

There's a lot going on in Save the Last One great: Rick and Lori debating the value of life in a world overrun by zombies, Daryl and Andrea sharing an entertaining zombie encounter, and the audience witnessing the beginning of the Glenn and Maggie relationship, which will quickly become one of the show’s highlights. But what makes it really stand out is Shane shooting Otis in the leg and leaving him as zombie chow. It's a decision meant to ensure that a dying boy gets the medicine he needs, and to save Shane's skin. It’s a reprehensible, unforgivable act, and the kind of survival instinct that keeps people alive in a wasteland. The best zombie fiction is based on just these sorts of quandaries. The Walking Dead comic uses them as well as anyone, and in its second season the TV series has become worthy of its source material. (Jeremiah White)

(9) Parks and Recreation – Li'l Sebastian

Li'l Sebastian’s memorial service felt like an event. That is practically magical considering it was a funeral planned in the span of a single episode for a miniature horse that the audience has seen once before. The planning and preparation was exciting and the execution was cathartic as the town said goodbye to a friend, the audience said “see you later” to one of television’s finest comedies and all of the main characters were left struggling with their past or pondering their future. And if all that misty eyed crap weren’t enough, this episode also gave us our first peek at the inner working of Entertainment 720. Also, this. All. Day. (Jeremiah White)

(8) Louie – Oh Louie/Tickets

I can’t remember exactly which episode it was, but a few shows before Oh Louie/Tickets there is an off-hand reference made to Dane Cook. At the time, I hoped Louie would address the infamous joke-stealing controversy further, but I never dreamed that mention would foreshadow an awkward dressing room confrontation between the grinning face of stadium comedy and our dogged hero of cult comedy. For comedy nerds to see CK and Cook seated across from each other, hashing out their bad feelings in a surreal mix of reality and fiction – it’s a stunning TV moment. The Cook confrontation is paired with Louie attempting to make a hack sitcom work, making this entire episode a brilliant meditation on selling out. (Jeff Hart)

(7) South Park – You’re Getting Old

South Park stopped being appointment viewing for me about five years ago. It’s not that I don’t have a huge amount of respect and appreciation for what Trey Parker and Matt Stone do, and it’s not that I wouldn’t seek out the occasional buzzed-about episode, but I’d generally grown bored with the blunt-force satire and crude misadventures. Apparently, so have Stone and Parker. You’re Getting Old is the South Park writers coming to terms with their own show, how the long-running hit has become something of an albatross, and how they’ve grown to be as bitter and disenchanted as Stan Marsh. Somehow, the episode breathes new life into the series, just as it seemed to be suffocating under creative duress. (Jeff Hart)

(6) Community – Regional Holiday Music

You know that thing where animals know they are on the way out and go find a peaceful place to die? Really smart network comedies have that too, but instead of going quietly into the night, they just start throwing haymakers at anyone that gets too close. Much like its spiritual ancestor Arrested Development, which spent its third season taking shots at desperate ratings grabs, and Sports Night, which wove a meta-story about the show’s future into its final episodes, Community spent its last episode before an unplanned hiatus eviscerating Glee, and surely setting a TV record for most uses of the word “glee” in a single episode of anything ever. But it’s not just a parody of a show with higher ratings, it’s also another brilliant genre episode (Body Snatchers style horror movie), a musical episode (with original music written by the show’s own writing staff), a commentary on the cultish popularity of “phenomenons,” and an honest-to-baby-Jesus Christmas episode. It’s mind boggling how much Dan Harmon and staff packed into one episode, especially in regards to the jokes, which come so quickly that it’s probably impossible to catch them all in one sitting. (Jeremiah White)

