I had a personal relationship with my iPod Classic. When listening to playlists at random, it always knew the one I wanted, or even ordered them in the best way possible. It fell from my bicycle once. A friend of mine listened music with it while playing football. It had at least 5 different cases. It went from a few thousand songs in 2010 to 17,000 in 2019. Who knows if I have went through all of them. Maybe not. I don’t mind, it was soothing knowing that they were there. The sensation of listening to something revealing and new suddenly from your favorite device was always exciting. 

A lot happens in ten years. Things start making sense, others stop making sense. Kanye West showed us new ways to make art and also new (and ridiculous) ways to deal with fame. David Bowie, Gustavo Cerati, Leonard Cohen, Dave Brubeck and David Berman passed away. Reggaeton became a global phenomenon. I grew a beard. I had a band, a good one. And hundreds of albums went through my ears and finished either in my heart or in my computer’s recycling bin.

One day I will think of the time that was, musically, the most important. It will never be other. From 2010 to 2019 my world became another one only by paying attention to the fact, a pretty obvious one, that music is always there; that you will never listen to all of it; that your favorite song is probably buried in a record collection of a music enthusiast in the other side of the planet; that time, the relentless 4th dimension, will always have an influence in your life, and in this case, in the meaning and power of music. 

10 years converted my appreciation of the almighty rock, into a distillation of its most nuanced forms. It is not dead, mind you. 10 years showed me that outside my favorite genre there were myriad of musical ideas that defied any expectation I could have of them. 10 years taught me that a truly meaningful artist can come from anywhere and from anytime. 10 years is pretty much the time I have had an iPod in my possession. These last 10 years are the most poignant period of time in my musical exploration. 

I present a list of 100 albums from this decade that will never leave my life. This list is conformed not only by the music I heard the most (imagine the multiple appearances by several artists that would’ve caused) but also the one that made an important impact on me; these 100 albums attempt to represent the music I’ve come to know and love in the past ten years.

Finally, I can only hope that you find something compelling, something beautiful, maybe just a reminder; a 30 minute or 90 minute piece of art that you will always know that came from one of humanity’s most challenging decades. I will never forget the 2010s and neither should you.

100-51. (Directly from a Word file)

60. Lush by Snail Mail

59. Bark Your Head Off, Dog by Hop Along

58. The Archandroid by Janelle Monáe

57. Sparkle Hard by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

56. No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney

55. Epic by Sharon Van Etten

54. Celebration Rock by Japandroids

53. Sleep Well Beast by The National

52. Blackstar by David Bowie

51. The Epic by Kamasi Washington

50-41. Music for all the ones who go.

50. Wide Awake! by Parquet Courts (2018 – Rough Trade)

A polished (thanks to Danger Mouse), widescope art-punk album that serves as a testament to Parquet Courts’ steady growth. 

49. Apocalypse by Bill Callahan (2011 – Drag City)

48. The Life of Pablo by Kanye West (2016 – GOOD/Def Jam)

Yeezy defied the standard for an album release by deciding to make changes after it came out. It speaks to his talent, then, that the final result was actually one of his best records of the decade. 

47. Wakin On a Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile (2013 – Matador)

46. Present Tense by Wild Beasts (2014 – Domino)

A technicolor indie-pop album of versatile vocals and beats, it is endlessly listenable and still pulls out several surprises. It’s a shame Wild Beasts are no longer together. 

45. Push The Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2013 – Bad Seed Ltd)

44. Kaputt by Destroyer (2011 – Merge/Dead Oceans)

It was very uncommon to find a synth-pop, 80s-sounding record this dazzling, this decade. Here is the best example. Filled with Dan Bejar’s eccentric poetry and prsitine arrangements. 

43. Freedom by Amen Dunes (2018 – Sacred Bones)

42. Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood (2019 – Sub Pop)

One of the best retro-sounding albums of the decade, Natalie Mering’s music is a call to the past but her voice and lyrics still live in the present in this marvelous record. 

41. Capacity by Big Thief (2017 – Saddle Creek)

40-31. Music to truly see and be seen.

40. Singing Saw by Kevin Morby (2016 – Dead Oceans)

39. Purple Mountains by Purple Mountains (2019 – Drag City)

David Berman’s nuanced farewell is the perfect showcase for his smart, funny and deep songwriting. May he rest in peace. 

38. Melodrama by Lorde (2017 – Universal)

37. Be The Cowboy by Mitski (2018 – Dead Oceans)

An eclectic sounding collection of tracks driven by Mitski’s piercing and creative lyricism. A must-listen, if I may. 

