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For this list, there is no introductory statement that won’t come across as overly self-absorbed and politically bitter, so I’ll just indulge: despite barely being 4 years old at its beginning, I acknowledge that the 2010’s were a complete mess. Disastrous elections, racism, religious and regional intolerance, war, and climate change all contributed to our current feeling of impending doom, yet music remained brilliant. As it’s now “best albums of the decade” list season, to retain our reputation as an excellent music criticism website that doesn’t blindly overrate Vampire Weekend, of course we’re joining the action! Each of our two regular writers will post their top 50 albums of the decade lists, potentially followed by an AnalogPlanet team list with annotations. Before the main top 50 list however, there are several honorable mentions that, for one reason or another, aren’t in an AOTD conversation but are nonetheless enjoyable. Below are the honorable mentions listed in order of how their representing songs appear in the attached Tidal, Spotify, and YouTube playlists (sorry, Apple Music users and Endless fans):

You Won't Get What You Want - Daughters (2018)
Endless - Frank Ocean (2016)
22, A Million - Bon Iver (2016)
Help Us Stranger - The Raconteurs (2019)
Drunk - Thundercat (2017)
Splendor & Misery - clipping. (2016)
ANIMA - Thom Yorke (2019)
Isolation - Kali Uchis (2018)
Negro Swan - Blood Orange (2018)
ANTI - Rihanna (2016)
4:44 - JAY-Z (2017)
No One Ever Really Dies - N.E.R.D (2017)
Sirens - Nicolas Jaar (2016)
You Want It Darker - Leonard Cohen (2016)

After months of preparation, I now finally unveil my long-awaited top 50 albums of the 2010’s list. I highly encourage those unfamiliar with certain titles to listen to them all, as these albums truly defined the decade’s music and might shape the next few years as well. The playlist (linked at this page’s bottom) is a good primer to prepare for those first-time listens, as well as a convenient overview of albums you might’ve forgotten. And now, the list:

50) High Violet - The National (2010)
49) The Epic - Kamasi Washington (2015)
48) Wildflower - The Avalanches (2016)
47) The OOZ - King Krule (2017)
46) Lemonade - Beyonce (2016)
45) Room 25 - Noname (2018)
44) Norman Fucking Rockwell! - Lana Del Rey (2019)
43) 1000 gecs - 100 gecs (2019)
42) Sleep Well Beast - The National (2017)
41) Random Access Memories - Daft Punk (2013)
40) WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? - Billie Eilish (2019)
39) To Be Kind - Swans (2014)
38) Cosmogramma - Flying Lotus (2010)
37) DAYTONA - Pusha T (2018)
36) Masseduction - St. Vincent (2017)
35) DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar (2017)
34) Some Rap Songs - Earl Sweatshirt (2018)
33) All My Heroes Are Cornballs - JPEGMAFIA (2019)
32) ye - Kanye West (2018)
31) The Next Day - David Bowie (2013)
30) channel ORANGE - Frank Ocean (2012)
29) Titanic Rising - Weyes Blood (2019)
28) A Crow Looked At Me - Mount Eerie (2017)
27) This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem (2010)
26) Currents - Tame Impala (2015)
25) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West (2010)
24) Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven - Kid Cudi (2015)
23) Post Pop Depression - Iggy Pop (2016)
22) 2012-2017 - Against All Logic (2018)
21) Charli - Charli XCX (2019)
20) My Woman - Angel Olsen (2016)
19) Boarding House Reach - Jack White (2018)
18) Plastic Beach - Gorillaz (2010)
17) To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015)
16) EMANON - Wayne Shorter (2018)
15) All Mirrors - Angel Olsen (2019)
14) iridescence - BROCKHAMPTON (2018)
13) Year Of The Snitch - Death Grips (2018)
12) KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS (2018)
11) We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service - A Tribe Called Quest (2016)
10) Pure Comedy - Father John Misty (2017)
9) A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead (2016)
8) A Seat At The Table - Solange (2016)
7) Yeezus - Kanye West (2013)
6) Flower Boy - Tyler, The Creator (2017)
5) SATURATION I II III - BROCKHAMPTON (2017)
4) IGOR - Tyler, The Creator (2019)
3) The Life Of Pablo - Kanye West (2016)
2) Blonde - Frank Ocean (2016)
1) Blackstar - David Bowie (2016)

(Malachi Lui is the hardest working young music critic in the world. Follow him on twitter: @MalachiLui.)