20 Songs I love from the 2010s
I did not listen to enough albums to do a decade list for albums, but songs are easy! Not ranked/in chronological order. |
| 1 |  | Erykah Badu
New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
"Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"
2010
Something about the drums and the repetition and the psychedelic vocal effects just works so well.
Genre: neo-soul |
| 2 |  | Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
"Dance or Die"
2010
I still have to hear her 2 later releases, but so far this is my favorite song of her's I've heard.
Genre: neo-soul |
| 3 |  | Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
"Basement Scene"
2010
This is one of those songs that makes me feel bad and brings back weird memories but also comforts me. their songs "Sailing", "Agoraphobia", and "Heatherwood" all actually do that too. Deerhunter makes me sad, but I like them.
Genre: indie rock |
| 4 |  | tUnE-yArDs
w h o k i l l
"Es-So"
2011
I love how this song is both disjointed and catchy at the same time. I just heard it for the first time last week, but it's already one of my favorite songs. The vocal fry talking parts are neat.
Genre: indie pop |
| 5 |  | Foxygen
Take The Kids Off Broadway
"Make It Known"
2011
This song is so energetic and full of personality. And that bass line makes me wanna dance.
Genre: indie rock |
| 6 |  | Primus
Green Naugahyde
"HOINFODAMAN"
2011
An amazing comeback and a good mix of dumb, "meaningful," and funny. At least in a goofy Zappa kinda way.
Genre: alternative rock, funk |
| 7 |  | Tom Waits
Bad As Me
"Bas As Me"
2011
Waits is one of my favorite artists and he's very consistent. This is one of his best... at least from this album. It would make a perfect supervillain theme song.
Genre: blues rock |
| 8 |  | Dirty Projectors
Swing Lo Magellan
"About to Die"
2012
I love how the percussion is kinda offbeat with the rest of the song and also the idea of how someone can feel pretty much dead even if they're still living. Nihilism, I guess?
Genre: indie pop |
| 9 |  | The Knife
Shaking the Habitual
"A Tooth for an Eye"
2013
This was actually the first Knife song I ever heard and it got me interested in them even though I checked Silent Shout first. It's so colorful and rhythmic. Laced with tons of political lyrics.
Genre: experimental electronic |
| 10 |  | Jenny Hval
Innocence Is Kinky
"I Called"
2013
Love the use of feedback and the jarring way chorus goes. PJ Harvey is somehow not going to be on that list, so I'll take the time here to say that they're actually really similar. Especially when Hval got John Parrish to produce this.
Genre: indie rock |
| 11 |  | Melt-Banana
Fetch
"Lefty Dog (Run, Caper, Run)"
2013
Well, this is just and explosive. Not much else to say about this, but I like fun explosive noisy shit.
Genre: noise rock |
| 12 |  | D'Angelo
Black Messiah
"Till It's Done (Tutu)"
2014
This song has such a pleasant groove to it and his voice is so unique and memorable. It's so reflective and sounds almost kinda defeated.
Genre: neo-soul |
| 13 |  | Hiatus Kaiyote
Choose Your Weapon
"Swamp Thing"
2015
I love how neo-soul is actually a super flexible genre for how specific sounds based on its description. The last one on this list is so chill and reflective, and then this one is so energetic and geeky. And don't get me started on that bassline.
Genre: neo-soul |
| 14 |  | Vulfpeck
Thrill of the Arts
"Back Pocket"
2015
This majority of this album is actually really boring, but this is a clear standout. It's cute and catchy, and I love the clarinet solo so much.
Genre: funk |
| 15 |  | David Bowie
Blackstar
"Lazarus"
2016
I mean the dude wrote an album about his upcoming certain death. This is probably the most emotionally hitting track on the album. The saxes sound like they're mourning the guy.
Genre: soft rock |
| 16 |  | Jerry Paper
Toon Time Raw!
"Ginger & Ruth"
2016
Ginger and Ruth are described to have such vivid personalities that I feel like I know them well after hearing this song. The guitar is really nice too. This might be my favorite song on the list actually.
Genre: psychedelic folk |
| 17 |  | Baths
Romaplasm
"Human Bog"
2017
This is another sad mellow track that's reflective. It has a great beat too. From Baths' worst album though.
Genre: electropop |
| 18 |  | Melody's Echo Chamber
Bon Voyage
"Visions of Someone Special, on a Wall of Reflections"
2018
Pretty, epic, and psychedelic. Honestly, this album impressed the hell out of me. Shout out to neekafat for telling me to listen to the album this is from.
Genre: psychedelic indie pop |
| 19 |  | Mid-Air Thief
Crumbling
"Gameun Deut"
2018
The male and female vocals mesh amazingly here and the song is fairly fun and keeps things interesting. I love the crackling in the music too. ZombieToyDuck got me to check this.
Genre: dream pop |
| 20 |  | Holly Herndon
PROTO
"Godmother"
2019
I'm fairly mixed on how I feel about this album, but this track is certainly amazing. It makes me feel like I'm listening to rubber robots having an orgy or something.
Genre: experimental electronic |
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