Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s
by 
buzzdainer 
The 2010s began for me in a cabin in the North Georgia mountains, an auspicious beginning to a decade that's had more than its share of ups and downs, but has also brought an incredible amount of musical inspiration. I have peers my age who won't listen to anything that's been released since they finished high school in the late eighties; they remind me of people in my dad's generation who think "the music died" when Don McLean said it did in "American Pie." No, no, no, folks. There is great stuff coming out all the time, if you're willing to go find it. I discover new stuff these days through BIRP! and No Depression and American Songwriter and the Americana Music Association and WNCW and Pitchfork, not to mention music festivals and word of mouth. And my tastes are surely inflected by the places I've lived--first Georgia, then across the state line in Western North Carolina, then Colorado's Front Range, then central Minnesota, and now southwest Montana, where I hope to remain. I like music from many different genres--whatever hits my sweet spot--though I am particularly fond of things that remind me of the mountain landscapes I love and the people most dear to me, even (and perhaps especially) the eccentrics, cranks, and weirdos who make life fun and constantly invigorating. I'm sure you've heard many things from this decade that I haven't, so I welcome your recommendations and your feedback on this chart. Happy reading and listening!
- Chart updated: 07/01/2024 14:15
- (Created: 02/16/2016 19:20).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 17 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s has an average rating of 89 out of 100 (from 17 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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The Silver Gymnasium is a criminally underrated record, one that gets overshadowed when we talk about Okkervil River because they're recorded so many great albums in such a short time. I understand, though, that not all listeners will identify with it as much as I do. These are Will Sheff's stories of growing up in a small New England town, an experience that resonates for me, having grown up in the next state over. The stories are unsettling, with hints of violence and darkness always lurking just around the corner, as in these lyrics from "Down Down the Deep River": "We lie awake at night in a tent and I say / Tell me about your uncle and his friend / Because they seem like very bad men / Well we'll want to keep away from them." Haunting. This feels like a thematic step toward a Will Sheff solo album, although the sound of the band as a whole has never sounded more full.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
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This is the album that lifted Jason Isbell to the summit of Americana's songwriting mountain, the one that established him as the finest craftsman working today at his particular art. It's no coincidence that this was the first album he recorded after quitting drinking. While he wrote a number of terrific songs while still suffering from the ravages of alcoholism--he was a notoriously mean drunk, so much that his bandmates in Drive-By Truckers, no saints themselves, kicked him out of the band for his own good--the songs on this album have an emotional clarity, and raw honesty, that make them unlike anything he'd done previously. These are songs of heartache and addiction, but also profound redemption and gratitude. Isbell's singing has never been stronger, too, as evidenced by the powerful and fantastic opener, "Cover Me Up." I always get a lump in my throat when he sings, "In days when we raged / We flew off the page / Such damage was done / But I made it through / To somebody new / I was meant for someone."
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
2013
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,462
Rank in 2013:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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This triple album is where Joanna Newsom's performances and songwriting came to full maturity. Her previous work showcases her intricate harp playing, her complicated song structures and storytelling, and her endearingly idiosyncratic voice. But nothing she'd ever done before is as lovely and earthy and heartbreaking as on Have One on Me. Here she eschews some of the "freak" side of "freak folk," meaning that her vocal style here seems less intentionally quirky, more like a woman in full control of her artistic powers. And lest you be lulled by the sweetness of her voice into thinking that Joanna Newsom only sings about nice sentiments, check out these lines from the heartstoppingly beautiful "Baby Birch": "I saw a rabbit as slick as a knife and as pale as a candlestick / And I had thought it'd be harder to do but I caught her and skinned her quick, held her there / Kicking and mewling upended unspooling unsung and blue / Told her wherever you go little runaway bunny I will find you / And then she ran / As they're liable to do / Be at peace baby, and be gone." Damn.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
2010
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,762
Rank in 2010:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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The making of this album is one of my favorite stories in recent memory of a collaborative creative process involving both the artist and their fans. The Portland, Oregon, based band first created a draft version of the album, and then held several listening events in various locations in the country where fans could hear the songs, offer their feedback, and sometimes have their suggestions incorporated into the released version of the album. I think that's an incredibly creative and generous gift for a band to offer its fans. The result is a surprisingly personal rumination on the collective, societal result of cultural memory loss, the kind of historical forgetting that could lead a country like the United States to elect a carnival barker like Donald Trump to be its president. It's a dark, disturbing vision, to be sure, but also one infused with hope. An absolutely brilliant, artistically and intellectually complicated album that seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle of all that was happening in the worlds of both music and politics in the frenetic year of 2018.