(5) Game of Thrones – Baelor

Unlike some of my friends who were watching HBO’s original series Game of Thrones, I had not read any of the books. It seemed obvious to me that Ned Stark was going to be the main character for much of the story. He was the kind of flawed but honorable man that most fantasy tales center around. When Joffrey orders his beheading, Ned takes the news with what appears to be peace, but on a second viewing I’m not sure if that is it exactly. It seems more like shame. Imagine living your entire existence by a set of principles only to abandon them in the last few seconds of your life, and then learn that it was for nothing. It is one of the most powerful and emotionally devastating moments of television I’ve ever seen. I’d also be pretty bummed if I didn’t get to live long enough to see the freakin' dragons! (Ben Van Iten)

(4) Louie – Eddie

In a show that I often find beautifully depressing, Eddie might be the most soul-punching episode of Louie yet. Anchored by a visceral performance from guest star Doug Stanhope as the titular Eddie, a comic that Louie came up with but whose career has traveled a much different trajectory, Eddie is an examination of the choices we make in life and the odd bonds formed between people. Louie and Eddie sharing a bottle of vodka on a quiet block in Brooklyn, their discussion ranging from Louie’s NY bonafides to a debate on Eddie’s imminent suicide, is one of the best scenes aired on television this year. (Jeff Hart)

(3) Boardwalk Empire – Under God’s Power She Flourishes

“There’s nothing wrong with any of it,” moans Gillian Darmody. Shudder! Under God’s Power deviates from Boardwalk Empire’s traditional narrative structure, focusing heavily on flashbacks detailing Jimmy Darmody’s last days at Princeton. Here we see why a promising young student would volunteer to fight Germans and return the moody husk we’ve grown to love. Capitalizing on the incestuous innuendo that’s made viewers uneasy since Boardwalk’s first episode, Darmody’s backstory is gripping and harrowing. When we return to the present, it’s no surprise that there’s an explosion of Oedipal violence. The events of this episode are all the more poignant and saddening in light of the shocking final scene of Boardwalk’s season finale. (Jeff Hart)

(2) Breaking Bad – Crawl Space

So far, Vince Gilligan’s Mr. Chips to Scarface concept for Breaking Bad has played out more like a deterioration than an ascension. In order to become a proper villain, Walter White has had to shed everything that made him human – every ounce of empathy, any ability to sacrifice for the sake of others, all sense of decorum. In that journey, Crawl Space represents a major turning point. When Walter White emerges from that hole in his floor, he is more criminal mastermind than teacher, husband or father. Whether he goes full Heisenberg in Season 5 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – Mr. White will never be the same. But the episode’s significance to the series as a whole isn’t the only reason Crawl Space is on this list. The late tonal shift to full on horror movie was a big risk, and director Scott Winant handles it perfectly. Not only is Breaking Bad one of the most engrossing shows on television, its technical excellence consistently blends seamlessly with daring artistic verve. (Jeremiah White)

(1) The Office – Goodbye, Michael

Steve Carell always walked a line with Michael Scott where he could be incredibly vapid, ignorant, and even heartless on occasion but we could never hate him because he was just an awkward guy who tried so hard to be respected and loved.  In this episode we see the culmination of those efforts as he says goodbye in a unique way to all the show’s major characters, including a paintball fight with Dwight, a pretend (and emotional) lunch plan with Jim, and the final airport scene with Pam.  He removes his microphone before she rushes out to see him, leaving their final exchange up to the audience’s imagination.  Whether you agree with most people that the Office has gotten substantially worse or not, you’d be hard pressed to disagree that this was a moment that had real emotional weight, a rare thing for a network comedy.  One of the last things Michael said on the show was to the “documentary crew”; he wanted to know when they were going to air all of this.  Thanks to one of the most iconic comedy characters of recent memory, you'll be seeing it in syndication for a long time to come. (Ben Van Iten)

(20) South Park – Bass To Mouth

For years Trey Parker and Matt Stone have populated South Park’s universe with a rich tapestry of characters. Many of the show’s supporting cast members have risen to the status of fan favorites throughout its run, and 2011 saw the return of one of its most beloved heroes: Lemmiwinks. It’d been some time since Lemmiwinks’ adventure within Mr. Slave, and he was forced out of retirement this season in order to defeat his own brother Wikileaks, who was nefariously exposing the town’s secrets. Lemmiwinks rose to the epic challenge and prevailed, as we knew he would... but at what cost? (Giovanny Caquias)

