I get that mentioning them kills my indie street cred, but I would add Coldplay’s second album, Rush of Blood to the Head, and Mumford & Sons first album, Sigh no More. Both truly excellent pieces of art and unique contributions in their time.
No need to apologize for liking "Rush of Blood to the Head," it is a very good album. Really, all of Coldplay's output through "Viva la Vida" is at least respectable. It was when they started to try to sound like the Chainsmokers is when they went downhill.
I also get the appeal of Mumford and Sons's first album. As far as the Stop, Clap, Hey kind of millennial folk goes, it's definitely in a higher tier than the Lumineers or Of Monsters and Men. It's not for me, but I get why people would be into it.
Eh. I wouldn’t lump Lumineers + of Monsters with Mumford. Sigh No More preceded the debuts of those two groups by like 2-3 years. Mumford wasn’t part of that trend as much as they created it.
Well, my list was purely subjective, so anything that didn't make it is not indicative of me throwing shade at those albums. Honestly, Converge is one of those bands that has been on my radar, but never got around to listening to. Maybe I should change that.
yeah that's true, hope i didn't sound like I'm overreacting or something
I think it's just the fact that I feel like songs like Wretched World deserve so much more love from the whole world... they're just really that good, but eh. A lot of amazing music gets very popular and a lot doesn't.
Honestly it doesn't matter if it hits the mainstream or not, for example I really love rage against the machine's self titled, toxicity and dirt. i also love more obscure stuff like oktober skyline, exotic animal petting zoo and the handshake murders, so popularity is not really an indicator of quality whatsoever.
Also, Converge has been very acclaimed anyway ever since jane doe and everything following that and I'm grateful.
For sure and that’s really my main issue with a lot of these lists from the major magazines. Feels like all of them are angling after the same demographics, so they just churn out the same lists but the albums are reshuffled. So any kind of POV or differentiating tastes have all been stamped out, so what’s the point of all these different magazines when they’re all producing the same takes on music?
definitely. I have no problem with someone saying kid a, the college dropout, toxicity and madvillainy are the best albums of the 2000s for example but it's just kinda surface level, you know?
there's a reason why all of those albums are considered classics but I feel like people kinda force themselves to appreciate their favorite non-acclaimed album less because if they put it on a top 10 list, almost no one would agree with them.
I really enjoyed this post! Reminds me that my own task of going through this list - albeit much, much slower - needs to be with skepticism, not fandom. Your top tens are all excellent!
Thank you! Although my list was based more on fandom lol. I did a joint project with Kevin Alexander last year of our Top 100 Albums that was a balance of subjective and objective.
If this were a list that was cultural impact, it would definitely be on there. This list was purely subjective, and J. Cole has always been a rapper that I've respected but never really got into.
It's very difficult for a record to absolutely gut me, but that one specifically just floors me every time. It's a toss up between that and "The Glow, Pt. 2" as his favorite of mine.
I think there's room for Aphex Twin's Syro on here but this is a really great list and I look forward to checking out the albums I'm not familiar with. Thanks for taking the time.
Fair enough. I keep coming back to it, and think it stands with his best, so I would encourage you to give it another chance, given how much I love the rest of your list, but of course of course your mileage may vary. Thanks again.
Much better list than Rolling Stone, but I *definitely* would have put one (or both) of the first two Black Country, New Road albums, and then I think Hospice would have made it 2009, and In Colour in 2015. But that's all just personal preference.
I also really do not understand how Lemonade keeps getting placed that high on lists like Rolling Stone's. It's a good album, fine, but it's also not even nearly as good as Renaissance imo.
Funny you say that, because I also think "Renaissance" is her best album. BCNR is one of those bands I respect but haven't gotten into. If I were making this list based on more of a balance of cultural impact instead of what I did (strictly personal preference), then "Ants from Up There" would definitely be on it.
I totally get it. I think BCNR doesn't click for a lot of people (Isaac wood's voice and speak-singing thing is a bit weird and the actual instrumentation is kind of hilariously weird sometimes, e.g. like Chaos Space Marine), but they are definitely big for me. Some stuff just doesn't click. I've never been able to get into much of Sigur Ros, for some reason or another.
I love seeing other people’s lists like this. I’ve got my own top ten of every year from the ‘70s to present, made just for my own enjoyment, and updated occasionally. Good stuff!
Erykah Badu is a fan of Hitler? Not sure if I've come across this?
I included Sons of Kemet, Floating Points, Kamasi Washington, and Nala Sinephro, but most of the jazz I listen to is from the 50s-70s, so definitely open to suggestions!
“I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler,” revealed Badu to interviewer David Marchese. Stunned by her remarks, Marchese asked Badu to elaborate on her answer, to which she responded: “Hitler was a wonderful painter.”
I get that mentioning them kills my indie street cred, but I would add Coldplay’s second album, Rush of Blood to the Head, and Mumford & Sons first album, Sigh no More. Both truly excellent pieces of art and unique contributions in their time.
No need to apologize for liking "Rush of Blood to the Head," it is a very good album. Really, all of Coldplay's output through "Viva la Vida" is at least respectable. It was when they started to try to sound like the Chainsmokers is when they went downhill.
I also get the appeal of Mumford and Sons's first album. As far as the Stop, Clap, Hey kind of millennial folk goes, it's definitely in a higher tier than the Lumineers or Of Monsters and Men. It's not for me, but I get why people would be into it.
