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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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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I loved Portland, Oregon, based roots-rock outfit Fruition the first time I saw them play live, at the Albino Skunk Music Festival in South Carolina, back in 2013 or 2014. Even so, I think I underestimated them. Labor of Love is just a fantastic album: well written, impeccably produced, and energetically performed, yet with enough room to breathe that it captures the feel of their potent live performances. A few summers ago they played at the Pine Creek Lodge in Paradise Valley, Montana, a rustic outdoor venue with a small stage among mountains and pine trees in a fairly remote area north of Yellowstone. The title track from this album was a highlight, as I could feel the potency and raw energy in my chest, the perfect combination of Jay Cobb Anderson's scorching electric guitar and Mimi Naja's soulful mandolin strumming. Many listens later, this album still gives me that feeling, which is indicative of its staying power. An unknown classic.
[First added to this chart: 04/28/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 07/21/2021]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,350
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/08/2019]
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[First added to this chart: 12/08/2019]
Total albums: 5. Page 1 of 1
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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% | |
| Shovels & Rope | 3 | 3% | |
| James Blake | 3 | 3% | |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 3% | |
| The National | 3 | 3% | |
| Lord Huron | 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 6thWe Are The Tide by Blind Pilot |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 6th to 7thRed by Taylor Swift |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s similar charts
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| 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
buzzdainer has shared 6 more 2010s decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| 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 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 | 649 | 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.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 17 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
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 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 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 ecwashere 07/14/2017 10:18 | #194276
Great!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Davy 05/28/2017 11:50 | #191585
Davy 05/28/2017 11:50 | #191585
Mighty chart!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Graeme2 03/13/2017 13:15 | #187349
Graeme2 03/13/2017 13:15 | #187349
I want to live in a cabin in the north Georgia mountains! I've discovered a few things from your charts that I've enjoyed, Americana type stuff. I like your notes and the ones you put on people's charts, cheers!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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