Best Albums of the 2010s

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Explore the best albums of the 2010s, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts. Last updated: 4 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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To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

"In my eyes, Kendrick is representative of everything that a hip-hop/rap artist should have. Great lyrics, fresh beats, beautiful production and engaging storytelling. This album does nothing less than cement that he is a wise, socially conscious young rapper who knows exactly what he's doing. We ..." Reply

koner1 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +39 votes (45 helpful | 6 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

1,939 charts

Rank Score:

29,036

Rank in 2015:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

89 (2,328 votes)

Comments:

372

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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

"Great Album. But not in all of the ways ! mostly because the music and vocals. The lyrics ... no. Maybe the only good lyrics on the album are Runaway and Lost in the world.Power is great musically but still lacks in lyric.This album really "shaped" Hip hop.But somehow ruined it too.You could use ..." Reply

Behrus58 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2010

Appears in:

1,796 charts

Rank Score:

20,971

Rank in 2010:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (2,386 votes)

Comments:

283

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Kendrick Lamar

"Yeah, I'm totally sold. This record is an instant classic. It's got everything going for it, great beats, great flow, amazing lyrics, an awesome concept that is very well executed, great character arc, etc. it really impressed me the first time listening to it. Then I listened again and it was ev..." Reply

Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +18 votes (18 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2012

Appears in:

1,595 charts

Rank Score:

20,576

Rank in 2012:

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Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"it is so funny, everyone on this website is afraid of saying anything negative about Arcade Fire (or Radiohead for that matter)...it is like living in a fascist state." Reply

ffudnebbuh | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (20 helpful | 8 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2010

Appears in:

1,936 charts

Rank Score:

18,435

Rank in 2010:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Wow, I didn't think this album was ging to be this good. I wasn't too sure if sufjan could pull the whole "stripped down acoustic" style off, since the best part of sufjan's music has always been his intricate arrangements in my opinion. But man, does he pull it off. Carrie & Lowell is filled wit..." Reply

goeie-oko | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (11 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

1,330 charts

Rank Score:

15,459

Rank in 2015:

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Average Rating:

Comments:

"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." Reply

- BeeboBaggins | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +25 votes (26 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,482 charts

Rank Score:

14,565

Rank in 2016:

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Average Rating:

Comments:

"Lonerism is one of the few albums in this life that I'd dare label as a perfect album, and no, this didn't happen after my first listen. I discovered Tame Impala back in high school during their Innerspeaker days, and I was instantly captivated by their mix of alternative rock with some old schoo...""Lonerism is one of the few albums in this life that I'd dare label as a perfect album, and no, this didn't happen after my first listen. I discovered Tame Impala back in high school during their Innerspeaker days, and I was instantly captivated by their mix of alternative rock with some old school 60s/70s rock vibes. Needless to say, I highly anticipated their follow up at the time. After giving it a listen upon release, I pushed it aside, not really feeling the new sounds. It sounded like Tame Impala, but it was trying to be something else. Every now and then I would give it a few more listens, extending all the way to the end of 2014. Through all of those listens, the only song that really stood out to me was Apocalypse Dreams, because it reminded me of the Innerspeaker Tame Impala. During late 2014, my first break up, and as the feeling of loss and loneliness started overwhelming my life, I gave it another listen, and that’s when it all lined up. The album started making sense. It’s hard to understand certain themes in here being a kid and all, without knowing what losing others is like. Song after song, it felt like Kevin Parker was suddenly narrating my life. I started digging deeper through the lyrics, realizing that someone else (Kevin) had once felt the exact same way in some regard. Ironically, I started feeling less lonely. Music like this might sound depressing to some at first, but I believe it’s made like that for a reason. As you read through the relating lyrics and listen to the incredible sounds being thrown at you, you can’t help but smile every once in a while. It was truly a healing experience. By the end of that year, the album had become a nearly perfect one to me, but not quite. There were still some songs and themes that didn’t make sense to me, and as I’ve transitioned into adulthood, the themes have become more apparent, and I can suddenly view the album in more than one way. It’s no longer just an album about the feeling of being alone, loving someone, or losing someone. And it became apparent with the song that I was listening to the most the whole time, Apocalypse Dreams. The lines “Everything is changing, and there’s nothing I can do” mean more to me now as an adult, as I realize that we’re just a small part of huge universe that is constantly changing, both space wise, and Earth-wise. And while you think of that, you suddenly want to lay in bed in a fetal position and cry about it, but at the same time, it really makes you think of what it is that you’re doing with your life, and who you truly care about, and what your life would be without those people. And in the end, it makes you appreciate everything just a tad bit more, and essentially, enjoy your unique experience with the gift of life. This is how Lonerism has affected me, and I can go on and on. But there aren’t many other albums that I can say this about. 10/10 " Reply

billymkay | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2012

Appears in:

1,471 charts

Rank Score:

13,667

Rank in 2012:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"What a way to go out on. RIP you legendary bastard x" Reply

flamingyesdept | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +29 votes (31 helpful | 2 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

1,364 charts

Rank Score:

12,344

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,682 votes)

Comments:

154

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 ..." Reply

DeusExMackia | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2016

Appears in:

991 charts

Rank Score:

12,115

Rank in 2016:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

83 (1,129 votes)

Comments:

10.

High Violet

The National

"Coming off the About Today EP & Boxer, I thought this one would follow along the same lines. While those were brilliant in their own rite, I was so wrong about this one. From the first track I was completely floored. One of the best of the decade." Reply

Komorebi-D | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

2010

Appears in:

1,185 charts

Rank Score:

10,418

Rank in 2010:

Rank in 2010s:

Overall Rank:

120

Average Rating:

82 (1,354 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of the 2010s composition

Year	Albums	%

2010	92	9%
2011	124	12%
2012	103	10%
2013	114	11%
2014	96	10%
2015	107	11%
2016	84	8%
2017	113	11%
2018	91	9%
2019	76	8%

Artist	Albums	%

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard	9	1%
Lana Del Rey	6	1%
Drake	6	1%
Death Grips	6	1%
The Weeknd	5	1%
Beach House	5	1%
Julia Holter	5	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	557	56%
	216	22%
	69	7%
	32	3%
	28	3%
	20	2%
	9	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	10	1%

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

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

Best Albums of the 2010s chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 9 from 99th to 90th In Colour by Jamie xx
Up 5 from 105th to 100th My Woman by Angel Olsen
Up 3 from 71st to 68th We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 3 from 68th to 71st The Seer by Swans
Down 2 from 58th to 60th Kaputt by Destroyer
Down 2 from 65th to 67th Sunbather by Deafheaven

New entries New entries in top 100 since last month
Up 5 from 105th to 100th My Woman by Angel Olsen

Leavers Leavers from top 100 since last month
Down 1 from 100th to 101st Little Dark Age by MGMT

« View best albums of the 2000sView best albums of the 2020s »

Best Albums of the 2000s

1. In Rainbows by Radiohead

2. Kid A by Radiohead

3. Funeral by Arcade Fire

4. Is This It by The Strokes

5. Illinois by Sufjan Stevens

6. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco

7. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys

8. Madvillainy by Madvillain

9. Turn On The Bright Lights by Interpol

10. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor