If there is one thing I can say for sure, it is that 2011 was the year of the sax. Forget dubstep or R&B ruling the charts. Almost every great song featured some kind of killer sax solo. From indie to top 40 the likes of Katy Perry and Eleanor Friedberger were jamming out to the brass instrument. But there were also a good chunk of awesome music that didn’t have any sax. That’s okay too. 2011 was more about pushing boundaries and testing the limits of music — from the minimalist of James Blake to the over-the-top widnes of M83. All and all it was a pretty good year for music so I would love to share with you my favorite 50 records (out of the 158 I listened to) of 2K11!

50. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx - We’re New Here

49. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica

48. Beirut - The Rip Tide

47. Team Rockit - 1988

46. Wild Beasts - Smother

45. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints 

44. Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts

43. Cat’s Eyes - Cat’s Eyes

42. The Antlers - Burst Apart

41. Hercules and Love Affair - Blue Songs

40. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra 

39. Lo-Fi-Fnk - The Last Summer

38. Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

37. Neon Indian - Era Extrana

36. The Embassy - Life in the Trenches 

35. Panda Bear - Tomboy 

34. Nicola Roberts - Cinderella’s Eyes

33. Drake - Take Care

32. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials 

31. Feist - Metals

30. Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

29. Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise 

28. Twin Sister - In Heaven

27. Active Child - You Are All I See

26. Zola Jesus - Conatus

25. Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting 

24. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse 

23. Cut Copy - Zonoscope

22. Washed Out - Within and Without 

21. Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself

There you have it — the first half of my favorite albums of the year. By the end of the weekend I’ll have the rest posted where I’ll reveal my number one-favorite record of 2011. Feel free to discuss the list thus far!