best of @michael's Top 100 Albums of the Decade *complete*

[@michael]

 

35. ADELE - 21 (2011 - 3rd of 9)

best songs - "someone like you"; "rolling in the deep"; "one and only"; "set fire to the rain"; "take it all"

 

This is really the album of the decade, isn't it? Probably the last gargantuan era we'll ever witness. And I have no problems with it, because the music is that good. I know it's been said over and over, but Adele really put all of her heartbreak into this, and we felt every moment. Ultimate classic.

 

34. BEYONCÉ - LEMONADE (2016 - 4th of 11)

best songs - "all night"; "pray you catch me"; "daddy lessons"; "sorry"; "formation"

 

Ms. Knowles-Carter probably felt a lot of pressure to live up to the hype she had built after Self-Titled, and she delivered. What I love most about this album is the diversity of sounds that she incorporates. You can't go without mentioning the country "Daddy Lessons", but then there are also collabs with James Blake, Jack White, Kendrick, and The Weeknd. And she made it all come together for one classic album.

 

33. SKY FERREIRA - NIGHT TIME, MY TIME (2013 - 8th of 13)

best songs - "you're not the one"; "love in stereo"; "i blame myself"; "i will"; "night time, my time"

 

After years of pop flops, Sky Ferreira was finally able to release an album. The album had a lot of alternative rock undertones, but there were great pop/rock and bubblegum influences as well. The album showed that Sky was never going to work as an industry puppet, as she's simply too talented and too unique to just fade into some producer's background. I hope she releases another album in the new decade.

 

32. RIHANNA - LOUD (2010 - 4th of 8)

best songs - "only girl (in the world)"; "what's my name?"; "man down"; "skin"; "complicated"

 

I believe that this remains Rihanna's best album and era. Her red hair really created a movement, and she was all over the charts in this era. Although Rihanna had been a staple in pop for years, I feel like this era was the one in which she decided which way the pop winds blew. Her electropop bangers mixed with urban-contemporary R&B created a fun listening experience that I still cherish nearly ten years later.

 

31. CHAIRLIFT - MOTH (2016 - 3rd of 11)

best songs - "show u off"; "moth to the flame"; "crying in public"; "romeo"; "ch-ching"

 

This was the last album that Chairlift made before Caroline Polachek decided to go solo. It's also their best. Talk about going out on top. I feel that this album was a great pop album with alternative flourishes. Of course, Caroline is never going to create straight, by-the-numbers pop, so there are unique elements throughout that really highlight her unusual voice. "Crying in Public" is a great example of a pop song that is ready for radio, but also incorporates some of Caroline's unique vocal abilities.

[@michael]

 

30. GRIMES - ART ANGELS (2015 - 4th of 15)

best songs - "kill v. maim"; "flesh without blood"; "butterfly"; "california"; "pin"

 

There was a lot of pressure for Grimes' follow-up after Visions, and I think she lived up to the hype. While Grimes herself has said that she doesn't like this album anymore, I still think that it's pretty great. I love how she learned to play guitar and introduced that skill on this album, as it really brought a new dimension for her to use. The highs on this album are really high, and there's only one bad song ("Easily"). I think Grimes should be a little easier on herself.

 

29. PARAMORE - PARAMORE (2013 - 7th of 13)

best songs - "ain't it fun"; "still into you"; "grow up"; "part ii"; "last hope"

 

Paramore's self-titled album came during a crossroads in their career. Their brand of pop/punk was quickly going out of style, and many of their fans were also growing out of that genre. So they switched things up and brought in more pop elements for this album. I love that they threw in everything and the kitchen sink in some of these songs, especially "Ain't It Fun", which even features a church choir. You wouldn't think all of this would work, but it did, and the album is still fresh to this day.

 

28. CARLY RAE JEPSEN - E•MO•TION (2015 - 3rd of 15)

best songs - "run away with me"; "warm blood"; "all that"; "boy problems"; "emotion"

 

I don't think anybody was expecting Carly Rae Jepsen to come up with one of the best pop albums of the decade in 2015. By this time of her career, she had been written off as a one-hit wonder. However, the great singles "I Really Like You" and "Run Away With Me" brought her to the attention of the internet gays. They showed her love and support that eventually turned into wonderful critical support. With this album, Carly cemented herself as a gay pop queen, and she'll always be booked at gay pride events even when her career starts to take a downturn.

