Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s by JamesMowbray 
Sorry I'm inconsistent with adding notes, I'll add the rest when i get time.
- Chart updated: 02/15/2022 20:45
- (Created: 11/26/2016 01:17).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 06/16/2021]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,502
Rank in 2019:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
37
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[First added to this chart: 11/25/2016]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,162
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 06/16/2021]
Year of Release:
2018
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,497
Rank in 2018:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 02/10/2018]
Year of Release:
2017
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,229
Rank in 2017:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Radiohead's most divisive album, and probably one of the most divisive records of the past 20 years splits people by being so unlike their 2007 classic 'In Rainbows', but unlike 'Kid A' which similarly split listeners by subverting expectations, the reputation of 'The King of Limbs' has not grown over time because appreciating the project is much more a case of personal taste than taking the time to explore an entirely different soundscape. However if you enjoy layered rhythmic elements and open breezy tracks in the vain of Thom Yorke's solo material 'The King of Limbs' is the very best of this sound.
The record opens with a looping piano intro which suddenly becomes an eerie repetition of two notes, almost as if the previous sound has been trapped in a moment in time. When the drums and bass of the track kick in the rhythmic core of the track becomes apparent. These provide the constants of the track whilst the rest involves layering of vocals and introduction of new instruments all the while being anchored by the rhythm section. The very free sounding vocal performance of drawn out words presents a brilliant duality with the cagey nature of the powerful rhythms of the track.
In 'Morning Mr Magpie' the rhythmic elements of guitar, bass and drums kick in immediately providing a much more tense atmosphere, complimented by a harsher vocal performance from Yorke which includes vague confrontational lyrics. At the chorus drones are added to the mix building up the strength of the sound before using a brief break away from the drums to leave again, where the rhythmic sections start to return by layering over each other before launching into the second verse, replicating the paranoid atmosphere of before.
'Little by Little' has a similarly sinister sounding guitar riff that contrasts with the much faster and more energetic drumbeat of the track. The drums slow down for the chorus to give more focus to the vocals of the track which have a sinister edge similar to that of the guitars.
The album hits its weirdest moment with 'Feral' a track defined by intense rhythms and abstract vocals not seen leading a Radiohead album track since 'Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors' off of 2001's 'Amnesiac'. One of the more interesting elements of the track is how the mix changes over time with the vocals and drumbeat fighting for dominance, only adding to the chaotic elements. The vocals are warped to the point of lyrics being impossible to pick up, and instead Yorke's voice becomes the most unpredictable instrument in the mix.
'Feral' segues perfectly into the slower growing sound of 'Lotus Flower' signalling the start of the less cagey second half of the record. Whilst the strong rhythms of the previous tracks are still present here they no longer have an oppressive nature with the bass sounding more like a drone at times, leaving most of the focus on the commanding vocal performance.
The change in atmosphere goes even further with 'Codex' maybe the most expansive and open sounding song Radiohead have created, especially fitting with the lyrics mentioning "a clear lake". Percussion is barely present giving full focus to lyrics, vocal delivery and the repeating piano melody throughout the track. The sombre tone is built up by the lyrics like "jump off the end" and "no one gets hurt". A string section closes out the track preventing any kind of abrupt end.
'Give up the Ghost' is even more bare-bones evoking 'House of Cards' of 'In Rainbows'. The slow drums, calm guitar, looped distorted vocals and echoing lead vocals create a beautifully serene atmosphere with a touch of sadness. Once again the lyrical content backs up the atmosphere of the track with a repetition of "Don't hurt me, don't haunt me' carrying across the song, whilst the lead vocals peak with "I think I should give up the ghost" before closing out the song with repetition of "into your arms".
'Separator' is a brilliant closing track, though at the very start its transition in from give up the ghost sounds very abrupt. The rhythm section is back in the foreground again building a much more positive atmosphere than on previous tracks, aided by a dreamlike guitar riff and from more positive lyrics like "finally I'm free from all the weight I've being carrying". The album ends on a positive note with the guitar being layered along with 2 vocal patterns, one saying "if you think this is over then you're wrong" and the other saying "wake me up", giving an almost euphoric ending to one of Radiohead's gloomier albums.
