Best Of 2010
i was going to wait until I heard 100 full albums, but I decided
against it. The 97 albums I heard this year ranked, along with the
top 3 EPs of the year |
| 1 |  | The National
High Violet
The National is one of my favorite bands of all time, so it would be hard for
them not to get a top spot. And while this isn't as great as Alligator or
Boxer, not a lot of music is. Still a fantastic album and definitely my favorite
of the year. |
| 2 |  | Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
All aboard the hype train! Chuggachuggachuggachuggawooowoooooooooo! |
| 3 |  | Anais Mitchell
Hadestown
More people seriously need to listen to this album. It got some of the best
reviews of the year, and it's a fantastic album. I came for the Justin Vernon,
and stayed for the awesome kinda Tom Waitsy-ness of the album. |
| 4 |  | Menomena
Mines
Menomena needs more love. Every since I heard I Am the Fun Blame
Monster!, I've been hooked. With this one they've pretty much snuck into
my favorite bands list. |
| 5 |  | Girl Talk
All Day
Can I Get A...TWERK TWERK BOUNCE BOUNCE CLAP CLAP |
| 6 |  | Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III of IV)
I can't remember the last time I heard a pop album this good. Purple Rain,
maybe? |
| 7 |  | Flying Lotus
Cosmogramma
I wasn't sure I was ever going to pick this up. Los Angeles never really
sucked me in that much. But I'm glad I got this. It's fantastic. |
| 8 |  | No Age
Everything in Between
No Age is one of the few noise pop acts that Pitchfork supports that's
actually good. And they keep on getting better. |
| 9 |  | Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
The only album that has been able to make me tolerate Gucci Mane. Congratulations, Big Boi. |
| 10 |  | Sufjan Stevens
The Age of Adz
After years of being like "oh hey imma do these art projects and not write
any actual albums", Sufjan comes back with one of his best albums yet. |
| 11 |  | Joanna Newsom
Have One On Me
Hey Joanna, maybe you could've taken the Robyn approach and released
separate albums... I'm somewhat proud that I managed to listen to the full
album in one sitting. Even if it is kinda sad... Also, thanks for making your
voice much more tolerable this time, Jo. |
| 12 |  | Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
Bradford Cox has been on a crazy streak of awesome music for the past
like five years. I hope he keeps it up. |
| 13 |  | Arcade Fire
The Suburbs
im a hipster douche |
| 14 |  | The Roots
How I Got Over
mmmmm questlove |
| 15 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Option Paralysis
One of the only metal releases I checked out this year. This is probably my
favorite DEP album. |
| 16 |  | Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
Probably should be higher up, but i'm too lazy to fix the list. |
| 17 |  | The Tallest Man on Earth
The Wild Hunt
One day I hope to write songs as well as Kristian Matsson. |
| 18 |  | Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
Probably my second-favorite Coheed album after Secrets. Chris Pennie
should've been earlier. |
| 19 |  | Nas & Damian Marley
Distant Relatives
I don't know who thought this would be a good collaboration, but they're a
genius. |
| 20 |  | Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise
Best Circa Survive album yet, and my mancrush on Anthony Green grows
stronger. |
| 21 | | S. Carey
All We Go
Bon Iver's drummer is almost as awesome at music as Justin. |
| 22 |  | Owen Pallet
Heartland
One of the most underrated songwriters of our generation. |
| 23 |  | The Gaslight Anthem
American Slang
Not as good as The '59 Sound, but still some awesome good ol' fashioned
rock & roll |
| 24 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Dare I say it, I like this more than White Pony |
| 25 |  | Curren$y
Pilot Talk
If the beats on MBDTF were even close to the beats on the Pilot Talk
albums, it would be like an 11/10 |
| 26 |  | How to Dress Well
Love Remains
Lo-Fi R&B is my new favorite genre. |
