Top Albums of the 2010s

Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, the only album from the 2010s that is in my Top 10 albums of all time

I didn’t find this list particularly challenging to make — the very best albums over a 10 year period become obvious as you wear them out from re-listening. Of all the great stuff, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs was at the very top, no question. I think it’s one of the 10 best albums ever made. I thought it was amazing the first time I listened to it, and I’ve thought it was amazing every time since. Each track is a magical experience. I’m always excited to play The Suburbs from start to finish.

The tricky thing is giving a fair shake to more recent stuff that didn’t have 10 years to prove itself. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Arcade Fire — The Suburbs
2. Tame Impala — Lonerism
3. Kendrick Lamar — Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
4. St. Vincent — St. Vincent
5. Jason Isbell — Something More Than Free
6. Run The Jewels — Run The Jewels 2
7. Eleanor Friedberger — Last Summer
8. My Morning Jacket — The Waterfall
9. Vampire Weekend — Contra
10. Janelle Monae — The ArchAndroid

Honorable Mentions:

Queens of the Stone Age — …Like Clockwork

Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly

Brass Bed — In The Yellow Leaf

Sufjan Stevens — Carrie & Lowell

Tame Impala — Currents

Dinosaur Jr. — Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not

Gojira — Magma

Queens of the Stone Age — Villains

Caroline Rose — Loner

Jesca Hoop — The House That Jack Built

Rush — Clockwork Angels

Mastodon — The Hunter

Wilco — The Whole Love

Melody’s Echo Chamber — Melody’s Echo Chamber