Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s by ForegroundNoise

December 2020.

A year late and completely unasked for, but today was finally the day I rated fifty albums by fifty artists from the last decade worthy of being on this list. As with my 2000s list this is an extreme WIP; I'll add short bios and other notable releases (ONR), solo records, or projects by related artists that are worth checking out are mentioned in each entry's notes when I finally open a wormhole find some time in there. Please leave your suggestions in the comments below! Never someone to turn down the recommendation of a passionate music fan.

Below are my favourite short releases of the decade, and below that any stand-out albums that do not qualify as contemporary (retrospective compilations, live albums etc.). As for the term 'short release' this refers to anything that falls under less than half an hour in length, a distinction I prefer to the outdated classifiers of traditional LP/EP boundaries (also makes for more exciting individual lists).


Top 5 Short Releases of the 2010s

1. Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs (2018) [US]
abstract hip hop • experimental hip hop (Tan Cressida, 24:48) - 9/10
2. Murmuüre - Murmuüre (2010) [FR]
atmospheric black metal • ambient (Cold Void Emanations, 29:13) - 8/10
3. Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour / Golden Mile (Warp, 23:07) [US]
indie folk - 8/10
4. The Brave Little Abacus - Okumay (2012) [US]
emo (Quote Unquote, 14:48) - 8/10
5. Mach-Hommy - Fête des Morts aka Día de las Muertos (2017) [US]
abstract hip hop (n/a, 16:57) - 8/10
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Retrospective/Archival

Neutral Milk Hotel - Ferris Wheel on Fire (2011) [US]
indie folk (NMH, 24:25) - 8/10
S.E.M. Ensemble / Julius Eastman - Femenine (2016) [US]
minimalism • chamber music (Frozen Reeds, 72:37) - 7.5/10

• Chart updated: 03/15/2024 15:45
• (Created: 04/15/2018 08:29).
• Chart size: 50 albums.

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1. (=)

To Pimp A Butterfly 

 Kendrick Lamar

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conscious hip hop • jazz rap

(Top Dawg, 78:51)

9.5/10

"I'm African-American, I'm African
I'm black as the heart of a fucking Aryan"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/01/2018]

Year of Release:

2015

Appears in:

1,775 charts

Rank Score:

36,992

Rank in 2015:

1

Rank in 2010s:

1

Overall Rank:

19

Average Rating:

 89 (2,224 votes)

Comments:

365

2. (=)

Virgins 

 Tim Hecker

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ambient • drone • electroacoustic

(Kranky, 48:54)

9.5/10

ONR:

Ravedeath, 1972 (2011)
ambient • drone (Kranky, 52:23) - 8.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/01/2018]

Year of Release:

2013

Appears in:

182 charts

Rank Score:

1,202

Rank in 2013:

29

Rank in 2010s:

222

Overall Rank:

1,436

Average Rating:

 78 (194 votes)

Comments:

4

3. (=)

Have One On Me 

 Joanna Newsom

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chamber folk • progressive folk

(Drag City, 124:02)

9/10

"Will you tuck your shirt?
Will you leave it loose?
You are badly hurt
You're a silly goose
You are caked in mud
And in blood, and worse
Chew your bitter cud
Grope your little nurse"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/01/2018]

Year of Release:

2010

Appears in:

486 charts

Rank Score:

4,960

Rank in 2010:

10

Rank in 2010s:

47

Overall Rank:

365

Average Rating:

 81 (504 votes)

Comments:

39

4. (=)

Caligula 

 Lingua Ignota

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neoclassical darkwave • death industrial

(Profound Lore, 66:01)

9/10

"I'll only say this once
Life is cruel, and time heals nothing
And everyone you love will leave you
But not me

So will you join me?
Will you join me?
If you lay your life down, no man can take it"

ONR:

Let the Evil of His Own Lips Cover Him (2017)
neoclassical darkwave (n/a, 42:24) - 8/10

All Bitches Die (2017)
death industrial • neoclassical darkwave (n/a, 42:24) - 8.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/27/2019]

Year of Release:

2019

Appears in:

124 charts

Rank Score:

723

Rank in 2019:

26

Rank in 2010s:

376

Overall Rank:

2,252

Average Rating:

 78 (144 votes)

Comments:

7

5. (=)