(19) The Good Wife - In Sickness

The Good Wife is a show that I watched like one time, pretty much on accident. And then that accident started occurring week after week. I found myself sucked into the world of Chicago politics, a world that continued to grow as the second season gained momentum. In Sickness, the season’s penultimate episode, brings a season’s worth of world-building to fruition when disgraced politician Peter Florick at last regains office, but loses his wife once and for all. It also features a genuinely heartbreaking scene between Julianna Margulies and her TV children, a solid case of the week, and plenty of Josh Charles. (Jeff Hart)

(18) Game of Thrones – Fire and Blood

As the Seven Kingdoms learned of Eddard Stark’s death, and the subsequent war between his house and the dreaded Lannisters raged, armies clashed, and kingdoms changed irrevocably. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen was going through her own trials in the Wasteland. Her newborn was dead, her husband and king as well. Bravely she walked into the funeral pyre that consumed her family in what appeared to be an act of suicide.  As dawn crept over the land it revealed Daenerys still lived. Slowly, she stood up in the smoldering remains, nude, and now the mother of dragons, leaving me and countless others dying for Season 2. (Giovanny Caquias)

(17) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore

When Always Sunny debuted 6 years ago, there was something very different about its selfish and completely irredeemable characters who displayed a total disregard for the emotions and wellbeing of other people. Since then, the shock value has worn off and the show has become a shell of its former self. At least once in Season 7, however, Always Sunny regained its edge. The prospect of a Jersey Shore episode didn’t excite me, but there are very few orange-skinned degenerates to be seen. Instead, there’s vagrant sex, drug-fueled crime sprees and brushes with death. Always Sunny hasn’t been this funny, shocking, or exciting in years. (Jeremiah White)

(16) Parenthood - Clear Skies From Here On Out

Jason Katims and crew have more success forcing Parenthood's characters to navigate life’s little emergencies than its big ones. Here, matriarch Camille draws inspiration rather than anger from her husband finding joy outside of the home, introverted teenager Drew comes out of an awkward first date unscathed, brothers Adam and Crosby weather a difficult argument involving the friendship between their sons, and most affecting of all, Alex breaks up with Haddie in a relatively mature and no-fuss way, followed by Alex saying goodbye to Haddie’s mother Kristina in one of the best scenes of the third season. It’s fun to second guess the characters when their overly emotional reactions make a situation worse, but sometimes it’s even better to see them get things right. (Jeremiah White)

(15) Sons of Anarchy - Hands

Sons of Anarchy has always been an uneven show, but through much of the fourth season, the good far outweighed the bad. Hands is one of the best examples of this. Jax and Tara on the road is the kind of slice of life the show has never done very well, but it leads to a great action sequence and some emotionally wrenching scenes. There are game changing confrontations between Jax and Opie, and Clay and Gemma. Not to mention a chilling final line that charts a very specific course for the rest of the season. Of course, the show deviates from that course, and by season’s end the good/bad balance has swung wildly back in the other direction, but for a time everything was right in Charming. (Jeremiah White)

(14) Bored to Death - I Keep Taking Baths Like Lady Macbeth

The dissolution of a friendship that lasts for one episode isn’t great drama, but in the case of the Jonathan and George break up that ends the previous episode and is resolved here, it does shine a spotlight on what makes Bored to Death great, namely the chemistry between Jonathan, George and Ray. This episode showcases many of the show’s other finer qualities as well: madcap sleuthing, pervasive sexual fetishes, bad disguises, a New York City that bounces between true-to-life and completely fantastical, and a great supporting cast (John Hodgman and Patton Oswalt appear). I found out Bored to Death was canceled while we were finalizing this list; to paraphrase George in this episode, I will greatly miss their calamities. (Jeremiah White)

