Top 10 Albums of the Past Decade
by Alp Yücel
10. Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Entering the music scene as a bassist, Natalie Mering released her best record yet with 2019’s Titanic Rising. Titanic Rising builds a sound that is reminiscent of 70’s pop like Kate Bush and today’s mainstream pop. Mering’s svelte voice accompanied by brushes of orchestral back vocals builds an atmosphere where the lush stories soak the listener with emotions. Amazing production by Jonathan Rado, which more ‘memorable’ songs are not stacked to the beginning and rather spread through, makes the album and the ideas in it flow without losing the attention of the listener. This late hit definitely marks itself as the best chamber pop record of the past decade.
9. St. Vincent & David Byrne - Love This Giant
One of the most promising works of the past decade could’ve only come from two musical geniuses- Annie Clark and David Byrne. This record exemplifies to listeners the importance of making decisions in music and holding back some musical factors while highlighting some others. Both artists decision to bury the drums in the back helps the listener to catch the distinct feature of this album which is the constant use of horns. Byrne and Clark makes the best out of this hard choice because of its different approach. The baroque sounds in this record really distinguishes itself from the music in the past decade.
8. Grimes - Art Angels
Claire Elsie Bucher’s most up to date fourth studio album Art Angels highlights itself with sinuous pop melodies and ‘girl-gang vocals’. While the dazzling tunes with subtle vocal performances establish a more blurry atmosphere, the driving guitar elements which are present in most of the songs creates an uplifting feeling. Especially the discordant musical elements that Grimes creates in various ways defines this record and Grimes’ style different approach to pop music. This last mark of Grimes artistic career definitely excites me for her upcoming album Miss Anthropocene which is going to be released next month.
7. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
LCD Soundsystem’s This Is Happening is the single representation of lead vocalist, DJ, and lyricist James Murphy’s ideal discotheque jam. Sequential beats and discoid tunes blatters to the ears of the listener. The influence of 80s disco and post-punk music fused with their own modern spin creates unique grooves in the album which are hard to see generally among other tech projects. Murphy describes the album as ‘a music of desperation’ which ultimately lead the band to a break-up one year subsequent to this record. For the time, this LP was the goodbye of the New York pop group to their fans. So, considering the context, the theme of farewell is explored explicitly through the album which makes the listeners live a moment of catharsis. Although this profound goodbye, LCD Soundsystem would eventually return with another critically acclaimed album in 2017 named American Dream.
6. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Like it or not, the controversial rapper Kanye West’s 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has a great influence on the rap scene of the following ten years of music. Everyone has heard the songs Power, All of the Lights, and Monster without knowing the names of them at one point. As a person who frankly is not a fan of this album, its achievements in the music industry are undeniable. The overwhelming exploration of Kanye’s debauchery and his god-like portrayal in this album has somehow lead him to become one of the most successfully artists in the rap history. For Kanye’s purpose, tracks like Gorgeous and Power are the best material that was possible to come up with- which Kanye flawlessly done for himself. The back-vocals put through the album create an orchestral sense which requires a talent to be embedded in rap songs, especially to ones which are fast paced like the ones in this album. Regardless of how much one likes Kanye, this album very much achieves its goal and is considered a pristine gem in the music industry.
5. Peppa Pig - My First Album
After her debut single Bing Bong Zoo, the 7 foot 1 giant pig returns to the streaming platforms with a full length LP called My First Album. This work takes a whole different approach to music with its elements of harmony and frequently appearing onomatopoeias. This eccentric record definitely puts itself in one of the most remarkable records of the past decade.
4. Solange - A Seat at the Table
Solange’s 2016 album A Seat at the Table shows the obstacles that Solange has faced through 21 different funk tunes. Even though that the album consists of 21 different tracks, when listening, the album feels like a one whole work. Solange’s serene sound continues all through the album. Seven different interludes that make successfully transitions between songs help to listen the whole in one shot like a single song without noticing which track that they are listening to. Solange takes a different approach to the serious matters that she’s singing about by juxtaposing the lyrics and the melody. The pleasant melody and the dark lyrics show the different way that this album handles its issues.
3. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Frank Ocean’s debut album Channel Orange is one of the best first marks that an R&B singer has ever dropped to the music industry. From the effective use of synth sounds to the fluid background beats, it is not wrong to say that Frank Ocean lighted R&B in the past decade. From melancholic vocal moments to catchy choruses, Frank Ocean’s talents in creating music in different ways rised to the surface with songs like Lost and Bad Religion. Ocean achieves to show his perspectives on common realities in life not only from a one-sided perspective, but from other angles.
2. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More
Fiona Apple’s 2012 record puts its name under one of the best albums of the decade with its complexity. Apple describes her emotional extremes with both the celeste sound that is carried all through the record and disturbing images. Powerful vocals that are a part of every song in the record with piano performances holds the album closer to the listener. The diverse pace that Apple arranges with her vocal speed and instruments help the flow of this relatively long record without boring the listener. In short, Fiona Apple achieves to get her enigmatic points across to the listener in the most effective way possible. This record is the perfect one for people who want to feel everything in every possible way.
1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
Through a very successful decade which he released five full length LP’s, Kendrick Lamar crowned his discography and the decade with 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly. To start with, the musical diversity that Lamar has put through in his album with compositions of hip-hop, funk, jazz, and soul turns all the 16 tracks into different experiences. The multi-layered musical structure which Lamar follows all through his album with various instruments and back vocal performances illustrates a cultural sense to the album and enhances the celebration of African-American culture in the United States.
The production of the album juxtaposes pain and joy that African American’s both have lived in the past. While tracks like ‘King Kunta’ and ‘Institutionalized’ builds the painful side of the album, ‘i’ reflects the joy. Kendrick Lamar also takes on issues like class subjugation and police brutality with personal testimonies like ‘Alright’ and ‘How Much Does A Dollar Cost’. Particularly the song ‘Alright’ promises Kendrick Lamar’s incomprehensible musical mind and talents as a speaker.
The album cover, which can not be separated from the album itself, portrays a celebratory event in front of the White House with a group of people and a judge-reminiscent figure lying down beneath. I personally can’t think of a better cover for an album which represents the album as overtly as this.