The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s

In the 2010s, as playlists swelled with unrelated tracks and algorithms shot listeners off in all directions, the full-length release started to feel on the verge of becoming an antique. But great artists will always want to create works that expand their visions, and this decade, they found new ways to push the LP forward. They pioneered the visual album, perfected the surprise drop, and stretched running times as long as they pleased, no longer beholden to physical media. So the form endures, and at the end of a turbulent decade, it is thriving. Here are our top 200 albums of the decade.

For more about how we put together this list, read this letter from our editor-in-chief Puja Patel. And check out all of Pitchfork’s 2010s wrap-up coverage here.

As suggested by the painstakingly detailed map of New York City that covers So It Goes, Ratking’s 2014 debut is a deep dive into their hometown. Storming from the stoops of Harlem to the bustling storefronts of Canal Street are the gaptooth spitfire Wiki and the languid daydreamer Hak, whose relentless banter never loses steam. Producer Sporting Life’s abstract, sample-heavy soundscapes conjure the chaos of the modern concrete jungle—a sound that evokes the dissonance of ’70s no wave and the experimentation of ’90s hip-hop. Together, Ratking paint a compelling city portrait: “Remove Ya” addresses its rampant stop-and-frisk abuses, while the jazzy “Snow Beach” chastises gentrification for poisoning the Big Apple. So It Goes shows NYC as it really is: pretty, gritty, and gross, forever restless and forever alive. –Quinn Moreland

Listen/Buy: Rough Trade | Apple Music | Tidal

Wu Lyf: Go Tell Fire to the Mountain (2011)

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, plenty of indie bands sprang up with crystalline guitars, cryptic lyrics, and an aversion to sharing basic biographical details. But those other acts didn’t have a singer like Wu Lyf’s Ellery Roberts. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain supported Roberts’ shredded growl with patient post-rock builds, and the result was pure catharsis. These songs were so cuttingly earnest—“I love you forever,” Roberts rasped on the opener, “L Y F”—that it almost came as no surprise when the group broke up afterward. Who could sustain such intensity; who would want to? It wasn’t always easy to tell what Roberts was hollering about, but Wu Lyf’s best songs, like the sweeping “We Bros,” could have you chanting along, caught up in a frenzy of oddball solidarity. –Marc Hogan

Jean Grae / Quelle Chris: Everything’s Fine (2018)

On Everything’s Fine, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris tackle a range of modern topics—from the mistreatment of black people by the police to the ever-growing influence of Instagram models—through dense skits, outrageous parodies, and sharp rapping. The conversations they begin don’t always reach a conclusion, but they’re thoughtful, and the duo never sacrifices style for substance. Grae is the steady force and more of a traditionalist: She’s technically precise, while Chris is the wild card. But despite their differences, they complement each other perfectly, whether rapping or producing. That balance carries over to their wide array of guests who all rise to meet their energy. Yet, in the end, the album is about Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, who make it clear that they’re not content to be “fine.” –Alphonse Pierre