| 27 |  | Beach House
Teen Dream
I never could get into Beach House's first two releases, but this is just
beatiful. |
| 28 |  | Motion City Soundtrack
My Dinosaur Life
It's like Motion City Soundtrack picked the best things about every pop
punk song ever and combined them on this album. |
| 29 |  | Cee Lo Green
The Lady Killer
It is impossible to listen to this album without smiling once. It is impossible
not to like Cee-Lo. It is impossible not to think that "Fuck You" is the song
of the year. |
| 30 |  | Tame Impala
Innerspeaker
This is what Jet, The Vines, Wolfmother, and all the other shitty Australian
neo-psychedelic/garage rock bands wish they sounded like. |
| 31 |  | Stars
The Five Ghosts
This is pretty much Saturdays = Youth with female vocals. And that's
perfectly fine with me. |
| 32 |  | Parades
Foreign Tapes
thanks sputnik |
| 33 |  | Broken Social Scene
Forgiveness Rock Record
Doesn't even begin to compare to You Forgot it in People and Broken Social
Scene, but still a really good album. |
| 34 |  | Jonsi
Go
I think Adam Downer explained it best when he said that Go is "like getting
mollywhopped by sunshine." Even if I still don't know what that really
means. |
| 35 |  | LCD Soundsystem
This is Happening
Might've even been Album of the Year if "Drunk Girls" and "Pow Pow" didn't
exist. |
| 36 |  | Liars
Sisterworld
description |
| 37 |  | Vampire Weekend
Contra
i'm sooooooo hip |
| 38 |  | Sun Kil Moon
Admiral Fell Promises
Do I wish that this was as good as Ghosts of the Great Highway or April?
Yeah. Does that make this a bad album? Nope. |
| 39 |  | Sleigh Bells
Treats
Had this on like infinite repeat for a month. Then it kind of lost its edge on
me, and then it came back more recently. |
| 40 |  | Shearwater
The Golden Archipelago
Jonathan Meiburg has the best voice in all of indie rock. |
| 41 |  | Perfume Genius
Learning
I have high hopes for this kid. |
| 42 |  | Das Racist
Shut Up, Dude
This and Sit Down, Man were fantastic. Really hope Das Racist keep a
streak of awesome mixtapes going. |
| 43 |  | Matthew Dear
Black City
description |
| 44 |  | Eminem
Recovery
EMINEM'S RETURN TO FORM, AND ALSO RETURN TO ALL CAPS |
| 45 |  | The Radio Dept.
Clinging to a Scheme
I really should listen to more shoegaze... "Heaven's on Fire" is absolutely
brilliant. |
| 46 |  | Dum Dum Girls
I Will Be
most pitchfork approved 60s influenced garage pop sucks. This doesn't. |
| 47 |  | Women
Public Strain
I didn't like Women's debut at all, but Public Strain changed my opinion of
them altogether. A great noise/shoegaze album. |
| 48 |  | Fang Island
Fang Island
The most fun album of 2010 |
| 49 |  | Caribou
Swim
SNAITH? SNAITH? SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAITH!? |
| 50 |  | Reflection Eternal
Revolutions Per Minute
Another good hip hop album in a year filled with good hip hop. The track
with Mos Def, Jay Electronica, and J. Cole is amazing. |
| 51 |  | Four Tet
There is Love in You
LOVE CRYYYYYYYY LOVE CRYYYYYYYYY |
| 52 |  | Hot Chip
One Life Stand
Even though it doesn't really have a track as good as "Boy from School" or
"Ready for the Floor", this is definitely Hot Chip's best and most consistent
release. |
| 53 |  | Gayngs
Relayted
I don't think I'd be picking up a neo soft rock album if Justin Vernon wasn't
involved. |
| 54 |  | Spoon
Transference
After four "great" albums, Spoon release an album that's merely "good." It
was going to happen eventually. |
| 55 |  | The Morning Benders
Big Echo
mmmm summer |
| 56 |  | Robyn
Body Talk Pt. 1
Some of the catchiest pop of recent memory. Have yet to listen to just Body
Talk, but it probably would've made my top 10. |
| 57 |  | Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
Some of the best guest appearances of any album ever. |
| 58 |  | Foals
Total Life Forever
description |
| 59 |  | Childish Gambino
Culdesac
Donald Glover is one of the most talented people in show business. Good
actor, great writer, hilarious stand-up comedian, and an awesome rapper.