(13) Community – Remedial Chaos Theory

I could’ve filled this entire countdown with episodes of Community. There were about six episodes I wanted to include, like the faux clip-show Paradigms of Human Memory or their mind-blowing My Dinner With Andre parody Critical Film Studies. However, I went with Remedial Chaos Theory, an episode broken up into seven different timelines each resulting from a different cast member leaving the scene to let in the pizza man. Each vignette gives us new insight into the dynamics at work between these characters. It’s amazing how much mileage the cast gets out of repetition gags, like Britta’s dorky pizza dance. Also, any network comedy with a prominent role for arterial blood-spray deserves some recognition. (Jeff Hart)

(12) Justified – Brother’s Keeper

The heavies on Justified play as important a role in the show’s continued success as Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan Givens. Brother’s Keeper gets Raylan and all the baddies in one place; the entire Bennett clan, the suddenly upwardly mobile Boyd Crowder, and even Big Coal’s fast-talking sexpot of a representative. As if getting all those players in a room to hash out the future of Harlan County wasn’t enough, the episode ends with one of the big Bennett family secrets getting discovered by precocious orphan Loretta. As a result, Raylan is forced to do some justifiable homicide, and the house of Bennett begins to slowly crumble. (Jeff Hart)

(11) Curb Your Enthusiasm – Palestinian Chicken

Curb Your Enthusiasm had an exceptional 2011 season. Coming on the heels of the popular Seinfeld season, Larry David and the rest of Curb’s brain trust had their work cut out for them to maintain the show’s consistent quality. All in all, season 8 had three “pantheon episodes”: Mister Softee, The Bi-Sexual and, best of all, Palestinian Chicken. There was so much about this episode that was hilarious, from the ingenious social assassin bit to Funkhouser’s conversion to Judaism, but the comedy gold was Larry’s “controversial” obsession with an Arab chicken restaurant, and the forbidden love which it inspired. (Giovanny Caquias)

Check back tomorrow for our 10 favorite TV episodes of 2011.

(12) Mad Men

It is to my great shame that I admit discovering Mad Men late. I don’t know why I put off watching it for so long, or why I’d describe my decision to finally watch the first season as ‘begrudging.’ Partly, I was worried the show would be more like watered down imitators Pan Am or The Playboy Club, an endless parade of historically predictable archetypes demonstrating how cute the past was with lines about new-fangled copy machines and copious cigarette smoking. Instead, Mad Men creates a past that feels lived-in, peopled by some of the most complex characters I’ve seen on television. After watching Mad Men, I wanted to reevaluate every piece of TV criticism I’ve ever written. (Jeff Hart)

(11) Sara Bareilles

In case there are any haters out there (and when are there not?), let me get this out the way quickly: The Sing-Off is the shit. Last season it was pretty obvious that the show needed someone who could keep up with the wealth of harmonic knowledge of judges Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds. The third judge, Nicole Scherzinger ("I can't pronounce her last name, so it should be miiiiine" -Weezy F.), was often lifeless, vapid, and could just never summon anything noteworthy to say. Enter: Sara Bareilles (or, as I like to simply call her, "my soulmate"). Bareilles is quirky, and has an honest, self-deprecating way about her that is endearing and welcoming. Her critical feedback may be lacking at times (ex. "you guys were… just so adorable!"), but she fits in well and has a smile that can move mountains. (Jason Arican)

(10) Quoting the Contagion Trailer

As a movie, Contagion sure did stink. But as a source for great out-of-context quotes, Steven Soderbergh’s pandemic flick is second to none. My personal favorite? Laurence Fishburne’s deadpan explanation on how we don’t need to weaponize the bird flu. Why not? Because the birds are doing that! Also, the whole Matt Damon/doctor exchange, where the doctor suggests to a bewildered Damon that maybe Gwyneth Paltrow died of herpes is solid gold. The DVD doesn’t come out until January, so my Youtube fan films will have to wait until then, but there are already some other enlightened individuals doing great work on Contagion quote awareness. (Jeff Hart)

