The Album is Still King: A Look Back at the Best Albums of the 2010s
From Kanye West and Beyoncé to Chance the Rapper, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Frank Ocean, and More
100 of the best albums from 2010-2019
At the beginning of the 2010s, many predicted the slow death of the album. But at the decade's end, the format still seems absolutely vital. In the 2010s, as playlists swelled with unrelated tracks and algorithms shot listeners off in all directions, the full-length release remained a beacon of artistic vision and a way for artists to tell their stories in a cohesive way.
Some of the best albums of the 2010s came from artists who were already well-established, like Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. But the decade also saw the rise of new stars, like Chance the Rapper, Kacey Musgraves, and Frank Ocean. These artists pushed the boundaries of what an album could be, creating works that were both sonically innovative and lyrically resonant.
Here are just a few of the best albums from the 2010s:
- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West (2010)
- Beyoncé by Beyoncé (2013)
- Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012)
- Blonde by Frank Ocean (2016)
- Lemonade by Beyoncé (2016)
- 1989 by Taylor Swift (2014)
- Reputation by Taylor Swift (2017)
- Ctrl by SZA (2017)
- Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves (2018)
- When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish (2019)
These albums are just a small sampling of the many great works that were released during the 2010s. They represent the diversity and vitality of the album format, and they will continue to be enjoyed by listeners for years to come.
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