My favorite albums of the 2010s

There's just about a month left in this decade. With my apologies to all the albums yet to come out, here were my favorites, with a collective 4500 spins among them:

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (2013)
My fav: Instant Crush - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3URh7kJ6dtQ

2. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
My fav: All of the Lights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD44rjkhbHU

3. Bon Iver - 22, A Million (2016)
My fav: 33 God - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0DJjQ7D2k

4. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse (2011)
My fav: Riding for the Feeling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYg6eIH7qR8

5. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
My fav: Swimming Pools (Drank) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5YNiCfWC3A

6. Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial (2016)
My fav: Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccztRby3FAk

7. Lorde - Pure Heroine (2013)
My fav: Ribs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oogu13bu1V0

8. Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book (2016)
My fav: Blessings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoVlyB6qW28

9. Destroyer – Kaputt (2011)
My fav: Chinatown - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zCJwn3Ym7g

10. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo (2011)
My fav: Baby's Arms - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geN5XnudXr4

11. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is ... (2012)
My fav: Valentine - youtube.com/watch?v=rOuBl4AYdvM

12. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
My fav: [Pyramids - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMV31MWIjLE

13. Beyoncé - Beyoncé (2013)
My fav: Drunk in Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1JPKLa-Ofc

14. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010) (2012)
My fav: Ready to Start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oI27uSzxNQ

15. The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream (2014)
My fav: Under the Pressure - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkLOg252KRE

16. Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION (2015)
My fav: I Didn't Just Come Here to Dance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_zD5-ij7So

17. Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso (2014)
My fav: HSKT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCvhazdzkw

18. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager (2014)
My fav: She's Not Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBL0nGVoe-I

19. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne (2011)
My fav: Otis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoEKWtgJQAU

20. Drake - Take Care (2011)
My fav: Marvin's Room - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5TyNvTCans

21. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest (2010)
My fav: Helicopter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5RzpPrOd-4

22. Andy Shauf - The Party (2016)
My fav: Quite Like You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndlb4fic-eQ

23. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory (2012)
My fav: Wasted Days - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIitQNXVgb8

24. James Blake – James Blake (2011)
My fav: The Wilhelm Scream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isIABK-0ohQ

25. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
My fav: Mariners Apartment Complex - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgm3F5D1yz8

26. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear (2015)
My fav: I Went to the Store One Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJjd1I1o_U

27. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
My fav: Ya Hey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paDZOTtW8mc

28. The National – High Violet (2010)
My fav: Conversation 16 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbXLCRIBe8

29. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010)
My fav: Tangerine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjYoXbVsJf8

30. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (2011)
My fav: On Battleship Hill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz1D4_lHl5s

31. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (2010)
My fav: And the World Laughs With You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u1DVwk-eqg

32. Vince Staples – Summertime ’06 (2015)
My fav: Norf Norf - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb6Jc4juSF8

33. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (2011)
My fav: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itt0rALeHE8

34. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (2014)
My fav: White Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKIzxQftnx8

35. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me (2010)
My fav: Baby Birch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEvEB9FlsSg

36. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor (2010)
My fav: Battle of Hampton Roads - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEIceHIxvtI

37. Earl Sweatshirt – Doris (2013)
My fav: Chum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCbWLSZrZfw

38. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold (2012)
My fav: Stoned and Starving - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQjnCoDgqEM

39. Wye Oak – Civilian (2011)
My fav: Holy Holy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm5v1nAZ8S4

40. PUP – The Dream Is Over (2016)
My fav: If this Tour Doesn't Kill You I Will - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6jLdEg878

41. David Bowie - Blackstar (2016)
My fav: Lazarus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHoN3PpNGng

42. Anderson .Paak - Malibu (2016)
My fav: Am I Wrong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvPeJLcK2Lk

43. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowell (2015)
My fav: Should Have Known Better - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJT00wqlOo

44. Pusha T - Daytona (2018)
My fav: Hard Piano - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGBabCk3O2s

45. Lizzo - Cuz I Love You (2019)
My fav: Cuz I Love You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqjPqsry7no

46. HAIM - Days Are Gone (2013)
My fav: Running if You Call My Name - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3f3vh9ikFs

47. Mac Miller - Swimming (2018)
My fav: 2009 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3YwcjQ_bU

48. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015)
My fav: Pedestrian at Best - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcCtoCdRHyw

49. Travis Scott - Astroworld (2018)
My fav: Sicko Mode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ONRf7h3Mdk

50. Japandroids - Celebration Rock (2012)
My fav: The House that Heaven Built - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_fYRU0FdtU

am I misremembering you saying MBDTF wasn't that great?

No that sounds right!

