Masochist's 13-Year Sputversary List
I've been on this site for 13 years. Most of the time I lurk, but for those who know me...WHAT UP! This list is my TOP 100 SONGS OF THE 2010s. Only the top 10 songs are ranked in order (and they're located at the bottom of the list, in spots 91 - 100); the rest are in ABC order (but I do note which ones are probably in the top 20). One song per artist. |
| 1 |  | A Perfect Circle
Eat the Elephant
"TalkTalk" |
| 2 |  | A Tribe Called Quest
We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service
"Dis Generation"
What a swan song--passing the torch to the new "gatekeepers of flow." RIP Phife. |
| 3 |  | alt-J
An Awesome Wave
"Breezeblocks" |
| 4 |  | Anathema
Weather Systems
"Untouchable, Pt. 1" |
| 5 |  | Anberlin
Vital
"Modern Age" |
| 6 |  | Anderson .Paak
Ventura
"Come Home" - TOP 20
The feature by Andre 3000 is what puts this song over the top. Anderson .Paak is one of the artists from this decade that makes me believe in music again. |
| 7 |  | Antemasque
Antemasque
"I Got No Remorse" |
| 8 |  | Bad Meets Evil
Hell: The Sequel
"Fast Lane" |
| 9 |  | Bad Religion
True North
"Changing Tide" - TOP 20
Bad Religion is an all-time band for me. Their music has been there for me my whole damn life, but 'True North' was something really special. The whole album is incredible, but for some reason, it's the last song that stuck with me. |
| 10 |  | Between the Buried and Me
Coma Ecliptic
"The Coma Machine" |
| 11 |  | The Black Keys
El Camino
"Lonely Boy" |
| 12 |  | Brand New
Science Fiction
"Out of Mana" |
| 13 |  | The Bronx
The Bronx (IV)
"Ribcage" |
| 14 |  | Celldweller
Wish Upon a Blackstar
"Unshakeable" |
| 15 |  | Childish Gambino
"Awaken, My Love!"
"Redbone" |
| 16 |  | Comadre
Comadre
"Cold Rain" |
| 17 |  | Common
Black America Again
"Black America Again" - TOP 20
Common's music took pretty sharp nosedive after 'Be', but this was a return to form. This song is the centerpiece of the album, and reminded me of how Common got big in the first place. |
| 18 |  | Dead Letter Circus
This Is The Warning
"One Step" - TOP 20
Dead Letter Circus is one of those bands I'm very thankful for Sputnik introducing me to. I've been obsessed with the band ever since I listened to this album, and which song of theirs to include was honestly one of the hardest choices I made on this list. That soaring chorus put this song over the top. |
| 19 |  | Deadmau5
4x4=12
"Some Chords" |
| 20 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
"Rocket Skates"
This song is not a Top 20 song of the decade, but this album is probably in my top 5 of the 2010s. Deftones are another personal all-time band. (And this song could be replaced by "Diamond Eyes," "Beauty School," "Leathers," or "Tempest.") |
| 21 |  | Demon Hunter
The World Is a Thorn
"Collapsing" |
| 22 |  | Despot
House of Bricks
"House of Bricks" |
| 23 |  | Devin Townsend Project
Transcendence
"Secret Sciences"
Another issue of the song itself not being Top 20, but the album as a whole is high on the list. Devin Townsend is the musician I admire most, and he, Killer Mike, and Porcupine Tree are probably the three musicians I am MOST thankful for Sputnik introducing me to. |
| 24 |  | DJ Shadow
The Mountain Will Fall
"Nobody Speak"
(Had I heard "Kings & Queens" when it was released, it almost certainly would have taken this spot) |
| 25 |  | Eisley
The Valley
"The Valley" |
| 26 |  | Evitan
Speed of Life
"Keep Keepin' On" |
| 27 |  | Failure
The Heart Is a Monster
"A.M. Amnesia" - TOP 20
Who comes back after almost 20 years and sounds like they never left? (Answer: Cynic) This album took over my life for a bit, and this song is probably the one that causes me to get the most looks in public for singing it out loud. |
| 28 |  | Fair to Midland
Arrows and Anchors
"Musical Chairs" |
| 29 |  | Fleet Foxes
Helplessness Blues
"Helplessness Blues" |
| 30 |  | Foo Fighters
Wasting Light
"Burning Bridges" |
| 31 |  | Frank Ocean
Blonde
"Pink + White" |
| 32 |  | GOOD Music
Cruel Summer
"New God Flow" |
| 33 |  | The Gaslight Anthem
Handwritten
"45" |
| 34 |  | Glassjaw
Material Control
