In past years, AllMusic's classical editors have seen disconcertingly long lists of obituaries, which included the names of many musical legends. A smaller but no less important group of musicians passed away in 2011, among them several prominent stars of opera, respected composers, and virtuoso performers. The most significant artists are commemorated here in our annual Classical Necrology.

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Director and designer Robert Wilson and composer Philip Glass, with choreographer Lucinda Childs, created the opera Einstein on the Beach in 1976. It has been hailed as one of the most revolutionary and visionary works of the late 20th century in the fields of music and theatre: "One of the truly pivotal artworks of our time," "a masterpiece," "an achievement for which the descriptor 'supreme' does not seem the least excessive," "among the most significant theatrical achievements of the entire post-World War II period."

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We've rounded up lists of our favorite 2011 albums by genre and style and by personal choice. Now, we present our selections for the overall favorites of 2011: the best music culled from each genre and style we've covered throughout our month-long retrospective of the year past, winnowed down to the cream of the crop. You'll find country, R&B;, rock & roll, jazz, metal, indie, and all points between on this list of records that represent the best of what 2011 had to offer.

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