I liked a lot of music before this decade, but the 2010s was the decade I actually started listening to it. This was the decade I developed a taste and really drilled down on what I liked. In the 2010s I saw just under 200 concerts (I have a running list). The previous decade I could count on two hands the number of shows I’d seen. This was the decade I got an iPod Classic, and I’ve made sure that device outlived when Apple ultimately discontinued it.
Though on many top 10 lists I’ve seen, some don’t even have a single rock record on them. Music is diverse and distinctive in a way movies and TV are less so. And maybe in the next decade I’ll be able to expand my horizons to genres I only dabbled with this decade.
So you’ll forgive me for not listing each of the most important pop, rap, country and metal stars of recent memory. You don’t need to come to me to read about why Kendrick Lamar is so great. Rather, these are the 50 albums and artists (I only picked one album per artist/band) that meant the most to me this decade, the ones that constantly soundtracked my life these last 10 years.
1. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
The decade was not as kind to Arcade Fire after “The Suburbs,” but their songs about throwing off the shackles of suburban malaise and racing toward the future are as inspiring as ever. I tinkered with putting another album at No. 1 on this list, but there would be no list without “The Suburbs,” which was sort of a gateway record into a world of indie rock and art house culture that you could love as unabashedly as any pop record. “They heard me singing and they told me to stop,” Regine Chassange sings with reckless abandon on my favorite track of the decade, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” and I never will.
2. Celebration Rock – Japandroids
Japandroids make me want to sprint at full speed, to throw back a beer, pump my fists and shout at the top of my lungs. These simple guitar and drum anthems are propulsive, invigorating and feel like what rock ‘n roll should sound like. It makes you want to celebrate, and it fucking rocks.
3. Trouble Will Find Me – The National
My favorite artist of the decade, The National’s moody, brooding, introspective rock about insecurity and finding your place in the world have spoken to me like no other band. On “Trouble Will Find Me,” The National stripped back some of the sweep and scope of their other masterpiece this decade, “High Violet,” and crafted songs that are among their most invigorating (“Graceless”), romantic (“I Need My Girl”) and intoxicatingly, heart-wrenchingly beautiful (“Pink Rabbits”).
4. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Part Bowie, part prog-rock wizardry and part alien from another planet, St. Vincent fully crafted her own powerful identity and ferocity on her self-titled album. She takes on tech culture (“Digital Witness”) and religion (“I Prefer Your Love”) and unleashes her fury early in the scorching guitar solo on “Rattlesnake.” Annie Clark has continued to morph her persona in fascinating ways to make her the sort of artist that can transcend decades.
5. The Monitor – Titus Andronicus
It’s a shame more bands don’t show the ambition of Titus Andronicus. Patrick Stickles’ lyrics on “The Monitor” evoke a concept album about the Civil War filtered through verbose screeds on self-doubt, and it has the charging, inspiring breadth of something like Springsteen’s “Jungleland.” On the anthemic and invigorating “No Future Part Three,” Stickles arranges a sing-a-long of “You will always be a loser,” and when he finally screams “and that’s OKAY,” it feels life-affirming.
6. I Love You, Honeybear – Father John Misty
Father John Misty is our smartest, wittiest and most controversial songwriter of our generation. Josh Tillman’s brandishing about on stage, his charisma and his sweeping, resounding voice have made his Misty character an icon. And on his second album “I Love You, Honeybear,” he managed to marry his arch, hilarious wordplay with a sound that genuinely is lovely and sincere.
7. Lost in the Dream – The War on Drugs
“Lost in the Dream” is an apt title, because The War on Drugs have a way of creating a fog of sound and beauty in their soaring guitars and churning rhythm section. And when Adam Granduciel yelps just before the breakdown chorus of “Red Eyes,” it takes you to a new world.
8. Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes’s “Helplessness Blues” is equal parts beautiful, introspective, spiritual, surreal and galvanizing, and no matter how weird or intricate it gets, it still feels like effortlessly emotional folk music you could sing around a camp fire. Music this lovely just feels out of time and space.