The main success of 'the King of Limbs' is its ability to create a mood purely through sound and more abstract lyrics. Sadness is created by piano loops with quiet and slow drums instead of having to mention "red wine and sleeping pills" or "a job that slowly kills you", whereas paranoia is created through distorted vocals and tight rhythms. I also think the record is at a perfect length, any longer in the first half may have made it too oppressive and any longer on the second may have made it easy to just zone out from it. 'The King of Limbs' sits perfectly in Radiohead's discography by providing experimental soundscapes in a time in their career when they became more associated with the more straightforward (but excellent) music of 'In Rainbows' and 'A Moon Shaped Pool'.
Best Track : Bloom [First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
The record opens with a looping piano intro which suddenly becomes an eerie repetition of two notes, almost as if the previous sound has been trapped in a moment in time. When the drums and bass of the track kick in the rhythmic core of the track becomes apparent. These provide the constants of the track whilst the rest involves layering of vocals and introduction of new instruments all the while being anchored by the rhythm section. The very free sounding vocal performance of drawn out words presents a brilliant duality with the cagey nature of the powerful rhythms of the track.
In 'Morning Mr Magpie' the rhythmic elements of guitar, bass and drums kick in immediately providing a much more tense atmosphere, complimented by a harsher vocal performance from Yorke which includes vague confrontational lyrics. At the chorus drones are added to the mix building up the strength of the sound before using a brief break away from the drums to leave again, where the rhythmic sections start to return by layering over each other before launching into the second verse, replicating the paranoid atmosphere of before.
'Little by Little' has a similarly sinister sounding guitar riff that contrasts with the much faster and more energetic drumbeat of the track. The drums slow down for the chorus to give more focus to the vocals of the track which have a sinister edge similar to that of the guitars.
The album hits its weirdest moment with 'Feral' a track defined by intense rhythms and abstract vocals not seen leading a Radiohead album track since 'Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors' off of 2001's 'Amnesiac'. One of the more interesting elements of the track is how the mix changes over time with the vocals and drumbeat fighting for dominance, only adding to the chaotic elements. The vocals are warped to the point of lyrics being impossible to pick up, and instead Yorke's voice becomes the most unpredictable instrument in the mix.
'Feral' segues perfectly into the slower growing sound of 'Lotus Flower' signalling the start of the less cagey second half of the record. Whilst the strong rhythms of the previous tracks are still present here they no longer have an oppressive nature with the bass sounding more like a drone at times, leaving most of the focus on the commanding vocal performance.
The change in atmosphere goes even further with 'Codex' maybe the most expansive and open sounding song Radiohead have created, especially fitting with the lyrics mentioning "a clear lake". Percussion is barely present giving full focus to lyrics, vocal delivery and the repeating piano melody throughout the track. The sombre tone is built up by the lyrics like "jump off the end" and "no one gets hurt". A string section closes out the track preventing any kind of abrupt end.
'Give up the Ghost' is even more bare-bones evoking 'House of Cards' of 'In Rainbows'. The slow drums, calm guitar, looped distorted vocals and echoing lead vocals create a beautifully serene atmosphere with a touch of sadness. Once again the lyrical content backs up the atmosphere of the track with a repetition of "Don't hurt me, don't haunt me' carrying across the song, whilst the lead vocals peak with "I think I should give up the ghost" before closing out the song with repetition of "into your arms".
'Separator' is a brilliant closing track, though at the very start its transition in from give up the ghost sounds very abrupt. The rhythm section is back in the foreground again building a much more positive atmosphere than on previous tracks, aided by a dreamlike guitar riff and from more positive lyrics like "finally I'm free from all the weight I've being carrying". The album ends on a positive note with the guitar being layered along with 2 vocal patterns, one saying "if you think this is over then you're wrong" and the other saying "wake me up", giving an almost euphoric ending to one of Radiohead's gloomier albums.
The main success of 'the King of Limbs' is its ability to create a mood purely through sound and more abstract lyrics. Sadness is created by piano loops with quiet and slow drums instead of having to mention "red wine and sleeping pills" or "a job that slowly kills you", whereas paranoia is created through distorted vocals and tight rhythms. I also think the record is at a perfect length, any longer in the first half may have made it too oppressive and any longer on the second may have made it easy to just zone out from it. 'The King of Limbs' sits perfectly in Radiohead's discography by providing experimental soundscapes in a time in their career when they became more associated with the more straightforward (but excellent) music of 'In Rainbows' and 'A Moon Shaped Pool'.