Is there anything this guy can't do? |
| 60 |  | The Black Keys
Brothers
Never really liked The Black Keys as much as I liked the other two-person
garage rock revival band, but this is still good. |
| 61 |  | Wolf Parade
Expo 86
I've come to accept that Wolf Parade won't release an album as good as
Apologies to the Queen Mary ever again. |
| 62 |  | Los Campesinos!
Romance is Boring
Don't like this nearly as much as I liked Hold On Now, Youngster... "Straight
in at 101" is a great track though. |
| 63 |  | Delorean
Subiza
description |
| 64 |  | Frightened Rabbit
The Winter of Mixed Drinks
not even remotely close to The Midnight Organ Fight. Hopefully this is just a
sophomore slump. |
| 65 |  | Jimmy Eat World
Invented
Better than Chase This Light Was, but compared to everything else it's still
disappointing. |
| 66 |  | Toro y Moi
Causers of This
Probably the weakest of all the major chillwave artists |
| 67 |  | Yeasayer
Odd Blood
"O.N.E." and "Madder Red" are amazing, but everything else is just kinda
"ehhhhhhh" |
| 68 |  | ceo
White Magic
- |
| 69 |  | Soundtrack
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
I still don't understand why the soundtracks to the most teenage girl filled
phenomenon since ever are filled with indie pop |
| 70 |  | Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles II
the album itself needed more Robert Smith |
| 71 |  | Robyn
Body Talk Pt. 2
Has some great tracks, but does not hold up to Body Talk Pt. 1 |
| 72 |  | Wild Nothing
Gemini
- |
| 73 |  | The Hold Steady
Heaven is Whenever
most disappointing album of 2010 |
| 74 |  | Mountain Man
Made the Harbor
It's alright, I don't see how it has a 4 right now though |
| 75 |  | The New Pornographers
Together
Eh, I guess I'll give up on the New Pornos as a group and just focus on the
solo projects. |
| 76 |  | M.I.A.
MAYA
really really really underwhelming |
| 77 |  | Broken Bells
Broken Bells
James Mercer and Danger Mouse produced some pretty good music on this,
but altogether I wasn't super impressed. |
| 78 |  | Free Energy
Stuck on Nothing
This band has potential to be really good. |
| 79 |  | Local Natives
Gorilla Manor
What do you mean this was released in 2009? |
| 80 |  | Twin Shadow
Forget
- |
| 81 |  | Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
- |
| 82 |  | Kid Cudi
Man on the Moon II: the Legend of Mr. Rager
the first album was pretty hit and miss for me, and this album is even hitter
and misser. |
| 83 |  | Julian Lynch
Mare
- |
| 84 |  | Erykah Badu
New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
doesn't hold a candle to part one |
| 85 |  | Weezer
Hurley
The best Weezer album since Pinkerton, but that's not really saying too
much... |
| 86 |  | B.o.B
The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Would be much better without "Magic" and "Nothin' on You". |
| 87 | | Best Coast
Crasy for You
for all the hype it got, it was super "eh" |
| 88 |  | Massive Attack
Heligoland
- |
| 89 |  | Philip Selway
Familial
underwhelming |
| 90 |  | Drake
Thank Me Later
Really boring. And Drake would be a lot better if his lyrics were better than
"TWO THUMBS UP... EBERT AND ROEPER" |
| 91 | | Male Bonding
Before Today
- |
| 92 |  | MGMT
Congratulations
It's not because "OMG IT DOESN'T HAVE SONGS LIKE KIDS OR TIME TO
PRETEND" it's more of "it's just not really that good" |
| 93 |  | Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Before Today
After the hype machine that this album got, I was excited. But then it never
clicked. |
| 94 |  | Avey Tare
Down There
I've always preferred Panda. |
| 95 |  | Interpol
Interpol
It's like they're not even trying anymore. |
| 96 |  | Wavves
King of the Beach
less obnoxious than Wavvves, but still really obnoxious. |
| 97 |  | Against Me!
White Crosses
I have nothing to say |
| 98 |  | Sufjan Stevens
All Delighted People EP
#1 EP of 2010 |
| 99 |  | James Blake
Klavierwerke EP
#2 EP of 2010 |
| 100 |  | Girls
Broken Dreams Club
#3 EP of 2010 |
|