9. Teens of Denial – Car Seat Headrest
Will Toledo and Car Seat Headrest make muscular, intelligent and sprawling indie rock anthems so good, meaningful and impactful that you can ignore that his brand of white guy problems went out of style a long time ago. But man they rock, and Toledo can even bring tears to your eyes in how much of himself he leaves on the floor.
10. Carrie & Lowell – Sufjan Stevens
“Fuck me I’m falling apart!” No album is as sad, gorgeous and devastating as Sufjan Stevens’ “Carrie & Lowell,” an otherworldly meditation on family, lost relationships and death. It absolutely wrecks me every time and I love it.
11. Civilian – Wye Oak
Wye Oak is officially my pick for the most underrated band of the decade. Jenn Wassner’s simultaneously dreamy and pummeling guitars never had the anthemic quality that could make them stars, but their sound is hypnotic all the same.
12. Teen Dream – Beach House
My favorite Beach House song is actually “Myth” off “Bloom,” which perfectly encapsulates the dreamy and evocative chill of this band. But they perfected that mood, that Beach House vibe, on the fluttering and weightless sounds of their breakthrough “Teen Dream.”
13. Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend
I had hated Vampire Weekend’s bouncy, twee pop rock before I heard the glistening chamber sounds of their third record “Modern Vampires of the City.” These songs are spiritual, playful and engrossing, and the standout track “Hannah Hunt” is earth-shattering.
14. Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett
Few artists this decade came as fully formed on their debut as Courtney Barnett, who announced herself as a distinctive voice and stable presence in rock for years to come. “Sometimes I Sit” should rightfully be heralded for its loquacious turns of phrase that are funny and tuneful, but her guitar rock has the muscle of Nirvana and the pop sensibility of Tom Petty. She feels like a generational talent.
15. Currents – Tame Impala
“Lonerism” is a great album, but Tame Impala still sound like the best bedroom band ever on that one. “Currents,” and specifically the bounding, pulsing grooves on “Let it Happen,” turned Kevin Parker and Tame Impala into something more human and accessible. This was the album that, like Beach House, made listening to Tame Impala a mood and a vibe all of its own.
16. Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
The production value on Alabama Shakes’ “Sound & Color” is off the charts, and Brittany Howard is a force to be reckoned with on songs that are aggressive, upbeat and soulful. This feels like one of those classic rock albums that can sit alongside any of the greats of another era and still feel incredibly current.
17. This is Happening – LCD Soundsystem
“This is Happening” didn’t end up being James Murphy’s farewell record, but it’s brainy, perfectionist dance and club rock that no one else can do quite as well.
18. 21 – Adele
Adele’s blockbuster pop record is packed with soulful anthems and emotional ballads about youth and former lovers, all from an artist who has a voice that is unmatched. But if nothing else, “Someone Like You” feels like a timeless classic that could belong to any era.
19. Yeezus – Kanye West
Yes, I’ve pretty much cancelled Kanye too, but this album still sounds like the world is ending. It’s cynical, bombastic and outrageous, and songs like the invigorating and crazed “On Sight,” “Black Skinhead” or the haunting and surreal beauty of “Blood on the Leaves” and “Bound 2” make “Yeezus” sound more like a rock record than the rap masterpiece that is “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”
20. Silence Yourself – Savages
Savages are still one of the most ferocious bands and live acts of this decade, and their debut has enough bleak and propulsive energy that would’ve made them the perfect openers for Joy Division. The shrieking explosiveness on “I Am Here” and “She Will” bowl me over every time.
21. A Big Roar – The Joy Formidable
“A Big Roar” is a fitting title, because this album is a blast. The Welsh-trio The Joy Formidable are booming, bouncy and having a hell of a time throughout, but the cascading noise on their signature track “Whirring” remains one of the most exciting breakdowns of the decade.
