Paste: The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s

Link. Original list runs 100-1, so reversed here. My grades in brackets (as of 2019-10-17).

  1. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015, Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope) [A-]
  2. Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016, Parkwood/Columbia) [A-]
  3. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (2010, DFA/Virgin) [B+(**)]
  4. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010, Roc-A-Fella) [A]
  5. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (2012, Def Jam) [A-]
  6. Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015, Mom + Pop Music) [A-]
  7. Frank Ocean: Blonde (2016, Boys Don't Cry) [B+(**)]
  8. Carly Rae Jepsen: E-MO-TION (2015, Interscope/Schoolboy/Silent) [A-]
  9. Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour (2018, MCA Nashville) [B]
  10. SZA: Ctrl (2017, Top Dawg/RCA) [B+(**)]
  11. Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City (2013, XL) [A-]
  12. Kendrick Lamar: Damn. (2017, Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope) [A-]
  13. Solange: A Seat at the Table (2016, Saint/Columbia) [B+(**)]
  14. David Bowie: Blackstar (2016, Columbia) [B+(***)]
  15. Angel Olsen: My Woman (2016, Jagjaguwar) [B+(***)]
  16. Beach House: Teen Dream (2010, Sub Pop) [B+(**)]
  17. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (2016, XL) [B]
  18. Robyn: Body Talk (2010, Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope) [A]
  19. Alvvays: Antisocialites (2017, Polyvinyl) [B+(**)]
  20. Lucy Dacus: Historian (2018, Matador) [B+(*)]
  21. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs (2010, Merge) [A-]
  22. Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear (2015, Sub Pop) [B]
  23. Mitski: Puberty 2 (2016, Dead Oceans) [B+(*)]
  24. The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream (2014, Secretly Canadian) [B+(***)]
  25. Kanye West: Yeezus (2013, Def Jam) [B+(*)]
  26. Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell (2015, Asthmatic Kitty) [B+(***)]
  27. Lin-Manuel Miranda: Hamilton: Original Broadway Cast Recording (2015, Atlantic) [B+(**)]
  28. Bon Iver: Bon Iver (2011, Jagjaguwar) [B+(*)]
  29. Tame Impala: Currents (2015, Caroline) [B+(*)]
  30. St. Vincent: St. Vincent (2014, Loma Vista/Republic) [B+(***)]
  31. Jason Isbell: Southeastern (2013, Southeastern) [B]
  32. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories (2013, Daft Life/Columbia) [B+(**)]
  33. The National: Trouble Will Find Me (2013, 4AD) [B+(**)]
  34. Phoebe Bridgers: Strangers in the Alps (2017, Dead Oceans) [B+(*)]
  35. Rihanna: Anti- (2016, Roc Nation) [A-]
  36. Jay Som: Everybody Works (2017, Polyvinyl) [B+(*)]
  37. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial (2016, Matador) [B+(***)]
  38. Sharon Van Etten: Are We There (2014, Jagjaguwar) [B-]
  39. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (2011, Sub Pop) [B-]
  40. Beyoncé: Beyoncé (2013, Columbia) [B+(**)]
  41. Japandroids: Celebration Rock (2012, Polyvinyl) [B+(**)]
  42. Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer (2018, Bad Boy) [A-]
  43. Weyes Blood: Titanic Rising (2019, Sub Pop) [B-]
  44. Tame Impala: Lonerism (2012, Modular) [B]
  45. Snail Mail: Lush (2018, Matador) [B+(*)]
  46. Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book (2016, self-released) [B+(***)]
  47. Vince Staples: Summertime '06 (2015, Def Jam) [B+(***)]
