Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by 
FlorianJones 
Anything with a write-up was in my top 50 at the end of the decade, in December of 2019.
As of today (June 14, 2022), 6 of those original top 50 have dropped into 51-100. None of them have dropped off the list entirely.
- Chart updated: 06/14/2022 23:15
- (Created: 11/26/2014 05:57).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 2 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 6 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from Frank Ocean. (Remove this filter)
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Top Tracks: Ivy, Solo, Nights
While not technically at the top of this list, Blonde is the album I’m likely to look back on the most nostalgically in future decades. In large part that’s because Frank knows nostalgia better than anyone. Frank sings about it, sure. His debut mixtape had nostalgia in the title, and on Blonde’s standout track Ivy, he croons wistfully of a past relationship. But the topic is just the tip of the iceberg. Frank’s ability to evoke the feeling of nostalgia is where he really shines. Maybe it’s the haziness of the instrumentals, enveloping the listener in the cloud of a half-forgotten memory, or it could be the sweet moments of clarity afforded by his incomparable vocals. Whatever it is that makes the music tick, this man could make someone nostalgic for a couple hours ago. Maybe he doesn’t know any other way. While not quite a child star, Ocean did have to grow up fast. All the Odd Future guys did. The media doesn’t tend to shine the kindest spotlight on the young. As such, Frank had an almost immediate nostalgia for days not long gone. Nowhere is that felt more deeply than on Futura Free – a soothing collage of some of the first interviews these guys ever gave. They were just kids, unable to focus, unable to take anything seriously. You can feel the longing for that simplicity. At a time where many of Frank’s peers were tackling big, nation encompassing struggles, he opted to go more personal than ever before.
Almost by default, audiences were quick to tag Blonde as R&B. While that was Frank’s starting point, the genre hardly applies anymore. On the aforementioned Ivy, Frank’s voice glides over the top of two interweaving guitar lines of ephemeral dream pop. No other instruments are present. How often do we hear R&B completely forego percussion? For that matter, how often do we hear a voice like Frank’s in dream pop? On Solo, the only accompaniment to Frank’s (in this case rap inflected singing) is the calm swell of an organ and an occasional whistle. All of Blonde makes similar choices with most songs foregoing the expected in favor of stripping back for a minimalist approach like no other. Every choice is beautifully considered. Blonde’s back half plays out more as a medley than as distinct songs, and it’s exactly what the album needs. I couldn’t begin to consider better sequencing here. Such attention to the whole is captivating. One of the album’s greatest moments comes part way into Nights, when the song slowly collapses, then in an instant, builds back up as something entirely new. This beat switch happens exactly thirty minutes into a sixty-minute album. Frank considered everything. [First added to this chart: 06/22/2017]
While not technically at the top of this list, Blonde is the album I’m likely to look back on the most nostalgically in future decades. In large part that’s because Frank knows nostalgia better than anyone. Frank sings about it, sure. His debut mixtape had nostalgia in the title, and on Blonde’s standout track Ivy, he croons wistfully of a past relationship. But the topic is just the tip of the iceberg. Frank’s ability to evoke the feeling of nostalgia is where he really shines. Maybe it’s the haziness of the instrumentals, enveloping the listener in the cloud of a half-forgotten memory, or it could be the sweet moments of clarity afforded by his incomparable vocals. Whatever it is that makes the music tick, this man could make someone nostalgic for a couple hours ago. Maybe he doesn’t know any other way. While not quite a child star, Ocean did have to grow up fast. All the Odd Future guys did. The media doesn’t tend to shine the kindest spotlight on the young. As such, Frank had an almost immediate nostalgia for days not long gone. Nowhere is that felt more deeply than on Futura Free – a soothing collage of some of the first interviews these guys ever gave. They were just kids, unable to focus, unable to take anything seriously. You can feel the longing for that simplicity. At a time where many of Frank’s peers were tackling big, nation encompassing struggles, he opted to go more personal than ever before.
Almost by default, audiences were quick to tag Blonde as R&B. While that was Frank’s starting point, the genre hardly applies anymore. On the aforementioned Ivy, Frank’s voice glides over the top of two interweaving guitar lines of ephemeral dream pop. No other instruments are present. How often do we hear R&B completely forego percussion? For that matter, how often do we hear a voice like Frank’s in dream pop? On Solo, the only accompaniment to Frank’s (in this case rap inflected singing) is the calm swell of an organ and an occasional whistle. All of Blonde makes similar choices with most songs foregoing the expected in favor of stripping back for a minimalist approach like no other. Every choice is beautifully considered. Blonde’s back half plays out more as a medley than as distinct songs, and it’s exactly what the album needs. I couldn’t begin to consider better sequencing here. Such attention to the whole is captivating. One of the album’s greatest moments comes part way into Nights, when the song slowly collapses, then in an instant, builds back up as something entirely new. This beat switch happens exactly thirty minutes into a sixty-minute album. Frank considered everything. [First added to this chart: 06/22/2017]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,446
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
91
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Top Tracks: Commes Des Garcons, Rushes / Rushes To, Higgs
