Rdio Blog

As 2012 winds down, it’s time to look back on our musical journey and reflect on all jams past. This was a year full of heavy-hitting new releases but the most shared album in the world was a powerful contender from 2011. Adele’s 21 never left our charts in ‘12 — neither did Icelandic indie troupe Of Monsters and Men’s debut album, Alt-J’s Mercury Prize winning LP, and the soundtrack to Brazilian soap opera, Avenida Brasil.

Take a look below to see who else ruled the global Top Shared Albums on Rdio.

TOP SHARED ALBUMS — GLOBAL
1. Adele - 21
2. Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal
3. Various Artists - Avenida Brasil EP
4. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
5. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
6. Gotye - Making Mirrors
7. Paula Fernandes - Meus Encantos
8. Thiaguinho - Ousadia & Alegria
9. Audiogroove - 100% Top 40 Summer 2012
10. fun. - Some Nights

Naturally, these results are reflected back here at home, too, with the aforementioned artists and more making plenty of waves. Take a look at the Top Played Tracks in the U.S. to see who else made the grade:

TOP PLAYED TRACKS - U.S.

1. 1. Gotye - “Somebody That I Used To Know”
   
2. 2. fun. featuring Janelle Monae - “We Are Young”
   
3. 3. Carly Rae Jepsen - “Call Me Maybe”
   
4. 4. fun. - “Some Nights”
   
5. 5. Drake featuring Rihanna - “Take Care”
   
6. 6. Jay-Z and Kanye West - “Ni***s in Paris”
   
7. 7. Adele - “Set Fire To The Rain”
   
8. 8. M83 - “Midnight City”
   
9. 9. Ellie Goulding - “Lights”
   
10. 10. Adele - “Rolling in The Deep”
    

Loved the list? Then listen to the 20 Most Played Tracks on Rdio 2012 in the U.S. below and discover how many of the words you may already know by heart.

Move over, Grammys — Rdio’s Best Of 2012 Awards are here! It took a lot of statistical (and, um, creative) research to determine the winner of such categories as Best Album to Take on Your Visionquest and Album With The Most Swag, but we finally have the definitive answers.

Without further ado, it’s time for a drumroll. Ladies and gentlemen, the winners of Rdio’s Best Of 2012 are ready for their closeups:

Album That Never Left Your Heavy Rotation
Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
From “Super Rich Kids” and “Thinkin’ Bout You” to “Pyramids” and “Forrest Gump,” Ocean kept us pressing play over and over again.

Best Reason to Wait for the Beat to Drop
18 Months - Calvin Harris
The Scottish DJ/producer kept hands in the air with meteoric anthems like “Feel So Close” and “Sweet Nothing.”

Album With the Most Swag
Based on a T.R.U. Story - 2 Chainz
The Atlanta rapper has had a huge year, with a gold single (“No Lie”) and a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, but this honor is his most effortless.

Best Album to Take on Your Visionquest
Cobra Juicy - Black Moth Super Rainbow
Pittsburgh’s strangest act will help you come of age with its fifth album.

Album You Can’t Resist Singing Along To
Tornado - Little Big Town
The fifth album from the Nashville country heroes is undeniably their most infectious.

Best Reason Not to Skip Through the Commercials
“The Scientist” - Willie Nelson
Nelson’s astonishing cover of Coldplay’s song is one of the year’s great surprises.

They Brought The Rock in 2012
Celebration Rock - Japandroids
The Canadian duo handily avoids the sophomore slump by truly throwing down on this album.

Supergroup Album of the Year
A Thing Called Divine Fits - Divine Fits
A dash of Spoon and a heap of Wolf Parade equals an indie giant mix.

Best Music to Walk Home To
Lonerism - Tame Impala
The sophomore album from the Australian psychdelic rockers is perfect for your most introspective stroll.

Most Enchanting Album of the Year
Bloom - Beach House
Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally stole our hearts with their first new album in two years, a project that brought the Baltimore duo to Texas to record.

Breakout Album of the Year
The Lumineers - The Lumineers
A return to simplicity and sincerity took this folk rock debut to the far reaches.

If We Could Recommend One Album To You This Year It Would Be
Mia Pharoah - Miniature Tigers
Keep in mind how many thousands of titles come across our headphones each year, but seriously, check out this dreamy Brooklyn indie pop immediately.

Bask in the aural glory of the winners circle with our Best of 2012: Award Winners playlist below:

The diverse Rdio staff has many teams and departments, but all share a deep love for music. We got everyone together — support, mobile, marketing, and more — and delved back into the past 12 months to pick our absolute top tunes of the year. Want to know the songs that we couldn’t take off of repeat? Hear the Best of 2012: Staff Picks playlist now.

“Rufus Wainwright is a chameleon and I mean that as the sincerest form of flattery. Every album he has released defies classification unless you bought into the "Popera" description so widely bandied about (even by him early on). I did not. Baroque and roll? Maybe.

This album comes on the heels of his mother's death and the birth of his daughter (with his hero, Leonard Cohen's, daughter and his longtime partner). On that note the album is upbeat and clear-headed, contemplative obviously, but with Mark Ronson on board as Producer, Rufus' sound is a bit more "manageable." And as a maturing artist, that is good.

A ‘70s vibe is clear, especially on "Barbara" and "Rashida." Think Avocado and Harvest Gold and Benedict Canyon parties. For me "Jericho," "Song of You," and "Respectable Dive" are the standouts. "Candles," a lament and a prayer to and for his mother, is classic Rufus — gorgeous and solemn with passion dripping from the speakers. Lyrically he remains in a class all alone, certainly.

Being that Rufus is my number one, my Elton John, Michael Stipe and Burt Bacharach all rolled into one, I admit I am too biased to write a review that is "fair." But if you want "fair," then hit the midway at your local carnival. If you want the perfect early summer album for 2012, look no further. How can you be out of the game when you never left it?”

— Johnny Hooks

“After a multi-year hiatus, they dusted off their vintage gear and brought us a blend of vintage and contemporary styles that is all Orbital.

In this album, I hear a bit of In Sides and a bit of Middle of Nowhere. Folded into this are some expressions of current trends and styles, which I believe they successfully made their own. The best part for me is that I find every song on this album listenable repeatedly, which hasn't been true for at least two of their last albums. In typical Orbital style, this album has some sublimely beautiful moments, and at other times has flourishes that seem a bit hackneyed.

Overall, a quality offering. I'm glad they are back. I hope they can keep the creative juices flowing, and get back in prime form with their next release.”

— Jeff Elder