Here are my favourite albums of the 2010s. This list is definitely not without flaws, but it's a truthful representation of the albums from last decade that I enjoyed listening to the most, and I had a lot of fun compiling it. I would've liked to write comments about more albums than just the top 12, but I still need to finish my songs list and I want to give myself enough time to focus on the all-time albums poll - making a list for that will no doubt be a mammoth task that I will enjoy tormenting myself with.
1 Arcade Fire | The Suburbs
Indie Rock
Band member Win Butler has said that this album "is neither a love letter to, nor an indictment of, the suburbs – it's a letter
from the suburbs". And what a glorious letter it is. The mood shifts between melancholic and uplifting, reflecting the highs and lows of suburban life. But I always find myself on a high when I listen to this album. The overarching theme is about living a life that feels empty in the suburban sprawl, yet the music is sprawling and expansive in a way that is thrilling and not empty or mundane at all. The suburban is elevated to something electric.
2 Lykke Li | Wounded Rhymes
Indie Pop
In some ways it’s an album that is as dark and cold as a frozen lake at night. The songs are drenched in deep, raw sadness, her singing voice strained by heartache. Lykke Li herself has called these songs "hypnotic, psychotic and primal". But I think they’re also incredibly catchy - nearly every song sounds like a hit to me. I hear a bit of The Shirelles or The Ronettes in the music too. A stark, beautiful album with its roots in 60s girl group music. To me, the most underrated album of the 2010s.
3 Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Hip Hop
I remember the crazy amount of hype this album received when it was released in 2010. It was immediately hailed as a classic, a work of art that redefined rap music. Back then I thought that it mostly lived up to the hype, and I still do today. For once, “epic” might be a suitable superlative to use - the scope and ambition are awe-inspiring. I’m not always the biggest fan of Kanye’s rapping and his lyrics, but I think the production here is superb and he brought the best out of his collaborators. It is audacious, wildly imaginative hip hop that’s even bigger than its creator’s ego. Let’s have a toast for the asshole.
4 Vampire Weekend | Contra
Indie Pop
The consensus seems to be that
Modern Vampires of the City (not far down this list) is the band’s best album, but their sophomore
Contra is my favourite. Elements of African and classical music that were prevalent in their self-titled debut are still present here, but their sound is more eccentric, the rhythms more unpredictable. Their most joyful and quirky album.
5 Old Crow Medicine Show | Remedy
Old-Time, Americana
Fiddles, banjos, mandolins, pedal steel guitars: instruments that weren’t exactly trendy in the 2010s. But I have a strong affection for old-time music, and when I first heard Old Crow Medicine Show playing those instruments with such energy and skill on this album I was spellbound. Stomping, freewheeling, exuberant music, with a few tender ballads thrown into the mix too. It always puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.
6 Beach House | Teen Dream
Dream Pop
This album has really grown on me. At first, I found its dreamlike atmosphere a little dull. After repeated play, though, the hazy sound became vast and lush, and by now I find it easy to surrender myself to the album’s hypnotic qualities and ethereal beauty.
7 Sufjan Stevens | Carrie & Lowell
Indie Folk
Inspired by the death of Stevens' mother, this album is a return to his indie folk roots. The accompaniment is minimal and gentle, and Stevens' singing makes him sound so fragile that you fear he might break into a million pieces at any point. A sparse, exquisite album that deals with mourning and painful memories with a sensitivity that is unique to Stevens. By the time the last track ends, there is a sense that he has reached catharsis. And I feel it
with him every time.
8 Vampire Weekend | Modern Vampires of the City
Indie Pop
When I heard this album for the first time, I was disappointed that the band abandoned the African rhythms that I liked so much in their earlier albums. But it only took a couple more listens for me to be won over. More experimental and lyrically more mature than anything they had done before, it is their most cohesive, self-assured, musically accomplished album, meticulously produced.
9 The Black Keys | El Camino
Garage Rock
Uptempo, hook-laden, dirty rock and roll. The generous dosage of glam adds to the fun too. Cocky in the best possible way.
10 Fleet Foxes | Helplessness Blues
Chamber Folk
The sound I fell in love with on their self-titled debut is still present – that harmony-heavy folk sound that soars as high and feels as ancient as the mountains. But the band also expand their musical palette on this album, with painstaking attention to detail. The instrumentation and arrangements are more elaborate, the tracks longer, the structures more abstract. It is rich, sophisticated folk music, yet it is also full of pastoral, rustic beauty.
