How on Earth can a site run by several individuals come to a consensus on Best Album of 2010? Well, you missed out on some arm-wrestling, 100 yard dashes and other circus-like shennanigans, but we finally narrowed it down…well, down to our Top 50. Listen, we know you probably don’t agree with all of this, I mean we completely left off Sleigh Bells, yet we worked hard to combine our various tastes into one list. Fee free to tell us where we went wrong, but we’re pretty stoked on the list we put together as a whole.
50. Eels – End Times
49. Shout Out Louds – Work
48. The Thermals – Personal Life
47. Frankie Rose and the Outs – s/t
46. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
45. Blank Dogs – Land and Fixed
44. Diamond Rings – Special Affections
43. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
42. Jaill – That’s How We Burn
41. Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
40. Spoon -Transference
39. Ty Segall – Melted
38. Avi Buffalo – s/t
37. The Lodger – Flashbacks
36. Menomena – Mines
35. Best Coast – Crazy For You
34. The Love Language – Libraries
33. Fyfe Dangerfield – Fly Yellow Moon
32. Harlem – Hippies
31. Violens – Amoral
30. Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
29. Magic Kids – Memphis
28. The New Pornographers -Together
27. Math and Physics Club – I Shouldn’t Look as Good as I Do
26. Darker My Love – Alive as You Are
25. Twin Shadow – Forget
24. Efterklang – Magic Chairs
23. Liars – Sisterworld
22. Twin Tigers – Gray Waves
21. Roky Erikson – True Love Cast Out All Evil
20. War on Drugs – Future Weather
19. The Black Keys – Brothers
18. Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin
17. Surferblood – Astrocoast
16. The Mystery Jets – Serotonin
15. Wild Nothing – Gemini
14. Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
13. Foals – Total Life Forever
12. Cinema Red and Blue – s/t
11. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
10. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
9. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
8. The Walkmen – Lisbon
7. Suckers – Wild Smile
6. Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
5. Ted Leo and the RX – The Brutalist Bricks
4. The Fresh & Onlys – Play It Strange
3. The National – High Violet
2. Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
1. Beach House – Teen Dream
I disagree with everything. All the time.
On what basis? Explain Mr. Rice! Too many honkies?
Also, I called it: mostly white with zero chance of Joanna Newsom.
But, all in all, good list.
On the heavier side I would include:
Kylesa: Spiral Shadow
Torche: Songs for Singles
OFF!: First Four EPs
@Nathan: the initial comment was a joke, since the sentiment is inevitable on lists like this, I thought I would get it out of the way first.
Ha. I love the OFF stuff, in fact talked to Keith for a bit at Funx3, but we decided not to include comps and EPs really on the list. I could definitely add some others if we did.
Good list, guys. 2010 was a solid year for music.
And thank you for not making Suburbs No. 1 — I’m going to punch anyone in the face that calls that the album of the year. Glad to see Twin Shadow on here (helluva album), but some personal faves I would have included: Miniature Tigers, Glasser, Girls, Tame Impala, Big Boi and (maybe) Miami Horror. So many good options to choose between this year.
You need to move:
Arcade Fire -The Suburbs up between 40 – 43 spots.
Black Keys – Brother up between 8-18 spots.
That is all.
I am enjoying the diversity between Sarah’s post, move up Arcade Fire, and Eric’s comment below, saying he likes it so low. Oh opinions.
@Eric. Thanks for the comment. I actually agree with you on the Girls EP but we decided to leave off all EPs and make this an albums only list. Glasser and Miniature Tigers were also in contention and maybe just maybe get a song on year end song’s list.
@Michael… the year end best songs will have some non “white” tracks just for you
My ears smiled at this solid list. I need to blow the dust off a few of the early 2010 releases and re-listen. Beach House specifically.
The only commission I can see is Sufjan, but it’s taking me so long to finally come around to the greatness of that album that it might as well be under 2011’s best-of.
Good work everyone; the dick measuring contest worked to great effect.
Arcade Fire should be Top 5.
Would also like to see LCD Soundsystem, Caribou, The Hold Steady, and Gorillaz on the list… but that’s just me.
Glad to see Tallest Man on Earth on a list. Would have included Ariel Pink somewhere, but that’s just me.
Interpol? Explain this omission, please.
Very nice otherwise. Thanks for another great year to the ATH crew! Solid as usual. Keep up.
@Greg. The Interpol record was a bit of a let down for us. They just seemed to be dialing this one in as another “Interpol” record.
And thanks for the positive comments. Those always make us feel nice.
Broken Bells? She & Him? You no like???
@RayRay Sorry to hear you were let down by them. I felt like the first 5 (maybe 6) tracks were the strongest tracks from anyone all year. “Memory Serves” has become one of my instant favorites and would rank as a top single of the last few years. Love that one. But perhaps 6,7 & 8 are just enough to bump the ‘whole’ album as “Top __” status. Oh well. I’m just dyin’ to see them live eventually.
And so glad to give the “warm & fuzzies” to you all. Love and appreciate this blog and your guys’ efforts.
Don’t hate me for asking, but do you happen to have any thoughts on the latest KOL? I know they lost you as a fan base, but I stick with ’em for some reason… and although I hear them blur the shit out of the pop friendly lines, they still have a soul that you hear in his voice that you just don’t get from anything else, at the present that is.
Here’s my thing with Broken Bells and She & Him … both were decent albums, which I initially liked, but I haven’t gone back, nor even thought about them, since those first few listens. To me, I just think there was better out there, but its not like I hated it.