  48. Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls (2012, ATO) [B+(**)]
  49. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service (2016, Epic) [A-]
  50. Taylor Swift: 1989 (2014, Big Machine) [B+(***)]
  51. Sleater-Kinney: No Cities to Love (2015, Sub Pop) [B+(*)]
  52. Anderson .Paak: Malibu (2016, OBE/Steel Wool/ArtClub/Empire) [A-]
  53. Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City (2012, Aftermath) [A-]
  54. Whitney: Light Upon the Lake (2016, Secretly Canadian) [B-]
  55. Adele: 21 (2011, XL) [B-]
  56. Jamie XX: In Colour (2015, XL/Young Turks) [B+(***)]
  57. Noname: Telefone (2016, self-released) [B+(**)]
  58. (Sandy) Alex G: Rocket (2017, Domino) [B]
  59. Iceage: You're Nothing (2013, Matador) [B]
  60. Lorde: Pure Heroine (2013, Lava/Republic) [B+(**)]
  61. Blood Orange: Cupid Deluxe (2013, Domino) [B+(***)]
  62. FKA Twigs: LP1 (2014, Young Turks) [B]
  63. Haim: Days Are Gone (2013, Columbia) [B+(**)]
  64. D'Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah (2014, RCA) [A-]
  65. Future Islands: Singles (2014, 4AD) [B+(*)]
  66. Girls: Father, Son, Holy Ghost (2011, True Panther Sounds) [A-]
  67. Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy (2018, Atlantic) [A-]
  68. The Decemberists: The King Is Dead (2011, Capitol) [B]
  69. Leon Bridges: Coming Home (2015, Columbia) [B+(*)]
  70. Destroyer: Kaputt (2011, Merge) [B+(*)]
  71. Caribou: Our Love (2014, Merge) [B+(**)]
  72. Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010, Fat Cat) [B+(*)]
  73. Kevin Morby: City Music (2017, Dead Oceans)
  74. Sturgill Simpson: Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (2014, High Top Mountain) [B+(***)]
  75. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (2012, Clean Slate/Epic) [A-]
  76. Idles: Joy as an Act of Resistance (2018, Partisan) [B+(***)]
  77. Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me (2010, Drag City) [B]
  78. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels 2 (2014, Mass Appeal) [B+(**)]
  79. St. Paul and the Broken Bones: Half the City (2014, Single Lock) [B+(*)]
  80. James Blake: James Blake (2011, Atlas) [B]
  81. Kaytranada: 99.9% (2016, XL) [A-]
  82. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo (2011, Matador) [B]
  83. Soccer Mommy: Clean (2018, Fat Possum) [B+(**)]
  84. Tune-Yards: Whokill (2011, 4AD) [B+(*)]
  85. Big Thief: Capacity (2017, Saddle Creek) [B+(**)]
  86. Grimes: Visions (2012, 4AD) [B+(*)]
  87. Hop Along: Painted Shut (2015, Saddle Creek) [B+(*)]
  88. M83: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011, Mute) [B]
  89. Savages: Silence Yourself (2013, Matador) [B+(*)]
  90. Julien Baker: Turn Out the Lights (2017, Matador) [B]
  91. Lucius: Wildewoman (2013, Mom + Pop Music) [B+(*)]
  92. Travis Scott: Astroworld (2018, Epic/Grand Hustle) [B+(**)]
  93. Charles Bradley: Victim of Love (2013, Daptone) [B+(**)]
  94. Sky Ferreira: Night Time, My Time (2013, Capitol) [B+(**)]
  95. The Black Keys: Brothers (2010, Nonesuch) [B+(**)]
  96. Tyler, the Creator: Flower Boy (2017, Odd Future/Columbia) [B]
  97. Deafheaven: Sunbather (2013, Deathwish) [B+(***)]
  98. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree (2016, Bad Seeds) [B-]
  99. Japanese Breakfast: Soft Sounds From Another Planet (2017, Dead Oceans) [B+(**)]
  100. Drake: Take Care (2011, Universal Republic) [B-]

Grade Breakdown

A2
A-18
B+(***)14
B+(**)24
B+(*)19
B15
B-7
U1