11 Ondatrópica | Ondatrópica
Cumbia
This album was the result of a project featuring 42 musicians of varying ages, from seasoned veterans to rising stars within the Colombian music scene. The intention was to "re-interpret the tropical musical heritage of Colombia". And oh boy, did it work! Cumbia may be the main style here, but it’s one of many: there’s also champeta, salsa, dub, ska, jazz, hip hop, to name but a few. The past and present come together in a dazzling display of creativity and diversity, and it’s one hell of a party.
12 David Bowie | ★ [Blackstar]
Art Rock
This was Bowie’s swan song, released just two days before he died. Bowie wrote and recorded the album after he had found out that he had liver cancer; but instead of being a sorrowful album about mortality, it’s an act of defiance against leaving this world in an ordinary way. There is nothing ordinary here about the way Bowie blends accessible melodies with the avant-garde. Adventurous without being alienating, forward-thinking without ever losing a sense of purpose, this Blackstar will keep on shining for years and years after Bowie’s passing.
13 The National | High Violet
Indie Rock
14 Daft Punk | Random Access Memories
Nu-Disco
15 LCD Soundsystem | This Is Happening
Alternative Dance
16 Susanne Sundfør | Ten Love Songs
Synthpop
17 Blick Bassy | Akö
Central African Music
18 Ezra Furman | Transangelic Exodus
Indie Rock
19 The Roots | undun
Hip Hop
20 Janelle Monáe | The ArchAndroid
Contemporary R&B, Art Pop
21 Robyn | Body Talk
Electropop
22 Beyoncé | Lemonade
Contemporary R&B
23 Raphael Saadiq | Stone Rollin'
Neo-Soul
24 Perfume Genius | Too Bright
Art Pop
25 Joanna Newsom | Have One on Me
Chamber Folk
26 PJ Harvey | Let England Shake
Singer/Songwriter, Art Rock
27 Kendrick Lamar | good kid, m.A.A.d city
Hip Hop
28 Gorillaz | Plastic Beach
Electropop
29 Beach House | Bloom
Dream Pop
30 M.A.K.U. SoundSystem | Mezcla
Afrobeat, Cumbia
31 Big Boi | Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Hip Hop
32 Little Simz | Grey Area
Hip Hop
33 Purple Mountains | Purple Mountains
Alt-Country
34 Tom Waits | Bad as Me
Singer/Songwriter, Experimental Rock
35 Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita | Clychau Dibon
Mande Music, Welsh Folk Music
36 John Grant | Queen of Denmark
Chamber Pop
37 Run the Jewels | Run the Jewels 3
Hip Hop
38 Frank Ocean | channel ORANGE
Alternative R&B
39 Ry Cooder | Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down
Contemporary Folk, Americana
40 Michael Kiwanuka | Home Again
Soul
41 The Tallest Man on Earth | There's No Leaving Now
Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
42 Jimmy Cliff | Rebirth
Roots Reggae, Jamaican Ska
43 Brandi Carlile | By the Way, I Forgive You
Alt-Country, Singer/Songwriter
44 The National | Trouble Will Find Me
Indie Rock
45 Years & Years | Palo Santo
Dance-Pop
46 Agnes Obel | Aventine
Indie Folk
47 James Blake | James Blake
Art Pop, Alternative R&B
48 Radiohead | The King of Limbs
Electronic
49 Laura Marling | I Speak Because I Can
Contemporary Folk
50 Benjamin Clementine | At Least for Now
Chamber Pop
51 Anaïs Mitchell | Hadestown
Chamber Folk
52 Rosalía | El mal querer
Flamenco Pop
53 The War on Drugs | Lost in the Dream
Heartland Rock
54 Laura Marling | Semper femina
Chamber Folk
55 Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly
Hip Hop
56 Natalia Lafourcade | Musas Vol. 1
Nueva canción latinoamericana
57 Carolina Chocolate Drops | Leaving Eden
Bluegrass, American Folk Music
58 Gillian Welch | The Harrow & the Harvest
Contemporary Folk, Americana
59 James Blake | Assume Form
Alternative R&B, Art Pop
60 Janelle Monáe | Dirty Computer
Contemporary R&B, Art Pop
61 Bon Iver | Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Indie Folk
62 Aurelio | Lándini
Garifuna Folk Music
63 Ebo Taylor | Appia Kwa Bridge
Highlife, Afrobeat
64 Arctic Monkeys | AM
Indie Rock
