My 100 Favorite Albums of the 2010s

The previous decade was an interesting one. While streaming remained the most popular method for consuming music, the vinyl version of albums slowly started to be fancied by hipster millennials and older folks like me to eventually regain its status as the physical means by which people listened to music. Through the efforts of Record Store Day, which began in April of 2008 and gained momentum throughout the 2010s, independent records stores slowly regained a foothold in the music consumer’s mind.

Honestly, I had always preferred the vinyl record, but as the Eighties wore on and turned into the Nineties, I boxed up my albums and began a CD collection which eventually numbered in the 1200-range. But, I knew loved the CD in which I loved its vinyl counterpart. First, the CD was too small to read the liner notes even with my old person glasses. Second, the artwork was reduced down to small squares in which needed less detail and bolder artist names and album titles. Suddenly, the album artwork was reduced to a small consumer advertisement.. Finally, even when I had an extraordinary high fidelity stereo system, my CDs sounded flat and as if it were in a box when compared to the warm, full sound emanating from my vinyl records.

By 2018, I made the huge decision to reduce my music collection without touching my vinyl. I began a purge of my CDs, knowing full well that I may never own some of these pieces on vinyl. Not surprising, I did keep around 50 CDs, mostly my R.E.M. special 25th anniversary editions, as well as all of my Prince and Paul Weller/The Style Council/The Jam compilations and Weller solo discs that I do not have on vinyl…yet! Additionally, I kept my Christmas compilation CDs, only because I have all of the A Very Special Christmas releases, as well as some rare compilations that are not found intact on streaming services. But, the rest were traded for vinyl at the local independent record stores.

So, now that I have focused my collection back onto vinyl, I find my listening habits to be so much more satisfying. With that said, let’s take a look at my 100 favorite albums of the previous decade.

100. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015)

99. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (2010)

98. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream (2010)

97. Mark Ronson – Uptown Special (2015)

96. Cee-Lo Green – The Lady Killer (2010)

95. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (2014)

94. Sade – Soldier of Love (2010)

93. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What (2011)

92. Vampire Weekend – Contra (2010)

91. The Black Keys – Turn Blue (2014)

90. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne (2011)

89. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride (2019)

88. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part II (2011)

87. Taylor Swift – Lover (2019)

86. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)

85. The Regrettes – Feel Your Feelings Fool (2017)

84. Tame Impala – Lonerism (2012)

83. Carly Rae Jepson – Emotion (2015)

82. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening (2010)

81. Kesha – Rainbow (2017)

80. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (2018)

79. Harry Styles – Harry Styles (2017)

78. Weezer – Weezer (a.k.a. The Teal Album) (2019)

77. Drive-By Truckers – The Big To-Do (2010)

76. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (2012)

75. Solange – A Seat at the Table (2016)

74. Bruce Springsteen – High Hopes (2014)

73. The 1975 – The 1975 (2013)

72. David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant (2012)

71. Bob Mould – Silver Age (2012)

70. Kendrick Lamar & Various Artists – Black Panther soundtrack (2018)

69. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone (2010)

68. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (2011)

67. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels III (2016)

66. Weezer – Weezer (a.k.a. The White Album) (2016)

65. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (2012)

64. SZA – CTRL (2017)

63. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service (2016)

62. St. Vincent – St. Vincent (2014)

61. Leon Bridges – Good Thing (2018)

60. Lin-Manuel Miranda & Cast – Hamilton: The Original Broadway Cast Recording (2015)

59. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (2010)

58. The Regrettes – How Do You Love? (2019)

57. Gotye – Making Mirrors (2011)

56. Lorde – Melodrama (2017)

55. Ariana Grande – Sweetener (2018)

54. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires in the City (2013)

53. Janelle Monáe – The ArchAndroid (2010)

52. The Monkees – Good Times! (2016)

51. Alabama Shakes – Sound and Color (2015)

50. Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do (2011)

49. Fitz & the Tantrums – Fitz & the Tantrums (2016)

48. Ariana Grande – thank u, next (2019)

47. Cheap Trick – Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello (2016)

46. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels II (2014)

45. Lady Gaga – Joanne (2016)

44. Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa (2017)

43. Paramore – After Laughter (2017)

42. Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady (2013)

41. Fitz & the Tantrums – More Than Just a Dream (2013)

40. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)

39. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour (2018)

38. Chris Stapleton – Traveller (2015)

37. fun. – Some Nights (2012)

36. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (2019)

35. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream (2014)

34. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born Soundtrack (2018)

33. Paramore – Paramore (2013)

32. Harry Styles – Fine Line (2019)

31. Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks (2012)

30. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’ (2011)

29. Adele – 25 (2015)

28. Jenny Lewis – On the Line (2019)

27. Halsey – Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017)

26. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (2012)

25. Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball (2012)

24. The Black Keys – Brothers (2010)

23. St. Vincent – MASSEDUCATION (2017)

22. Paul Weller – True Meanings (2018)

21. Taylor Swift – 1989 (2014)

20. Fitz & the Tantrums – Pickin’ Up the Pieces (2010)

19. Jenny Lewis – The Voyager (2014)

18. The Black Keys – El Camino (2011)

17. Leon Bridges – Coming Home (2015)

16. David Bowie – Blackstar (2016)

15. Beyoncé – Beyoncé (2013)

14. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)

13. Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation (2010)

12. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.A.D. city (2012)

11. Adele – 21 (2011)

10. Beyoncé – Lemonade (2016)

9. Taylor Swift – Red (2012)

8. Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer (2018)

7. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (2013)

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

5. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)

4. Bob Mould – Sunshine Rock (2019)

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

2. Lady Gaga – Born This Way (2011)

1. D’Angelo & the Vanguard – Black Messiah (2014)