The Top 10 Albums of the ‘10s

As According to: Griffin Metz

The 2010s were a pivotal decade in my life. This period encompassed my core teenage years and more, spanning from my entrance into high school through college graduation and my ascent into adulthood and the working world. Alongside these life-altering events, the decade also represents a period when my musical tastes expanded vastly. Starting the decade as a “wrong generation” classic rock purist teen, I opened up my ears over the course of these years and came to appreciate and love a much wider variety of genres including hip-hop, R&B, pop, and even some country music. As my musical evolution was occurring, I was lucky to experience, in real time, a wealth of phenomenal new music. Far too much fantastic music was released in the decade for me to justly pay tribute to all of it here, so I’ve filtered it down to my personal top 10 albums of the decade. Played in the backdrop while hanging out with family at home, blasted in my college dorm room as we duked it out in Super Smash Bros, bumped in my best friend’s Jeep as we cruised around town, these albums formed the soundtrack of my life over the past 10 years. Through the highs and lows, these albums pumped me up, presented new perspectives, shared relatable experiences, and most of all, brought me great joy. I had an extremely difficult time not only whittling this fantastic decade of music down to just 10 albums but then having to rank them against one another. But I did what had to be done and so now I present to you: my top 10 albums of the 2010s.

#10

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

2018

Before I heard Kacey Musgraves’s Golden Hour I never would have considered myself a country music fan. My view of country was comprised of the classic stereotypes: pick-up trucks, God, rodeos, beer, the like. But Kacey– alongside a handful of other country artists like Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton– showed me that the genre actually has a whole lot more to offer.

Golden Hour’s sound is rooted in country music, featuring plenty of finger plucking, banjo and string flourishes, and sliding steel guitar, plus a slight Texas twang in the vocals. But on top of this beautifully arranged country framework, Kacey also pulls in sounds and ideas from a diverse myriad of other genres, spanning across folk, pop, soft rock, and even disco. There’s a psychedelic tinge to album opener “Slow Burn” with its keyboard textures, lush background vocals, and spacey string sweeps. “Velvet Elvis” swaggers forward with a grooving bass line and tight driving drums. And she somehow manages to seamlessly integrate vocoder vocals into her country sound in the gorgeously uplifting “Oh, What A World.”

Despite the variety of genres borrowed from, none of these ostensibly incongruous elements overwhelm or crowd what for the most part are relatively simple songs that let Kacey’s beautiful voice and melodies shine. Known on previous releases for her biting sarcasm and wit, Kacey dials it back a bit on this album in favor of more celebratory and sincere themes, sharing the joys of love and observing the peaks and valleys of life. But she still saves some bite for “High Horse”, a danceable disco-infused track that sees her knock an arrogant someone down a peg. With a sunny disposition throughout both sonically and lyrically, listening to Golden Hour feels like lying down in a field on a bright spring day and watching the clouds roll by. Lie back, relax, and enjoy.

It took a special album to break through my total aversion to country music. But Golden Hour won me over fast and I was hooked. Pretty soon the tracks were on repeat, and I was hungry for more. Just like that, against all odds, I was a country music fan.

Favorite Track: “Oh, What A World”

#9

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Fiona Apple

2012

If the title of this record seems a bit pretentious to you, that’s because it kind of is. Fiona Apple is somewhat of an enigmatic figure, agreeing to interviews sparingly and having only released 5 albums to date, despite crashing onto the scene as a 19-year-old with her 1996 piano-rock hit “Criminal.” Never one to rush her process, Fiona took 7 years between albums to create her best work yet, the succinctly titled The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. (Which believe it or not, is only her second-longest album title after 1999’s When The Pawn… I’ll save the space and let you Google the full title if you’re curious)