[First added to this chart: 07/24/2018]
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I had the great pleasure of seeing Hiss Golden Messenger perform live in support of this album at Turf Club, an intimate venue in Minneapolis where I could easily get close to the stage and fully appreciate both the quality of these songs and the incredible tightness of this band. These are songs of deep introspection and regret, the main subject of which seems to be the ambivalence a musician feels when he's on the road and away from his family. It's terrain that's been explored before, of course, but rarely with the depth and nuance of "Cracked Windshield": "Monday morning, early, getting the kids to school / I can fix this, babe / I can fix this, babe / I can see the ghosts coming over the tidewater plains / I don't know if I'm running." That aching repetition of "I can fix this, babe": I can feel the pain of the narrator as he wonders aloud who he's trying to convince.
[First added to this chart: 12/25/2016]
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Blind Pilot's hooks-packed, low-key indie folk isn't exactly the stuff of groundbreaking, genre-busting experimentation, but rather the product of painstaking craftsmanship and gorgeous songwriting. They're pretty likeable, too, as original members Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski have logged thousands of miles touring North America on bicycles, both as environmental statement and aesthetic declaration of purpose. The opener to We Are the Tide, "Half Moon," is a warm, affable celebration of travel and inevitable change, a song whose precise meaning remains a bit opaque but that makes me cry every time. I know what it means to me.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
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[First added to this chart: 09/30/2022]
Year of Release:
2012
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,233
Rank in 2012:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/08/2022]
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John Moreland's Big Bad Luv follows the most straightforward of southern rock formulas: upbeat, swampy, blues-inflected rock interspersed with gorgeous folksy love songs. It works perfectly for Moreland because he has all the qualities of a performer needed to make this time-honored formula feel fresh: a smoky voice honed by years singing in punk rock bands, the guitar chops needed to effortlessly pull off some searing riffs, and most of all, a vulnerable storytelling style that feels absolutely authentic on every track. "Sallisaw Blue" is the most instantly likeable song here because of its incredible bluesy guitar licks, but for me the most memorable song here is "Lies I Chose to Believe," a devastating portrait of lost love, or unrequited love, that strikes at the deepest and most tender places in the heart.
[First added to this chart: 12/23/2017]
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The title of this album may give you a sense of what to expect. Husband-and-wife team Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst deliver a potent blend of country, rock, folk, and blues, taking turns on vocals, guitar, and drums--a style of music I have elsewhere heard described as "sloppy tonk." Although it's an affectionate descriptor, I'm not sure it quite fits, as they actually have sound that's fairly tight, with just enough slack to keep them from sounding overly rehearsed. For just a duo, they get a tremendously full and soulful sound. It's all great, but try the opener, "Birmingham," for a sense of the force of this album: "Rockamount Cowboy in a rock and roll band / Plugged his amplifier in all across the land / Athens, Georgia, on a Friday night / Saw that little girl, she could sing all right." Heck, yeah, she can.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 11 | 11% | |
| 2011 | 8 | 8% | |
| 2012 | 15 | 15% | |
| 2013 | 14 | 14% | |
| 2014 | 8 | 8% | |
| 2015 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2016 | 5 | 5% | |
| 2017 | 5 | 5% | |
| 2018 | 8 | 8% | |
| 2019 | 19 | 19% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Josh Ritter | 5 | 5% | |
| alt-J | 4 | 4% | |
| Bon Iver | 3 | 3% | |
| Devendra Banhart | 3 | 3% | |
| Shovels & Rope | 3 | 3% | |
| James Blake | 3 | 3% | |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
77 | 77% | |
 |
8 | 8% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 7th to 6th We Are The Tide by Blind Pilot |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 6th to 7th Red by Taylor Swift |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | buzzdainer | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s |  jhuik | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | lanis | 2010s decade chart | 2022 | |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums |  chisholm.matt | Overall chart | 2025 | |
