Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 by JamesMowbray 
- Chart updated: 06/17/2018 14:45
- (Created: 04/21/2017 22:49).
- Chart size: 22 albums.
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Radiohead's most divisive album, and probably one of the most divisive records of the past 20 years splits people by being so unlike their 2007 classic 'In Rainbows', but unlike 'Kid A' which similarly split listeners by subverting expectations, the reputation of 'The King of Limbs' has not grown over time because appreciating the project is much more a case of personal taste than taking the time to explore an entirely different soundscape. However if you enjoy layered rhythmic elements and open breezy tracks in the vain of Thom Yorke's solo material 'The King of Limbs' is the very best of this sound.
The record opens with a looping piano intro which suddenly becomes an eerie repetition of two notes, almost as if the previous sound has been trapped in a moment in time. When the drums and bass of the track kick in the rhythmic core of the track becomes apparent. These provide the constants of the track whilst the rest involves layering of vocals and introduction of new instruments all the while being anchored by the rhythm section. The very free sounding vocal performance of drawn out words presents a brilliant duality with the cagey nature of the powerful rhythms of the track.
In 'Morning Mr Magpie' the rhythmic elements of guitar, bass and drums kick in immediately providing a much more tense atmosphere, complimented by a harsher vocal performance from Yorke which includes vague confrontational lyrics. At the chorus drones are added to the mix building up the strength of the sound before using a brief break away from the drums to leave again, where the rhythmic sections start to return by layering over each other before launching into the second verse, replicating the paranoid atmosphere of before.
'Little by Little' has a similarly sinister sounding guitar riff that contrasts with the much faster and more energetic drumbeat of the track. The drums slow down for the chorus to give more focus to the vocals of the track which have a sinister edge similar to that of the guitars.
The album hits its weirdest moment with 'Feral' a track defined by intense rhythms and abstract vocals not seen leading a Radiohead album track since 'Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors' off of 2001's 'Amnesiac'. One of the more interesting elements of the track is how the mix changes over time with the vocals and drumbeat fighting for dominance, only adding to the chaotic elements. The vocals are warped to the point of lyrics being impossible to pick up, and instead Yorke's voice becomes the most unpredictable instrument in the mix.
'Feral' segues perfectly into the slower growing sound of 'Lotus Flower' signalling the start of the less cagey second half of the record. Whilst the strong rhythms of the previous tracks are still present here they no longer have an oppressive nature with the bass sounding more like a drone at times, leaving most of the focus on the commanding vocal performance.
The change in atmosphere goes even further with 'Codex' maybe the most expansive and open sounding song Radiohead have created, especially fitting with the lyrics mentioning "a clear lake". Percussion is barely present giving full focus to lyrics, vocal delivery and the repeating piano melody throughout the track. The sombre tone is built up by the lyrics like "jump off the end" and "no one gets hurt". A string section closes out the track preventing any kind of abrupt end.
'Give up the Ghost' is even more bare-bones evoking 'House of Cards' of 'In Rainbows'. The slow drums, calm guitar, looped distorted vocals and echoing lead vocals create a beautifully serene atmosphere with a touch of sadness. Once again the lyrical content backs up the atmosphere of the track with a repetition of "Don't hurt me, don't haunt me' carrying across the song, whilst the lead vocals peak with "I think I should give up the ghost" before closing out the song with repetition of "into your arms".
'Separator' is a brilliant closing track, though at the very start its transition in from give up the ghost sounds very abrupt. The rhythm section is back in the foreground again building a much more positive atmosphere than on previous tracks, aided by a dreamlike guitar riff and from more positive lyrics like "finally I'm free from all the weight I've being carrying". The album ends on a positive note with the guitar being layered along with 2 vocal patterns, one saying "if you think this is over then you're wrong" and the other saying "wake me up", giving an almost euphoric ending to one of Radiohead's gloomier albums.
The main success of 'the King of Limbs' is its ability to create a mood purely through sound and more abstract lyrics. Sadness is created by piano loops with quiet and slow drums instead of having to mention "red wine and sleeping pills" or "a job that slowly kills you", whereas paranoia is created through distorted vocals and tight rhythms. I also think the record is at a perfect length, any longer in the first half may have made it too oppressive and any longer on the second may have made it easy to just zone out from it. 'The King of Limbs' sits perfectly in Radiohead's discography by providing experimental soundscapes in a time in their career when they became more associated with the more straightforward (but excellent) music of 'In Rainbows' and 'A Moon Shaped Pool'.
Best Track : Bloom [First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
The record opens with a looping piano intro which suddenly becomes an eerie repetition of two notes, almost as if the previous sound has been trapped in a moment in time. When the drums and bass of the track kick in the rhythmic core of the track becomes apparent. These provide the constants of the track whilst the rest involves layering of vocals and introduction of new instruments all the while being anchored by the rhythm section. The very free sounding vocal performance of drawn out words presents a brilliant duality with the cagey nature of the powerful rhythms of the track.
In 'Morning Mr Magpie' the rhythmic elements of guitar, bass and drums kick in immediately providing a much more tense atmosphere, complimented by a harsher vocal performance from Yorke which includes vague confrontational lyrics. At the chorus drones are added to the mix building up the strength of the sound before using a brief break away from the drums to leave again, where the rhythmic sections start to return by layering over each other before launching into the second verse, replicating the paranoid atmosphere of before.