22. “W H O K I L L” – tUneYaRdS
I remember a good friend of mine advising me as I wrote a review of a Tune-Yards show to not try and describe what they sound like but to focus on what it makes you feel. Pinning down what Merrill Garbus’ wacky blend of Afro-beats and ukulele sounds like is still a challenge, but the album is still delightfully playful, exotic and fierce, even if her brand of indie rock sounds like a relic of a previous decade than this one.
23. Light Up Gold – Parquet Courts
The smartest, most deep-cut driven band in rock ‘n roll have been remarkably consistent throughout this decade, but their high point is still the nonstop energy of their debut “Light Up Gold.” Their droning, noisy yet urgent garage rock makes them sound like a modern Velvet Underground.
24. MY WOMAN – Angel Olsen
Angel Olsen marries so many styles without ever falling into a specific niche or pastiche that she’s crafted a sound all her own. And while there are some sensational dirges and melancholy strummers on “Burn Your Fire For No Witness,” I prefer the Crazy Horse-level jams on songs like “Shut Up Kiss Me” and “Sister” that make her distinct brand of feminist songwriting formidable.
25. Be the Cowboy – Mitski
Another artist who can do it all, Mitski’s “Be the Cowboy” finds remarkable range and incredible hooks with songs that touch on grunge, garage rock, disco and synth pop and yet often rarely cross over three minutes in length. Though “My Best American Girl” off “Puberty 2” is among the best tracks of the decade.
26. Schlagenheim – black midi
Easily the most esoteric and impenetrable album on my list, black midi are loud, noisy, loud, unhinged yet precisely calculated, and did I say loud? By far the most exciting debut of 2019, this British, experimental prog rock band defies time signatures, melodies and vocals that sound like the warbled yelpings of a demon. But other than that they’re really accessible and an awe to behold.
27. Young & Old – Tennis
While this decade produced a lot of sunny, upbeat, twee indie rock acts, none were breezier and more consistently tuneful than Tennis. Alaina Moore’s soothing vocals and Patrick Riley’s glistening guitar lines made for some fun surf pop, and I found myself spinning “Young & Old” constantly these past years whenever the weather was just right.
28. Sprinter – Torres
Torres channels P.J. Harvey’s energy and bite on “Sprinter,” delivering a mix of elegant songwriting and angry bangers with a lot of distortion and volume, especially on the opening standout “Strange Hellos.”
29. Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters finally delivered a complete album worth of hits that makes them worthy of being the biggest rock band in the world. A song like “Walk” is an invigorating, emotional classic, but their explosive opener “Bridges Burning” and the raucous metal of “White Limo” are as good as anything Dave Grohl and company have ever produced.
30. …Like Clockwork – Queens of the Stone Age
Sludgy, surreal and crazed, and even pretty when it wants to be, Josh Homme’s “…Like Clockwork” just stomps. I can’t get enough of the slinky piano lines on “The Vampyre of Time and Memory” and “Kalopsia” or the intoxicating guitar chugs of “Smooth Sailing.”
31. Here and Nowhere Else – Cloud Nothings
Dylan Baldi’s Cloud Nothings fall somewhere between garage rock, hardcore and emo, and it’s made them consistently underrated, even as they put out songs with remarkable hooks and guitar jams. “Wasted Days” off “Attack on Memory” may still be his signature song, but the eight blistering tracks on “Here and Nowhere Else” are Cloud Nothings at its best, especially with the should’ve-been song of the summer “I’m Not Part of Me.”
32. Mylo Xyloto – Coldplay
Coldplay was already widely ridiculed before this decade, but Mylo Xyloto was seen by many critics as the start of their shift away from rock and into radio-friendly stadium rock. But that dismisses the fact that “Mylo Xyloto” is full of bangers and colorful, celebratory jams with infectious guitar lines. Songs like “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” “Princess of China,” “Charlie Brown” and “Major Minus” may represent a band in transition, but this might be one of their best records.
