So now that we’ve seen how bad of a start the 2020s are getting off to, I guess we can reminisce about how good(?) the 2010s were, huh? Despite not surpassing the incredible decade for music that was the 00s, the 2010s contained some fantastic music, some of the best of all time, in fact. Here is my long-in-progress list of the 50 albums that I loved the most from this decade. I tried to keep it to one album per artist but I simply couldn’t, so it’s limited to two. If it wasn’t, every Death Grips, Kanye West, and Swans project would be on here, so I couldn’t uncap it entirely. I will be including a playlist at the end of the list with all of my favorite tracks from this list compiled in one place, available on both Spotify and Google Play Music. Without further ado, let’s start the list!
50. Horrendous – Idol
Horrendous continues their streak of fantastic Technical Death Metal releases with a refined and focused batch of tracks that beautifully encapsule and progress the genre in a way that doesn’t alienate classic fans.
Favorite Tracks: Soothsayer | The Idolater | Obolus
49. Dorian Electra – Flamboyant
An incredibly impressive debut full of awe-inspiring LGBTQ power anthems, Flamboyant is an exploration of self-love, a beatdown of toxic masculinity, and an incredible step forward for vocal effects technology
Favorite Tracks: Emasculate | Man to Man | Career Boy
48. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Black Metal has always felt to me like the anthems of freezing to death in a blizzard, on the coldest day of the winter. If that is the case, Marrow of the Spirit is the thawing of that winter, letting rays of beautifully melodic bliss shine through its blackened clouds.
Favorite Tracks: Into the Painted Grey | To Drown | Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires
47. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
The world of Disco music has evolved into the digital age with Daft Punk’s most consistent, and grooviest album yet. Beautifully modern, spacious, and pristinely produced tracks are front and center on this incredibly fun revival of 70s popular music.
Favorite Tracks: Giorgio by Moroder | The Game of Love | Lose Yourself to Dance
46. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Weyes Blood holds an obvious fascination with films, she says it herself on the track Movies. If we can use the metaphor of movies, I’ll say that this album feels like watching Finding Nemo as a child an marvelling at the otherworldly vastness of the deep ocean, and its sheer beauty.
Favorite Tracks: Movies | Andromeda | A Lot’s Gonna Change
45. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Following up 2005’s Demon Days would be a nearly impossible task, and while Gorillaz does not quite do that here, they instead opt for something more interesting. Tonally consistent, the message of environmental consciousness reverberates through Plastic Beach’s varied tracklist, driving home its purpose without ever coming across as heavy-handed.
Favorite Tracks: Stylo | Some Kind of Nature | Rhinestone Eyes
44. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Patriotism can be a troubling concept. It is admirable to be devoted to the nation from which you came, but to do so often one must ignore the horrors of said country’s past actions. PJ Harvey beautifully explores this, diving into the darkness of war, typically a man’s game, from the female perspective, and coming to terms with one’s benefit from the actions of your ancestors.
Favorite Tracks: The Words That Maketh Murder | All and Everyone | The Glorious Land
43. Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy
Tyler has had something of a redemption arc in recent years. His previously spotty discography had always been riddled with immature lines designed to spark outrage, and inconsistent production holding back his undeniably strong flow and talent. Flower Boy is the switch flipping on his story, with mature theming and handling of topics like his own homosexuality and a mastery of his signature sound, the “Scum Fuck” being just as strong as the “Flower Boy”
Favorite Tracks: Who Dat Boy | See You Again | I Ain’t Got Time!
42. Kamasi Washington – The Epic
Truly an album that lives up to its name, Kamasi Washington and his band bring forth one of the greatest, most spiritual, and most monumental traditional Jazz albums of the decade. Lavish and inventive instrumentation push forth the intimidating, but justified 3-hour length, leaving an experience that truly feels like the historical epics that its title references.
Favorite Tracks: Change of the Guard | Clair de Lune | Malcom’s Theme
41. Deafheaven – Sunbather
“Beautiful Black Metal” is seemingly an oxymoron. I mean, Black Metal has always built its name upon being as inaccessible as possible, with overly distorted production, and throat-shredding shrieks being staples of the genre. Sunbather doesn’t do away with either of those, but it brings forth a new layer oft ignored in traditional Black Metal: Melody. Suddenly the tremolo chords that were once so oppressive are layered deep in a beautiful wave of harmonious bliss that leaves you forgetting it’s even a metal record.
Favorite Tracks: Dream House | Sunbather | Vertigo
40. Frank Ocean – Blonde
There’s an inevitable decision that comes in every casual relationship, an emotional peak where feelings begin to blossom, and one question comes to the forefront: Do you follow these feelings, and commit to each other, or break it off to prevent further heartbreak? Frank Ocean turns this moment inside out and explores every facet with beautiful taste and emotional vulnerability on a record speaks in subtlety and textures, as much as it does in lyrics.
Favorite Tracks: Solo | Self Control | Ivy
39. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata
Madlib’s hip-hop production is often considered some of the best in the industry, and nothing short of iconic. 2004’s Madvillainy remains one of the most well-regarded hip-hop albums of all time, in large part due to the masterful sampling and production. Reaching that astronomically high bar again would be impossible, but with the help of Freddie Gibbs’ smooth and tasteful delivery and lyricism, the bar has at least been approached.