36. Black Messiah by D’Angelo and The Vanguard (2014 – RCA)

35. The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Chords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fionna Apple (2012 – Clean Slate/Epic)

Let’s just say that the title doesn’t seem exaggerated when you listen to this collection of flawlessly arranged and poetically written art-pop songs. 

34. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty (2015 – Bella Union/Sub Pop)

33. Trouble Will Find Me by The National (2013 – 4AD)

In their 6th release, The National changed the focus of their music and pushed the boundaries of their sound in new directions, resulting in their most approachable album. 

32. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light by Spiritualized (2012 – Double Six)

31. Teen Dream by Beach House (2010 – Sub Pop)

Saying this album is textured is an understatement, taking in account how the sounds actually surround your ears like in a closed room. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally composed the decade’s most instantly engaging dream-pop record. 

30-21. Music to walk home by.

30. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen (2014 – Jagjaguwar)

Angel Olsen’s breakthrough is a crisp collection of indie rock and folk tracks that hit hard when you pay attention.

29. 22, A Million by Bon Iver (2016 – Jagjaguwar)

After 5 years of distancing himself from the fame he achieved, Justin Vernon  came out with an oblique and glitchy collection of songs, that still distilled the folkish beauty this band is known for. 

28. They Want My Soul by Spoon (2014 – Loma Vista/ANTI-)

The stalwarts of indie rock consistency lived up to that adjective with an album filled with hooks and an outright addictive style. 

27. Strange Mercy by St. Vincent (2011 – 4AD)

Annie Clark reached a high with her 2011 release that is composed by songs marked by her unique style and a critical view of her surroundings. 

26. Dream River by Bill Callahan (2013 – Drag City)

On his third album released under his name, Bill Callahan imagined songs with pastoral sounds and yet heavily textured to surround his pristine baritone and unique imagery.

25. Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book (2016)

On his third mixtape, Chancellor Bennett fused gospel, hip-hop, pop, soul and R&B to incredible results with every guest, verse and beat perfectly produced. 

24. …Like Clockwork by Queens of The Stone Age (2013 – Matador)

The quintessential hard-rock band of the century released an album of tight and extremely ripping songs, with multiple guests and Josh Homme’s most personal lyricism to date. 

23. Lonerism by Tame Impala (2012 – Modular)

Before being festival headliners and doing massive tours, Tame Impala made a record that took their early psychedelia to catchier and bigger levels, eventually taking them where they are now.

22. Blonde by Frank Ocean (2016 – Boys Don’t Cry)

Continuing his peerless output, Frank Ocean used this record to look increasingly inward and also making music more unassuming but equally awe-inspiring. 

21. Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend (2013 – XL Recordings)

Arguably these New Yorkers best album, one that saw them taking Koenig’s wit and Batmanglij melodies to a wider and more substantial degree, with an on-point execution. 

20-11. Music to move past the feeling.

20. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten (2014 – Jagjaguwar)

This is peak Sharon Van Etten. One of my favorite artists of the decade created a collection of songs that reflect on the death of a relationship in meaningful way. The music is steady and expands when it needs to and Van Etten’s voice is the catalyst of the most cathartic moments.  

19. Shields by Grizzly Bear (2012 – Warp)

Grizzly Bear is unique in the indie-rock sphere. Shields is a more personal-focused record, produced to keep Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste’s intertwining voices at the front, without reducing the impact of their characteristically marvelous intrumentals. I said it, unique. 

18. This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem (2010 – DFA)

This album wasn’t, in the end, LCD Soundsystem’s last hurrah. A flawless production push these punchy and nuanced dance-punk tracks sky-high, with James Murphy’s musings about his career and adulthood seamlessly gliding through them. Proof enough that there’s actually nobody like them. 

17. Let England Shake by PJ Harvey (2011 – Island/Vagrant)

In 2011, Polly Jean Harvey took a thorough and critical look to her home country’s conflictive history and its present. With the help of textured arrangements, evocative melodies and a different vocal delivery, PJ composed a record that helped her exceptional imagery come to life. 

16. A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead (2016 – XL Recordings)

In their ninth record, the Oxford quintet surprised some with a more sweet and foggy set of songs. A little less surprising, the result was stunning. Carried by Thom Yorke’s penetrating commentary on love, loss and grief, these 11 tracks amount to one of the band’s most beautiful outputs. 

15. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire (2010 – Merge)

The indie-rock darlings that conquered the 00s started this decade with an album that cemented their talent to make dazzling songs about the evolution of their surroundings. A mild concept album, the record features an increasing range of sounds that Arcade Fire executed with precision and confidence.

14. Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett (2015 – Milk! Records/Mom + Pop Music)

Courtney Barnett’s debut is a pensive and lot of fun look at everyday affairs. Nevertheless the reflection upon these is more profound than it seems at first. Moreover its propulsive nature, pristine melodies and Barnett’s crisp wordplay are enough to keep you interested until the end. 

13. Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter (2010 – 4AD)

Bradford Cox and company started the decade making a record that longed for happier days. That’s not to say it’s happy. But it’s textured, engaging and addictive indie rock, with lyrics full of nostalgia and remembrance. Halcyon Digest showcased Deerhunter at their best. 

12. My Woman by Angel Olsen (2016 – Jagjaguwar)

Angel Olsen accomplished many things throughout this decade. In My Woman, she upscaled her own sound and crafted a record with a new direction. A singer-songwriter rock album that rips as easy as it pierces, with one of the most beautiful voices of the decade at its center. 

11. Skeleton Tree by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2016 -Bad Seed Ltd.)

This album was the peak of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ astounding 2010s trilogy. A record of dark melodies, remarkable poetry and hesitating beauty, that was no less arresting. It is as haunting as it is compelling. 

10-1. Music for an entire existence.

10. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes (2011 – Bella Union/Sub-Pop)

“Why is life made only for to end? Why do I do all this waiting then?”

Fleet Foxes have become one of the most recognizable folk bands out there. And, without much doubt, the best one. Their imagery and textured arrangements are instantly identifiable and since their inception they’ve showed no shortage of ambition and creativity. Helplessness Blues is, at this point, the pinnacle of that unrelentless search for grandeur. This is an unbridled folk rock album with several two part songs that merge two rhythms together, with each part exposing different but related ideas. Robin Pecknold’s voice dances swiftly over the tracks, whether is the forceful strumming of the title track and ‘The Shrine/An Argument’ or the gentle arpeggiated chords of ‘Lorelai’ and ‘Blue Spotted Tail’. On this record Pecknold questions life’s most intriguing traits and then goes a bit further. ‘Why is the Earth moving ’round the sun?’ He asks in ‘Blue Spotted Tail’, he doesn’t answer the question but he poses it as essential. Driven by the power of its composition, Heplessness Blues can only be described like that. 

9. In Colour by Jamie xx (2015 – Young Turks)

“Didn’t I take you to higher places you can’t reach without me?”

Chromestesia is the term used to describe when a person identifies a particular color when listening to a particular sound. The triggering for seeing colors can also come from listening notes being played. That unusual concept is ideal to describe what listening to Jamie Smith’s debut, In Colour, feels like. Makes you wonder if its excellent cover and the album’s singles’ art has something to do with that. Something is for sure, this record is richly colorful. Addictive and subdued beats, beautiful synth melodies that glide peacfully over them, the occasional samples and acoustic instrumentation, are all excellent components of In Colour’s world. It also features vocal appearances courtesy of Smith’s The xx bandmates, Romy and Oliver, and in the extremely groovy ‘I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)’, Popcaan and rapper Young Thug. The awesome talent that’s in full display in this record is Jaime’s pristine mixing and arrangement of every element, the samples or the instruments, are all recorded in unison to create an art piece that requires careful listening but prompts you to dance in equal measure. In all its color, it’s also brilliant. 

8. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty (2017 – Bella Union/Sub-Pop)

“Oh, It’s just human, human nature, we’ve got these appetites to serve. You must not know the first thing about human beings, we’re the Earth’s most soulful predator”

Are we doomed? The answer is ambiguous, for now. But the future looks all but bright and that is all our fault. Josh Tillman meditates heavily and extensively about our society in this sprawling rock and folk album, full of intense balladry and wide acoustic and lyrical scope. On Pure Comedy, third album of Tillman as Father John Misty writes compelling and thought-provoking songs without forgetting his tongue-in-cheek and sometimes cynical delivery. Because the other matter he discusses more than the world, is his role and view of it. He dedicates ‘Leaving LA’, a 13 minute acoustic and medietative tune to his career and the entertainment industry. He does the same in a more fun way in ‘Total Entertainment Forever’. On the title track he practically enlists everything he sees wrong with humanity’s way of living and in ‘When The God of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell To Pay’, one of the most beautiful ballads of the record, Tillman actually describes what he would say about our existence if a literal god came asking. This type of songwriting gives the album the edge of being more than just political or socially conscious; in the end Pure Comedy defines itself as a record dedicated to the fragility of human existence, orchestrated by an imperfect and talented artist. 

7. Channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean (2012 – Def Jam)

“What if the sky and the stars are for show,
and the aliens are watching live from the purple matter?”

Few artists this decade came into their own and proudly cemented themselves as industry-shaking as Frank Ocean. A modest, low-profile R&B and soul crooner with a terrific voice, Ocean ravaged the music landscape with his astounding debut, Channel ORANGE. After releasing an attention-gathering mixtape and being part of musical colective Odd Future, Ocean released an album full with thoughts on unrequited love, priviledged up-bringing and personal conflicts, described in a myriad of creative ways. Musically its range is wide, going from alternative R&B (‘Crack Rock’) to earwormy indie-pop (‘Lost’) to minimalist hip-hop (‘Super Rich Kids’). Every song here answers the question of whether Frank Ocean is capable of making his ideas tangible and meaningful, each bringing to the table a new way of combining sound, with musical influences and crisp narrative. The album utlimately is addictive in its thoroughness and musical exploration, a powerful record from an extraordinary artist, who actually was just getting started. 

6. Teens of Denial by Car Seat Headrest (2016 – Matador)

“How was I suppose to know how to make dinner for myself? How was I supposed to know how to hold a job? How was I supposed to remember to grab my backpack after I set it down to play basketball?”

Few times in my musical exploration I find myself face to face with a record I can identify almost completely with, written by a person my age. Will Toledo, mastermind of the emerging rock band Car Seat Headrest, is a witty lyricist that finds original ways of describing the turmoils of young adulthood and all its shortcomings. In a world where young people are struggling to find a clear path, Toledo expresses frustration, and self-deprecation in the excellently produced indie-rock opus Teens of Denial. The songs are sharp, sometimes long, sometimes noisey but always engaging. There’s the poignant ‘Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales’ and its hopeful chorus, also the 13-minute multiple part ‘The Ballad of Costa Concordia’, that includes a bridge where Toledo asks piercing questions about the decisions you make when you’re young. The songs are full-fledged rock tracks, supported by a talented group of musicians.

The other thing about Teens of  Denial despite sounding haphazard as young adulthood can feel, is that it’s still a showcase of maturity, of knowing what you’re conflicts are and trying at least to deal with them, even if it costs your energy and will to continue. Who knows if you’ll be able to wake up in the morning with the weight of the world on your shoulders? But if you crank-up this album it surely could give you a lift.

5. High Violet by The National (2010 – 4AD)

“Fall asleep in your branches, you’re the only thing I ever want anymore”

These guys had an astounding run throughout these ten years. With 4 albums released, tons of festival appearances and well, 4 different tours, The National went from upcoming indie starlets to one of the most recognizable bands in rock. And yet, they’re still not that relatable, and High Violet the first and best album they released this decade, is quite the proof. After the previous 4 albums, the band had come out as musically talented and lyrically melancholic. The thing with this record, is that both notions grow out to be not only absolutely true but also absolutely marvelous. Vocalist Matt Berninger’s voice is bigger and present, the instrumentation, perfectly executed, is expansive and textured and the songs don’t settle for a particular sound. High Violet, while still quintessential The National, is an adventurous record, one that gives the band’s white-collar, mid-life crisis tropes a push forward and an interesting context. Berninger pulls out his best lyricism throughout, coming out as a man in true conflict with adulthood, love, relationships and the concept of belonging. 

The band have kept themselves steady after this release and, for what is worth, you could say that of their entire career too. High Violet is a notable achievement because it represents a shift in the band’s intentions but also because it is the beginning of a wider transformation that would define The National for the next ten years. 

4. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens (2015 – Asthmatic Kitty)

“I am a man with a heart that offends with its lonely and greedy demands. There’s only a shadow of me, in a matter of speaking I’m dead”

Personal tragedy expressed through music is rarely this raw and tangible. Sufjan Stevens, with minimal arrangements, a subdued and whispery vocal delivery and most of the time, only one instrument supporting him, describes his grief after losing his mother, a person with whom he didn’t enjoy a close relationship. The conflict of losing someone close to you that was nevertheless distant looms large over Carrie & Lowell, without a doubt the most emotionally arresting album in this list.

Because, without putting much into it, Stevens manages to create songs that are as devastating as they are sparse. The hushed piano keys in ‘Fourth of July’ are a ghostly background to its truthful message: ‘We’re all gonna die’. Same goes for the gentle guitar in ‘No Shade in The Shadow of the Cross’, a song where Sufjan, struggling with this life-changing event, questions his christian faith, and the meaning it gives to his life at the moment. Carrie & Lowell became essential to me because even if you don’t share the personal weight of losing someone this way, you do care about Sufjan and his path to find the light amidst all this darkness, thanks to this eleven open-hearted and painfully breathtaking tracks. 5 years later, it still pierces deep.