(9) HBOGo

"Watch every episode of every season." That's the tagline for HBO's website that streams original programming, movies, and a-bunch-of-other-stuff-but-basically-I-could-have-stopped-at-programming. There is very little doubt that streaming will be the future of content delivery, and what that delivery system will look like is playing out as we speak. If the big boys won't play nice, then it will be up to the networks to find a way to get its (in some cases, very valuable) content directly to the consumer. Detractors will point out that you have to have an HBO subscription, but look- I just crushed the first season of Game of Thrones in like a week, meanwhile plodding through season 2 of The Wire with my girl, MEANWHILE watching random episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm just because I can do that. (Jason Arican)

(8) Ed's Roadhouse Beef Jerky

Most people don’t understand the finer points of beef jerky. Aside from just flavor, there are a wealth of factors to consider, such as thickness, toughness and moist level. Steve Johnson covers all of these things on his website dedicated to helpfully detailed and humorously clinical reviews of dried meat products. Extensive inspection of his site led me to Ed’s Roadhouse. The pieces are thick but not too thick, easy to pull apart with your teeth and moist to the touch but not messy. There’s a plethora of flavors (plain black pepper, Jamaican curry and sweet red bell pepper are among my favorites) and despite most varieties earning Steve’s “best” rating, Ed’s is one of the cheapest gourmet jerky options out there. It’s undoubtedly the best beef jerky company I’ve ever had the pleasure of patronizing. (Jeremiah White)

(7) Humble Bundles

Choice, one of the most buzzed about concepts in modern gaming, is the driving force behind a new business model within the industry, and it has nothing to do with playing as a saint or a sinner. Humble Bundles collect games from independent developers and allow the customer to decide how much they want to pay. Bonus points for all games being DRM free and available on PC, Mac or Linux. Bundles are only available for a limited time, adding exclusivity. And don’t mistake independent for amateurish, the current bundle includes console conquerors like Shank and the awesome Super Meat Boy, along with Cave Story+, an update of the legendary freeware adventure. (Jeremiah White)

(6) Epic Rap Battles of History

With something like 360 million pageviews it’s probably safe to say that anyone with a passing interest in Youtube comedy, battle rapping, or green screens has already come across Epic Rap Battles of History. The show has come a long way from its modest beginning of John Lennon versus Bill O’Reilly; the production values have soared, the rap battle pairings have become less obvious and, perhaps most importantly, the quality of the rhymes has drastically improved. A creepily racist Mr. Rogers, an auto-tuned Stephen Hawking, Chuck Norris towering over Abraham Lincoln – how can this not be the best original work ever to appear on Youtube? (Jeff Hart)

(5) Bill Hader can make anything funny

Bill Hader made a big splash this year on SNL with Stefon, Weekend Update’s guide to all of New York’s hottest new clubs. But the most impressive thing to me is how Hader can turn even mediocre bits into episode highlights. Stefon is a funny premise with good writing behind it. Herb Welch, the senile TV news field reporter, on the other hand, is a broad recurring character responsible for carrying entire sketches. And it just doesn’t get old thanks to Hader’s pitch perfect performance. Similarly, his impressions of Dateline’s Keith Morrison and political strategist James Carville only need an inappropriate interviewing style or an exaggerated folksiness (respectively) to wring humor out of weak material. At times, it seems that Hader can make just about anything funny, an important skill for someone who appears on a show that has to fill 90 minutes of airtime every week. (Jeremiah White)

(4) George R.R. Martin

I joined a very special group this year: dorks awkwardly maneuvering gigantic George R.R. Martin paperbacks on the subway. In anticipation of the HBO show, I picked up Game of Thrones, the first in Martin’s beloved fantasy epic A Song of Ice and Fire. I haven’t really been a fantasy reader since my lonely middle school days. And yet, by the end of summer, I’d devoured the entire series.  Something that’s always turned me off to the genre is what I like to call “The Gandalf Effect” where an author will write himself into a corner only to have some new powers or magical hokum conveniently manifest. Martin never resorts to such genre nonsense. His fantasy world is a distinctly adult one, where the politics are always more interesting than the sword-fighting. The sixth book can’t come soon enough. (Jeff Hart)

