Ten Favorite Albums of the Decade (2010-2019)

[wmeugene]

On the 2010s, it is an incredibly diverse and deep decade with lots of very good albums. But at the top, it doesn’t hold a candle to the prior decades going back to the 1950s.

In my opinion, the top 3 albums of the 2010s are Kanye’s MBDTF, Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly, and The War on Drugs’ Lost in the Dream. None of them would crack my top 25 albums of all time. Every other decade since the 60s has multiple entries. (For info, my GOAT is probably The Clash - London Calling).

I don’t mean to be an old man ( As background, I’m mid-30s and listen to literally almost every genre of music) railing against new music, because I’m so excited about all the new directions music is going and how it is increasingly decentralized. However, we’re talking “top albums” and in that area, the decade lacked - for a number of reasons (rise of streaming, decreasing album sales, etc.).

 

[BoilerRhapsody]

I'm kind of surprised at this sentiment, I guess because I think this is the best decade for music by far and I assumed many others here would too. Making music has never been so accessible, nor has it ever been this easy to get it out there, and both of those aspects are really showing.

If we're looking at comparing decades, the 60s was a strong one for me as well; but you need to remember we've had 50 years of reflection about that music, and 50 years to forget all the worst bits too. Take all those albums that keep showing up in this thread, come back to me in 50 years and tell me they aren't as good as what we currently think of the 60s albums, then I can confidently say this wasn't the best decade.

 

[Waitressboy]

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion
Taylor Swift - 1989
Melanie C - The Sea
Sondre Lerche - Please
Anouk - Sad Singalong Songs
Emily Haines - Choir Of The Mind
Mammut -- Komdu Til Mín Svarta Systir
Rosalía - El Mal Querer
Lamb - 5

I think it would be something like that.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

On the 2010s, it is an incredibly diverse and deep decade with lots of very good albums. But at the top, it doesn’t hold a candle to the prior decades going back to the 1950s.

In my opinion, the top 3 albums of the 2010s are Kanye’s MBDTF, Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly, and The War on Drugs’ Lost in the Dream. None of them would crack my top 25 albums of all time. Every other decade since the 60s has multiple entries. (For info, my GOAT is probably The Clash - London Calling).

I don’t mean to be an old man ( As background, I’m mid-30s and listen to literally almost every genre of music) railing against new music, because I’m so excited about all the new directions music is going and how it is increasingly decentralized. However, we’re talking “top albums” and in that area, the decade lacked - for a number of reasons (rise of streaming, decreasing album sales, etc.).

In my opinion, cultural impact is not indicative of quality. If it was, Nickleback, Creed and Limp Bizkit would be considered better bands than groups like Jesus Lizard, Built to Spill or Can.

As I (and others such as yourself) have alluded to, there is a clear lack of touchstone albums from this decade but that has everything to do with the ways in which our consumption of music has shifted. We live in era of niche culture. Radio is still doing it's best to pump out Top 40 garbage, but music blogs like Pitchfork or Spotify algorithms arguably have a bigger impact on what people are listening to and the niche they nestle into. The zeitgeist is splintered in a way it's never been before.

Hell, the move away from physical media means that people (like us) who listen to albums in full are an endangered species. Point being, we are unlikely to ever again be at a point where an album results in a macro level shared experience. But that doesn't take away from the diversity and creativity of the past 10 years.

And frankly, as somebody who detests market tested formulas and their impact on any form of art, I'd actually argue that the abandonment of that mentality is a large part of why I enjoyed this decade so much more than say, the 2000s.

EDIT: Also, the sheer volume of good music is directly related to the death of iconic albums anyways. Because as I've already said, major label heads no longer dictate what music gets produced and distributed. So indie artists are free to put their shit out there and see what happens. See bands like Car Seat Headrest or Soccer Mommy that came up on bandcamp or rappers like Chance or Joey Bada$$ that came up on the mixtape scene.

 

[Enoch]

In my opinion, cultural impact is not indicative of quality. If it was, Nickleback, Creed and Limp Bizkit would be considered better bands than groups like Jesus Lizard, Built to Spill or Can.

As I (and others such as yourself) have alluded to, there is a clear lack of touchstone albums from this decade but that has everything to do with the ways in which our consumption of music has shifted. We live in era of niche culture. Radio is still doing it's best to pump out Top 40 garbage, but music blogs like Pitchfork or Spotify algorithms arguably have a bigger impact on what people are listening to and the niche they nestle into. The zeitgeist is splintered in a way it's never been before.

Hell, the move away from physical media means that people (like us) who listen to albums in full are an endangered species. Point being, we are unlikely to ever again be at a point where an album results in a macro level shared experience. But that doesn't take away from the diversity and creativity of the past 10 years.

