OK, let's just get right back into it.
10. Chvrches - Love Is Dead (2018)
This Scottish synthpop trio spent the better part of the decade building towards this LP, showing flashes of brilliance on 2013's The Bones of What You Believe and 2015's Every Open Eye. This one, though, is the one that brought it all together. It's a fully realized album from start to finish, which is why I picked it as my Top LP of 2018. Best tracks: "Grafitti", "Never Say Die".
9. Kesha - Animal (2010)
I don't listen to a lot of pure pop. I find most of it pretty bland. But Kesha has something that I don't find in the Ariana's and Taylor's of the world - there's something compelling about her. She's probably done more mature work than this -- I know a lot of people admired her 2017 Rainbow LP, for example -- but this was the one that brought her to the public consciousness, and it's still my favorite album of hers. Best tracks: "Your Love Is My Drug", "Tik Tok".
8. The Sounds - Something to Die For (2011)
We haven't heard much from this Swedish indie rock band since their 2013 Weekend LP, and that's a shame. This album, their best, is chock full of strong, yet often danceable, alt rock. Best tracks: "Dance With the Devil", "Something to Die For".
7. The Magnetic Fields - 50 Song Memoir (2017)
I'll be honest - I was a little nervous on Stephin Merritt's behalf when I first heard he was planning another project of this magnitude (which included 5 discs and 50 songs total, one for each year of his life). I considered much of his work post-1999's magnificent 69 Love Songs released under the Magnetic Fields moniker to be a little sub-par, and I just wasn't sure he was still up to this huge a project. But he proved me wrong, and issued the best Magnetic Fields LP of the last two decades. There are too many winners here to list them all. However, Best Tracks: "Have You Seen It in the Snow?", "A Cat Called Dionysus", "A Serious Mistake".
6. Future Bible Heroes - Partygoing (2013)
What's even better than Stephin Merritt releasing a top-flight new Magnetic Fields album? Stephin Merritt releasing a top-flight new Future Bible Heroes album. As is usual for FBH, this one brings Claudia Gonson back to the forefront as lead vocalist and adds the electronic antics of Chris Ewen, to create a tasty brew of Merritt's humorous material. Best tracks: "Living, Loving, Partygoing", "Keep Your Children in a Coma".
5. Tang - Blood & Sand (2015)
New York's Bonnie Parker and Denny Colt have been playing together for decades now, sometimes as the cover band She-Wolff, and sometimes as the original music trio Tang. They really brought it all together on this excellent 2015 post-apocalyptic metal album. This music will put a hurtin' on ya! Best Tracks: "The 11th Hour", "Holy Terror".
4. Bayside - Vacancy (2016)
Of the four LPs that Bayside released this decade, this one was my favorite. It features all of the things I love about this band -- the driving pop punk guitars, the strong, emotive vocals, and the high-quality songwriting of frontman Anthony Raneri. These guys never disappoint. Best Tracks: "Mary", "Two Letters".
3. Blondie - Ghosts of Download (2014)
Considering that Blondie had their heyday during the late 1970s and early 1980s, I had no idea they had an album this strong left in them for the 2010s. But Ghosts of Download is brilliant. It includes some quality guest stars (such as Beth Ditto of Gossip), some hip-hop and Latin influences, and a track or two that shows that even though lead singer Deborah Harry was almost 70 when this released, she's still a randy little devil. An excellent album by a legendary band. Best Tracks: "A Rose By Any Name", "Sugar on the Side".
2. Foster the People - Torches (2011)
This was the first LP by Los Angeles indie rockers Foster the People, and while they released a pair of quality albums after this one, this is still, to date, their high watermark. This was no mean feat, considering the band was flying high on the release of the single "Pumped Up Kicks", and had to cobble an album together quickly to take advantage of the opportunity. It worked out for them, as Torches turned out to be my top alt rock album of the decade. Best Tracks: "Pumped Up Kicks", "Helena Beat".
1. Nightwish - Endless Songs Most Beautiful (2015)
This album was a revelation for me, as it taught this old dog a new trick - to love the genre of what I like to call epic metal, but is probably more often referred to as symphonic metal. The LP combines operatic female vocals, metal, progressive rock, Celtic influences and epic fantasy imagery into a dramatic and exciting whole. I didn't know music like this was out there, but apparently it is, at least in certain parts of Europe. (These guys are Finnish, but there are other bands out there from Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, etc. who are working in the same genre). Best Tracks: "The Greatest Show on Earth", "Edema Ruh", "Elan".
So there you have it, my Top 20 Albums of the 2010's. Will I still be around, and somewhat coherent in 2030 to make another one of these lists? (Was I somewhat coherent when I made this one?) Who knows. But it was fun to sort this list together.
My work is not yet done, though, as I've told you my favorite albums of the decade, but we haven't talked about songs yet. So give me a day or two, and I'll be back with the first of three lists to tell you about my Top 30 Songs of the 2010s. (Why 30? Because I worked out my best songs list, and it came to about 32. And it was easier to round down than come up with eight more and round up, that's why. OK? Geez, get off my back, you guys.
Anyway, see you in a day or two.
