List Regulations

• No single act gets more than one entry on the list.
• No year in the 2010s is represented more than 4 times on the list.
• Every year in the 2010s is represented at least once.
• A variety of genres are included for diversity although in reality some genres perform better than others. Due to this, some worthy entries may have been omitted when they would have otherwise been included.
• Lastly, this list is not necessarily my personal list and most definitely is not a reflection of my personal permanent rankings of all the albums included.

– John

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20. Father John Misty – Pure Comedy (2017)

After his departure from Fleet Foxes, Joshua Tillman adopted the alias of Father John Misty to perform his solo music under following his withdrawal from the group. Since then, he has developed a reputation as an artist with ironic lyrical takes on society through his music. While his bravado is no different on this record, the meticulously mellow composition and lyrics make it not only an ambitious statement for the singer-songwriter but a seemingly necessary one as well, considering the context of the American society it was birthed out of at the time of its release. 

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19. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (2011)

Having just been mentioned in the previous entry on this list, its quite the coincidence that Fleet Foxes find themselves clocking in at the next spot with their 2011 effort, Helplessness Blues. The indie folk group put together a charming yet busily produced record that covers topics such as coming of age, enabling the group to pull one spot ahead of the album’s drummer who would eventually leave the group following this release.

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18. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening (2010)

In what was supposed to be the band’s final album at the time of its release, LCD Soundsystem gifted the world a send-off that was beyond satisfying with This is Happening. Fusing rock and dance music with a particular nod to influences from the post-punk era and disco, LCD Soundsystem make This is Happening the grand finale it was initially intended to be.

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17. Tim Hecker – Virgins (2013)

Vancouver-born electronic producer Tim Hecker somehow created a record that is equally gorgeous as it is eerie with his 2013 ambient record, Virgins. Featuring production that would leave any listener captivated by its intricacies yet perhaps a little uncomfortable by its spectral tones as well, Hecker successfully elicits an amalgamation of profound emotions from his listeners throughout the duration of Virgins.

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16. Kamasi Washington – The Epic (2015)

Effortlessly grandiose, The Epic presents 21st Century American Jazz in perhaps its highest form. Saxophonist Kamasi Washington together with his band that includes two drummers, two bassists, a choir, and strings manufactured an extravagant record that can leave even non-jazz fans awestruck by its compositional brilliance.

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15. Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me (2010)

With her uniquely charming voice, Joanna Newsom sings about about drinking, dancing, and falling in and out of love on Have One On Me, her successor to 2006’s Ys. Smoothly arranged with inclusions of her signature harp, Newsom addresses relatable lyrical topics in a fashion that makes such seemingly familiar topics sound otherworldly. 

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14. IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018)

British punk band Idles illustrate that punk rock is alive and well with Joy as an Act of Resistance, a record that takes a genre known for its simplistic roots to a level of harsh splendour. Covering topics such as toxic masculinity and abuse, Idles express themselves in a manner that would perhaps raise eyebrows in the genre historically. However, instead of succumbing to traditional notions, Idles push the envelope sonically and lyrically – true rock indeed.

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13. SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides (2018)

On her debut album Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides, twisted electronic pop extraordinaire SOPHIE presents seemingly futuristic music that at the same time challenges current day notions of gender and sexuality through its lyrical concepts. Featuring a blend of endearing and decadent vocal performances over a mix of cacophonous and dreamy production, SOPHIE delivered a debut that undoubtedly would leave any listener feeling impacted and excited for what she has to offer next musically.

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12. Dorian Electra – Flamboyant (2019)

On their 2019 debut album Flamboyant, Dorian Electra embodies the definition of a true rockstar. Addressing socially-relevant subject matter over glitzy and adrenaline-pumping production this pop record is a beyond fantastic introduction to who Dorian Electra is. Featuring expressive vocal performances atop lavish instrumentation, Dorian Electra creates an aesthetic that justifies their titling of this album and gives fans excitement for what they have to offer down the road.

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11. D’Angelo and the Vanguard – Black Messiah (2014)

Arriving more than a decade after his previous album, Voodoo, D’Angelo’s Black Messiah, somehow manages to prove itself as a timely record. Addressing relevant socially-fueled topics such as police brutality over an evolved signature instrumentation style that he is known and loved for, D’Angelo further solidifies his legendary status as an R&B/Soul icon who can release whenever he pleases and still send waves through the music the world.

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10. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want (2018)

Their first album since a 2009 split, Daughters returned in 2018 with You Won’t Get What You Want, arguably the group’s strongest effort to date. While departing from their sound on previous records through abrasive noise rock that sounds sinister as the artwork that accompanies this critically acclaimed album, Daughters seem to give listeners fans exactly what they want with a record that undeniably conjures expectations for another, whenever that would be.

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9. David Bowie – Blackstar [★] (2016)

Music can induce profound feelings in those who listen to it as indicated by the entries in this very list. However, it is quite difficult to think of anything that can elicit emotions similar to those experienced by listeners of the legendary David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar. Created during his final days and released on his 69th birthday two days before his passing, Bowie addresses the topics of life and death on a record that comes decades into his tenure in the industry, further solidifying his status as the icon he is in the music world.

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8. Swans – To Be Kind (2014)

Released in 2014, experimental rock band Swans gave the world their colossal thirteenth studio album and follow-up to 2012’s The Seer with To Be Kind. Running for about two hours, the record takes listeners on a truly cinematic-sounding journey with visceral instrumentation that creates a peculiar, dark atmosphere throughout the album’s duration. With To Be Kind, Swans further solidify themselves at the top of the current day experimental rock tree.

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7. Death Grips – The Money Store (2012)

Unapologetically assaulting its listeners ears with loud and shrill sonics throughout its duration, The Money Store’s abrasiveness undoubtedly scratches every itch of music fans who enjoy records that scream at them not only through their vocals but production as well. The experimental hip-hop trio of MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin collaborate on an album that arguably foreshadowed the maniacal tropes that would permeate other sects of hip-hop in the years that would follow its release.

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6. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… (2012)

The Idler Wheel… is Fiona Apple’s fourth studio album but only release in the entire 2010s decade, yet, it is arguably her best to date. Featuring sparse, piano-based production accompanied by sincere lyrics that explore themes of love and self-esteem, the singer-songwriter put forth a record filled with timeless cuts that prove the patience her fans exercise upon waiting for her every release is always worth it.

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5. Frank Ocean – Blonde (2016)

Blonde is arguably the most essential album from the elusive Frank Ocean. Touching on topics like lost love and the human condition over minimalist yet emotionally-inducing production, Frank weaves through the instrumentation with expressive singing that would be just as impactful acapella. Blonde exhibits why it’s more than fair to say Frank Ocean is a voice of a generation, and if the music doesn’t illustrate this right away a look at his fan base will. Through releases like Blonde, Ocean seems to have garnered fan support like no other in the current music landscape. In fact, Frank has built a fandom so strong that it had no qualms with booing Drake himself while performing due to not seeing their beloved king take the stage at that same show instead. It’s such support for such a mysterious man that only makes the mystique around his every release like Blonde even more special.

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4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

Kanye West took a personal exile following his interruption of Taylor Swift’s Acceptance Speech at the 2009 VMAs. From that leave, came what many believe to be the artist’s magnum opus in a discography that includes equally stellar entries such as The College Dropout and The Life of Pablo. This supposed magnum opus is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. On Twisted Fantasy, Ye explores topics that relate heavily to his controversial past with the media and in pop culture prior to the record’s release. He does so over larger than life production that had never been seen from the already established producer up until that point. By the end of the album, listeners can come to grips with Mr, West’s self-claimed genius and understand his seemingly permanent spot in the mainstream music landscape despite his well-known erratic behavior.

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3. Tyler, the Creator – IGOR (2019)

It’s difficult to think of an other musician who has shown more artistic evolution than Tyler, the Creator in the 2010s. To end the decade, the gruff voiced, producer extraordinaire who in the early 2010s was banned from the UK, released his most unique and genre-bending record to date with IGOR. An album that heavily explores love and breakup, Tyler creates a character through IGOR that emphasizes the narrative he constructs on the record. He accompanies this twisted plot line with his most mutant-sounding yet mature production on a record up until this point. The sound of this record is heavily unique to it and only further indicates Tyler’s seemingly never-ending growth.

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2. KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS (2018)

Kanye West and Kid Cudi have had a documented tumultulous relationship throughout their careers. However, the two frequent collaborators seemed to be well past their rocky history with their 2018 self-titled release as Kids See Ghosts. One of the 7-track albums that Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. music record label had released that same year, Kids See Ghosts finds West and Cudi exploring territory that neither did up until that point on both the lyrical and production fronts. While personal life and mental health had been prominent themes in both men’s music prior to Kids See Ghosts, Cudi and West address these topics in a novel fashion. Featuring expressive vocal performances that go more in-depth lyrically than ever before for both artists, backed by psychedelically-permeated hip-hop instrumentation, the duo never miss a beat on this brief yet beyond satisfying collaborative record.

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1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

Kendrick Lamar might just have the most impressive discography of the entire 2010s decade and is en route to build one of the greatest catalogues in music, let alone hip-hop. Coming off his 2012 release good kid, m.A.A.d. city, which for most artists would be an unattainable magnum opus, it seems Lamar in the eyes of many was able to top that record with his 2015 follow-up, To Pimp a Butterfly. Addressing themes such as self-love and hate, exploitation, and how they are all intertwined in the African-American experience in present day America, Kendrick pens astounding verses through every song on this album over meticulously produced and arranged jazz production. This, in addition to a concept that links every song together via a poem recited at the end of the record to the late Tupac Shakur launch To Pimp a Butterfly into a category of its own as an album. All of these factors, plus the countless other details To Pimp a Butterfly offers, further strengthens an already stellar discography for Kendrick Lamar, earning him a well-deserved title as the best album of the 2010s.

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