"Shira" |
| 35 |  | He Is Legend
few
"Beaufort" - TOP 20
Fun fact--I've seen this band live more times than any other band I've ever seen (and I've seen a few). I've been a fan since 'I Am Hollywood', and they don't have a bad album in my eyes. This one isn't quite as good as their latest album, 'White Bat', but this song (and "White Bat") is probably the best they've done since 'It Hates You'. |
| 36 |  | Hoobastank
Fight or Flight
"This Is Gonna Hurt" |
| 37 |  | Hopsin
Knock Madness
"Ill Mind of Hopsin 5" |
| 38 |  | Hot Water Music
Exister
"Mainline" |
| 39 |  | The Hu
The Gereg
"Yuve Yuve Yu" |
| 40 |  | Hugh Laurie
Let Them Talk
"St. James Infirmary" |
| 41 |  | J. Cole
2014 Forest Hills Drive
"No Role Modelz" |
| 42 |  | Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
"Tightrope" |
| 43 |  | Jane's Addiction
The Great Escape Artist
"Curiosity Kills" |
| 44 |  | Japandroids
Celebration Rock
"The House That Heaven Built" |
| 45 |  | Jay-Z and Kanye West
Watch the Throne
"No Church In The Wild" |
| 46 |  | JJ DOOM
Key To The Kuffs
"Guv'nor" |
| 47 |  | Jon Foreman
The Wonderlands: Sunlight
"Terminal" |
| 48 |  | Jose James
No Beginning No End
"Trouble" |
| 49 |  | Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience
"Suit & Tie" |
| 50 |  | Kamasi Washington
Heaven And Earth
"Fists of Fury" |
| 51 |  | Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
"Power" |
| 52 |  | Lo-Pro
The Beautiful Sounds of Revenge
"Texas" |
| 53 |  | Love Axe
Phenomenomenons
"Right Away" |
| 54 |  | Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo and Youth
"Adoration of the Magi"
(Could have also put "Mural" on here, it really was a tie) |
| 55 |  | Lushlife
Plateau Vision
"Anthem" |
| 56 |  | Manchester Orchestra
A Black Mile to the Surface
"The Moth" |
| 57 |  | Marina
Froot
"Froot" |
| 58 |  | Mutemath
Changes
"Changes" |
| 59 |  | Mystery Skulls
Mystery Skulls
"Money" |
| 60 |  | Norma Jean
Polar Similar
"I. The Planet"
Or "Hive Minds." Or "Leaderless and Self-Enlisted." Or "1,000,000 Watts." Or "If You Got It At Five, You Got It At Fifty." Pick one. Last decade was Norma Jean's decade. |
| 61 |  | Nothing
Tired of Tomorrow
"ACD (Abcessive Compulsive Disorder)" - TOP 20
Nothing is the exact archetype of the type of shoegazy alt-rock I love. Very simple chords and song structures, but hazy and groovy as all hell. This is probably my favorite song from the album, but not by a large margin. |
| 62 |  | Nothing More
Nothing More
"The Matthew Effect" |
| 63 |  | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Belong
"Belong" |
| 64 |  | Pharoahe Monch
W.A.R.
"Still Standing" |
| 65 |  | Protest the Hero
Scurrilous
"C'est La Vie" |
| 66 |  | Rabbit Junk
Project Nonagon
"Power" |
| 67 |  | Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Getaway
"Dark Necessities" |
| 68 |  | Kindo
Play With Fire
"The Hero, the Saint, The Tyrant & The Terrorist" |
| 69 |  | Ride
Weather Diaries
"Lannoy Point" |
| 70 |  | Rise Against
Endgame
"Satellite" |
| 71 |  | The Roots
undun
"One Time" |
| 72 |  | Royce da 5'9
Book of Ryan
"Caterpillar"
Best Bad Meets Evil song. |
| 73 |  | Scale the Summit
The Collective
"The Levitated" |
| 74 |  | Silversun Pickups
Neck of the Woods
"Skin Graph" |
| 75 |  | Skepta
Konnichiwa
"Shutdown"
Got into Grime this decade. This is the song that introduced me. |
| 76 |  | Sleep Parade
Inside/Out
"Dancing With The Enemy" |
| 77 |  | Starflyer 59
IAMACEO
"Father John" |
| 78 |  | Stromae
Racine Carrée
"Papaoutai" - TOP 20
I was introduced to Stromae by a friend living in Europe at the time he became big there. Having grown up without a father, it spoke to me and introduced a nice psychological debate--is it worse to have a father who is absent physically, or present physically but absent emotionally? Plus, the song is catchy and the video is bonkers. |
| 79 |  | Tech N9ne
All 6's and 7's
"Worldwide Choppers" |
| 80 |  | Tenacious D
Rize of the Fenix
"Roadie" |
| 81 |  | Thank You Scientist
Stranger Heads Prevail
"Mr. Invisible"
(Could be swapped with "The Somnambulist") |
| 82 |  | Thrice
Major/Minor
"Yellow Belly" |
| 83 |  | Trae Tha Truth
