thread for tracking best music of the 2010s lists

Were such lists any less depressingly predictable twenty years ago? (Serious question, I wasn't really paying attention.)

the problem is that time is circling back in on itself, causing the universe to distort, and many people are saying, the internet is shrinking down to a single website that aggregates all others and is able to maintain a consistent, albeit tiny, profit margin.

That website's name? ilxor.com

there's even a thread on it, this is a problem

didn't stylus do a list that asked its staff to rank its 100 favorite albums and then only revealed 101-200?

I mean the audience is to blame too. The moment a publication realizes it gets 10x more clicks writing about Kanye West instead of say, Bon Iver, the strategy shifts to an attack on al fronts. Let’s write about Avicii, Ariana Grande, Animal Collective the same day, three times the chance of getting the interest of different readers.

It’s a trend that even infected music festivals. It’s become a kind of travelling circus that goes around the world with virtually the same “diverse” lineup but with a different festival name.

It’s killing actual diversity in music to only get “the cream of the crop” in any given year but it’s not surprising why it’s happening.

idk I'd almost want to analyse these lists - pfork, stereogum etc - on an artist-by-artist basis and work out the curatorial parameters, the boxes being ticked, the consensuses they're trying to manufacture

Huh, that's weird, 'cause I have the same problem.

haven’t FPed lj in a while

WE MUST PERFECT THE LISTS. THE LISTS ARE A DISGRACE. THE LISTS ARE MAKING ME ILL.

hark at crown prince milquetoast himself

dafuq are you talkin about cuz

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvg5j3/the-100-best-albums-of-the-2010s

100 Salem - King Night
99 Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
98 M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
97 (Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar
96 Nothing - Guilty of Everything
95 Macintosh Plus - Floral Shoppe
94 The Hotelier - Home, Like No Place Is There
93 Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
92 Elysia Crampton - American Drift
91 Gojira - Magma
90 Mac Miller - Swimming
89 The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
88 Pile - Dripping
87 Jeremih - Late Nights: The Album
86 FKA Twigs - LP1
85 Wiley - Zip Files
84 Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint
83 Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love
82 Darkside - Psychic
81 Holly Herndon - Platform
80 Total Control - Henge Beat
79 Gucci Mane - World War 3
78 Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
77 Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling
76 Kelela - Take Me Apart
75 LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
74 100S - Ice Cold Perm
73 James Blake - James Blake
72 YOB - Atma
71 PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
70 Stormzy - Gang Signs and Prayer
69 Justin Bieber - Journals
68 Dean Blunt - The Redeemer
67 John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
66 J Balvin - Vibras
65 Lorde - Melodrama
64 Lil Peep - Come Over When You're Sober
63 Burna Boy - Africa Giant
62 Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell
61 The-Dream - Love Kingn
60 SOPHIE - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
59 Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
58 Bon Iver - Bon Iver
57 Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
56 Kamasi Washington - The Epic
55 Japandroids - Celebration Rock
54 Grouper - Ruins
53 Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy
52 Carcass - Surgical Steel
51 Jamie xx - In Colour
50 Ozuna - Odisea
49 ANOHNI - Hopelessness
48 Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
47 Aphex Twin - Syro
46 Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late
45 PartyNextDoor - PND2
44 Popcaan - Forever
43 Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
42 Future - 56 Nights
41 Prurient - Frozen Niagara Falls
40 The Weeknd - House of Balloons
39 Grimes - Visions
38 Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
37 Charli XCX - Pop 2
36 Deafheaven - Sunbather
35 Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli
34 Thundercat - Drunk
33 Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer
32 Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
31 Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
30 Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
29 Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
28 Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
27 Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
26 Arca - Arca
25 Carly Rae Jepsen - EMOTION
24 Beyoncé - Beyoncé
23 Chief Keef - Almighty So
22 Robyn - Body Talk
21 Tierra Whack - Whack World
20 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
19 Young Thug - Barter 6
18 Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
17 Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
16 Bad Bunny - X100PRE
15 SZA - CTRL
14 Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
13 Tame Impala - Lonerism
12 Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
11 Beach House - Teen Dream
10 Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica
09 Future - DS2
08 Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
07 Rihanna - Anti
06 DJ Rashad - Double Cup
05 Beyoncé - Lemonade
04 Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
03 Frank Ocean - Blonde
02 Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt. 1
01 Solange - A Seat at the Table

Weird list but I like that it has vaporwave, witch house and reggaeton and also a fixation on trap since those were definitely genres that dominated through the decade and haven’t been as prominent (if featured at all) on previous lists. This list kind of feels to me like the most “sounds of the 2010s” so far. It’s far from perfect and I think they’re overrating a bunch of these albums but makes me excited to read a singles/tracks list from them.