The Idler Wheel… finds Fiona at her rawest and most vulnerable. With stunning eloquence, she reflects upon past failed relationships, her paradoxical desires for connection and isolation, and her tendencies towards self-destructive behavior. She delivers poetic lines with unrestrained emotion in her voice, channeling her inner passion, power, and imperfections. These vocals combine with her entrancing piano accompaniment to form the melodies at the core of each composition. This pairing is supported by an expansive percussive palette provided by her primary collaborator, Charley Drayton. With brushes, timpani, marimba, and more, he adds an impressive variety of textures and timbres to the album’s sound. Deceptively simple, the songs are challenging yet catchy. All this is wrapped in sparse, resonant production from the two that places you right in the room with them. The album closes with one of its strongest moments, the nearly a capella track “Hot Knife”, which slowly builds to envelope you in a cocoon of layered vocals supported only by distant timpani.

Fiona lets her art speak for itself and with music this fantastic, it’s for good reason.

When I first heard this album, I had never heard anything like it. I wasn’t sure what to think of it initially, but something about it hooked me and kept me coming back. Once I was in it, the album showed me how poetic lyrics can be, the range of emotion and pain that vocals can convey, and how well a strong melody can pull you in.

Favorite Track: “Werewolf”

#8

Modern Vampires of the City

Vampire Weekend

2013

Vampire Weekend has always had a singular sound. An energetic blend of indie rock, Paul Simon-inspired worldbeat, and baroque pop, the group quickly earned a spot as one of the world’s most exciting new rock bands following the release of their first album in 2008. After delivering their sophomore effort, the similarly excellent Contra, just two years later, the group took 3 more years to experiment and evolve their sound further. The result was the best album they’d ever made.

The shift in the band’s sound is forecast by the album’s cover– a monochrome photograph of a foggy New York City cityscape– especially when compared to the poppy and brighter covers of their first two releases. This effort took the group’s unique sound and further developed it, introducing a darker, more melancholic mood and more introspective lyrical themes. The progression in sound was likely aided by Ariel Rechtshaid, the first outside producer to work with the band, who crafted the album’s impeccable production and oversaw the band as they played with ideas they’d never used before like sampling and pitch-shifted vocals. The resulting music occupies the headspace of a maturing young adult, contemplating their place in this world, questioning religious beliefs, and pondering death. Despite dealing with topics that could easily weigh the music down, the album never feels heavy or overbearing. The group’s pop sensibilities shine through, even on “Diane Young”, an outwardly upbeat tune about the cheery topic of dying young. My favorite moment of the album comes midway through “Hannah Hunt”, when the drums come crashing in and lead into a gorgeous piano break before singer Ezra Koenig belts the chorus once more, this time one octave higher in a raw, passionate, affecting performance.

I became a fan of Vampire Weekend not too long before Modern Vampires was released. A high-school junior, I remember anxiously awaiting the album’s arrival, playing the pre-release singles on repeat during the weeks leading up to the album drop. When it finally came, it did not disappoint and despite dozens of listens since, it somehow still manages to grow on me over the years.

Favorite Track: “Hannah Hunt”

#7

Currents

Tame Impala

2015

Tame Impala’s music has a certain “stuck out of time” quality to it. On first glance, the psychedelic landscapes on which their songs are built may harken back to the 60s. But then you’ll begin to notice certain elements that would seem out of place or even anachronistic next to the music of that era: swirling synths, drum machine, disco basslines, soulful R&B-inspired vocals, electronic textures. Whereas Tame Impala’s first two efforts, Innerspeaker and Lonerism, were a bit more rooted in psychedelic rock with a modern twist, Currents sees mastermind Kevin Parker throw all kinds of new influences into the mix to create an album on another level of variety and ambition.

Right off the bat, the album kicks off looking ahead to the future with its sprawling opener “Let It Happen”, a progressive, glitchy, psychedelic, danceable track unlike anything you’ve heard before. From there, the band bends and shapes their psychedelic sound in different directions, yet each song is tied together with emotional lyrics on heartbreak and growth and cohesive production that just makes you want to dance. Kevin croons apologies to a wronged lover over dreamy synths and tight drums in the soulful track “’Cause I’m a Man.” And the funky, disco grooving “The Less I Know the Better” has barely gotten out of my head since that first time I heard it. The entire project is immaculately crafted and produced with a tremendous attention to detail, surrounding you with a gorgeous wall of sound. I’m still discovering new details on repeat listens: a finger snap here, a background harmony there, or a synthesized string run over there.