Best Track : Bloom [First added to this chart: 09/07/2017]
Year of Release:
2011
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,041
Rank in 2011:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 02/17/2018]
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David Bowie's last album is also one of his best. Whilst The Next Day was the first sign of a return to form, it is on Blackstar where Bowie became essential again. Similarly to Leonard Cohen's later works the songs on Blackstar are all about creating an atmosphere so that the fading of the singer's voice becomes irrelevant. Blackstar most goes for a dark oppressive tone like that on the title track and 'Lazarus', but this is complemented with lighter songs like 'Dollar Days'. This is the perfect album to send off one of music's greatest legends.
Best track: Lazarus [First added to this chart: 11/25/2016]
Best track: Lazarus [First added to this chart: 11/25/2016]
Year of Release:
2016
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,605
Rank in 2016:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Before this album Jamie XX has often felt a bit held back with having to accommodate the styles of his band mates on the XX's albums, which is one of the things that makes 'In Colour' feel so different from those albums without being completely disconnected. Leftfield opener 'Gosh' has a great drumming pattern that anchors the track as vocal samples and synths are added later on. This is followed up by 'Sleep Sound', a far gentler track, which is probably the most beautiful on the album. As with the rest of the album, the portions of this song are given time to repeat but they're never left on so long that they outstay their welcome. The tracks on which the rest of the XX appear are some of the best on the album. Since Romy and Oliver Simm only appear individually, Jamie has the freedom to create tracks that suit one member but wouldn't suit the other, offering sounds that wouldn't be possible in an XX project. The best track on the album is also the most unexpected. '(I Know There's Gonna Be) Good Times' features Young Thug on the verses and Popcaan on the hook. Jamie XX offers Young Thug a better beat than he's ever got from a trap producer and Thug uses this to maximum effect (lyrics are as bad as ever though). The inclusion of Popcaan on the hook is also a welcome change from only hearing Young Thug feature with other trap artists.
Best track: Good Times [First added to this chart: 11/25/2016]
Best track: Good Times [First added to this chart: 11/25/2016]
Year of Release:
2015
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,793
Rank in 2015:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 06/16/2021]
Year of Release:
2019
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,710
Rank in 2019:
Rank in 2010s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 06/16/2021]
Total albums: 17. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 2010 | 5 | 5% | |
| 2011 | 6 | 6% | |
| 2012 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2013 | 5 | 5% | |
| 2014 | 7 | 7% | |
| 2015 | 11 | 11% | |
| 2016 | 15 | 15% | |
| 2017 | 9 | 9% | |
| 2018 | 19 | 19% | |
| 2019 | 16 | 16% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Frank Ocean | 3 | 3% | |
| Black Dresses | 3 | 3% | |
| Swans | 3 | 3% | |
| Beach House | 3 | 3% | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 2% | |
| Uboa | 2 | 2% | |
| Radiohead | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 73 from 94th to 21st Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides by SOPHIE |
| Up 24 from 95th to 71st All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA |
| Up 3 from 5th to 2nd The Origin Of My Depression by Uboa |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 14 from 67th to 81st Heaven And Earth by Kamasi Washington |
| Down 10 from 85th to 95th Persona by Rival Consoles |
| Down 9 from 87th to 96th Saturation III by Brockhampton |
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s ratings
87/100 (from 4 votes)
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Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 80/100  | 01/22/2020 22:40 |  sssvnnn | | 83/100 |
| 90/100 | 01/25/2018 21:00 |  thirstyDog | | 86/100 |
| 100/100 | 02/11/2017 18:25 |  buzzdainer | | 90/100 |
| 95/100 | 12/26/2016 02:27 | Seab | | 93/100 |
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From JamesMowbray 02/14/2017 15:00
Thanks man, I'll probably do write ups for the top 50 for the moment so I don't have to end up removing albums with notes sometime later.
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100/100
From buzzdainer 02/11/2017 18:31
buzzdainer 02/11/2017 18:31
Wow, thanks for the incredibly detailed and thoughtful notes on many of the top albums on this chart! They really add a lot of personality, and they make me want to hear some of the albums I've either passed over too quickly or ignored altogether, such as Undun. I love many of the albums here, especially Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit; St. Vincent; Visions; and Lost in the Dream. Great work!
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