50 Best Albums of the 2010s: 25-11

Again, here's a quick review of how I tried to rank these albums: I graded these holistically, giving (mostly) equal attention to: composition, arrangement, performance, production, innovation, impact, and personal enjoyment. Like all of my music reviews, I probably failed to live up to this impossible task, but I gave it the old college try anyway. Enjoy! (And feel free to check out the bottom half of this list here.)

25.) Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae: Janelle Monae is a straight-up legend, and on this record she cements her status as the new queen of pop. The blend of genres here, from funk to soul to trap to jazz, is astonishing. Each song has a palpable aesthetic resonance - a shimmering, lustrous aura. This is Stevie Wonder, Prince, Madonna, and Lauryn Hill all at once. Like most albums with a political edge, it's occasionally weighed down by trendy platitudes and ideological hubris, but...gosh, the music more than makes up for it. Dirty Computer is a fun, fully realized pop experience. Standout track: "Screwed" is an absolute stunner, with cutthroat lyrics and a middle-finger vibe.

24.) The Storm - ZZ Ward: "Baby, you're my bourbon honey / Baby, you're my Cherry Coke / My mystery man from Montgomery / My favorite licorice rope." These lyrics from the record's seventh track ("Bag of Bones") perfectly encapsulate my feelings about the entire thing. It's an album I didn't know I craved - blistering, bluesy, and beautiful. It's been on endless repeat since the start of summer with no signs of letting up. Get into it. Standout track: Obviously, I've got to go with "Bag of Bones," which is as minimalist as it is effective.

23.) Stranger Heads Prevail - Thank You Scientist: Is it prog? Jazz? Metal? Punk? Well, it's all of the above. This multifaceted album is almost the musical equivalent of abstract art - a haphazardly beautiful splattering of themes, melodies, and genres. The musicianship is top-notch, with some of the best individual performances of the decade. Tom Monda's guitar is practically sublime, and the complex yet groovy drumming of Odin Alvarez hurts my head. Book-ended by slinky-sly Broadway-style pop tunes, everything in between is delightful delirium. Standout track: While I'm tempted to put instrumental powerhouse "Rube Goldberg Variations," my favorite song will always be "Mr. Invisible."

22.) Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts: This album is the brainchild of a Kanye West/Kid Cudi team-up, which is as fantastically weird as you'd expect. There are echoes of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, The Life of Pablo, and even The College Dropout. This is a short record, consisting of only 7 songs - in an era of overblown musical odysseys, this is a relief. But brevity isn't its only success. The psychedelic, disjointed nature of the album gives it a truly unique spot in this decade's hip-hop, moving beyond the trappings of trap and the holdover excesses of bling. Standout track: "4th Dimension" is a funky head-scratcher, and fully displays the idiosyncratic awesomeness of the album.

21.) Quiet World - Native Construct: I'm a proggy guy through and through, so I apologize if it's over-represented on this list. But I can't help it! At its best, the genre is an explosion of talent, with labyrinthine compositions displaying unbelievable musicianship (plus, I've always been a sucker for spontaneous time-signature shifts). While Quiet World has all this and more, its guerrilla-style production anchors it to reality. The grandiose insanity is recorded in such a way that it feels like the best garage band of all time - a juxtaposition I can't help but love. Standout track: The first tune I heard (courtesy of Austin, of course) was the opener, "Mute," and it still holds a special place in my heart.

20.) After Laughter - Paramore: The first time I flipped this thing on, I simply couldn't believe my ears. Imagine Carly Rae Jepsen collaborated with Talking Heads and made a record produced by Paul Simon. Yeah. This is sugary bubblegum afro-pop with an alternative bent, a mighty throwback to some of the 80s best tunes. Everything is fun and funky, with Hayley Williams' electric voice given free reign to command the tone, energy, and melody of each song. I still like Paramore's pop-punk stuff from my college days, but you'd have to be in a coma to not love this new direction. I'm dying to know where they'll go next. Standout track: The lead single, "Hard Times," is still a playlist staple to this day.

19.) Affinity - Haken: Speaking of 80s nostalgia (of which this decade is apparently steeped in), Affinity is an ambitious prog-rock adventure that is as much an homage to classic acts like Rush or Dream Theater as it is musically impressive. Awash with synthesizers and emblazoned by hammy guitar heroism, some spots have a real Stranger Things vibe, which I find adorable. Beyond that, this is balls-to-the-wall rock kick-assery, and if you can stomach the cheese, you'll find it very enjoyable. Standout track: No question, it's the righteously silly "1985," complete with a sizzling keytar solo. You're welcome.

18.) From A Room: Volumes 1 and 2 - Chris Stapleton: Is it cheating to shove two albums into one slot on this list? Eh, maybe. But it's likely that nobody will read it anyway, so who the hell cares? Regardless, I've always been wary of country music, especially anything this side of 1980, but Stapleton is a virtuoso of the genre. Here he weaves authenticity with camp, and genuine emotion with genre tropes. These two records are perfectly comfortable alongside anything Merle Haggard or Dolly Parton ever put out, and if that ain't divine company, than I don't know what is. This is whiskey-drunk in a cheap-motel music, and I love it. Standout track: From Volume 1, it's gotta be the whaling bluster of "I Was Wrong." From Volume 2, it's the haunting lyricism of "Scarecrow in the Garden."