To Be Kind 

 Swans

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experimental rock • post-rock

(Young God, 121:12)

9/10

"Pink little lamb, on a granite slab
Black chasm creeping, forever leaking
Oh universe
Sing in reverse"

ONR:

The Seer (2012)
experimental rock • post-rock (Young God, 118:58) - 8.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 02/09/2020]

Year of Release:

2014

Appears in:

611 charts

Rank Score:

7,118

Rank in 2014:

2

Rank in 2010s:

29

Overall Rank:

243

Average Rating:

 82 (859 votes)

Comments:

100

6. (=)

Just Got Back From The Discomfort - We're Alright 

 The Brave Little Abacus

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emo • experimental rock

(n/a, 44:33)

9/10

"This is not universal
Kid is not he who abandoned that auditorium and no, I do not want to become him anymore
But yes, I do want him to become what I believe he once was, my best friend
And stop that, he still is
I don't really think about it that way, no, I don't really ever think about it that way"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 11/25/2018]

Year of Release:

2010

Appears in:

64 charts

Rank Score:

514

Rank in 2010:

46

Rank in 2010s:

487

Overall Rank:

2,944

Average Rating:

 76 (63 votes)

Comments:

2

7. (=)

'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! 

 Godspeed You! Black Emperor

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post-rock

(Constellation, 53:07)

8.5/10
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/01/2018]

Year of Release:

2012

Appears in:

281 charts

Rank Score:

1,694

Rank in 2012:

15

Rank in 2010s:

154

Overall Rank:

1,046

Average Rating:

 80 (400 votes)

Comments:

17

8. (=)

A Crow Looked At Me 

 Mount Eerie

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indie folk • contemporary folk

(P.W. Elverum & Sun, 41:30)

8.5/10

"You were probably inside
You were probably aching, wanting not to die
Your body transformed
I couldn't bear to look so I turned my head west
Like an early death

Now I can only see you on the fridge in lifeless pictures"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/01/2018]

Year of Release:

2017

Appears in:

427 charts

Rank Score:

3,375

Rank in 2017:

6

Rank in 2010s:

75

Overall Rank:

537

Average Rating:

 80 (590 votes)

Comments:

62

9. (=)

The Magic Place 

 Julianna Barwick

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ambient pop • ambient

(Asthmatic Kitty, 43:44)

8.5/10

"Rolling with my rag top down
Rolling with my rag top down
Rolling with my rag top down"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 05/11/2018]

Year of Release:

2011

Appears in:

65 charts

Rank Score:

412

Rank in 2011:

81

Rank in 2010s:

633

Overall Rank:

3,550

Average Rating:

 77 (73 votes)

Comments:

8

10. (=)

Exmilitary 

 Death Grips

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hardcore hip hop • industrial hip hop • experimental hip hop • abstract hip hop

(Third Worlds, 48:44)

8.5/10

"Worship is not on bended knee
Nature knows not of mercy
To pray is to accept defeat
Power pisses on the weak"
____________________________________________________________________________ [First added to this chart: 06/30/2018]

Year of Release:

2011

Appears in:

252 charts

Rank Score:

2,196

Rank in 2011:

14

Rank in 2010s:

120

Overall Rank:

817

Average Rating:

 81 (456 votes)

Comments:

28

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s composition

Year	Albums	%
2010	6	12%
2011	4	8%
2012	5	10%
2013	4	8%
2014	3	6%
2015	7	14%
2016	6	12%
2017	5	10%
2018	5	10%
2019	5	10%

Artist	Albums	%
Burial	1	2%
Sufjan Stevens	1	2%
Arca	1	2%
Joanna Newsom	1	2%
Lil Ugly Mane	1	2%
Grouper	1	2%
Celer	1	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	28	56%
	9	18%
	3	6%
	3	6%
	2	4%
	1	2%
	1	2%
Show all

Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s chart changes

Biggest fallers
Down 1 from 47th to 48th Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides by SOPHIE
Down 1 from 48th to 49th Schlagenheim by Black Midi

New entries
Going Places by Yellow Swans

Leavers
Logic Songs by Little Kid

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Top 50 Music Albums of the 2010s ratings

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	02/12/2021 20:06	DJENNY	4,408	100/100
90/100	12/17/2020 09:59	desh79	1,281	93/100

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