 

27. CARDI B - INVASION OF PRIVACY (2018 - 3rd of 8)

best songs - "bodak yellow"; "thru your phone"; "bartier cardi"; "i like it"; "drip"

 

Cardi B stated that her goal with her debut album was to make bangers. Well, she certainly did that. We'll never know how much influence Cardi actually had on the album, because of the persistent ghostwriting rumors, but what we can do is simply enjoy what she curated. I didn't understand the Cardi hype at first, but listening to this album gave me a deeper understanding. Cardi just makes music that feels right to her and represents her. You can hear the passion coming through, and that is what helps separate the best artists from the rest.

 

26. MIGUEL - KALEIDOSCOPE DREAM (2012 - 4th of 9)

best songs - "adorn"; "use me"; "kaleidoscope dream"; "how many drinks"; "do you..."

 

Miguel is one of the great artists of the 2010s that unfortunately never had a mainstream breakthrough. I feel like he was on that alternative R&B trend before it became hip. Miguel really does stand out as an all-around great artist. He's a terrific writer and he always sings the **** out of his songs. His personality shines, and he does a great job of mixing throwbacks with his own original, modern spin. "Adorn" is one of the great songs of the decade.

[@michael]

 

25. DRAKE - NOTHING WAS THE SAME (2013 - 6th of 13)

best songs - "hold on, we're going home"; "305 to my city"; "worst behavior"; "started from the bottom"; "pound cake/paris morton music 2"

 

I think that this album is Drake at his best. His confidence was absolutely brimming and he was at his peak artistically. None of the songs on the album are worth skipping. Every track has its own value. "Tuscan Leather", the album opener, didn't even make my top five, but it is one hell of an album opener. "Hold On, We're Going Home" slayed with the critical praise. "Worst Behavior" is Drake at his cockiest and most fun. It's amazing this album didn't crack my top 20, but it shows how tough the selection was for me.

 

24. A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW - SEA WHEN ABSENT (2014 - 3rd of 10)

best songs - "golden waves"; "the body, it bends"; "oh, i'm a wrecker (what to say to crazy people)"; "crushin'"; "double dutch"

 

This is probably the last out-of-left-field pick from me in this countdown. I don't know what made me want to listen to this album when it came out. It had a pretty good review on Pitchfork, and I was definitely more adventurous with my music-listening back in 2014. This album had a lot of things that I was looking for. It's unpolished. It's noisy. It's unpleasant. But there are beautiful vocals, harmonies, and melodies all throughout. This is shoegaze music on crack.

 

23. VAMPIRE WEEKEND - MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY (2013 - 5th of 13)

best songs - "ya hey"; "everlasting arms"; "hannah hunt"; "step"; "unbelievers"

 

This was actually the first Vampire Weekend album I ever heard, and it was quite a pleasant introduction. I quite liked the religious themes of this album, as I have always had big questions of faith myself. It's equal parts sarcasm and equal parts earnest reflection about religion and all of the craziness it brings with it. I feel like Vampire Weekend just has the ultimate knack for knowing what sounds good. Everything they make is pleasant, even when they are pushing boundaries and experimenting. Some artists just have that innate ability.

 

22. TAYLOR SWIFT - SPEAK NOW (2010 - 3rd of 8)

best songs - "enchanted"; "mine"; "dear john"; "back to december"; "innocent"

 

Speak Now is the last full country album from Taylor Swift, as she started making her transition to pop after this. This was a big release for Taylor because it was her first album after the VMA incident with Kanye West. This album really showed that Taylor was meant for bigger stages than country music. "Mine" is sometimes considered a retread of "Love Story", but it's still quite strong. The songwriting is top-notch, especially songs like "Back to December", "Dear John", "Innocent", and "Enchanted". The era was built around fairytale mythology, and Swift's career take-off since this album has been a true fairytale.

 

21. LADY GAGA - BORN THIS WAY (2011 - 2nd of 9)

best songs - "heavy metal lover"; "scheiße"; "hair"; "highway unicorn (road to love)"; "the edge of glory"

 

So, Lady Gaga didn't create the album of the decade with Born This Way, but she gave it her best shot? Looking back, she really was so bold with this album. In the era of electropop that she helped to usher, she changed it up and released an album dedicated to 80s glam, hair-metal rock. The singles like "Born This Way" and "Judas" don't even truly reflect the album. Songs like "Hair", "Highway Unicorn", and "Electric Chapel" more accurately reflect this essence of this album. This album is bold, hyper-aggressive, and creatively liberating. It's hard for me to believe she was only 25 years old when it was released. She really put every ounce into this album, and you can't help but admire the effort.