Eh. I wouldn’t lump Lumineers + of Monsters with Mumford. Sigh No More preceded the debuts of those two groups by like 2-3 years. Mumford wasn’t part of that trend as much as they created it.
jane doe should definitely be on 2001. or at least axe to fall on 2009, but i guess converge will never get their deserved appreciation
Well, my list was purely subjective, so anything that didn't make it is not indicative of me throwing shade at those albums. Honestly, Converge is one of those bands that has been on my radar, but never got around to listening to. Maybe I should change that.
yeah that's true, hope i didn't sound like I'm overreacting or something
I think it's just the fact that I feel like songs like Wretched World deserve so much more love from the whole world... they're just really that good, but eh. A lot of amazing music gets very popular and a lot doesn't.
Honestly it doesn't matter if it hits the mainstream or not, for example I really love rage against the machine's self titled, toxicity and dirt. i also love more obscure stuff like oktober skyline, exotic animal petting zoo and the handshake murders, so popularity is not really an indicator of quality whatsoever.
Also, Converge has been very acclaimed anyway ever since jane doe and everything following that and I'm grateful.
Damn I do love all those albums lol
I think doing tiers is more effective if you want to rank them.
If I was writing a piece in introducing someone to a genre, I’d break it down like:
- The canon: the albums that define a genre, or if you don’t like these albums, you probably won’t like this kind of music.
The deeper cuts: Still broadly viewed as classics but not as top-of-mind.
The bold: Once you’ve familiarized yourself with this genre, these albums are more experimental, demanding, or polarizing.
This would be more useful in curating a specific listening journey that would help people discover new music, ostensibly what music magazines are for.
For sure and that’s really my main issue with a lot of these lists from the major magazines. Feels like all of them are angling after the same demographics, so they just churn out the same lists but the albums are reshuffled. So any kind of POV or differentiating tastes have all been stamped out, so what’s the point of all these different magazines when they’re all producing the same takes on music?
definitely. I have no problem with someone saying kid a, the college dropout, toxicity and madvillainy are the best albums of the 2000s for example but it's just kinda surface level, you know?
there's a reason why all of those albums are considered classics but I feel like people kinda force themselves to appreciate their favorite non-acclaimed album less because if they put it on a top 10 list, almost no one would agree with them.
Oh. I forgot. I don't like the last 25 years.
I do, however, own and love those two Fiona Apple albums.
They're so good! Fiona doesn't miss.
I really enjoyed this post! Reminds me that my own task of going through this list - albeit much, much slower - needs to be with skepticism, not fandom. Your top tens are all excellent!
Thank you! Although my list was based more on fandom lol. I did a joint project with Kevin Alexander last year of our Top 100 Albums that was a balance of subjective and objective.
2014 Forest Hills Drive - J Cole?????
If this were a list that was cultural impact, it would definitely be on there. This list was purely subjective, and J. Cole has always been a rapper that I've respected but never really got into.
where brockhampton
I do enjoy the Saturation trilogy. It was a tough call to leave out and I don't feel good about it.
Nice to see Sleater Kinney and Daft Punk make the list
They're both amazing.
Mount Eeerie's "A Crow Looked at Me" is a devastating record that I listen to at least once a week, sometimes more.
I'll give a listen to "Glow, Pt. 2."
It's very difficult for a record to absolutely gut me, but that one specifically just floors me every time. It's a toss up between that and "The Glow, Pt. 2" as his favorite of mine.
Saw your out of work ! What are you going to do for material now?!
I will continue to have many gripes and grievances with society
Fantastic ! looking forward to it :)
I think there's room for Aphex Twin's Syro on here but this is a really great list and I look forward to checking out the albums I'm not familiar with. Thanks for taking the time.
That's the one Aphex album I haven't been crazy about. There are definitely highlights, but it was a little hit or miss for me.
Fair enough. I keep coming back to it, and think it stands with his best, so I would encourage you to give it another chance, given how much I love the rest of your list, but of course of course your mileage may vary. Thanks again.
I'm always game to give something another listen. I only listened to it once a while ago, so it could hit different this time.
Much better list than Rolling Stone, but I *definitely* would have put one (or both) of the first two Black Country, New Road albums, and then I think Hospice would have made it 2009, and In Colour in 2015. But that's all just personal preference.
I also really do not understand how Lemonade keeps getting placed that high on lists like Rolling Stone's. It's a good album, fine, but it's also not even nearly as good as Renaissance imo.
Funny you say that, because I also think "Renaissance" is her best album. BCNR is one of those bands I respect but haven't gotten into. If I were making this list based on more of a balance of cultural impact instead of what I did (strictly personal preference), then "Ants from Up There" would definitely be on it.
I totally get it. I think BCNR doesn't click for a lot of people (Isaac wood's voice and speak-singing thing is a bit weird and the actual instrumentation is kind of hilariously weird sometimes, e.g. like Chaos Space Marine), but they are definitely big for me. Some stuff just doesn't click. I've never been able to get into much of Sigur Ros, for some reason or another.
Love King Gizzard
I love seeing other people’s lists like this. I’ve got my own top ten of every year from the ‘70s to present, made just for my own enjoyment, and updated occasionally. Good stuff!
Find except for the fact that there's no Jazz on there and Erykah Badu admires Hitler.
Sorry should be "fine." for some reason the app won't let me edit.
Erykah Badu is a fan of Hitler? Not sure if I've come across this?
I included Sons of Kemet, Floating Points, Kamasi Washington, and Nala Sinephro, but most of the jazz I listen to is from the 50s-70s, so definitely open to suggestions!
“I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler,” revealed Badu to interviewer David Marchese. Stunned by her remarks, Marchese asked Badu to elaborate on her answer, to which she responded: “Hitler was a wonderful painter.”
Such a good album! Really one of the best of the 2010s and I'm not really the biggest Lana fan.