33. Antisocialites – Alvvays
Molly Rankin said that all of her songs need to pass the ABBA test, a song that needs to be so damn catchy before it’s considered up to snuff, and on Alvvays’ second album “Antisocialites,” songs like “In Undertow,” “Dreams Tonite” and “Not My Baby” are some of the best, dreamy earworms around.
34. Brothers – The Black Keys
You don’t get better meat and potatoes pop rock than this. It’s possible “El Camino” may be the more well-rounded Black Keys album during their breakthrough decade, but the back-to-back radio and truck commercial hits of “Everlasting Light,” “Next Girl,” “Tighten Up,” “Howlin’ For You” and “She’s Long Gone” can’t be topped.
35. They Want My Soul – Spoon
This decade and last decade’s most consistent journeymen in rock delivered an album in “They Want My Soul” that showed their real breadth of talent, from the minimalist foot stomper “Do You,” the dreamy, flowing keys of “Inside Out” to the practically danceable title track.
36. Manipulator – Ty Segall
At first Ty Segall’s “Manipulator” felt like a sprawling example of every influence in the garage rocker’s toolbox. Then he proceeded to release 30 more albums in the span of five years that were even stranger and more eclectic, and “Manipulator” feels like the norm, the best example of all of his strengths as a wild guitar player, smart songwriter and versatile musician with a deep record catalog.
37. AM – Arctic Monkeys
The Black Keys aside, maybe THIS is the quintessential pop rock record of the decade. If you still wanted their untamed, Brit-punk rock from their early blogosphere days, “AM” was not that, and it turned many fans away while granting them festival headliner status. But after a (very welcome) Bowie turn on their last record, “AM” holds up as a beefy collection of catchy jams with a lot of muscle.
38. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg
I listened to Jake Bugg’s debut a lot this decade. His folky, retro-Dylan era hooks and rapid-fire strumming are damn catchy and infectious, and the huge swell on the ballad “Broken” chokes me up every time.
39. Lush – Snail Mail
Snail Mail and Lindsey Jordan are in my mind the best of the wave of young, female, minimalist songwriters that have dominated indie rock in recent years. And that’s because her debut “Lush” not only fits that title but also is energetic and aggressive in its guitar-driven hooks. They helped make Jordan’s songs of teenage insecurities and romance feel universal.
40. Is the Is Are – DIIV
With some gorgeous Cure-era guitar and a propulsive rhythm section, DIIV’s “Is The Is Are” was a dreamy and upbeat breakthrough for a band that’s slowly becoming an underrated indie rock staple.
41. Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Lovely and practically perfect, Kacey Musgraves’ not-quite-country/not-quite-pop songwriting, delicate guitar and beautiful voice makes “Golden Hour” ideal for sunny days, rainy afternoons, late night outings and pretty much whenever.
42. Coloring Book – Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book” stands out not just because he married spiritual soul choir with rap better than anyone else, but that he practiced humility, sincerity and humbleness in his verses. “Coloring Book” is a rich picture of lovely anthems and club bangers.
43. Are We There? – Sharon van Etten
Sharon van Etten’s angrier turn on her 2019 record “Remind Me Tomorrow” is growing on me immensely, but the sunnier “Are We There?” still feels like the epitome of her warmth and calming charms as a singer-songwriter.
44. Sunbather – Deafheaven
Deafheaven’s “Sunbather” was the sole metal album that captured the attention of a lot of indie rock snobs like me this decade, and that’s because I find the still furious and loud guitars on this album to be weirdly uplifting and transportive in a way I never expected with this genre.
45. David Comes to Life – Fucked Up
Ambitious, invigorating and inspiring, Fucked Up’s sprawling concept album has the energy of some of the best punk rock and the sweep of a Broadway rock opera. “Let’s be together ‘til the stars go out.” Amen.