Much of art history isn’t a story of who did what in the best way possible, but who was in the right place at the right time. Audiences crave the narrative as much as they crave the work. At times I fault myself for perpetuating this. When given the opportunity to pick between writing about why a narrative works and why a specific guitar tone works, I’ll pick the narrative nearly every time. It’s easier. But sometimes picking narrative first comes at the expense of the music. Endless had the narrative. It was Frank Ocean’s triumphant return. He had pushed it back for years, something he wryly joked about with a repeatedly stamped overdue library card. This is the album we watched days worth of woodworking livestream for. That’s where Endless stood upon its August 19th release – for 24 hours. On August 20th, Frank released Blonde, and it took the wind right out of Endless’ sails. Blonde has a longer runtime. Blonde‘s songs are mostly conventional concrete units contrasting with Endless’ ebb and flow of hazy track divisions. Endless was Frank’s final release with Def-Jam records allowing him to go independent with Blonde, fueling hypotheses that Endless was nothing more than a contractual obligation. Endless opened with an Isley Brothers cover and ended with a song that wasn’t Frank’s in any way. Blonde was entirely original. The narrative was stacked against Endless. But Endless is beautiful music. The vocal cuts here are some of the most raw and inviting work we’ve seen from Frank. The flow of Endless is sumptuously smooth. Upon original release as a visual album, it didn’t even have finite track breaks. It’s not made to be mixed into your summer playlist, but experienced on the whole. That really opens up the way an audience listens. Little moments become critical as the listener builds their own track breaks out of the minutiae. Songs like the infectious Commes Des Garcons have a chance to stand in the foreground – an uncommon position for anything with a runtime under a minute. Endless’ looseness doesn’t make it an inferior Blonde. It makes it the perfect companion album, and it’s every bit as worthy of your attention. [First added to this chart: 10/24/2017]
Much of art history isn’t a story of who did what in the best way possible, but who was in the right place at the right time. Audiences crave the narrative as much as they crave the work. At times I fault myself for perpetuating this. When given the opportunity to pick between writing about why a narrative works and why a specific guitar tone works, I’ll pick the narrative nearly every time. It’s easier. But sometimes picking narrative first comes at the expense of the music. Endless had the narrative. It was Frank Ocean’s triumphant return. He had pushed it back for years, something he wryly joked about with a repeatedly stamped overdue library card. This is the album we watched days worth of woodworking livestream for. That’s where Endless stood upon its August 19th release – for 24 hours. On August 20th, Frank released Blonde, and it took the wind right out of Endless’ sails. Blonde has a longer runtime. Blonde‘s songs are mostly conventional concrete units contrasting with Endless’ ebb and flow of hazy track divisions. Endless was Frank’s final release with Def-Jam records allowing him to go independent with Blonde, fueling hypotheses that Endless was nothing more than a contractual obligation. Endless opened with an Isley Brothers cover and ended with a song that wasn’t Frank’s in any way. Blonde was entirely original. The narrative was stacked against Endless. But Endless is beautiful music. The vocal cuts here are some of the most raw and inviting work we’ve seen from Frank. The flow of Endless is sumptuously smooth. Upon original release as a visual album, it didn’t even have finite track breaks. It’s not made to be mixed into your summer playlist, but experienced on the whole. That really opens up the way an audience listens. Little moments become critical as the listener builds their own track breaks out of the minutiae. Songs like the infectious Commes Des Garcons have a chance to stand in the foreground – an uncommon position for anything with a runtime under a minute. Endless’ looseness doesn’t make it an inferior Blonde. It makes it the perfect companion album, and it’s every bit as worthy of your attention. [First added to this chart: 10/24/2017]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/20/2015]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,033
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 3. Page 1 of 1
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 2010 | 11 | 11% | |
| 2011 | 6 | 6% | |
| 2012 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2013 | 5 | 5% | |
| 2014 | 9 | 9% | |
| 2015 | 15 | 15% | |
| 2016 | 13 | 13% | |
| 2017 | 12 | 12% | |
| 2018 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2019 | 15 | 15% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Kendrick Lamar | 4 | 4% | |
| Frank Ocean | 3 | 3% | |
| Tame Impala | 3 | 3% | |
| Bon Iver | 2 | 2% | |
| Deerhunter | 2 | 2% | |
| Sufjan Stevens | 2 | 2% | |
| Various Artists | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 41 from 52nd to 11th Black Up by Shabazz Palaces |
| Up 34 from 82nd to 48th Reflections by Hannah Diamond |
| Up 26 from 99th to 73rd Moth by Chairlift |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 35 from 26th to 61st Pom Pom by Ariel Pink |
| Down 28 from 21st to 49th The Age Of Adz by Sufjan Stevens |
| Down 24 from 48th to 72nd Benji by Sun Kil Moon |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s similar charts
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by
AvalancheGrips (2022) - Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by jdizzle123456 (2024)
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by
Mattdup279 (2020) - Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by LosWochos (2020)
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by
Chicken4Sale (2020) - Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by iamthewalrus (2022)
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by TheNowhereGuy (2020)
- The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s by Pitchfork (2019)
- Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by
Montpejo (2024) - Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by benfitzuk (2020)
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Other decade charts by FlorianJones
Top 50 Music Albums of the 2020s by FlorianJones (2022)Top 80 Music Albums of the 2000s by
FlorianJones (2017)Top 26 Music Albums of the 1990s by
FlorianJones (2020)Top 30 Music Albums of the 1980s by
FlorianJones (2020)Top 30 Music Albums of the 1970s by
FlorianJones (2020)Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s ratings
87/100 (from 6 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 6 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 95/100  | 02/17/2018 15:30 |  Davy | | 87/100 |
| 85/100 | 06/28/2017 17:14 | weston | | 87/100 |
| 100/100 | 02/20/2017 19:20 | Seab | | 93/100 |
| 70/100 | 06/01/2015 22:53 |  Applerill | | 75/100 |
| 95/100 | 04/15/2015 13:21 |  andy_hunter | | 88/100 |
Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s favourites
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a favourite
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s comments
Showing all 2 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
85/100
From weston 06/28/2017 17:15
Nice! I agree 2015 was the strongest year so are. And I like the stuff you've thrown at the end.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
SaulCortes1992 04/02/2015 20:04
SaulCortes1992 04/02/2015 20:04
Excellent Chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Please log in or register if you want to be able to add a comment
Your feedback for Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.