One Hundred Favorite Albums of the 2010s

(A companion to my One Hundred Favorite Albums of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with the same rules, i.e. (1) the albums are ranked in something like my order of preference; (2) the decade is marked from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019; and (3) I’ve allowed myself multiple albums per artist when I thought it was warranted. I’ve also forbidden myself from choosing compilations unless the material was mostly unavailable on earlier albums, as with #12, #30, #42, and #53.)

  1. White+ by White+

  2. Antologie by Solveig Slettahjell

  3. You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

  4. Mimikry by ANBB

  5. Rivers by Wildbirds and Peacedrums

  6. Plastic Planet by Modified Toy Orchestra

  7. Blisters EP by serpentwithfeet

  8. Uncommon Deities by Jan Bang and Erik Honoré, with Arve Henriksen, Sidsel Endresen, and David Sylvian

  9. Take Me Elsewhere by The RAah Project

  10. No Need for Another History by Hiperson

  11. With U by Holy Other

  12. Two BBC Sessions by Yazoo [archival recordings from 1982 released as the third disc of the Three Pieces compilation)

  13. Asleep Versions by Jon Hopkins

  14. LP1 by FKA twigs

  15. Cabaret Contemporain Plays Moondog by Cabaret Contemporain

  16. Highwire Poetry by Karin Park

  17. Supercodex by Ryoji Ikeda

  18. J.S. Bach—Six Suites for Viola Solo by Kim Kashkashian

  19. 0 by Ichiko Aoba

  20. Blackstar by David Bowie

  21. Birds Requiem by Dhafer Youssef

  22. Mudflowers by The Last Hurrah!!

  23. The Cherry Thing by Neneh Cherry & The Thing

  24. Dysnomia by Dawn of Midi

  25. 1. Man 2. Band by Bernhoft

  26. Jumping the Shark by Alex Cameron

  27. Sleepwalkers by David Sylvian

  28. Diamond Mine by King Creosote & Jon Hopkins

  29. Peppermint Radio by Kate Walsh

  30. Rkives by Rilo Kiley

  31. T H E by tricot

  32. Async by Ryuichi Sakamoto

  33. Pull My Hair Back by Jessy Lanza

  34. Immunity by Jon Hopkins

  35. Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers

  36. Tinsel and Lights by Tracey Thorn

  37. MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice by a-ha

  38. Between Dog and Wolf by New Model Army

  39. House of Balloons by The Weeknd

  40. The Smiths Project by Janice Whaley

  41. Anxiety by Autre Ne Veut

  42. True Soul Volume 1 by Various Artists

  43. Oh the Gold by Ainslie Wills

  44. Twin Concerts by Alog

  45. Reality Show by Jazmine Sullivan

  46. String Variations by Mariam the Believer

  47. Glass Ceiling Universe by Apprentice Destroyer

  48. Held by Holy Other

  49. The State Between Us by The Matthew Herbert Big Band

  50. Live in Dublin by Leonard Cohen

  51. Invisible Cities: An Opera by Christopher Cerrone

  52. Live with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

  53. Tunes 2011-2019 by Burial

  54. Colter Wall by Colter Wall

  55. Mid Air by Paul Buchanan

  56. Ibn El Leil by Mashrou’ Leila

  57. La Taberna del Piano: Homenaje a Billy Joel by Ramón García

  58. Reconnected Live by Yaz

  59. I Thought I Was an Alien by Soko

  60. Woman by Rhye

  61. There’s a Light That Enters Houses with No Other House in Sight by David Sylvian, featuring Franz Wright and Christian Fennesz

  62. Love Remains by How To Dress Well

  63. The Reds EP by Ryan Ritchie

  64. Bad as Me by Tom Waits

  65. Liverpool Rain by Racoon

  66. Beyond and Mario Biondi vs Commodores by Mario Biondi

  67. Tristan Perich: Surface Image by Vicky Chow

  68. Magdalene by FKA twigs

  69. If Grief Could Wait by Giovanna Pessi, Susanna, Marco Ambrosini, and Jane Achtman

  70. Live in London by Randy Newman

  71. blackSUMMERS’night by Maxwell

  72. Mala in Cuba by Mala

  73. Punish, Honey by Vessel

  74. One Day I’m Going to Soar by Dexys Midnight Runners

  75. Piano by Alexis Taylor

  76. Ear Hustle by Geno Young

  77. The Velveteen Age by Diane Birch with The Phenomenal Handclap Band

  78. Trail of Souls by Solveig Slettahjell, Knut Reiersrud, and In the Country

  79. Summvs by Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto

  80. Time Machines II by Peter Christopherson

  81. Walk With Me: Live at Chateau Neuf by Bernhoft & KORK

  82. Foreverland by The Divine Comedy

  83. The Other Live Collection by Alison Moyet

  84. Music for Percussion by Ryoji Ikeda

  85. A Strange Beauty by Simone Dinnerstein

  86. Beautiful Imperfection by Asa

  87. Movement by Holly Herndon

  88. Live 2002 by Mika Vainio + Ryoji Ikeda + Alva Noto

  89. Blackjazz by Shining

  90. Personal Piano by Morten Qvenild

  91. Bad Contestant by Matt Maltese

  92. In the Morning We’ll Meet by Giorgio Tuma

  93. Ultimate Care II by Matmos

  94. 10th Anniversary by Incredibox

  95. Michael Gordon: Timber by Slagwerk Den Haag

  96. Cheap Imitation by Cabaret Contemporain

  97. The Pianist by Fabrizio Rat

  98. Quarantine by Laurel Halo

  99. One Pig by Matthew Herbert

  100. The Loud Silence by Donato Dozzy

— June 4, 2025


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