'Little by Little' has a similarly sinister sounding guitar riff that contrasts with the much faster and more energetic drumbeat of the track. The drums slow down for the chorus to give more focus to the vocals of the track which have a sinister edge similar to that of the guitars.
The album hits its weirdest moment with 'Feral' a track defined by intense rhythms and abstract vocals not seen leading a Radiohead album track since 'Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors' off of 2001's 'Amnesiac'. One of the more interesting elements of the track is how the mix changes over time with the vocals and drumbeat fighting for dominance, only adding to the chaotic elements. The vocals are warped to the point of lyrics being impossible to pick up, and instead Yorke's voice becomes the most unpredictable instrument in the mix.
'Feral' segues perfectly into the slower growing sound of 'Lotus Flower' signalling the start of the less cagey second half of the record. Whilst the strong rhythms of the previous tracks are still present here they no longer have an oppressive nature with the bass sounding more like a drone at times, leaving most of the focus on the commanding vocal performance.
The change in atmosphere goes even further with 'Codex' maybe the most expansive and open sounding song Radiohead have created, especially fitting with the lyrics mentioning "a clear lake". Percussion is barely present giving full focus to lyrics, vocal delivery and the repeating piano melody throughout the track. The sombre tone is built up by the lyrics like "jump off the end" and "no one gets hurt". A string section closes out the track preventing any kind of abrupt end.
'Give up the Ghost' is even more bare-bones evoking 'House of Cards' of 'In Rainbows'. The slow drums, calm guitar, looped distorted vocals and echoing lead vocals create a beautifully serene atmosphere with a touch of sadness. Once again the lyrical content backs up the atmosphere of the track with a repetition of "Don't hurt me, don't haunt me' carrying across the song, whilst the lead vocals peak with "I think I should give up the ghost" before closing out the song with repetition of "into your arms".
'Separator' is a brilliant closing track, though at the very start its transition in from give up the ghost sounds very abrupt. The rhythm section is back in the foreground again building a much more positive atmosphere than on previous tracks, aided by a dreamlike guitar riff and from more positive lyrics like "finally I'm free from all the weight I've being carrying". The album ends on a positive note with the guitar being layered along with 2 vocal patterns, one saying "if you think this is over then you're wrong" and the other saying "wake me up", giving an almost euphoric ending to one of Radiohead's gloomier albums.
The main success of 'the King of Limbs' is its ability to create a mood purely through sound and more abstract lyrics. Sadness is created by piano loops with quiet and slow drums instead of having to mention "red wine and sleeping pills" or "a job that slowly kills you", whereas paranoia is created through distorted vocals and tight rhythms. I also think the record is at a perfect length, any longer in the first half may have made it too oppressive and any longer on the second may have made it easy to just zone out from it. 'The King of Limbs' sits perfectly in Radiohead's discography by providing experimental soundscapes in a time in their career when they became more associated with the more straightforward (but excellent) music of 'In Rainbows' and 'A Moon Shaped Pool'.
Best Track : Bloom [First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,038
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
229
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,121
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
933
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
4. (=)
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,990
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,458
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,127
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
510
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,256
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
634
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 05/01/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,217
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 22. Page 1 of 3
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Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| The Weeknd | 3 | 14% | |
| Drake | 1 | 5% | |
| PJ Harvey | 1 | 5% | |
| Radiohead | 1 | 5% | |
| St. Vincent | 1 | 5% | |
| The Roots | 1 | 5% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 1 | 5% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 7th to 8th Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Bon Iver |
| Down 1 from 8th to 9th Nostalgia, Ultra. by Frank Ocean |
| Down 1 from 9th to 10th Take Care by Drake |
| New entries |
|---|
 Tomboyby Panda Bear |
Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 similarity to your chart(s)
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Other year charts (from the 2010s) by JamesMowbray
Top 100 Music Albums of 2019 by JamesMowbray (2019)Top 100 Music Albums of 2018 by JamesMowbray (2018)
Top 100 Music Albums of 2017 by JamesMowbray (2018)
Top 56 Music Albums of 2016 by JamesMowbray (2022)
Top 43 Music Albums of 2015 by JamesMowbray (2021)
Top 25 Music Albums of 2014 by JamesMowbray (2020)
Top 25 Music Albums of 2013 by JamesMowbray (2021)
Top 21 Music Albums of 2012 by JamesMowbray (2019)
Top 20 Music Albums of 2010 by JamesMowbray (2020)
Top 22 Music Albums of 2011 ratings
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| Best Artists of 1976 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Stevie Wonder | |
| 2. David Bowie | |
| 3. Ramones | |
| 4. Eagles | |
| 5. Boston | |
| 6. Genesis | |
| 7. Rush | |
| 8. Bob Dylan | |
| 9. The Modern Lovers | |
| 10. Joni Mitchell | |
| 11. Thin Lizzy | |
| 12. Electric Light Orchestra | |
| 13. Rainbow | |
| 14. AC/DC | |
| 15. Steely Dan | |
| 16. Led Zeppelin | |
| 17. Queen | |
| 18. Jean Michel Jarre | |
| 19. Jorge Ben | |
| 20. Aerosmith |