Below is our updated running tally of the albums most frequently mentioned by individual music publications in their year-end Top Ten lists. Although many of the lists come from publications whose reviews are included on this site, we have also included extra lists from prominent music stores, websites, and publications not normally found in Metacritic's music section. Note that if a source ranks more than the standard 10 albums, we will not include titles ranked 11th or worse. In case of a tie for first or second, each album will receive the full points for that position.
1. Yeezus by Kanye West
2. Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
3. Reflektor by Arcade Fire
4. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
5. Silence Yourself by Savages
6. AM by Arctic Monkeys
7. Push the Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
8. Light Up Gold by Parquet Courts
9. Days Are Gone by HAIM
10. …Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age
11. Pure Heroine by Lorde
12. Trouble Will Find Me by The National
13. Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant
14. Acid Rap by Chance the Rapper
15. m b v by My Bloody Valentine
16. Immunity by Jon Hopkins
17. Shaking the Habitual by The Knife
18. Pearl Mystic by Hookworms
19. Sunbather by Deafheaven
20. Settle by Disclosure
21. Same Trailer Different Park by Kacey Musgraves
ARTPOP deserves a place on these year end lists, but critics can't stand Gaga at the moment, so sadly I would not expect her to place high. There's clearly an anti-Gaga sentiment in the industry rn.
Days Are Gone is one of, if not the, most critically-acclaimed debut album of the year.