(3) Goldendoodles

My dog obsession definitely goes through phases. I still ride hard for past loves like Shar Peis, Chow Chows, English Bulldogs and Airedale Terriers, but this year I discovered Goldendoodles (partially thanks to Kelly, the Goldendoodle that randomly galloped over to me in an alley in Cayucos, CA). Have you seen these things? Have you seen them run? They’re majestic. Silky smooth, like a gazelle you can keep in your house, with a fluffy shining coat that lights up a room. I don’t know what kind of pets they make, but I bet they’re great. (Jeremiah White)

(2) Botchamania

Botchamania has been around for a while, but I didn’t pay it much mind until I realized it is so much more than just professional wrestlers screwing up moves. It’s a full-fledged video series that celebrates the absurdity of professional wrestling, largely by pointing out all the little moments when we can see behind the curtain. In an average episode, you’ll see people call moves to each other, crack up in front of the camera, and slip and fall down. There are recurring segments (complete with graphic intros), running jokes, and yes, a lot of guys messing up moves and miraculously escaping injury (most of the time). It’s expertly edited, very funny and a must watch for past or present wrestling fans who are at all interested in what really goes on between the ropes. (Jeremiah White)

(1) Salvia

This year I discovered what it’s like to lose your grip on reality in a very real and horrifying way. For those of you who have never known the pleasures of salvia, it’s a mint in the Lamiaceae family which, when smoked, sends you on a journey that can best be described as vividly unbelievable. I had the “pleasure” of indulging numerous times in 2011 and each instance was an intense, humbling, and mind-boggling experience that left me pondering the very nature of what it is to be, and why I keep hallucinating about a cartoon world similar to Roger Rabbit’s. (Giovanny Caquias)

(10) Manny Horvitz

Asked by Nucky Thompson “do you know something I don’t?” the gravel-voiced Manny Horvitz dryly replies “the question answers itself.” Outwardly a charming Jewish butcher with a fondness for giving his gangster colleagues Yiddish pet names, Horvitz has an icebox filled with pieces of guys that tried to fuck him over. Horvitz is at his most badass when he buries a meat cleaver in the forehead of a would-be assassin, right in front of his deli’s “fresh killed meat” sign. For all his papa bear sweetness and long-suffering schlemiel humor, Horvitz is not a man to be taken advantage of. Just ask Angela Darmody. (Jeff Hart)

(9) The Paranormal Activity Ghost

Heaven sounds great and all, but as far as afterlife choices go, have you ever considered haunting someone? To death! The Paranormal Activity ghost/demon/entity thing (or “Toby” as he is tentatively named in the third installment) really knows how to execute a game plan. You start off easy, moving around chairs and things, and slowly ramp up the terror until an entire household is reduced to insanity. Most horror movie villains are not badass because eventually we have to see them and they hardly ever live up to the hype. Toby does not have that problem. It’s an unseen, playful, malicious force that seems to have a thing for killing entire families. Merry Christmas! (Ben Van Iten)

(8) Ndamukong Suh

There are people who just don't give a fuck, and then there is Ndamukong Suh. Frankly, being suspended two games for stomping on someone's arm isn't even really all that badass. Trying to rip off Jake Delhomme's head is though. So is punching Jay Cutler in the back of the dome with your forearm. Even James Harrison thought that was excessive. Suh's lack of fuck giving is remarkable, and at this point nearly approaching a Chris Brown level of apathy. (Jason Arican)

(7) Gus Fring

Ah, the reigning chicken and meth kingpin of New Mexico. This season on Breaking Bad we finally got a chance to know Gus Fring. We really got inside his head, if you will. From his humble entry into the drug game to his cold-blooded revenge against a Mexican cartel years later (a revenge that involved Gus intentionally poisoning himself), Fring’s season was filled with backstory and badassery. At some point, between emotionlessly cutting a subordinate’s throat and cavalierly stalking toward an enemy sniper, Fring developed near supernatural levels of badassness. His only weakness? Walter god damn White. (Jeff Hart)

