Two thousand twelve may very well have been the best year for the album as an artform since the rise of single-song downloads and streaming music services.
While we speculated last year that fans might start seeing more EPs as bands look for ways to keep their attention during ever-lengthening tour cycles, the full-length dominated this year, thanks to high-profile releases from Van Halen, Jack White, Rush, Aerosmith, Soundgarden and more.
But that's not to say things were slim pickings in the world of EPs, either. Down kick-started what they promise to be an EP-heavy period of their career with the typically sludgy set of The Purple EP. Scion continued being the coolest car company around by releasing new EPs from Revocation and Arsis through their Scion AV branch.
Even that little old band from Texas got in on the act, releasing the Texicali EP as a digital-only holdover until the official release of La Futura.
Our Top 50 Albums of 2012 list is proof that the LP still reigns supreme in 2012, but if you're looking for something more bite-sized, you can't go wrong with any of the choices below.
“The experience of our work with Jimmy in a vibrant, electric, mystical, and powerful perspective”: Unreleased Jimmy Page/Rich Robinson composition set to feature in upcoming deluxe version of Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek
“The king of modern blues getting down and dirty (musically) with a former Van Halen singer”: January 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