And frankly, as somebody who detests market tested formulas and their impact on any form of art, I'd actually argue that the abandonment of that mentality is a large part of why I enjoyed this decade so much more than say, the 2000s.

It will be interesting to see if the "album" will continue to be a thing or bands will just release songs when they are ready

 

[Captainfog]

It will be interesting to see if the "album" will continue to be a thing or bands will just release songs when they are ready

Unlikely because most people who form bands are music geeks. The album will live on.

 

[goodoohuru]

In no particular order, this might be my top 10 albums released this decade

Mike Patton - Mondo Cane
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
The White Stripes - Live In Mississippi
Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away
CW Stoneking - Gon' Boogaloo
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
QOTSA - Like Clockwork
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Fiona Apple - Idler Wheel
David Bowie - Blackstar

 

[wmeugene]

In my opinion, cultural impact is not indicative of quality. If it was, Nickleback, Creed and Limp Bizkit would be considered better bands than groups like Jesus Lizard, Built to Spill or Can.

As I (and others such as yourself) have alluded to, there is a clear lack of touchstone albums from this decade but that has everything to do with the ways in which our consumption of music has shifted. We live in era of niche culture. Radio is still doing it's best to pump out Top 40 garbage, but music blogs like Pitchfork or Spotify algorithms arguably have a bigger impact on what people are listening to and the niche they nestle into. The zeitgeist is splintered in a way it's never been before.

Hell, the move away from physical media means that people (like us) who listen to albums in full are an endangered species. Point being, we are unlikely to ever again be at a point where an album results in a macro level shared experience. But that doesn't take away from the diversity and creativity of the past 10 years.

And frankly, as somebody who detests market tested formulas and their impact on any form of art, I'd actually argue that the abandonment of that mentality is a large part of why I enjoyed this decade so much more than say, the 2000s.

EDIT: Also, the sheer volume of good music is directly related to the death of iconic albums anyways. Because as I've already said, major label heads no longer dictate what music gets produced and distributed. So indie artists are free to put their shit out there and see what happens. See bands like Car Seat Headrest or Soccer Mommy that came up on bandcamp or rappers like Chance or Joey Bada$$ that came up on the mixtape scene.

I pretty much agree with everything you say - great time to be an informed music fan and great time to be a musician that can reach directly to your dedicated fans. Also, a time where the “album” as a cultural touchstone is a relic of the past

 

[McGlam]

First Team:
1. John Grant - Queen of Denmark (2010)
2. Drive-By Truckers - American Band (2016)
3. Tim Wheeler - Lost Domain (2014)
4. Soccer Team - Real Lessons in Cynicism (2015)
5. Girl Band - Holding Hands with Jamie (2015)
6. Sparks - Hippopotamus (2017)
7. Gang of Youths - Go Farther in Lightness (2017)
8. Caroline Rose - Loner (2018)
9. Ball Park Music - Puddinghead (2014)
10. Steven Adams & the French Drops - Virtue Signals (2018)

Honorable mention:
The Posies - Blood/Candy (2010)
Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones (2011)
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (2011)
Little Green Cars - Absolute Zero (2013)
Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (2013)
The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers (2014)
TV on the Radio - Seeds (2014)
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial (2016)
Thee Oh Sees - A Weird Exits (2016)
Starflyer 59 - Young in My Mind (2019)

Queen of Denmark is so so great. Is that Tim Wheeler from Ash? I didn't know he put out a solo record.

 

[willcoll]

Is that Tim Wheeler from Ash? I didn't know he put out a solo record.

Yes, Tim Wheeler from Ash. Lost Domain is a very different animal than the typical Ash album. Without question, the most cathartic album I own.

 

[heartswells]

I, uh, also didn’t stop at 10.

1. Los Campesinos! - No Blues
2. Sufjan Stevens - The Age Of Adz
3. Passion Pit - Gossamer
4. How To Dress Well - What Is This Heart?
5. These New Puritans - Hidden
6. Slow Club - Paradise
7. Friendly Fires - Pala
8. Everything Everything - Get To Heaven
9. Charli XCX - True Romance
10. The 1975 - I like it when you fall asleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
    Spoiler: 11 - 30

    11. Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
    12. Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears
    13. Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
    14. Metronomy - The English Riviera
    15. Owen Pallett - Heartland
    16. Tall Ships - Impressions
    17. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
    18. Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp
    19. Tove Styrke - Kiddo
    20. Shura - Nothing’s Real
    21. Baths - Romaplasm
    22. Foxing - Nearer My God
    23. The Japanese House - Good At Falling
    24. Spoon - They Want My Soul
    25. Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost
    26. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
    27. Mozart’s Sister - Field Of Love
    28. Tokyo Police Club - Champ
    29. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
    30. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

 

[zomgbear]

I cut it down to 50 albums. 10 albums is a bit impossible for 10 years of music.