This achievement is even more incredible when considering the fact that Tame Impala is a one-man act. Everything you hear on Currents was written, performed, recorded, produced, and mixed by Kevin Parker. Whether he’s pulling inspiration from the past, pioneering the future of music, or striving to live in “The Moment”, all I know is that I’m glad he’s around today, making music for us to marvel at, connect with, and dance to.

Like many of these other albums, Currents was another grower for me. I liked the album a lot upon release and then it took on new life for me months later after I introduced it to my best friend. I have many great memories of our countless listens of this album and multiple times seeing its songs performed live. All the while, it never got old; its grooves only got more entrancing and its themes more relatable.

Favorite Track: “The Less I Know The Better”

#6

DAMN.

Kendrick Lamar

2017

One downside to releasing two game-changing albums back-to-back: the immense pressure and impossible levels of hype that follow you all the way until the next one comes. I personally find it exceedingly rare for an artist to meet my own soaring expectations when following up an album that I really love. Oftentimes my favorite albums have to take me by surprise, coming out of nowhere to circumvent the obstacle of intense anticipation and scrutiny. DAMN is the exception that proves this rule.

By the time DAMN was in the works, Kendrick Lamar already held a claim to the title of “greatest rapper alive.” After delivering an ambitious and narratively-rich duo of albums one after another in good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp A Butterfly, fans wondered how he would be able to follow up next. He did so with a different kind of record. A record that’s cohesive but no longer serves a single narrative. Conscious and challenging, but more accessible than ever. Slimmer and featuring fewer guest artists than before. DAMN is forward-thinking, personal, universal, and a blast to listen to all the way through.

Like the album itself, each song is presented with an all-caps, one-word title that teases its main theme. Equally balanced between heavy-hitting bangers, pop-rap jams, and atmospheric trips, all feature Kendrick’s top-notch lyricism and captivating beats crafted by a bevy of first-class producers. After the cryptic opening skit, “BLOOD”, the album roars off with the exhilarating and dynamic track “DNA.” In the laidback “YAH”, Kendrick glides over a hazy, looping instrumental. “LOYALTY” and “LOVE” serve up two of Kendrick’s catchiest tracks yet, featuring delectable hooks performed by Rihanna and Zacari respectively. The instrumental in “XXX” shifts for each new verse, with an electrifying second verse that incorporates police sirens and heavy breathing into the beat before the song shifts into a mellow final verse with a remarkably apt U2 feature. In the final stretch of the album, Kendrick flexes his unmatched storytelling abilities, exploring his greatest anxieties at 3 different parts of this life in “FEAR” and sharing a fascinating coincidental real-life tale in “DUCKWORTH” involving his father, a young hooligan named Anthony, and himself.

And with that Kendrick extended his impeccable run of albums to three in a row. Can he keep it going? At this point I wouldn’t be surprised, though there’s no denying that the bar couldn’t be much higher.

Favorite Track: “XXX.”

#5

Yeezus

Kanye West

2013

The explosive electronic burst that kicks off Yeezus immediately announces to the world that this is a different kind of project for Kanye. In this release, the artist who initially built his career on “chipmunk soul” beats and had most recently left us with a maximalist classic in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy now stripped his music down to bone to form a cold, harsh, thrilling new sound. Shucking off the lush instrumentation and innumerable collaborators seen on previous releases, Yeezus incorporates elements of industrial, electronic, and punk music and distills it all down into lean, compelling compositions. The result is a masterfully crafted exercise in minimalism that is gripping from front to back.

