Guardian Music — The top 40 tracks of the year, as voted for by Guardian writers1 Lana Del Rey – Video Games2 Azealia Banks – 2123 Tyler, the Creator – Yonkers4 Joe Goddard – Gabriel ft Valentina5 Frank Ocean – Swim Good6 Nicki Minaj – Super Bass7 BeyoncÃ... more info

Guardian Music — You've seen our top 50 albums of the year. But what did Guardian critics' individual lists look like?Here's the full list of votes from our critics. We asked them for their top 10 albums and tracks of 2011. Then we tallied up their votes, awarding 10... more info

Guardian Music — Drake might not have any obvious connection to Bon Iver and James Blake – but they all inhabit a private world to which you, the listener, are not invitedFor music critics, December is a magical time. Our votes in year-end polls are cast, the river... more info

Guardian Music — No, he's not James Blake (though he may have been his ex-flatmate). But this Welsh wonder is certainly one to watch …When Ifan Dafydd's single So Good was first played on Gilles Peterson's radio show in February, people assumed it was a new James B... more info

Guardian Music — Highlights from the last seven days in the world of musicNewsBlur to receive outstanding contribution prize at the 2012 Brit awardsGuns N' Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers for Rock and Roll Hall of FameAfghan Whigs reunite for All Tomorrow's PartiesAn... more info

Guardian Music — In a year in which we questioned our obsession with all things retro, James Blake pulled off the unthinkable, taking dubstep, soul and even barbershop to create a new musical languageThis year's most talked-about music tome was Simon Reynolds's Retro... more info

BBC 6 Music — The electronic musician looks back on the success of 2011 more info

Guardian Music — Dave Guetta's ubiquitous productions made Alexis Petridis feel like his dad – thank heavens for PJ HarveyThere were moments when the 2011 singles chart seemed likely to trigger an existential crisis in music fans of a certain age. This summer I tur... more info

Guardian Music — From traditional Irish music to St Vincent and the Frames, the first night of this intimate festival spoke to myriad traditionsIt really isn't a large congregation that fills St James's church in Dingle, County Kerry, for Other Voices. The advance pu... more info

Guardian Music — If they ever did a dubstep week on The X Factor, Youngman could be a guest mentorHometown: Derby.The lineup: Simon Smith (vocals).The background: Simon "Youngman" Smith has the melismatic vocals and politely charismatic presence of a future star, and... more info