Many of those genres produced better songs than actual albums. I don’t think I can name an album in those genres that I’d rate a 10/10 but I can easily think of singles that would.

Also some interesting revisions of the decade by Chris Ott
https://shallowrewards.substack.com/p/rival-dealer-the-2010s-part-i

that vice list is very weird in places but that at least makes it interesting

the weirdest pick is justin bieber - journals which i don't remember ever seeing anyone advocate for before and in my memory the purpose singles were his only real critical breakthrough. journals had a bizarre release strategy though that made it very overlooked by both critics and the public compared to what you'd expect from someone of bieber's popularity. a weird inclusion like that definitely has me curious at least

I remember liking quite a few of those Journal tracks. It’s been ages though, would have to listen again.

Journals even

(he went full on r&b there)

It is very refreshing to see Burna, Popcaan, Balvin and Ozuna on a list like this.

journals >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> purpose

between stereogum and vice im a little incredulous that people like born to die so much

me too, i went back to it after nfr and some of it is outright bad, certainly the worst lana album despite being the one with the hits

ldr is a brand that sells well atm

vice list slight improvement on its ghastly forerunners but there are plenty of the same problems. for example but by no means limited to deafheaven as token metal pick across the board

at least vice have the decency to throw gojira and carcass in too

the vice list has much more metal than i expect to see on most other lists so i don't really think deafheaven count as a token pick there

yeah that Power Trip album is awesome but weird to see so high. i dont agree with a lot of that list but it at least feels more personal.

oh haha I didn't even notice that

my point stands that there are certain artists cropping up in all of these lists, creating an undisputed canon that i just can't get with. exhibit a: tame impala but there's like 60/70 that are ubiquitous regardless of their merits

i suppose we have to find the pleasure in the gaps, which this list has more of. 'henge beat' for instance is a good & crazy call on a fairly obscure album, everyone go listen to 'carpet rash'

my point stands that there are certain artists cropping up in all of these lists, creating an undisputed canon that i just can't get with. exhibit a: tame impala but there's like 60/70 that are ubiquitous regardless of their merits

― imago

canons are an exercise in compromise, decade-end lists are not really the time or the place to erase the arguably boring music beloved by a certain vocal demographic from the canon. in 20 years if it's really boring nobody will care about it and we can all sit back and laugh. merits? tame impala have an audience and aren't obviously evil.

Speaking of canon, metacritic’s list is out:

https://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-albums-of-the-decade-2010s

creating an undisputed canon that i just can't get with.

you literally just disputed it

undisputed by the basic culturezine mafia ;)

and you give a shit what the mafia says why?

becaaaause the sheeple listen to them and construct this tastes accordingly

maybe let's see how the land lies in twenty years though yes

I like that these lists exist. None of them ever match what I like at all. Out of a list of, say, 200 I'm lucky to find 1 or 2 songs or albums I was unaware of that I wind up liking. Good enough for me. Literally could not care less about a canon.

I fully endorse the Power Trip placement.

my point stands that there are certain artists cropping up in all of these lists, creating an undisputed canon that i just can't get with. exhibit a: tame impala but there's like 60/70 that are ubiquitous regardless of their merits

― imago, Thursday, November 7, 2019 8:41 AM (twelve hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

it's called 'lowest common denominator'. i'm not crazy about them or anything, but imho tame impala are a relatively good lcd band. they have a really good drummer, and the 'always going backwards' song is catchy

"speaking of canon" erm isn't that the whole reason threads like this are even made? i'm surprised there isn't more pushback to the idea that we ought to keep reflexively making threads like this every single time list season starts up again

Crack Magazine top 100 albums of the decade

https://crackmagazine.net/article/what-just-happened/the-top-100-albums-of-the-decade/