A tribal drum beat drives “Black Skinhead” forward while Kanye spits bars over a deranged instrumental built out of breathy vocals and screams in the backdrop. In the haunting “I Am A God”, the beat screeches to a halt midway through the song and he shrieks out, unhinged like a god out of control. He rails against modern-day racism in “New Slaves” before the sinister, sparse beat makes way for a majestic coda featuring Frank Ocean’s beautiful vocals and an obscure sample from Hungarian band Omega. With its sorrowful sample of Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit”, towering synthesized horns, and effortless blend of ferocious rapping and Auto-Tuned yet emotional singing, the 6-minute long “Blood On The Leaves” is the most ambitious and impressive song of the whole lot. The album sends us off with “Bound 2”, a soulful callback to Kanye’s early work.

From its stark packaging to its abrasive opening moment to the vulgar lyrics of the last track, Yeezus is an arrogant, self-assured utterly successful statement. A rapper-producer at the top of his game, Kanye delivered an album that you can’t help but love even as it seemingly tries to push you away.

Still a newly burgeoning fan of hip-hop after recently discovering Kanye’s previous album, I bought Yeezus soon after its release. On first listen, I remember sitting perplexed and unsure by the time I hit Kanye’s freak-out moment midway through “I Am A God.” But after a few more listens, the album quickly won me over and soon became one of my most-played albums of all-time.

Favorite Track: “Blood On The Leaves”

#4

Run the Jewels 2

Run the Jewels

2014

By 2014, Killer Mike and El-P were no newcomers to the hip-hop scene. Sure, Run The Jewels 2 was only their second album released together, but prior to joining forces, the two each had accomplished careers of their own. El-P was an underground hip-hop powerhouse as a member of hip-hop group Company Flow, founder of label Definitive Jux, prolific producer, and he had 3 critical hit solo albums under his belt. Killer Mike released multiple seminal albums in the southern hip-hop scene and won a Grammy for a collaboration with Outkast. But when the two came together to form RTJ, their talents melded to create something far greater than anyone could have imagined.

El-P lays down the groundwork, bringing his grimy dystopian production style to the table, creating dark atmospheres out of his beats that hit you in the face with aggression and oomph. He and Killer Mike weave through these landscapes with witty wordplay and vitality. The chemistry between the two is palpable, as they play off of each other and interject, trading bars and verses. Amid boastful and hilarious lyrics, the two tackle serious topics including political corruption and drug addiction, and they deliver one of the most impactful tracks I’ve ever heard on police brutality in “Early.” The duo brings a handful of perfectly curated features into the fray from the fiery beat crafted out of Zach de la Rocha vocals on “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” to the frenetic drum track from Travis Barker on “All Due Respect” to Gangster Boo’s straight-up obscene, script-flipping verse in “Love Again (Akinyele Back).”

This whole album is full of life with verses that fly by at breakneck speed and tracks that transition flawlessly into one another. The record whizzes by after a brisk 39 minutes, leaving you eager to hop right back on the ride to enjoy it one more time.

When I stumbled across “Close Your Eyes” for the first time, I had never heard a rap track go so hard. Already a huge fan of Rage Against the Machine, I was sold right away by Zach de la Rocha’s killer verse and beat-building refrain. When I realized the rest of the album went that hard too? The neighbors weren’t too happy.

Favorite Track: “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)”

#3

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

2012

The cover of good kid, m.A.A.d city features a polaroid picture of baby Kendrick Lamar with three of his family members, including an uncle who holds him while flashing a Crips gang sign to the camera. Scribbled underneath the photo, sandwiched between the title of the album and Kendrick’s name, is the declaration, “A Short Film”. This was perhaps a strange billing for a musical work (especially one with no accompanying visual element á la Beyoncé), but listen to the album and you’ll see that the vivid storytelling that Kendrick employs on the record makes it a surprisingly apt descriptor.