I Am King
"I'm From Texas" - TOP 20
Well, I AM from Texas...outside of Houston. I had largely ignored Houston slab, but my cousins introduced me to Trae and Xero (and Trae had a cartoon on YouTube that was hella funny), so I dug in. This is the Houston southern rap anthem, no doubt. (btw, this song is a non-album single/music video) |
| 84 |  | Trophy Scars
Holy Vacants
"Qeres" |
| 85 |  | Ulver
The Assassination of Julius Caesar
"Nemoralia" - TOP 20
Ulver amuses me. A legendary Norwegian black metal band turns into a trip-hop group, then goes straight into ambient territory before pumping this 80's throwback synthwave pop album. And they're good at ALL of it. The album is phenomenal, and this song is an earworm like almost no other this decade. |
| 86 |  | Underoath
Erase Me
"On My Teeth" |
| 87 |  | Whirr/Nothing
Split
"Ease" |
| 88 |  | Wiz Khalifa
Kush & Orange Juice
"Never Been" |
| 89 |  | The World Is a Beautiful Place...
Harmlessness
"January 10th, 2014" |
| 90 |  | 65daysofstatic
We Were Exploding Anyway
"Debutante"
Of course, from the No Man's Sky advertisement |
| 91 |  | Against Me!
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
#10 - "Transgender Dysphoria Blues"
Perhaps one of the most important songs I've ever heard. I'm very much a live-and-let-live person--I've never had any problems with the trans population, got along with them, wished they had the same rights I had, etc. But I never UNDERSTOOD them. At least, not until this album, and specifically this song, put into words the experience of being a trans person just trying to live in this world that doesn't accept you. The vitriol from the verses juxtaposed with the bittersweet melancholy of the chorus does an incredible job of giving you the dichotomy of their life: enduring the hate and the apathy for them, while also having to dealing with all the other hardships and heartaches that EVERYONE has to go through. In one song, Laura Grace gave so much visibility into the struggles of the trans population, and then with the next song ("True Trans Soul Rebel"), celebrated them. I'm so thankful in so many ways for this song and album. |
| 92 |  | Steven Wilson
The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)
#9 - "Luminol"
I could write a huge paragraph like I did for Against Me!, but honestly, it comes down to one thing: DAT BASS. I was already a huge Porcupine Tree, and on the whole, I still like the band more than Steven Wilson's solo works, but these albums of his have been phenomenal, and this is my favorite solo song of his. As a wannabe bassist and long time prog fan, this was one of the best things I'd heard from his music in a long time. |
| 93 |  | M83
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
#8 - "Midnight City"
M83 has a surprisingly deep back catalogue (please don't pass up 'Dead Cities...'), but this is definitely their defining work. "Midnight City" is my happy song--the song that I play whenever I need a mood booster, or to put on a smile for the public. In the middle of the synth revival, this song captured all of the cheesiest, gooiest, and grooviest parts of what made the genre popular, without sounding derivative or pretentious. They kept it simple, stuck to what they were good at, put a saxophone solo somewhere in there, and in doing so crafted one of the greatest pop songs (and albums) of the decade. |
| 94 |  | Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels
#7 - "Run The Jewels"
A direct result of listening to 'R.A.P. Music' was my intense interest in this new group that Killer Mike and El-P were creating. This one was much more playful than either of their preceding solo albums, but that didn't make it any less impressive. The whole album slaps, but the first song is still my favorite. They've gone on to make two (about to be three) more albums, have enjoyed much bigger commercial success, and have a legion of cult fans, but honestly, this album is the one I come back to time and time again. "Ooh La La" is a banger, though, so let's see if they can pull my attention away with RTJ 4. |
| 95 |  | Destrage
Are You Kidding Me? No.
