TOP 100 ALBUMS OF THE 2010s

Whether in the context of politics, economics, technology, art or our personal lives, we all appreciate the seismic shifts that can take place during this amount of time. The fleetingness of the past and the impermanence of the present can feel scary, while the potential the future holds can be exciting and encouraging.

While it might seem somewhat arbitrary to analyze anything within the context of decades on a calendar, history has proven that the transition from one decade to the next is actually a surprisingly effective harbinger of change. When it comes to music, this is especially true. Each new decade has ushered in a substantial shift in the predominant styles of music that become popular. Creative innovation leads to a shift in demand, which in turn necessitates further innovation. This process is self-replicating and has occurred as long as music has been mass produced and mass consumed.

Since 2010, we’ve also seen a revolution in the way music is distributed and consumed. The advent of streaming services have essentially eliminated the financial burden on music consumers, leading to an unprecedented ability for people to diversify what they listen to. The diversification of influences leads to more innovation, and the process continues.

The decade has come to a close and it’s an exciting time for people, like me, who enjoy undertaking the inherently impossible task of ranking ten years worth of music into a Top 100. I’m not a music critic. I’m not even a musician. I’m just someone who loves music, so this list will be list of my 100 favorite albums of the decade and an exploration of what makes them worthy of that rank for me.