Albums of 2010
The records from 2010 that made our lists.
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1The SuburbsArcade Fire
The Suburbs
A sprawling, Grammy-winning meditation on suburban memory. Ambitious and acclaimed. A creative peak.
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2Teen DreamBeach House
Teen Dream
Gauzy, gorgeous dream-pop of organ, slide guitar and reverb. Hypnotic and warm. The album that defined their sound.
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3Black SandsBonobo
Black Sands
A lush, organic blend of downtempo electronics and live instrumentation. Warm and cinematic. A beloved chill-out record.
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4Doo-Wops & HooligansBruno Mars
Doo-Wops & Hooligans
A bright, retro-leaning pop debut of effortless hooks. Tuneful and huge. His breakthrough.
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5SwimCaribou
Swim
A liquid, melodic dance record of warmth and invention. Hypnotic and emotional. A modern electronic favourite.
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6Halcyon DigestDeerhunter
Halcyon Digest
A dreamy, melodic art-rock peak of hazy beauty. Inventive and acclaimed. Their finest.
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7Diamond EyesDeftones
Diamond Eyes
A melodic, atmospheric comeback peak. Heavy and acclaimed. A late high point.
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8New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)Erykah Badu
New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
A warm, melodic companion to the political Part One. Smooth and acclaimed. A high point.
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9CosmogrammaFlying Lotus
Cosmogramma
A dense, cosmic fusion of electronic, jazz and hip-hop, dazzling and immersive. Ambitious and acclaimed. A modern landmark.
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10Total Life ForeverFoals
Total Life Forever
A textured, dynamic indie peak. Bold and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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11There Is Love in YouFour Tet
There Is Love in You
A warm, melodic folktronica peak. Hypnotic and acclaimed. A high point.
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12Opus EponymousGhost
Opus Eponymous
A catchy, occult-themed hard-rock debut. Tuneful and acclaimed. A breakthrough.
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13Plastic BeachGorillaz
Plastic Beach
A lush, star-guested concept peak of eco-pop. Inventive and beloved. A high point.
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14One Life StandHot Chip
One Life Stand
A warm, melodic synth-pop peak of emotional dance music. Tuneful and beloved. One of their best.
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15The ArchAndroidJanelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
An ambitious, genre-spanning concept record of funk, soul and sci-fi, dazzling in scope. Inventive and acclaimed. A bold debut album.
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16My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
A maximalist, operatic statement that reassembled Kanye's career after public disgrace, stacking lush production, A-list guests and raw confession. Ambitious to the point of excess and almost flawless. Frequently named the best album of its decade.
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17Teenage DreamKaty Perry
Teenage Dream
A candy-coloured pop blockbuster that spun off five number-ones. Bright and irresistible. A peak of 2010s pop.
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18This Is HappeningLCD Soundsystem
This Is Happening
A wry, danceable peak of emotional dance-punk. Sharp and beloved. A strong send-off (for a while).
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19I Speak Because I CanLaura Marling
I Speak Because I Can
A mature, literate folk peak. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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20HeligolandMassive Attack
Heligoland
A dark, guest-laden late peak of trip-hop atmosphere. Immersive and acclaimed. A strong record.
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21Pink FridayNicki Minaj
Pink Friday
A blockbuster debut of pop-rap range and personality. Polished and huge. A breakthrough.
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22LoudRihanna
Loud
A bright, hit-stuffed pop peak, home to 'Only Girl (In the World)'. Glossy and huge. A commercial high.
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23Body TalkRobyn
Body Talk
A landmark of melancholic dancefloor pop, home to 'Dancing on My Own'. Emotional and influential. A critical favourite.
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24The Age of AdzSufjan Stevens
The Age of Adz
A maximal, electronic turn from the hushed folk of Illinois. Bold and acclaimed. A creative swerve.
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25InnerSpeakerTame Impala
InnerSpeaker
A warm, psychedelic guitar debut of swirling retro textures. Hazy and assured. The start of Parker's run.
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26Speak NowTaylor Swift
Speak Now
A self-written peak of narrative country-pop. Tuneful and beloved. A fan favourite.
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27BrothersThe Black Keys
Brothers
A soulful, fuzzy blues-rock breakthrough, home to 'Tighten Up'. Gritty and huge. Their commercial peak.
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28High VioletThe National
High Violet
Lush, melancholic and immaculately crafted, their commercial breakthrough. Anthemic in a restrained way. A modern indie staple.
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29The Wild HuntThe Tallest Man on Earth
The Wild Hunt
A spare, Dylan-esque folk peak of raw intimacy. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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30Tourist HistoryTwo Door Cinema Club
Tourist History
A bright, danceable indie-pop debut. Tuneful and beloved. A breakthrough.