good kid, m.A.A.d city tells an affecting story of a good kid pushed into bad behavior by his peers and the environment in which he lives. Presented in a nonlinear fashion, the album chronicles a day in the life of teenage Kendrick growing up in the notoriously gang-ridden Compton, CA. Songs end with mini-skits that push forward the narrative: snippets of conversation between Kendrick and his friends or voicemails left on his phone from his parents. Growing up as a poor black man in the city, Kendrick inevitably found himself mixed up in the gangster lifestyle. But rather than glorifying this way of life, good kid provides a glimpse into this world through the eyes of an introspective boy boxed into certain behaviors by his circumstances and social surroundings. Songs like the shady “The Art of Peer Pressure” and darkly funky “Good Kid” reveal that these behaviors are not part of Kendrick’s nature but a product of the surroundings he was born into. This all comes to a head in “m.A.A.d city”, the album’s 2-part climax, which reconstructs the realness of life in Compton with enthralling verses delivered over a thrilling instrumental peppered with gunfire and backed by dramatic strings. Kendrick sees the light and sets his sights outside of this way of life in “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”, an epic turning point in the narrative that incorporates impactful accounts from two others into his own story.

The lyrical heft and narrative of the album alone would be enough to cement it as an impressive statement but what allows the album to soar to greatest-of-all-time status are Kendrick’s flow and delivery and the infectious beats that accompany it. The production is often dark and murky, replicating the oppressive and hopeless atmosphere that Kendrick is recounting. He employs voice pitching at vital moments in the record, using a higher pitch to represent his youthful persona or a deeper sound to represent the perversion of his innocence by the darkness surrounding him.

Throughout the course of this album (or “short film” as he would call it), Kendrick provides one of the most powerful insights into black poverty and gang violence in America, packaged in compelling and listenable tunes. It is truly remarkable that Kendrick was able to break out of the tragic path his life started down and instead channel his experiences to create such masterful art. Stories like his told with nuance and appeal have a unique ability to inform, inspire, and possibly change the world. For that I’m extremely grateful.

When this album first released, I was a newly initiated fan of rap who tended (and still tends to this day) to pay more attention to sounds, beats, and melodies than to lyrics. And right away these songs offered more than enough to suck me in. But after countless listens over the years, sometimes reading along with the lyrics as they fly by, I’ve come to learn and appreciate the story and message behind the tracks, making the album even more compelling and impressive.

Favorite Track: “m.A.A.d city”

#2

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

2010

Kanye West’s career was not in the greatest place in 2010. His latest album 808s & Heartbreak, was widely misunderstood and deemed a misstep by many at the time. Then came the infamous incident at the 2009 VMAs, where he made himself the villain of the music industry by interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech to extol Beyoncé’s video. His planned nationwide tour with Lady Gaga was cancelled. President Obama called him a “jackass.” It was from this place that the notoriously outspoken and headline-grabbing artist decided to take a break from the limelight and hide away in Hawaii to work on his next project. He returned with an ambitious, ostentatious opus, widely revered as not only his masterpiece, but one of the greatest albums that hip-hop has ever seen.

The record starts off with Nicki Minaj doing her best English accent, welcoming the audience to listen up to a familiar, warped tale. The album that unfolds explores how Kanye’s dreams of fame, success, and recognition have not come to fruition as delightfully as he imagined. These themes of fame and celebrity are sonically represented by a maximalist aesthetic seen throughout the album. Most songs are packed with countless features and collaborators. “All of the Lights” alone has quite a few, stop me if you’ve heard of any of them before: Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Tony Williams, The-Dream, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Ryan Leslie, Drake, Alvin Fields, and Ken Lewis. In fact, features provide some of the greatest moments on the record, like Nicki Minaj’s electric verse on “Monster” and John Legend’s soulful hook and Chris Rock’s hilarious skit, both in “Blame Game.” Each song is flawlessly constructed and produced with meticulously stacked samples, enormous drum beats, and beautiful string and horn arrangements. The album also displays a prominent rock influence from the King Crimson sample at the core of “Power”, the interpolation of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” that provides the melody for the chorus in “Hell Of A Life”, and the guitar riff that drives “Gorgeous.”