(6) Siri

She's smart, sassy, and can help you stash a dead body. This year, Apple introduced the world to Siri, a software program labeled as a personal assistant but more akin to a professional fixer. Siri is uniquely able to help you determine how large Central Park is, while in the next breath able to help you find a strip club. But don't take her wealth of knowledge as a weakness, Siri is quick to put you in place. When setting an alarm for a 6AM flight, Siri reluctantly fulfilled my request, but added "don't wake me up too." She's not only badass, but she's also kind of gangster. (Jason Arican)

(5) John Price

In 2016, after nearly three years of imprisonment, John Price will be rescued from a Russian gulag. As World War 3 rages, Price, who at this point in his legendary military career is an erroneously disgraced former member of the SAS, has two goals: revenge, and saving us all. Fortunately for him, both objectives can be achieved by killing one man, Vladimir Makarov. Price eventually completes his missions, pulling Makarov out of a helicopter and punching him through a glass ceiling before hanging him. Best of all, when it’s done he lights a cigar. (Giovanny Caquias)

(4) Megan Ellison (right)

After helping to fund last year’s True Grit, this twentysomething heiress has moved on to a plethora of much talked about projects from some highly respected names: Kathryn Bigelow’s Bin Laden assassination movie, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Scientology expose and his adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice and John Hillcoat’s bootlegging drama Wettest County just to name a few. She’s like a one woman MacArthur Fellowship. Of course, all that prestige didn’t stop Ellison from also snatching up the rights to the Terminator franchise. With discerning taste and boatloads of daddy’s money, she could be ushering in a new era in film, where accomplished filmmakers are less reliant on marketing-obsessed studios. (Jeremiah White)

(3) Chael Sonnen

Of course Chael Sonnen is a badass. He beats the shit out of people for a living. It’s not so much his skill that earns the self-proclaimed people’s champion a place on this list – although he’s far from lacking in that department – it’s the way Sonnen conducts himself. The only UFC fighter capable of riffing on home invasion as trash talk, Sonnen is like a cross between a professional wrestling heel and a hyper-articulate internet troll. After winning his first fight following a 14 month layoff, Sonnen tried to goad middleweight champion Anderson Silva into a rematch by proposing a ‘loser leaves town’ stipulation. So far, Silva is still ducking him. (Jeff Hart)

(2) Khal Drogo

For a story set in a medieval fantasy world where arguments are settled by sword fights that usually end up with someone dying, any number of characters could have made this list. Even with that being the case, only one of them melted down a chain and poured hot gold on someone's head. Only one of them referred to his unborn son as "the stallion that will mount the world" and promptly tore a dude's throat out. R.I.P. Drago. Damn that witch. (Jason Arican)

(1) Michael Fassbender

An on-screen portrayal of Magneto in his angry youth days before he became a sardonic fop with a goofy helmet wouldn’t normally be enough to get Fassbender the coveted top spot on our badass list. However, Fassbender closed a year of super heroics by whipping out his peen and delivering one of recent cinema’s most bracing performances in Steve McQueen’s sex addiction horror show Shame. Describing a performance as “brave” has become such a cliché, but there’s really no other way to summarize Fassbender’s NC-17 odyssey. It made Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant stand up and applaud. Give nude Magneto his Oscar. (Jeff Hart)

Someone should slap that jerk Ted.

(10) How I Met Your Mother - Hip twenty-somethings, a sexy single chick that likes to drink, and a countdown for when one bro gets to slap another bro in the face. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving! Oh, except for Ted. All Ted wants to do is whine about how he can’t find the perfect girl to spray his needy semen into and how his Baby Bjorn collection is going to waste and how blah blah blah he’s lonely. Shut up about it, already.

My tummy is rumbling, bearded Steve Zahn.

