The 25 best albums of 2011

1 February 2023, 10:40 | Updated: 4 August 2023, 19:03

Let's step back to the twelve months that brought us Suck It And See, Beady Eye, The King Of Limbs and El Camino.

1. Cage The Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday: released 11th January 2011

   The Kentucky band's second album included the hit Shake Me Down.

   

2. White Lies - Ritual: released on 17th January 2011

   The trio's second album included the single Bigger Than Us.

   

3. Adele - 21: released 24th January 2011

   Ms Adkins' second album was a huge seller as it contained the mammoth hit Someone Like You. Also included were Rumour Has It, Rolling In The Deep and a cover of The Cure's Lovesong.

   

4. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake: released 14th February 2011

   Harvey's eighth studio album was her second Mercury Music Prize winner, and included the singles The Glorious Land and The Words That Maketh Murder.

   

5. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs: released 18th February 2011

   The eighth studio album from Thom Yorke and co included the single Lotus Flower.

   

6. Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding: released 28th February 2011

   Liam Gallagher's post Oasis band released their debut album, which included The Roller, Four Letter Word and Bring The Light.

   

7. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys! Released released 7th March 2011

   Guy Garvey and co's fifth album features the singles Lippy Kids and Open Arms.

   

8. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now: released 7th March 2011

   The US indie veterans called time on their career with their fifteenth and final album, which included the singles It Happened Today, Mine Smell Like Honey, Überlin and Oh My Heart.

   

9. Noah And The Whale - Last Night On Earth: released 7th March 2011

   The London band's third album includes the singles Tonight's The Kind of Night and L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

   

10. The Vaccines - What Do You Expect From The Vaccines: released 11th March 2011

    The band's debut album included the bangers Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra), If You Wanna, Wetsuit, Norgaard and Post Break-Up Sex.

    

11. The Strokes - Angles: released 18th March 2011

    The New York band's fourth album included Taken For A Fool and Undercover Of Darkness.

    

12. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light: released 12th April 2011

    The seventh album from Dave Grohl's rockers included Rope, Arlandria, These Days and Walk.

    

13. The Wombats Proudly Present This Modern Glitch: released 22nd April 2011

    The second album from Murph's Liverpool trio included the singles Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves), Jump Into The Fog and Anti-D.

    

14. Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval: released 3rd June 2011

    The Leeds band's fourth album - and last with with original drummer Nick Hodgson - included Little Shocks, Man On Mars and Kinda Girl You Are. The initial digital release allowed fans to pick their own 10-track version of the album from a pool of 23 songs.

    

15. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones: released on 6th June 2011

    The fourth studio album by the British singer-songwriter included I Still Believe and Peggy Sang The Blues.

    

16. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See: released 6th June 2011

    The fourth outing from the Sheffield band saw them record in Sound City, Los Angeles with producer James Ford. The record spawned the singles Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair, Brick By Brick and The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala.

    

17. The Horrors - Skying: released 11th July 2011

    The Southend band's third album was their most commercially successful to that point, featuring the tracks Still Life and I Can See Through You.

    

18. Gotye - Making Mirrors: released 19th August 2011

    Australian Wally De Backer had a massive hit in 2011 with Somebody That I Used To Know. The accompanying album also featured Eyes Wide Open and I Feel Better.

    

19. Ed Sheeran - +: released 9th September 2011

    The English singer-songwriter's debut album include the massive hist The A Team, You Need Me I Don't Need Me and Lego House.

    

20. Kasabian - Velociraptor: released 16th September 2011

    The fourth album from the Leicester powerhouse included the tracks Days Are Forgotten, Goodbye Kiss and Re-Wired.

    

21. Ben Howard - Every Kingdom: released 30th September 2011

    The British singer-songwriter's debut album included the songs Old Pine, Only Love, Keep Your Head Up and The Wolves.

    

22. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: released 17th October 2011

    Noel's debut solo outing is chock-full of great tunes: AKA What A Life!, If I Had A Gun, The Death Of You And Me, Everybody's On The Run...

    

23. Florence And The Machine - Ceremonials: released 28th October 2011

    Ceremonials saw Florence return with a more streamlined sound and includes the incredible tracks What The Water Gave Me and No Light, No Light.

    

24. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto: released 24th October 2011

    The fifth album from Chris Martin and his team included Paradise, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Charlie Brown.

    

25. The Black Keys - El Camino: released on 6th December 2011

    Incredibly this was Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's seventh album - and was their commercial breakthrough in the UK, featuring Lonely Boy and Gold On The Ceiling.