A deep dive into Kanye’s psyche, the album juxtaposes the braggadocio of his larger than life ego with his vulnerable, insecure, reflective side. The epic centerpiece of the record, “Runaway”, strips all pretenses about his self-confidence as he warns a lover of all the baggage he brings to their relationship. The song features more singing than rapping from Kanye, culminating in a stunning wordless vocoder solo.

Everybody seems to have their own opinion of Kanye West. As a huge fan, I’ll admit he certainly makes it difficult to be a fan all the time (his VMA moment and recent embrace of Trump come to mind). But it’s hard to dispute that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is anything but an absolute masterwork.

This was the album that got me into hip-hop. Looking to expand into a genre I had previously dismissed, I sought out the most celebrated album by one of the most critically acclaimed yet personally divisive figures in rap. Struggling on first listen to get into a style of music that I had thus far resisted, the familiar tune of Black Sabbath in “Hell Of A Life” gave me the first foothold to latch onto. The energy, swagger, and irresistible drum beat of “Power” yanked me in closer. From there, there was simply too much greatness to turn away.

Favorite Track: “Power”

#1

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

2012

The more I listen to Channel Orange, the more I settle on the belief that it’s a perfect album. Hidden behind a simplistic unobtrusive orange cover is an album jam-packed with sonic variety, emotion, energy, experimentation, and atmosphere. Starting to make a name for himself in the industry through his contributions to the Odd Future collective and an excellent debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, Frank overdelivered with his first full album, creating one of the greatest albums of all-time.

Cinematic throughout, with ambient interludes sprinkled here and there to set the mood, Channel Orange is a joy to listen to in its every second. There isn’t a moment wasted on this thing. Anchored by Frank’s incredible multi-octave vocals, the album takes an R&B baseline and infuses it with an array of musical flavorings. Alternating between a tender falsetto and passionate baritone, he croons over watery synths in the dazzling, heartbreaking opener “Thinkin Bout You.” He delivers biting commentary on wealth in society on the soaring Stevie Wonder-esque jazzy soul track “Sweet Life.” André 3000 and fellow Odd Future alum Earl Sweatshirt bring a taste of rap with amazing guest verses in the spiritual and reflective “Pink Matter” and lethargic yet catchy “Super Rich Kids.” John Mayer adds texture with a spacey guitar solo in transition track, “White.” Frank (a former pop music ghostwriter) shows off his ability to write a superb hook in the bouncy pop of “Lost.” Live drums and slap bass bring the energy to funk-rock stomper, “Monks”, a sexually-charged track full of Buddhist imagery. And of course, the tremendous “Pyramids” slides through time and genre, exploring EDM, psychedelia, and Prince-inspired funk as it weaves together parallel stories about Cleopatra and a modern day stripper.

These seamlessly eclectic musical stylings support passionately delivered lyrics on unrequited love, empty wealth, drug abuse, and spirituality. It all comes together to form something captivating, stimulating, and downright extraordinary.

Channel Orange caught me by surprise. I don’t consider myself an especially big fan of R&B or soul music but this record is so much more than that. It’s an album I keep coming back to, its appeal never dulling and the freshness of its songs never fading. I can listen to it at any time, in any mood, and I’ll always love every second of it. When I sat down to pit these albums against one another to produce a final ranking, I didn’t necessarily expect to find this one in the first slot, but when it really came down to it, Channel Orange just felt right on top.

Favorite Track: “Pink Matter”

Honorable Mentions:

- Wasting Light- Foo Fighters (2011)

- Ctrl- SZA (2017)

- Hamilton- Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton (2015)

- Melophobia- Cage the Elephant (2013)

- Melodrama- Lorde (2017)

- AM- Arctic Monkeys (2013)

- El Camino- The Black Keys (2011)

- …Like Clockwork- Queens of the Stone Age (2013)

- To Pimp A Butterfly- Kendrick Lamar (2015)

- Lonerism- Tame Impala (2012)

- Plunge- Fever Ray (2017)