Over the weekend ABCNews posted their list of the 50 best albums of 2012. I used to enjoy dabbling in a bit of internal debate with these lists — “Yes, I agree with that!” or “No, how could they list that?!” These days, my response to the vast majority of the entries is, “Who are these people?” Below are the Best 50 Albums of 2012 according to ABCNews.com.

I know these artists, and have heard these albums:

30. P!NK — “The Truth About Love”
27. SOUNDGARDEN — “King Animal” (Deluxe Edition)
15. DEFTONES — “Koi No Yokan”

Comments: I obtained these three albums before one of my recent cross country road trips. I’ve listened to each of them exactly once, and will probably listen to the Soundgarden and Deftones albums again.

I know these artists. I would listen to these albums, but haven’t yet:

39. SMASHING PUMPKINS — “Oceania”
18. GARBAGE — “Not Your Kind of People” (Deluxe Edition)
16. GREEN DAY — ” ¡Uno!” / ” ¡Dos!” / ” ¡Tré!”
13. KID KOALA — “12 Bit Blues”
08. NAS — “Life Is Good” (Deluxe Edition)

Comments: Most of these I didn’t know existed until I read the list. “Current” Green Day is so far from the Green Day I enjoyed back in the day, but I might give it a spin. Ditto for Smashing Pumpkins.

I know these artists. I have no interest in these albums:

50. AIMEE MANN — “Charmer”
46. BOBBY WOMACK — “The Bravest Man in the Universe”
12. FIONA APPLE — “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You
11. DINOSAUR JR. — “I Bet on the Sky”
06. …AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD — “Lost Songs” (Deluxe Limited Edition)
05. NORAH JONES — “Little Broken Hearts”

Comments: I’ve heard these people’s names. I guess that’s something?

And finally …

Artists I have never heard of:

49. TYVEK — “On Triple Beams”
48. JIMMY CLIFF — “Rebirth”
47. MAXIMO PARK — “The National Health”
45. BAT FOR LASHES — “The Haunted Man”
44. BLOC PARTY — “Four” (Deluxe Edition)
43. MOON HOOCH — “The Moon Hooch Album”
42. LEE RANALDO — “Between the Times and the Tides”
41. JJ DOOM — “Key to the Kuffs”
40. KATE HAVNEVIK — “You”
38. THE WALLFLOWERS — “Glad All Over”
37. JAPANDROIDS — “Celebration Rock”
36. METZ — “Metz”
35. REDD KROSS — “Researching the Blues”
34. MICHAEL KIWANUKA — “Home Again”
33. OF MONSTERS AND MEN — “My Head Is an Animal”
32. ROCKET JUICE & THE MOON — “Rocket Juice & the Moon”
31. MARGOT & THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO’S — “Rot Gut Domestic”
29. NADA SURF — “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy”
28. BEST COAST — “THE ONLY PLACE”
26. MIKE DOUGHTY — “The Flip Is Another Honey”
25. THE WALKMEN — “Heaven”
24. P.O.S. — “We Don’t Even Live Here”
23. A.C. NEWMAN — “Shut Down the Streets”
22. TAME IMPALA — “Lonerism”
21. TY SEGALL — “Hair” / “Slaughterhouse” / “Twins”
20. CAT POWER — “Sun”
19. FOUR TET — “Pink”
17. MASTA ACE/DOOM: MA_DOOM — “Son of Yvonne”
14. FLYING LOTUS — “Until the Quiet Comes”
10. JESCA HOOP — “The House That Jack Built”
09. SHARON VAN ETTEN — “Tramp”
07. SCOUT — “All Those Relays”
04. SKELETON KEY — “Gravity Is the Enemy”
03. MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS — “The Heist”
02. FRANK OCEAN — “channel ORANGE”
01. REGINA SPEKTOR — “What We Saw from the Cheap Seats”

There you have it. I’m out of touch and old.