46. MCII – Mikal Cronin
Mikal Cronin ties Ty Segall and The National for the artists I’ve seen the most this decade, and I’m honestly surprised I couldn’t put this higher on my list. Cronin stands apart from Segall thanks to his multi-instrumental grandiosity and uplifting choruses on “Weight” and “Change” to name a few.
47. Castle Talk – Screaming Females
Marissa Paternoster gets the credit she deserves for shredding and being an eponymous screaming female, but rarely for how good she is at writing actual riffs and meaty hooks on songs like “Laura + Marty,” “I Don’t Mind It” and “Fall Asleep.” Every album from this band this decade has been surprisingly consistent while never getting them beyond dive bar sized venues, but this album makes you think they should’ve been gigantic.
48. Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze – Kurt Vile
Another artist who captures a vibe of what it is to listen to his music, Kurt Vile’s soothing yet engrossing guitar jams and verbose lyrics have become a staple this decade. And while the highs are not far away from the lows, Vile’s 2013 record is the one I’m most likely to return to.
49. Southeastern – Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell was a late, 2019 discovery for me after his “Maybe It’s Time” from “A Star is Born” caught my eye, and given time, his lovely and expansive brand of heartland rock should absolutely rise in the ranks.
50. We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic – Foxygen
Foxygen’s antics make them a polarizing band, but they mine the loveliest and most psychedelic aspects of early ‘60s sounds with a modern polish and eclectic flair that makes them consistently fascinating.
Other albums that would’ve made the Top 50 if not for limit of one per artist:
- High Violet – The National
- Pure Comedy – Father John Misty
- Strange Mercy – St. Vincent
- Bloom – Beach House
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
- Burn Your Fire For No Witness – Angel Olsen
- Puberty 2 – Sleep Well Beast
- Sleep Well Beast – The National
- A Deeper Understanding – The War on Drugs
The 10 Best Songs of the 2010s (in no particular order)
- “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” – Arcade Fire
- “Myth” – Beach House
- “Oblivion” – Grimes
- “Someone Like You” – Adele
- “Your Best American Girl” – Mitski
- “Hannah Hunt” – Vampire Weekend
- “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” – Coldplay
- “Pink Rabbits” – The National
- “Holy Shit” – Father John Misty
- “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” – Car Seat Headrest
…And a playlist of 40 more (alphabetical by song)
- “Afraid of Everyone” – The National
- “Blood on the Leaves – Kanye West
- “Bridge Burning” – Foo Fighters
- “Broken” – Jake Bugg
- “Civilian” – Wye Oak
- “A Crime” – Sharon Van Etten
- “Depreston” – Courtney Barnett
- “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent
- “Don’t Wanna Fight” – Alabama Shakes
- “Elephant” – Tame Impala
- “Entertainment” – Phoenix
- “Every Breaking Wave (Acoustic Version)” – U2
- “Fast Slow Disco” – St. Vincent
- “Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes
- “I Am Here” – Savages
- “I Need My Girl” – The National
- “Infinity Guitars” – Sleigh Bells
- “It All Feels the Same” – Tennis
- “Lotus Flower” – Radiohead
- “A New Wave” – Sleater-Kinney
- “New York” – St. Vincent
- “The Nights of Wine and Roses” – Japandroids
- “No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future” – Titus Andronicus
- “Pedestrian at Best” – Courtney Barnett
- “Pristine” – Snail Mail
- “Red Eyes” – The War on Drugs
- “Same Drugs” – Chance the Rapper
- “Seasons (Waiting On You)” – Future Islands
- “Shake it Out” – Florence + The Machine
- “Should Have Known Better” – Sufjan Stevens
- “Shut Up Kiss Me” – Angel Olsen
- “Smooth Sailing” – Queens of the Stone Age
- “Stoned and Starving” – Parquet Courts
- “Strange Hellos” – TORRES
- “The Suburbs” – Arcade Fire
- “Tighten Up” – The Black Keys
- “Wasted Days” – Cloud Nothings
- “Weight” – Mikal Cronin
- “Written in Reverse” – Spoon