65 Tame Impala | Currents
Neo-Psychedelia
66 Benjamin Clementine | I Tell a Fly
Chamber Pop
67 The War on Drugs | A Deeper Understanding
Heartland Rock
68 The Roots | How I Got Over
Hip Hop
69 Jason Isbell | Southeastern
Americana
70 Four Tet | There Is Love in You
Microhouse
71 Gregory Porter | Be Good
Vocal Jazz
72 First Aid Kit | Stay Gold
Folk Pop
73 Skepta | Konnichiwa
Grime
74 Calypso Rose | Far From Home
Calypso
75 Salsa Celtica | The Tall Islands
Salsa, Celtic Folk Music
76 Darren Hayman and The Long Parliament | The Violence
Chamber Folk
77 Josephine Foster | I'm a Dreamer
Contemporary Folk, Dark Cabaret
78 Our Native Daughters | Songs of Our Native Daughters
American Folk Music
79 ANOHNI | Hopelessness
Art Pop
80 Susanne Sundfør | Music for People in Trouble
Art Pop, Singer/Songwriter
81 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds | Ghosteen
Ambient Pop
82 Spiro | Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow
Northumbrian Folk Music
83 Caribou | Swim
Indietronica
84 Vampire Weekend | Father of the Bride
Indie Pop
85 Sturgill Simpson | Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Outlaw Country
86 Grimes | Art Angels
Electropop
87 Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour
Country Pop
88 Alabama Shakes | Boys & Girls
Blues Rock
89 Melingo | Corazón & hueso
Tango
90 A Tribe Called Quest | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
Hip Hop
91 MGMT | Congratulations
Neo-Psychedelia
92 St. Vincent | Strange Mercy
Art Pop
93 Dr. John | Locked Down
New Orleans R&B
94 Doug Paisley | Constant Companion
Contemporary Folk, Alt-Country
95 Albin de la Simone | Un homme
Singer/Songwriter, Nouvelle chanson française
96 Leonard Cohen | Popular Problems
Singer/Songwriter
97 Peggy Seeger | Everything Changes
Chamber Folk, Singer/Songwriter
98 St. Vincent | St. Vincent
Art Pop
99 Run the Jewels | Run the Jewels 2
Hip Hop
100 St. Vincent | Masseduction
Art Pop
101 Sam Fender | Hypersonic Missiles
Heartland Rock
102 Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings | Give the People What They Want
Soul
103 Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | Kingfish
Blues
104 Curtis Harding | Face Your Fear
Soul
105 The Tallest Man on Earth | The Wild Hunt
Contemporary Folk
106 Leyla McCalla | A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey
American Folk Music
107 Sleigh Bells | Treats
Noise Pop
108 Wiley | Godfather
Grime
109 Haim | Days Are Gone
Pop Rock
110 Janelle Monáe | The Electric Lady
Contemporary R&B
111 Courtney Barnett | Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter
112 Father John Misty | Fear Fun
Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk
113 Ibibio Sound Machine | Ibibio Sound Machine
Afro-Funk, Electro
114 The Decemberists | The King Is Dead
Indie Folk, Country Rock
115 Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté | Ali & Toumani
Mande Music, Songhai Music
116 Field Medic | fade into the dawn
Lo-Fi Indie
117 The War and Treaty | Healing Tide
Soul, Country Gospel
118 Sharon Van Etten | Remind Me Tomorrow
Indie Pop
119 Amanda Shires | To the Sunset
Alt-Country, Americana
120 Wilco | The Whole Love
Alternative Rock, Alt-Country
121 Aaron Lee Tasjan | Karma for Cheap
Power Pop
122 Aurelio | Laru Beya
Garifuna Folk Music
123 Çiğdem Aslan | Mortissa
Rembetika
124 RAM | RAM 7: August 1791
Rasin
125 Hayes Carll | Kmag Yoyo (& Other American Stories)
Country, Americana
126 Mercury Rev | Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited
Alt-Country, Chamber Pop
127 Katie Toupin | Magnetic Moves
Pop Rock
128 James McMurtry | Complicated Game
Americana
129 Eilen Jewell | Sundown Over Ghost Town
Americana, Alt-Country
130 Kid Francescoli | With Julia
Chamber Pop, Dance-Pop
131 Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté | Toumani & Sidiki
Mande Music
132 Beck | Morning Phase
Singer/Songwriter, Chamber Folk
133 Aziza Brahim | Soutak