#6 - "Destroy Create Transform Sublimate"
It was Spotify, of all things, that introduced me to this band--Discover Weekly. Perhaps I was listening to a whole lot of Protest the Hero that week? Whatever the case, the first song they recommended was "Purania," which I immediately took a liking to, so I quickly listened to the whole album. The level of obsession I had with it upon hearing it for the first time is something I hadn't felt since...well, since the height of my Sputnik years a decade ago. By the time I had heard this album, I was already falling out of love with discovering new music...but then this hit, and it hit HARD. Repeat upon repeat, the album kept itself in my rotation, with this song being the (not by a large margin) standout. |
| 96 |  | Joey Badass
B4.DA.$$
#5 - "Save The Children"
Three of the top five came out within a 6 month period of each other, and that's no coincidence. The very end of the 2014 through the middle of 2015 was one of the most tumultuous times of my life. My car died, so I was riding the bus every morning to work. From the southern part of the city to the northern suburbs, it was a 1.5 hour bus ride each way, to work a job that was paying me less than a Wal-Mart employee. Those long bus rides gave me a long time to get acquainted with my music, and having discovered Jay Electronica's "Exhibit C" recently, my focus was back on hip-hop. Joey Bada$$ dropped this album in January, and the first song, "Save The Children," quickly became the song I started every day with. The opening Azar Lawrence sample sounded like sunrise, and the call to come together ("Harambee!") made me determined to make the most of my situation, and do better. This song became part of the soundtrack of me overcoming that trying time. |
| 97 |  | Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp a Butterfly
#4 - "Alright"
March 2015. I got a much better, higher paying job...but still no car. And the bus didn't go out to the part of town that the office was in, so I had to ride it to the closest point, then Uber the rest of the way ($10 each way, five days a week). That basically ate up all the extra money I was making, so I was still in the same position. But there was growth and opportunity, and so I was still willing to do it. Meanwhile, racial tension grips America. As a black man, I'm trying to wrap my head around it...and then Kendrick drops this bomb. TPAB speaks FOR black people, TO black people, and ABOUT black people, which is a quality that the greatest albums in the genre's history share. This song, "Alright," got adopted as the unofficial African American anthem of hope...and I, too, did the same. New job? I was gon' be alright. No car? I was gon' be alright. No extra money? I was gon' be alright. I heard it. I felt it. I was gonna be alright...and I still am. |
| 98 |  | Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music
#3 - "Willie Burke Sherwood"
I spoke earlier about bands and musicians that I am grateful to Sputnik. Of all the rappers, without a doubt Killer Mike is the one that takes the top spot. I remember reading kingsoby1's review, and thinking that his claim that this was "a hip-hop masterpiece to be remembered for years to come" was a bit hyperbolic. Well for me, it turned out to be prophetic. The album is in my top 5 of the decade, and there are bangers on bangers here ("Big Beast" is explosive), but "Willie Burke Sherwood" holds special meaning. Me not having met my dad until I was 23, I was drawn to the song's celebration of dads that stick around. And not just dads...but granddads, uncles, anyone who takes that steps up and takes on that male role model position. It held even more meaning, because at the time, I was also the main male figure in my nephew's life, so it also felt like something of an anthem for me. I still play it every Father's Day. |
| 99 |  | BT
These Hopeful Machines
#2 - "Suddenly"
There's no real reason this should be this high...except that, according to Last.fm, I've listened to this song more than any other in my entire 20,000-song collection. I love BT, I love everything he puts out, I'll listen to whatever he has his hands on. I don't listen to any other electronic artist even remotely as much as I listen to BT. And this is my favorite song by him from this decade (sadly, 'This Binary Universe' was released in 2006). I use this song to test new headphones, I use it when I just want to move, when I want to feel good, when I want to sing something, when I want background music, whatever...it fills all those roles. It's poppy, and if it weren't for BT's production, it'd be terribly generic, but it's absolutely my song. |
| 100 |  | Flying Lotus
You're Dead!
#1 - "Never Catch Me"
'You're Dead!' was released in October of 2014, and I first heard it while riding the bus on the way to my old job. I was already a Flying Lotus fan from 'Cosmogramma', and especially 'Until The Quiet Comes' ("All In" is such a incredible track), so expectations were already high. And to be honest, the album as a whole isn't actually as good in my eyes as its predecessor. But the first seven songs are the best sequence of songs on any Flying Lotus album. The first four flow so well that I honestly have trouble not listening to them in order every time. And then..."Never Catch Me." The gorgeous piano prelude gives way to Kendrick's spitfire delivery, the absolutely bonkers bass solo Thundercat throws down, leading up to a anthemic refrain and that bittersweet outro...I can still see the kids dancing in the aisle of the church. It's the album highlight, the Everest in FlyLo's Himalayan career, and everything I love in a song. My absolute favorite song of the 2010s. |
|