Favorite Tracks: Scarface | Piñata | Harold’s
38. Earl Sweatshirt – I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside
Few rappers have as distinct and unique of a flow and vocal timbre as Earl Sweatshirt. After breaking into the industry at a young age with some big name features and a well-received debut in Doris, Earl leaned into the darkness his voice was so naturally inclined towards. An impressive maturity is portrayed in the steady and dark expression of hopeless depression and anger, in both production and lyricism.
Favorite Tracks: Faucet | AM // Radio | DNA
37. Kero Kero Bonito – Bonito Generation
It’s widely understood that some of the best art is built from negative emotion. I mean, my top album picks don’t exactly hide my stance on the matter. That said, I’d be remiss to ignore fun as a factor in my enjoyment of art. Bonito Generation is the pure embodiment of childish joy and pure fun, with Sarah Bonito’s adorable delivery working over quirky melodies and rhythms to thrust forth an irresistible sense of sheer glee that serves as the perfect break from the troubling world outside.
Favorite Tracks: Break | Graduation | Hey Parents
36. Ghost – Meliora
Few groups have ever divided the metal community as much as Ghost. I’ve seen entire subgenres such as Metalcore dismissed as “not metal,” but rarely have I seen a band hold such an equal amount of haters and staunch defenders as this one. Metal or not, Ghost’s creative use of synths, guitars, clean vocals, and eerie (almost “spooky”) melodies places them on the map as one of the most unique-sounding groups in popular heavy music right now, and this album is no exception, from the expert bassline on From The Pinnacle To The Pit, to the strangely clean and epic He Is, Ghost exemplifies why they are one of the better bands to emerge from this decade.
Favorite Tracks: Cirice | From The Pinnacle To The Pit | Mummy Dust
35. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) is probably the most pretentious genre title one could imagine, let’s be honest. It implies a kind of intellectual superiority over other styles that comes off as mean-spirited and even condescending. In the case of Flying Lotus, however, the label feels justified. Cosmogramma pokes and prods at the bounds of what dance music is capable of, with every hit and sound feeling measured and intentional, yet retaining the danceability essential to the style. Live and sampled drums highlight the entire project under an array of strange and ear-catching instrumentation that pulls the listener in and out of a trance-like state from beginning to end.
Favorite Tracks: Nose Art | Do The Astral Plane | Table Tennis
34. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel….
One of the most unique voices in Art Pop, Singer/Songwriter Fiona Apple returned in 2012 with an unbridled expulsion of emotions from mind to tape. The Idler Wheel is freaky, beautiful, and undeniably raw. Chaotic instrumentals weave between sections of beauty and dissonance under the captivating voice of Fiona Apple as she croons, growls, and warbles her way through well-written and incredibly memorable passages that drip with character. From beginning to end, not a single moment disengages or leaves the listener wanting, and by the end it’s hard to resist starting the whole thing over again.
Favorite Tracks: Periphery | Left Alone | Valentine
33. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell
Spoiler alert: There are a lot of albums about death on this list. Like I previously stated, some of the best art comes from tragedy and darkness, and Carrie & Lowell is no exception. Over airy, spacious production and drowning instrumentals, Sufjan Stevens brings a poetic beauty to the subject of his mother’s passing that is both soothing and heart wrenching. His beautiful whispering tones weave deeper lyrics that paint vivid pictures of the story of grief but also reflect beautiful images of happy memories with a sweet melancholy and a sense of hope. It’s a tragic subject, but one made more bearable by the beauty in its execution.
Favorite Tracks: All of Me Wants All of You | Fourth of July | John My Beloved
32. Ondatrópica – Ondatrópica
Columbia is still here! In 2012 Will Holland of British downtempo group Quantic teamed up with an assortment of Columbian musicians to bring together the new blueprint for modern Columbian dance music. Taking influence from a wide array of styles, with Ska, Salsa, Hip-Hop and, naturally, Cumbia along with other traditional sounds, Holland combines them with “hot” production gimmicks borrowed from North American dance music to create a record teeming with life and ready for the dance floor. With lively instrumentation and an unrelenting sense of swagger it’s an absolute must for any club specializing in Latin music, or anyone looking to explore more “world” music.
Favorite Tracks: Rap-Maya | I Ron Man | Locomotora Borracha
31. Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION
It’s the pop album you’re “allowed” to like! It’s slightly baffling to me that this one gets sectioned off as special and uniquely worthy of praise, but I cannot deny its quality. Carly Rae Jepsen pairs her signature “girl next door” personality with timeless production pulling in elements of retro pop instrumentation and modernizing them to a pristine quality that truly shines. From start to finish, E•MO•TION dazzles with undeniable bangers that truly define the sound that pop music of the 2010s will be remembered by for years to come.
Favorite Tracks: E•MO•TION | When I Needed You | Making The Most Of The Night
30. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
When Radiohead releases an album, the world listens. The group has, in their nearly 35 years recording, released some of the greatest albums of all time, and shaped the landscape of music around them. They’re unpredictable, with each album being distinct in style, and A Moon Shaped Pool is no exception. Guitars have, once again, been mostly abandoned in light of pianos, strings, and reverb-laden synths, with Thom Yorke’s crooning vocals mumbling over top to build a spacious atmosphere that speaks in textures more than notes or melodies. A Moon Shaped Pool may not be my favorite release from the band, but it is absolutely distinct and shows off their range that has cemented them as my favorite band of all time.
Favorite Tracks: Daydreaming | Identikit | True Love Waits
Writing About Music and Games Sometimes 