17.) Interrobang - Bayside: To any music snobs who happen to be here, if you haven't turned your noses up yet, I'm sure you're doing it now. Bayside ain't exactly the mental image of musical sophistication, without trendy producers or an avant-garde sound. But with Interrobang, they managed to create 36 minutes of nonstop punk, and each of its 10 tracks has legs of its own. I guess what surprised me about this album isn't how catchy it is - and believe me, it is - but how great it all flows together. The arrangements are pulse-pounding, always adding thematic weight to the lyrics (even when this is ironic, like the curiously chipper tune "Heaven"). Sprinkled liberally with delightful harmonies and shredding guitar solos, and you've got the best punk album of the decade. Standout track: I love the razor-wire lyrics and obsidian-black instrumentation of "Bury Me."

16.) 22, A Million - Bon Iver: I once described this album as either "one man's pointless attempt to abandon his humanity" or "a lonesome robot struggling to be human." Somehow, these statements are both true and both false. Why? Well, give this thing a listen and you'll understand. 22, A Million defies categorization. Is it the middle ground between electronica and folk? Or is it surreal, jazz-inspired post-pop? I don't know. Thankfully, I don't have to categorize it to enjoy it. This is one hell of a musical statement, oozing with trippy imagery and sparse psychedelia. Standout track: "715 - CR∑∑KS" is a hauntingly gorgeous vocoder ballad, and is maybe my favorite song of the decade. 

15.) Fifteen - The Wailin' Jennys: My dad is famous for saying, "The best instrument of all-time is the human voice. Everything else is just imitation." Thanks to Fifteen by The Wailin' Jennys, I finally understand what he means. This a cappella album has the best vocals of the decade, with three female singers bringing old standards to new life. Their awe-inspiring musicality is more than harmony (of which they nonetheless excel), but also how they interpret old songs to make them new again. This music is baptism for the ears, a lush cascade of crystal-clear music that is refreshing, reinvigorating, and remarkable. Standout track: I'm torn between the stripped-down simplicity of "Old Churchyard" or the foot-stomping fun of "Loves Me Like A Rock."

14.) Random Access Memories - Daft Punk: I came to Daft Punk later than most, simply because I never cared for most EDM or house music. My biggest complaints of the genre? Songs are too long, repetitive, are missing melodies, and often lack organic instrumentals. Thank God Random Access Memories was around to change my mind. It's a psychedelic soundscape that opened my eyes (and ears) to the possibilities of EDM. This is super funky stuff, with terrific tracks and bound together by a consistently engaging production. It is glittery and polished to excess, but that's kinda the point right? This is full unbridled opulence, and it's awesome - it's a laser-light show, a night spent dancing in a fancy, upscale club. Standout track: "Giorgio by Moroder" perfectly epitomizes the album.

13.) Higher Truth - Chris Cornell: This is truly an album of unbelievable warmth, creative melodies, and astonishing musicianship. For fans of Soundgarden and Audioslave, it's no surprise that Cornell's voice is as impressive and timeless as ever before. Thankfully, so is this record. Higher Truth is a mostly acoustic album, with Cornell's powerful voice and evocative lyrics propelling each song to the clouds. This is morning-hike-in-the-mountains music, the perfect soundtrack to dramatic vistas and piercingly blue skies. This is the sound of clarity and meditation, the kind of stuff Eva Cassidy or Marvin Gaye would have made if their lives had been longer. In a storied career of standout projects, I honestly believe this is the best Cornell ever was. Which is even more tragic considering it was his final album. Standout track: There's not a better folk song this decade than "Dead Wishes."

12.) To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar: A foray into the infinite cosmos of rap's potential, To Pimp A Butterfly is a funky and freeing musical odyssey. If you appreciate the avant-garde, especially when it comes in such agreeable packaging, then this should be high on your list. Songs such as "Wesley's Theory," "For Free?" and "The Blacker the Berry" are all weird, wild, and wonderful. The whole thing sounds so fresh and new, you just know that this is something special, a high-water mark for the genre and music in the 2010s. Bringing together such diverse and iconic artists as George Clinton, Thundercat, Dr. Dre, Kamasi Washington, and SZA couldn't have been easy, but it all flows together beautifully. This album is better than good. It is important. Standout track: I'm a simple man, and "King Kunta" just does it for me.

11.) Djesse: Volumes 1 and 2 - Jacob Collier: I've been watching Jacob Collier's career for years, starting with a song called "Hideaway" from 2016. He is the torchbearer for modern jazz, blending funk, folk, pop, and bebop together into some new-yet-old style that is entirely his own. With a warbly baritone voice, Collier croons his heart out on this double album, but is never afraid to throw the spotlight onto other singers, instrumentalists, and collaborators. Djesse is stuffed to the gills with talent, like jazz choir Take 6, guitar legend Steve Vai, and the jazz/pop phenomenon known as the Metropole Orkest. Collier takes an ardently metamodern stance throughout the project, reworking classic songs by The Beatles or Lionel Richie and infusing them with wild chord progressions, high-flying harmonies, and deliberately wacky instrumentals. Jacob Collier is a musician's musician, and he never shies away from digging deep into esoteric arrangements with niche flair. With two more volumes of his Djesse odyssey set for release in the new decade, I'm excited to see what he'll come up with next. Standout track: For Volume 1, it's "All Night Long." For Volume 2, it's "Make Me Cry."