Sahrawi Music
134 BezoBratři | Desátý den trní
Czech Folk Music
135 Mikey Junior | Traveling South
Blues
136 St. Paul & The Broken Bones | Half the City
Soul
137 araabMUZIK | Electronic Dream
Trance, Instrumental Hip Hop
138 Klô Pelgag | L'alchimie des monstres
Chamber Folk, Baroque Pop
139 Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit | The Nashville Sound
Americana, Alt-Country
140 The Black Keys | Brothers
Blues Rock
141 Michael Kiwanuka | Kiwanuka
Psychedelic Soul
142 Gregory Porter | Liquid Spirit
Vocal Jazz
143 Treefight for Sunlight | Treefight for Sunlight
Sunshine Pop
144 J.S. Ondara | Tales of America
Americana, Folk Pop
145 The Milk Carton Kids | Prologue
Contemporary Folk, Close Harmony
146 Sver | Fryd
Norwegian Folk Music
147 Billie Eilish | When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Electropop
148 First Aid Kit | The Lion's Roar
Folk Pop
149 Loreen | Heal
Electropop
150 Joel Alme | A Tender Trap
Chamber Pop
151 Natalia Lafourcade | Musas Vol. 2
Nueva canción latinoamericana
152 Wild Beasts | Smother
Art Pop
153 Kacy & Clayton | Strange Country
Indie Folk
154 Leon Bridges | Coming Home
Soul
155 Charles Bradley | Victim of Love
Soul
156 Barna Howard | Quite a Feelin'
Americana
157 Michael Kiwanuka | Love & Hate
Soul, Singer/Songwriter
158 Shy FX | Raggamuffin SoundTape
Drum and Bass, Ragga Jungle
159 Céu | Tropix
Art Pop, MPB
160 Ray Bonneville | Easy Gone
Blues
161 Ry Cooder | The Prodigal Son
Americana
162 alt-J | This Is All Yours
Art Pop, Indietronica
163 Bruce Springsteen | Western Stars
Americana, Chamber Pop
164 Father John Misty | God's Favorite Customer
Chamber Pop
165 Leo Bud Welch | The Angels in Heaven Done Signed My Name
Blues, Gospel
166 Red Tail Ring | The Heart's Swift Foot
Appalachian Folk Music
167 Maria Rodés | Maria canta copla
Copla, Folk Pop
168 Erin Rae | Putting On Airs
Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
169 Altın Gün | Gece
Anatolian Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
170 Caitlin Rose | The Stand-In
Alt-Country, Country Pop
171 Oumou Sangaré | Mogoya
Wassoulou
172 Father John Misty | Pure Comedy
Chamber Pop
173 El Afronte Orquesta Típica | Tango Argentino Today
Tango
174 Alela Diane | Cusp
Contemporary Folk
175 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins | Diamond Mine
Indie Folk, Ambient
176 Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger le monde!
Soukous
177 Kate Tempest | Let Them Eat Chaos
Hip Hop, Poetry
178 Damien Jurado | In the Shape of a Storm
Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk
179 Joan Shelley | Like the River Loves the Sea
Contemporary Folk
180 Sacred Paws | Strike a Match
Indie Pop, Afrobeat
181 Lakou Mizik | HaitiaNola
Rasin
182 Zé Luis | Serenata
Morna
183 Gérald Genty | Là-Haut
Nouvelle chanson française, Folk Pop
184 Jason Isbell | Something More Than Free
Americana
185 Piers Faccini & Vincent Ségal | Songs of Time Lost
Chamber Pop
186 Hanni El Khatib | Will the Guns Come Out
Garage Rock Revival
187 Bon Iver | 22, a Million
Art Pop, Folktronica
188 Christine and the Queens | Chris
Synthpop
189 Weyes Blood | Titanic Rising
Baroque Pop, Art Pop
190 Vince Staples | Summertime '06
Hip Hop
191 John Grant | Pale Green Ghosts
Synthpop
192 Carolina Chocolate Drops | Genuine Negro Jig
Bluegrass
193 Mbongwana Star | From Kinshasa
Tradi-Modern
194 Joanna Newsom | Divers
Chamber Folk
195 Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool
Art Rock, Chamber Pop
196 Haley Heynderickx | I Need to Start a Garden
Singer/Songwriter, Indie Folk
197 Billie Marten | Writing of Blues and Yellows
Contemporary Folk
198 Wild Beasts | Present Tense
Art Pop
199 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Skeleton Tree
Art Rock, Singer/Songwriter
200 Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest
Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
...will keep us together.