1​	Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2​	Lone - Galaxy Garden
3​	2814 - Birth Of A New Day
4​	Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
5​	School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire
6​	Kanye West The Life Of Pablo
7​	Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra (mixtape)
8​	Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
9​	Kona Triangle - Sing A New Sapling Into Existence
10​	Be Forest - Cold
11​	Kaytranada - 99.9%
12​	John Hopkins - Immunity
13​	Washed Out - Within and Without
14​	Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
15​	Clark - S/T
16​	ASAP Rocky - LIVELOVEASAP (mixtape)
17​	Hook & the Twin - Never Ever Ever
18​	Esprit - Virtua.zip
19​	Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked For Death
20​	George Clanton - 100% Electronica
21​	Haim Days Are Gone
22​	SZA - Ctrl
23​	Lone - Emerald Fantasy Tracks
24​	Freddie Gibbs - You Only Live 2wice
25​	Kendrick Lamar - Damn.
26​	Alex banks - Illuminate
27​	Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
28​	Elzhi - Elmatic
29​	Bibio - Silver Wilkinson
30​	Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata
31​	Adrian Younge - Something About April
32​	Beck - Morning Phase
33​	Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
34​	Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
35​	Badbadnotgood - BBNG (mixtape)
36​	Vampire Weekend Contra
37​	Killer Mike - RAP Music
38​	Royce Da 5'9", Book Of Ryan
39​	Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
40​	Clark - Iradelphic
41​	Lord Apex - Hyoko Meiso elevation/meditation
42​	Neneh Cherry - Broken Politics
43​	Caribou - Swim
44​	Tame Impala - Lonerism
45​	Luviia - Mo butter
46​	Anderson.Paak - Malibu
47​	Pusha T Daytona
48​	Clams Casino - Instrumental 2
49​	Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool
50​	Bonobo - The North Borders

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

2011 - Destroyer, Kaputt

Thanks for getting me to re-examine Kaputt. I like it a LOT more in the year 2019 than I did 2011. Gonna wind up somewhere in my top 200 once I figure out who to boot and give it a couple more spins.

Next up PJ Harvey's: Let England Shake which I found to be a huge disappointment despite the acclaim. (Big fan of White Chalk and To Bring You My Love). But it's on a lot of lists here. (This is why these sorts of things are fun.)

 

[bettim84]

Thanks for getting me to re-examine Kaputt. I like it a LOT more in the year 2019 than I did 2011. Gonna wind up somewhere in my top 200 once I figure out who to boot and give it a couple more spins.

Next up PJ Harvey's: Let England Shake which I found to be a huge disappointment despite the acclaim. (Big fan of White Chalk and To Bring You My Love). It's on a lot of lists here. (This is why these sorts of things are fun.)

I can’t quite relate because Let England Shake was my favorite album of 2011, but I can say that it’s a good one to revisit. Unlike other albums from earlier in the decade, this one has aged really well.

Interestingly, I’m not a White Chalk fan at all! PJ Harvey wears lots of different hats.

 

[BjorgenFjorgen]

Thanks for getting me to re-examine Kaputt. I like it a LOT more in the year 2019 than I did 2011. Gonna wind up somewhere in my top 200 once I figure out who to boot and give it a couple more spins.

Next up PJ Harvey's: Let England Shake which I found to be a huge disappointment despite the acclaim. (Big fan of White Chalk and To Bring You My Love). It's on a lot of lists here. (This is why these sorts of things are fun.)

I only heard that record for the first time a few months ago and I'm so, so glad I did.

 

[Clint Howard]

Just trying to catch up on this thread and holy shit, i realized that I might have heard like 2-3 out of all of these records listed. #oldandouttatheloop

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

PJ Harvey wears lots of different hats.

One of the many reasons she is awesome. I dealt with vicious insomnia up until a year or two ago and White Chalk was one of my sleep aides during the college years... which led down the rabbit hole to her earlier works. PJ and Cat Power (as well as the perpetually underrated Throwing Muses) laid the foundation for my obsession with female driven indie rock as it exits in this decade.

Just trying to catch up on this thread and holy shit, i realized that I might have heard like 2-3 out of all of these records listed. #oldandouttatheloop

Well now you have an easy-access resource should you want to explore.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Here’s my top ten:
1. Punch Brothers - Phosphorescent Blues
2. Kishi Bashi - Omoiyari
3. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism
4. Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
5. Durand Jones and the Indications - American Love Call
6. Mandolin Orange - Blindfaller
7. D’Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah
8. Childish Gambino - “Awaken, My Love”
9. Iron & Wine - Ghost On Ghost
10. Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

 

[Enoch]

Childish Gambino - “Awaken, My Love”

forgot about this one

 

[macondo]

Appreciation for those who posted about Muriel Grossmann’s Golden Rule. Before logging in today, I didn’t know the album existed. It has definitely improved my evening.