[Mr. Loco]

Born this Way 

Tho HML, Hair & Unicorn are some of my least liked from the album 

Schiebe and The edge of glory are great tho 

[@michael]

 

20. FKA TWIGS - LP1 (2014 - 2nd of 10)

best songs - "two weeks"; "pendulum"; "kicks"; "give up"; "closer"

 

19. CHVRCHES - THE BONES OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE (2013 - 4th of 13)

best songs - "recover"; "night sky"; "by the throat"; "under the tide"; "the mother we share"

 

18. DIRTY PROJECTORS - SWING LO MAGELLAN (2012 - 3rd of 9)

best songs - "about to die"; "swing lo magellan"; "the socialites"; "impregnable question"; "see what she seeing"

 

17. FATHER JOHN MISTY - I LOVE YOU, HONEYBEAR (2015 - 2nd of 15)

best songs - "holy shít"; "bored in the usa"; "when you're smiling and astride me"; "true affection"; "chateau lobby #4 (in c for two virgins)"

 

16. THE 1975 - A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS (2018 - 2nd of 8)

best songs - "love it if we made it"; "i couldn't be more in love"; "sincerity is scary"; "i like america & america likes me"; "be my mistake"

[@michael]

 

15. JESSIE WARE - DEVOTION (2012 - 2nd of 9)

best songs - "wildest moments"; "running"; "sweet talk"; "110%"; "something inside"

 

14. BLOOD ORANGE - FREETOWN SOUND (2016 - 2nd of 11)

best songs - "e.v.p."; "best to you"; "hands up"; "augustine"; "hadron collider"

 

13. CHARLI XCX - TRUE ROMANCE (2013 - 3rd of 13)

best songs - "you're the one"; "nuclear seasons"; "stay away"; "what i like"; "grins"

 

12. LORDE - MELODRAMA (2017 - 1st of 9)

best songs - "perfect places"; "liability"; "sober"; "supercut"; "the louvre"

 

11. LYKKE LI - I NEVER LEARN (2014 - 1st of 10)

best songs - "love me like i'm not made of stone"; "gunshot"; "no rest for the wicked"; "sleeping alone"; "i never learn"

[@michael]

 

10. KANYE WEST - MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY (2010 - 2nd of 8)

best songs - "monster"; "power"; "all of the lights"; "blame game"; "devil in a new dress"

 

09. LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER - A STAR IS BORN SOUNDTRACK (2018 - 1st of 8)

best songs - "always remember us this way"; "shallow"; "is that alright?"; "i'll never love again"; "look what i found"

 

08. ANOHNI - HOPELESSNESS (2016 - 1st of 11)

best songs - "drone bomb me"; "hopelessness"; "marrow"; "crisis"; "watch me"

 

07. HAIM - DAYS ARE GONE (2013 - 2nd of 13)

best songs - "days are gone"; "the wire"; "forever"; "don't save me"; "go slow"

 

06. ARCADE FIRE - THE SUBURBS (2010 - 1st of 8)

best songs - "sprawl ii (mountains beyond mountains)"; "we used to wait"; "suburban war"; "the suburbs"; "ready to start"

[@michael]

 

05. BEYONCÉ - BEYONCÉ (2013 - 1st of 13)

best songs - "***flawless"; "no angel"; "partition"; "drunk in love"; "xo"

 

04. GRIMES - VISIONS (2012 - 1st of 9)

best songs - "genesis"; "oblivion"; "be a body"; "nightmusic"; "skin"

 

03. LANA DEL REY - NORMAN FUCĶІNG ROCKWELL! (2019 - 1st of 8)

best songs - "venice bitch"; "california"; "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it"; "the greatest"; "how to disappear"

 

02. TAME IMPALA - CURRENTS (2015 - 1st of 15)

best songs - "the moment"; "eventually"; "'cause i'm a man"; "the less i know the better"; "let it happen"

 

01. KATY B - ON A MISSION (2011 - 1st of 9)

best songs - "katy on a mission"; "broken record"; "witches' brew"; "power on me"; "lights on"

[@michael]

Thanks to everyone who read and commented. I can't believe I finished lmao.