Best albums of the 2010s: #40-21
Great debuts from fun. and Courtney Barnett, surprises from De La Soul, Sleater-Kinney and Mary J. Blige... and two albums by the great David Bowie
For a decade that started out with rebuilding and hope, it is set to end in deep division and rampant uncertainty.
With the global big picture so fuzzy, the best albums of the 2010s set out to provide a little bit of clarity. This isn’t the era for sprawling universal statements because there is so little everyone can agree on. Maybe that was always the case, but the rise of social media and the breakdown of popular culture into countless niches hammers that point home with every notification on your smartphone.
These albums, with rare exceptions, don’t offer new national anthems. They bond together tribes and seek to create new ones, in a quest to create a cultural center again.
Here’s a look at the best albums of the 2010s:
(You can listen to them on Spotify. And if you want this all in one long, video-filled list, click here.)
40. Lucie Silvas, “E.G.O.” (Furthest Point/Thirty Tigers, 2018): Sure, the British singer-songwriter-turned-Nashville-transplant is eclectic, but this collection of country-tinged indie pop is a well-crafted delight.
39. Arcade Fire, “Reflektor” (Merge, 2013): The combination of big ideas and James Murphy's big production give new depth and warmth to the icy inspiration of '80s new wave.
38. Gary Clark Jr., “This Land” (Warner, 2019): The virtuoso rock guitarist uses everything from the blues to punk to rebel against today's political climate and societal ills.
37. Sorority Noise, “You’re Not As ___ You Think” (Triple Crown, 2017): Faced with numerous personal tragedies, the Connecticut rockers rage against the dying of the light with raw sing-alongs.
36. Kelly Clarkson, “The Meaning of Life” (Atlantic, 2017): A not-so-subtle reminder that despite all her TV duties, Clarkson is one of the best, most-engaging pop singers around.
35. Twilight Singers, “Dynamite Steps” (Sub Pop, 2011): Greg Dulli's dark, masterful storytelling gets paired with layered, immediate rock from friends like the late Dave Rosser.
34. David Bowie, “The Next Day” (ISO/Columbia, 2013): Bowie roared back from a heart attack and rumors of retirement with a thoughtful, but often raucous, collection of rockers and ruminations on mortality.
33. Mary J. Blige, “The London Sessions” (Capitol, 2014): Blige's collaborations with the U.K.'s best, including Sam Smith and Disclosure, sparks her hip-hop soul in grand ways.
32. Taking Back Sunday, “Tidal Wave” (Hopeless, 2016): Those wondering what happened to rock in the 2010s just weren't paying attention to bands like Taking Back Sunday who pulled together a series of rock anthems that span everything from Tom Petty cool to punk power.
31. David Bowie, “Blackstar” (ISO/Columbia, 2016): His stunning death immediately after the album's release blunted some of its artistic impact, but the final installment of Bowie's legacy found him as adventurous and skillful as ever.
30. Courtney Barnett, “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” (Marathon Artists/Mom+Pop, 2015): A sparkling debut pairing clever observations about everyday life with the best of grunge and garage rock.
29. De La Soul, “And The Anonymous Nobody...” (AOI, 2016): Though somehow not household names, De La Soul has a deservedly great reputation as their first album in more than a decade showed, packed with brainy hip-hop and high-profile collabos with David Byrne, Snoop Dogg, Damon Albarn, Usher and Estelle among others.
28. Paul Simon, “Stranger to Stranger” (Concord, 2016): A remarkably timely collection of allegories about global threats and income equality told with sprightly Afro-pop and global rhythms.
27. Black Keys, “Brothers” (Nonesuch, 2010): The Akron natives expand their blues-rock musical universe with help from producer Danger Mouse to reveal all sorts of gorgeous soul moments as well as a huge pop hit in “Tighten Up.”
26. Sleater-Kinney, “No Cities to Love” (Sub Pop, 2015): The trio's reunion album, recorded in secret and released nearly a decade after they disbanded, did not disappoint, blending the band's trademark spikiness with some irresistible pop.
25. LCD Soundsystem, “This Is Happening” (DFA, 2010): James Murphy and friends designed the album as a finale and it's packed with grand statements, nose-thumbing sentiments and one fully realized dance masterwork after another.
24. Frank Ocean, “Blonde” (Boys Don't Cry/Def Jam, 2016): It takes a lot of planning and skill to sound this dreamy and laid back and Ocean turns all that hard work into something ethereal, yet lasting.
23. David Byrne, “American Utopia” (Todomundo/Nonesuch, 2018): He brilliantly sings about hope from the point of view of a bullet, a chicken, a dog and an immigrant-welcoming American.
22. The National, “High Violet” (4AD, 2010): Melancholy and regret have rarely sounded so stylish and necessary as they do in these lush rock moments. And yes, I may have listened to “Bloodbuzz Ohio” 25 times in a day.
21. fun, “Some Nights” (Fueled by Ramen, 2012): The certainty and confusion of youth captured in irresistible four-minute sing-alongs perfect for last-calls and when you want to make your friends cry at karaoke.
Albums #20-#1