100 Macintosh Plus - Floral Shoppe
99 Jeremih - Late Nights (The Album)
98 Caribou - Swim
97 Tropic of Cancer - Restless Idylls
96 Clams Casino - Instrumentals
95 Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
94 Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze
93 Ratking - So It Goes
92 Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
91 JME - Integrity
90 St. Vincent - Masseduction
89 Odd Future - The OF Tape Vol. 2
88 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
87 Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap | Youtube Version with "Juice" included
86 Tierra Whack - Whack World
85 Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want
84 Huerco S - For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
83 Kano - Hoodies All Summer
82 Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love
81 Nines - Crop Circle
80 Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness
79 Metronomy - The English Riviera
78 Tomasa Del Real - Bellaca Del Año
77 Lorde - Melodrama
76 The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
75 Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
74 Popcaan - Where We Come From
73 Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
72 M.E.S.H. - Piteous Gate
71 Charli XCX - Pop 2
70 DJ Python - Dulce Compañia
69 Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
68 Mica Levi - Under the Skin OST
67 These New Puritans - Field of Reeds
66 Richard Dawson - Peasant
65 Perfume Genius - Too Bright
64 (Sandy) Alex G - DSU
63 Bad Bunny - X 100PRE
62 Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
61 Ought - More Than Any Other Day
60 Laurel Halo - Chance of Rain
59 U.S. Girl - In a Poem Unlimited
58 Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
57 Beach House - Bloom
56 Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
55 Kelela - Cut 4 Me
54 The Bug - Angels & Devils
53 SpaceGhostPurrp - Blvcklvnd Rvdix 66.6
52 Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
51 The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There
50 Young Thug - Barter 6
49 IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance
48 Yves Tumor - Safe in the Hands of Love
47 Playboi Carti - Playboi Carti
46 Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy
45 Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
44 Show Me the Body - Body War
43 Blood Orange - Freetown Sound
42 Novelist - Novelist Guy
41 Robyn - Body Talk
40 Actress - Ghettoville
39 Anohni - HOPELESSNESS
38 Jlin - Dark Energy
37 Mitski - Puberty 2
36 Danny Brown - XXX
35 Arca - Arca
34 Deafheaven - Sunbather
33 Drake - Take Care
32 SZA - Ctrl
31 D'Angelo and The Vanguard - Black Messiah
30 Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal
29 Rihanna - ANTI
28 Fever Ray - Plunge
27 The Weeknd - House of Balloons
26 Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile
25 John Talabot - ƒIN
24 David Bowie - Blackstar
23 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
22 Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
21 Björk - Vulnicura
20 Grimes - Visions
19 Frank Ocean - Blonde
18 Grouper - Ruins
17 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
16 J Hus - Common Sense
15 Rustie - Glass Swords
14 Kanye West - Yeezus
13 Beyoncé - Lemonade
12 Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt. 1
11 Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
10 FKA Twigs - LP1
09 Jam City - Classical Curves
08 Jenny Hval - Apocalypse, girl
07 Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
06 SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES
05 Solange - A Seat at the Table
04 PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
03 DJ Rashad - Double Cup
02 Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
01 Dean Blunt - BLACK METAL

i swear to god the next time i see deafheaven in one of these

Dean Blunt's Black Metal is pretty good but I think The Redeemer is great

Classical Curves is an interesting choice

i swear to god the next time i see deafheaven in one of these

― imago

i will never understand how upset you can get that other people like records you don't

Classical Curves being in there makes a lot of sense considering the make-up of the rest of that Clash list, it's a very FACT list and the ballot contained a lot of FACTish writers. There's an element of canon construction in all of these but it feels especially on-the-nose here, but when the list contains Popcaan, John Talabot, Sons of Kemet, J Hus, JME, DJ Rashad and the new Kano I'm OK with that.

It also feels *very much* like an albums list composed by people whose primary listening is to largely non-album genres.

the difference between this list and a FACT one is that FACT are quite wilfully not on-the-nose in their lists generally (and all for the better). this feels like a midpoint between FACT and the more typical sort of lists that come out of big US publications. there's still a lot to like about it as Matt said. i expect Classical Curves will show up on a lot of other UK lists, it seemed to be a real favourite among slightly left of center UK publications. generally i find UK lists to be a little more interesting as there's fair amount of stuff that just doesn't crossover to the US (and thus the rest of the english-speaking world) unfortunately

still have never understood anything from Dean Blunt though

also had no idea "Juice" was missing from the streaming version of Acid Rap - what's up with that, was it a sample issue or something?