I think I didn’t like it at the time as much as College Dropout (still don’t) and didn’t want to put it as my #1 of 2010.

I like it !

Modern Vampires of the City seems like a sizable omission, but outside of that I think you got all my faves

You have good taste, bro. Especially in hip-hop. But country is woefully underrepresented in that list. Need some Sturgill or Isbell. And I figured you for a Car Seat Headrest type of guy.

Or Chris Stapleton

You had me at Bill Callahan, lost me at Kurt Vile, then had me again at Wye Oak.

J/k, good list.

The Lumineers. All three albums.

On my list.

BillBrasky said:

Modern Vampires of the City seems like a sizable omission, but outside of that I think you got all my faves

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Thought I edited this about 20 seconds later when I realized it was on the list, but I guess it didn’t go through.

Anyways solid list. Lumineers first album isn’t a bad shout, but I won’t fight you on like Modern Vamps

Solid list. I'd probably put Age of Adz over Carrie and Lowell. Also would make room for New Moon (The Men), The Seer (Swans), Julia with Blue Jeans On (Moonface), Old (Danny Brown), and Miracle Temple (Mt Moriah, definitely not a choice I will attempt to justify objectively).

Also feels wrong leaving out either You Want It Darker or Purple Mountains S/T, but idk how much of that is because the circumstances surrounding both. I was definitely more personally affected because of that so the albums tended to have a more outsize impact in my life.

Lorde would not be anywhere close to my top 10

I def prefer Bottle it In if we’re talking Kurt Vile. One Trick Ponies May be a top 10 song of the decade for me.

Also worthy of consideration:

Taylor Swift - 1989
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Vampire Weekend - Contra
The Black Keys - Brothers, El Camino
Beck - Morning Phase
Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Deacfan2009 said:

Solid list. I'd probably put Age of Adz over Carrie and Lowell. Also would make room for New Moon (The Men), The Seer (Swans), Julia with Blue Jeans On (Moonface), Old (Danny Brown), and Miracle Temple (Mt Moriah, definitely not a choice I will attempt to justify objectively).

Also feels wrong leaving out either You Want It Darker or Purple Mountains S/T, but idk how much of that is because the circumstances surrounding both. I was definitely more personally affected because of that so the albums tended to have a more outsize impact in my life.

Lorde would not be anywhere close to my top 10

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I have listened to Age of Adz more, but more recently I've returned to Carrie and Lowell more.

Your list has a lot of my honorable mentions. I put PUP's album in here knowing it's kind of indefensible emo trash, but I absolutely love it. Some others:

Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972
Tame Impala - Lonerism
D'Angelo - Black Messiah
Beach House - Teen Dream
A Crow Looked at Me - Mount Eerie
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Darkside - Psychic
Aphex Twin - Syro
Frog - Kind of Blah

The last one I think probably sold 500 records and nobody has listened to but I heard it on Bandcamp and bought the vinyl and have since nearly wore it out. Think I've probably posted about it a dozen times or so. Dunno why I left it out. It's pretty immature songwriting but it has resonated with me and I return to it all the time. There are albums by people like Kamasi Washington and Colin Stetson and Grouper and such that absolutely belong on this list but I don't re-listen because of the challenge.

A few I dug that I didn't see mentioned:

Frank Ocean - Blonde
Sandy Alex G - Rocket
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color
Smino - blkswn
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound

I'm missing a ton -- I have a terrible memory

I think you're missing the new Bon Iver album, but I like the list. I just don't know any of the rap because old.

Edited to add that you're also missing the old Bon Iver, Bon Iver album, but I also just really like bon Iver.

Shooshmoo said:

I think you're missing the new Bon Iver album, but I like the list. I just don't know any of the rap because old.

Edited to add that you're also missing the old Bon Iver, Bon Iver album, but I also just really like bon Iver.

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#3

I started listening to it more ahead of their recent show in DC and it absolutely rules. And it's incredible live. I think there's a case to be made that he's the most interesting recording artist of the 21st century. I know his touring band had Colin Stetson last go round, and this tour was no slouch either. He brought out Bruce fuckin Hornsby in DC.

Here's Colin Stetson being insane and making noises I didn't know this instrument could make

This new Luke Combs album is the shit.

TownieDeac said:

#3

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I was talking about "I, I". Yeah, saw his show a month or two ago and loved it.

Ah of course, sorry, thought you were just saying no Bon Iver on the list. I need to spend more time with Bon Iver, Bon Iver. I remember distinctly not liking it at the time it was released, thought it was a little schmaltzy, but I guess that's part of the aesthetic. I like it a lot more now, but still it's probably my least favorite in the catalog. Sort of transitional between the early folksy stuff and the late electronic stuff.