3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Bon Iver (2011 – Jagjaguwar)

“I’m growing like the quickening hues, I’m telling darkness from lines on you”

This is the album I heard the most in the 2010s. No contest. It called me, even when I least expected it, and there were times when I simply needed it. Justin Vernon, after ripping his heart out deep in the woods in his debut, decided to expand his music by not only the quantity and complexity of the instrumentation, but also the vision and portrayal of his feelings. On Bon Iver, Bon Iver, Vernon and his growing group of collaborators (which is even bigger today), crafted an album that focuses on putting your feet in the ground, on the space we occupy, on places, not some in particular, just the concept of being somewhere. Titles like: ‘Lisbon, OH’, ‘Perth’ and ‘Wash.’ represent the themes and overall feeling of the album; even its title exemplifies that too. 

What’s striking ultimately, is how beautifully crafted and executed these songs are. They transform and change at Vernon’s will, there’s sounds coming out of nowhere and ideas flowing seamlessly. How this album reads is a more abstract affair, but it contributes to the fact that Bon Iver, Bon Iver belongs nowhere and everywhere at the same time. And yes, from the melodic chords of ‘Towers’ and the saxophone solo on ‘Beth/Rest’, I couldn’t stop listening to it, and I don’t need to ask myself why.

2. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar (2015 – Top Dawg Entertainment)

“You know the miserable do love company, what do you want from me and my scars? Everybody lack confidence, everybody lack confidence, how many times my potential was anonymous?”

Here are the three pillars that sustain my love for Kendrick Lamar’s third full-length:

• Hip-hop became probably the world’s most important genre the last decade. Before this album, for me, it was still an scarcely discovered territory. With the help of 16 perfectly arranged, genre-bending songs, Kendrick showed me the limits of what that hip-hop can be and pushed me to dig further. 
• Music is not limited to a form. The fusion and successful combination of rhythms and sounds and metrics is an honorable goal. To Pimp A Butterfly uses a huge variety of instruments, samples, musicians, songwriting ideas and concepts, resulting in a diverse record that still feels as a cohesive work of art front to back, and has something new to show each time you listen to it. 
• Kendrick Lamar became the voice of a generation by force. He introduced himself to the world as an artist with utmost respect for music and a large history of injustice behind him. Through his best album he conveys the feelings of his community about the racism they still have to endure to this day. Lamar points and accuses a broken system, while parallel to that, questions his faith and battles with his personal demons. He finds some answers and a bittersweet release but that’s enough to transmit a simple message: ‘We gonna be alright’. And that’s one of the most important things To Pimp a Butterfly does: emanate hope in the form of artistic achievement. I truly can only call it a masterpiece. 

1. Lost In The Dream by The War on Drugs (2014 – Secretly Canadian)

How many times do we see ourselves against the tide? How many times do we see ourselves surrounded by dark situations, seemingly with no end? How many times do we look in every direction and struggle to find a way? 

Lost In The Dream is an album about finding ourselves, but no in the sense of self-knowledge, but in those moments in life that you have the will to search even if you don’t know the right path. After suffering, after struggling, after being blinded by life’s punches, you somehow find the strength to, at least, go looking for the answers.  Adam Granduciel, mastermind behind The War on Drugs, one of the best rock bands this decade was able to give us, crafts an album of epic proportions based on straightforward songs. Despite the callbacks to a bygone era, Lost in the Dream is a record born in the present, with a focused vision that still can expand when it needs to; it’s a record that’s textured and rich in sound and at the center of it all is a man that is giving himself space to think and move forward. The grand pianos, the gorgeous chord progressions, the washed-out but still blistering solos, every piece of the puzzle contributes to create an album that doesn’t hesitate in conveying emotions. 

Lost in The Dream is an ode to redemption. The kind you give yourself the opportunity to have at a certain difficult point in your life. This is an album of sweeping rock, of marvelous arrangements, of unrelenting rhythm; an album you can drive with, run with or just sit through. Lost in The Dream doesn’t clear the way, but at list clears your head enough in order to find it. And that’s why it is my favorite album of the decade.

“We’re just living in the moment, making our past, losin’ our grasp through the grand parade”

It’s been three years after I started this blog, and this feels like the end of a stage.I thank you, always, for reading and sharing. If you have favorite albums of the past ten years, please, share. I hope we as fans of an art and as humans have a better decade than the last…

…and I hope I can keep writing.