Best Albums of the 2010s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 2010s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 3 hours ago).

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2010s decade summaryThe best artists of the 2010s were Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Tame Impala, Arcade Fire, Beach House, Frank Ocean, Sufjan Stevens, The National, Radiohead and Nick Cave.

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A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead

"I will give it a week or so before giving it a score, because I don't want to jump to any conclusions first listen... that said, this is the first Radiohead release I've been apart of, and I've been blindsided. It's better than OK Computer, Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows. Only album I might li...""I will give it a week or so before giving it a score, because I don't want to jump to any conclusions first listen... that said, this is the first Radiohead release I've been apart of, and I've been blindsided. It's better than OK Computer, Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows. Only album I might like more than it is Kid A, and that's some high praise. Burn the Witch - The moment I listened to this I felt opening track vibes. It's like an orchestrated 2 + 2 = 5. It's gonna get you hyped for sure. Daydreaming - When I first heard this track, I thought it was one of the best things they've ever done. The way the synths and orchestration mix is beauty. Decks Dark - So when this song comes along and is just as good, if not better? Yeah, I was blown away. The build-up of this track, along with the choir and vocals is amazing. It feels like a perfected Drunken Punch Up. Just an unbelievable track. Desert Island Disk - My favorite of the two Thom played live with the acoustic. I'm happy that they didn't take out the acoustic and replace it with something else. Instead the rest of the track builds a soundscape around it that elevates it to a whole other level. Then the drums kick in and, yes Thom, I know what you mean. Ful Stop - Radiohead turns it up here. The opening part of the song where the instruments and synths slowly tune in gets me so hyped it's unbelievable. Another soundscape is made by this song, but here it feels like I'm running as fast as I can. Why? Who knows. Yorke's lyrics kick in and the whole piece comes together. Then the instruments take center stage, and it gives me a Jigsaws sense of euphoria. I could spend hours describing this track. Unbelievable. Glass Eyes - Feels like a Faust Arp, since it's the only track under 3 minutes and divides two epics (Ful Stop and Identikit.) That said, I love Faust Arp and that same love is found here with Glass Eyes. The piano starts it off with the instruments coming in with his lyrics makes me feel as if I'm looking into his head. It's worth saying, this track would be impossible without Jonny Greenwood. Thanks our lucky stars for his orchestration. Identikit - One if the most anticipated tracks of the album makes an appearance. I spent years avoiding this one just because I wanted to hear the studio release first. This track, more than the rest, is built off rhythm. That said, it is still an excellent methodical piece. When the song makes that sudden change around 2 minutes in, it explodes in the best way possible. Once it comes back to Earth, you just have to appreciate what they've done with it. One of the best tracks on the album to this point. The Numbers - Silent Spring, I didn't like as much. So maybe Yorke somehow read my mind and changed it from Silent Spring to The Numbers. The acoustic guitar is still there, but hearing it along with the Climbing Up the Walls esque orchestration and chorus changes it from a good acoustic track into one of the greatest tracks this band has ever put out. An epic that blows the rest out of the water. Present Tense - This is a track I struggled to describe. I love the opening bit, reminiscent of Nude. A lot of build up on this one. The choir is great here, and the instruments back them up so perfectly. Jonny Greenwood does an amazing job with this track. He and Yorke drive this track as a prelude to... Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief - What a mouth full. Broken up synths remind me a bit of The Gloaming. Yorke's vocals seem to fly through the song. The instruments give an Amnesiac vibe. You and Whose Army? more so than others. The orchestration is once again done perfectly. Radiohead always does an amazing job with the penultimate track and this one is no exception. True Love Waits - We've waited, alright. I'd only heard this track a couple times so I wouldn't dilute it if I heard it on an album. What we get is a Videotape esque edition. I like his vocals so much more here. He sing it like a dream. The piano is just melancholic enough for this song, which has gone from a nice love song into one of the saddest songs this band has ever released. The orchestration is still there, but mostly steps aside to give Thom his song filled with a beauty and emptiness that I haven't felt since Kid A. One of the only songs to ever make me cry and an amazing closer to the album. Overall - Radiohead is playing like a band in their prime 31 years in. Through this time they've gone from the rock ballad of OK Computer and has released its equivalent here. I don't see them ending here, Thom and Jonny are working together more than ever. If they do, however, then this is a perfect album to leave us with. Initial Impression - 10/10. This album takes me on an unbelievable journey from its hard pressed opener to its desolate conclusion. Radiohead faithful will love this album to death." [More] Reply
- BeeboBaggins | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +24 votes (25 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,403 charts

Rank Score:

14,818

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Whilst listening to Blackstar for a second time, I realised something: this is the only Bowie album to not have his face on the cover. That left me feeling that not only was this really the end, but that he was fully aware his end was coming. And if this was his final dance, then he's certainly p..." [More] Reply
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DeusExMackia | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +23 votes (23 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,274 charts

Rank Score:

12,385

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,676 votes)

Comments:

153

Blond

Frank Ocean

"Blonde is brilliant. That might even be the extent to which I can give my thoughts on this album. That is all. It is just a brilliant album. Ocean takes us on an emotional, dreamy adventure into his own world, and introduces us to a new class of music. The sound of Blonde is experimental without ..." [More] Reply
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DeusExMackia | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

915 charts

Rank Score:

12,372

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

83 (1,124 votes)

Comments:

26.

Teens Of Denial

Car Seat Headrest

"In a year when most of the hugely acclaimed releases sprang from the electronic genre (The Avalanches' "The Wildflowers", Blood Orange's "Freetown Sound" or ANOHNI's "Hopelessness", just to name a few) and the rest were experimental in some way (Frank Ocean's "Blond", Radiohead's "A moon shaped p..." [More] Reply
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9999 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

721 charts

Rank Score:

6,919

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

227

Average Rating:

83 (851 votes)

Comments:

38.

Atrocity Exhibition

Danny Brown

"It's great how rappers can rap over anything these days; no more need being restricted to boom bap drum loops. Atrocity Exhibition might be the best demonstration of this I've heard yet" Reply
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Perring | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

620 charts

Rank Score:

5,552

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

297

Average Rating:

83 (721 votes)

Comments:

46.

Skeleton Tree

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

"It really warms my heart to see how quickly this album has risen on the 2016 list. This is my first "new" Nick Cave album as I'm still not two years into him. I bought as soon as it came out last Friday, have listened to it at least a dozen times and I still have barely any words. When Nick Cave ..." [More] Reply
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badseed | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

636 charts

Rank Score:

4,408

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

380

Average Rating:

82 (706 votes)

Comments:

51.

22, A Million

Bon Iver

"Some wonderful moments, some not so. The more melodic and accessible the songs, the better. Still, it is a brave record and it doesn't out stay it's welcome and I'm sure it has yet to fully hit me yet. A challenging album, which I hope will reward me with a great record, but I'm not quite there y..." [More] Reply
- garycottier | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

546 charts

Rank Score:

4,245

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

393

Average Rating:

78 (725 votes)

Comments:

56.

Safe Mode: On

The Life Of Pablo

Kanye West

"How can you rate this before it comes out? The version yesterday wasn't complete and even if it was, it was a livestream of music being played over an arena sound system, not exactly the best audio quality." Reply
- redsox6 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +19 votes (20 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

545 charts

Rank Score:

3,943

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

61.

"People on this site love dumping all over pop albums for no reason. If you given this album a 5/100 you clearly haven't listened to it open mindedly or at all." Reply
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andy_hunter | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +29 votes (32 helpful | 3 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

512 charts

Rank Score:

3,748

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

451

Average Rating:

77 (665 votes)

Comments:

70.

We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

A Tribe Called Quest

"One could argue that this is A Tribe's best record. I'd still put The Low End Theory first but this is undoubtedly a powerful, emotional, and worthy final outing from one of the greatest rap groups of all time. Highlights for me are Whateva Will Be, Space Program, We The People..., and Dis Genera..." [More] Reply
- mjp11 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

524 charts

Rank Score:

3,407

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

504

Average Rating:

82 (574 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 85. Page 1 of 9

Best Albums of the 2010s composition

Year	Albums	%

2010	89	9%
2011	122	12%
2012	105	11%
2013	114	11%
2014	94	9%
2015	106	11%
2016	85	9%
2017	115	12%
2018	91	9%
2019	79	8%

Artist	Albums	%

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	8	1%
Death Grips	6	1%
Drake	6	1%
Lana Del Rey	6	1%
Kanye West	5	1%
Car Seat Headrest	5	1%
Beach House	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	561	56%
	216	22%
	69	7%
	32	3%
	25	3%
	20	2%
	10	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	11	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	994	99%
Yes	6	1%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	995	100%
Yes	5	1%

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