2. One Direction - Take Me Home
In the blogger world, it's not cool to be a One Direction fan. Not that I care, but if we're all being honest with ourselves, you cannot be a pop music fan (or more specifically, power pop) and not enjoy this album. Their production team and (credit where credit is due) the band have upped their game since last year, as this second album is really Big Pop Moment after Big Pop Moment. Thoughts on the teeny-bopper culture surrounding them aside, it's the music that counts. They could have easily followed current trends, but instead they've gone for a slightly 80's, classic pop/rock sound that emphasizes huge choruses and hook after hook. Well, that criteria pretty much describes this blog, doesn't it?
1. Foxy Shazam - The Church Of Rock And Roll
Swinging wildly in another direction, nobody can say my tastes aren't varied! Foxy Shazam earns their second number one placement (their 2010 album was also at the top that year), by being one of the only artists this year that crafted what felt like a classic, proper rock album. This is a band with their own voice, not worried about fitting easily in one genre or another. Throughout the length of the album, they move from gargantuan glam rock anthems to soft coffeehouse warbling to anthemic power balladry. The album has something for everyone, and should have conquered the world in 2012. They sound like the biggest rock band on the planet.