| Top 99 Music Albums of 2012 | buzzdainer | 2012 year chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of 2013 | buzzdainer | 2013 year chart | 2022 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | Dunnand | 2010s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | weston | 2010s decade chart | 2023 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s |  samistake2ice | 2010s decade chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s |  zags7000 | 2010s decade chart | 2023 | |
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Other decade charts by buzzdainer
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | buzzdainer | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | buzzdainer | 2010s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | buzzdainer | 2000s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | buzzdainer | 1990s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | buzzdainer | 1980s decade chart | 2024 | |
buzzdainer has created 4 other 2010s decade charts - click here to explore them all.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 17 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/08/2025 16:46 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 02/08/2025 14:41 |  Tamthebam | 645 | 85/100 |
| ! | 02/26/2023 02:53 | craab | 15 | 95/100 |
| ! | 11/27/2021 13:41 |  DommeDamian | 1,004 | 89/100 |
| ! | 04/10/2021 15:07 | StreakyNuno | 131 | 82/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 5% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.7/100, a mean average of 90.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 12.5.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 17 comments |
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From craab 02/26/2023 02:53 | #294456
Terrific chart> Can't wait to follow some of these leads!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From DommeDamian 11/27/2021 13:41 | #276753
DommeDamian 11/27/2021 13:41 | #276753
God almighty what a gr8 chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From buzzdainer 04/18/2021 17:32 | #268686
buzzdainer 04/18/2021 17:32 | #268686
Thank you, StreakyNuno, for those insightful comments on two of my favorite bands from the nineties. One broke up in 1994. The other recorded two albums in the 2010s, neither of which I have heard, let alone ranked.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From StreakyNuno 04/10/2021 15:09 | #268420
Uncle tupelo anodyne best album ever and bufallo tom in second????
I don't feel like listening to the other albums this chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
From 
Larcx13 12/05/2020 15:29 | #262054
Larcx13 12/05/2020 15:29 | #262054
Nice,
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
ExTeaSea 10/11/2020 01:42 | #259175
ExTeaSea 10/11/2020 01:42 | #259175
You have a very interesting chart as well! So different than mine but that's totally fine. I'd love to see Kishi Bashi in concert! Quite curious about the band The Dø.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From buzzdainer 05/27/2019 18:17 | #236793
buzzdainer 05/27/2019 18:17 | #236793
Thanks, WayneMC, for those helpful comments. I've listened to a bunch of Jon Hopkins albums, at least as background music, and like him. I probably haven't yet given him the dedicated attention he deserves, so I'm saving him for my next long road trip for a deeper listen.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From WayneMC 05/12/2018 21:57 | #214685
Thanks for your very positive comments about my 2010s chart. I usually wait a year before adding anything recent but I've just added the new Jon Hopkins album, 'Singularity', despite only owning it a week. There are 60 albums in your chart that I haven't listened to (despite knowing many of the artists) but I'm certain there are some great albums there for me to discover.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From buzzdainer 10/16/2017 02:29 | #199560
buzzdainer 10/16/2017 02:29 | #199560
Thanks for the encouraging word, ecwashere! Glad to see another BEA member who loves Once I Was an Eagle as much as I do. I think it's one of the very best breakup albums of all time, which is saying something since breakups and divorces have inspired some of the best material from our best artists (lookin' at you, Bob Dylan). For Laura Marling's sake, I hope she can find inspiration someplace else. No one should have to suffer for my musical enjoyment!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From ecwashere 07/14/2017 10:18 | #194276
Great!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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