(9) Rescue Dawn - Why is this even on the list? Because I needed to get to 10, probably. No one wants to go to a Thanksgiving at a prison camp, where all they can do is imagine the food that they’d be eating if they weren’t living under constant threat of death by starvation. Also, Christian Bale is way too intense to ever share a meal with.

Enough with the pumpkinBOMB pie jokes, Norman.

(8) Spider-Man - Norman Osborn is even more intense than Christian Bale. I’d be more at ease if he just carved the turkey with one of those razor-bat things, rather than get all sweaty trying to hide his psychopathic tendencies. Plus, Aunt May is a nag. This whole family is sort of a drag to be around, what with Peter being such an emo wimp and Harry constantly trying to impress his daddy with talk about the short story he published in Esquire. It was last year, dude, enough already! Let’s get out of here, MJ.

Awkward.

(7) The Vicious Kind - Maybe this one hits a little too close to home. I mean, Adam Scott spends his Thanksgiving alone and chain-smoking. Meanwhile, his little brother has an awkward dinner where his girlfriend shares some way too intimate details with the scary Nazi from Oz. Can you believe it all goes downhill from there?

I bet Tom and Katie make the Pinkett-Smiths sit through this every Thanksgiving.

(6) Pieces of April - WTF YOU CAN’T COOK KATIE HOLMES! Oh also, your hair is weird. Where did I put my e-meter?

Count me in!

(5) Saturday Night Live, The Vogelchecks - I’ve never actually seen The Ice Storm, which takes place over a Thanksgiving that involves what I’m sure is a totally successful and emotionally fulfilling key party. I didn’t want my ignorance of the more celebrated works of Ang Lee to derail my Thanksgiving’s potential for an orgy, or at least some sloppy kissing, so enter the Vogelchecks. In the latest iteration of the SNL sketch, Andy Samberg and Jason Segel (he’s on this list twice!) tag-team a piece of corn on the cob. Wait – corn on the cob?! At Thanksgiving?! That’s unheard of! I love it.

(4) Scent of a Woman - At first it’s kind of fun hanging out with Al Pacino’s blind military man Frank Slade. He has some funny one-liners and is great with the ladies. He’s also like an encyclopedia of cunnilingus techniques and won’t judge at all if you practice on that skin flap hanging over the turkey’s butt, mostly because he can’t see you doing it. Gross! Anyway, as the meal wears on, his HOO-AHs turn into depressed little hoo-ahhhs and it seems like he’s probably going to kill himself. Or put Bradley Whitford in a Ranger stranglehold. Either way – the meal is ruined.

Keeping Thanksgiving precious.

(3) Youth in Revolt - If you’re part of a couple, one of the toughest parts of any Thanksgiving is enduring your significant other’s parents, because they probably don’t like you. The ideal solution is to have your partner’s cool older brother sneak those grouchy parents some mushrooms before you arrive. That way, everyone can enjoy a peaceful Thanksgiving. At least until your archrival arrives in his adorable sweater to bust you for arson.

I like holding hands!

(2) Four Brothers - Growing up, my Thanksgivings never had enough black people (any). However, every Thanksgiving did see a revenge plot hatched. That’s probably why Four Brothers ranks so high on my list. Hanging out with Tyrese and Outkast – that’s so ethnic! Are there different kinds of Thanksgiving foods for adopted black children? I HOPE SO BECAUSE I WANT TO EAT THEM! Now let’s go find out who murdered our Mom so Marky Mark can dump them in an ice-hole! I love Detroit.

 (1) Son In Law - As if spending Thanksgiving with Pauly Shore could be anything but my top choice. There’s a scene in Son In Law (you can see it in the trailer!) where Pauly Shore lays on his belly in the dirt and does swimming motions while chanting “Middle America.” That about sums it up, doesn’t it? Isn’t Thanksgiving with Pauly Shore what we all truly want? A weird hipster from a coastal city comes to a flyover town and teaches the people there how to live. It’s just like what the pilgrims did with the Native Americans!