The top 20 albums of the 2010s

10 years can make a huge difference. In music, it means music acts and genres coming and going constantly. It also means a plethora of amazing albums get stuck in our heads for years to come. We look at 20 of the best albums released over the past 10 years. We’ve also included a playlist with some of our favorite songs from the decade.

20. Drive soundtrack- Lakeshore Records (2011)

Before 2011, synthwave was making waves through various message boards online. With the release of Drive's soundtrack, which includes Kavinsky and College, the genre was catapulted in front of a wide audience. Following its release, a plethora of synthwave acts such as Perturbator and Carpenter Brut made the rounds and continued pushing the genre to where it is today.

19. Tricot - A N D - Bakuretsu Records (2015)

Some people thought it was impossible for Japanese math rock band Tricot to top their 2013 debut album T H E. Fortunately, they managed to unleash another masterpiece with their sophomore album A N D. For nearly 48 minutes, the four-piece deliver breathtaking time changes merged with Ikkyu Nakajima’s tranquil vocals.

18. Besserbitch - Moments of Grey - Bolero Recordings (2014)

Swedish punk rock quartet Besserbitch wasted little time getting their point across with their 2014 debut album Moments Of Grey. From their folk-tinged "My Resignation" to their love letter to Stockholm with "Welcome To Shitholm", the 10-track release is one of the decade's most impressive debuts.

17. Macintosh Plus - Floral Shoppe - Beer on the Rug (2011)

Originating in 2010, vaporwave was finding its footing among a slew of emerging subgenres such as seapunk and trillwave. Macintosh Plus (a.k.a. Vektroid) forever cemented the genre's sound with 2011's Floral Shoppe. Upon its release, the record didn't sit well with critics and electronic fans alike. Fortunately, it was able to help shape one of electronic music's most enthralling microgenres.

16. Ceremony - Rohnert Park - Bridge 9 Records (2010)

With Rohnert Park, Ceremony continued paying homage to '80s hardcore punk. Aside from their angsty fervor, the album shakes things up with the instrumental trifecta “Into The Wayside” and the slow grooving “The Doldrums (Friendly City).” With the band’s ever-changing sound, Rohnert Park is the perfect place for newcomers to get into the act.

15. George Clanton - 100% Electronica - 100% Electronica (2015)

Following releases under the monikers ESPRIT and Mirror Kisses, electronic artist George Clanton started dropping music under his real name. With an album title like 100% Electronica, fans were hoping for the best. Fortunately, Clanton unveiled a release paying homage to old school electronica while solidifying their own place in the genre.

14. Street Sects - End Position - The Flenser (2016)

If you’re looking for something upbeat to brighten your mood, Street Sects’ End Position is not the record for you. The 10 track release delivers a somber outlook on the way we live. Inspired by vocalist Leo Ashline’s personal battles with addiction, this release can feel a bit uncomfortable at times.

13. Devin Townsend Project - Dark Matters - HevyDevy (2014)

Devin Townsend brought one of 2007's most peculiar albums with the concept record Ziltoid the Omniscient. Following an alien named Ziltoid starting a war over coffee, the release had fans and critics alike intrigued. Seven years later, Townsend continued Ziltoid's story with Dark Matters, which is one half of his double album Z2. With the aid of Stolen Babies singer Dominique Lenore Persi, Fozzy vocalist Chris Jericho, and hundreds of fans, Townsend delivered another daring concept album.

12. Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy - dream.hax (2013)

Through a successful Kickstarter, New York City chiptune outfit Anamanaguchi unveiled their sophomore studio album Endless Fantasy. The 22-track release has enough pizzazz to appeal to diehard chiptune fans (“Echobo,” “In The Basement”) but enough snappy melodies to attract casual dance music lovers (“Prom Night,” “Japan Air”).

11. Anathema - Weather Systems - Kscope Music (2012)

British progressive rock group Anathema delivers another chapter in their accolade-filled career with Weather Systems. This release marks the exit of longtime keyboardist Les Smith and the official arrival of Daniel Cardoso, who would take over as drummer. Produced by the band and Christer-André Cederberg, Weather Systems pulls listeners in with its two-part opener "Untouchable" and doesn’t let go until its imperial ending “Internal Landscapes.”

10. The Red Paintings - The Revolution Is Never Coming - The End Records (2013)

Australian art rock band The Red Paintings could've walked away from it all while working on their debut album The Revolution Is Never Coming. Band members came and went, and vocalist Trash McSweeney suffered a life-changing seizure. Despite numerous setbacks, the album finally saw the light of day after five long years in eight different recording studios. The end result is a 75-minute apocalyptic voyage fit for a Tim Burton film.

9. Death Grips - The Money Store - Epic Records (2012)

Death Grips flipped the hip hop scene on its head with their debut album The Money Store. The 13-track release can equally get a block party grooving and cause ferocious moshpits. When it comes to its massive array of samples, fans are still discovering new ones to this day.

8. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories - Columbia (2013)

Years after the release of Daft Punk's Human After All, the EDM scene saw a meteoric rise with sold-out festivals and massive drops at every turn. With Random Access Memories, the modern EDM fan at the time found themselves taken aback by its stripped-down production. Daft Punk still made people move with tracks such as “Get Lucky” and “Doin’ It Right.“

7. Youth Code - Commitment To Complications - Dais Records (2016)

Youth Code's Commitment To Complications was one of industrial music's most eye-opening releases in the past decade. The 11-track album finds the duo continuing their high energy blend of EBM and hardcore punk laid out in their self-titled debut album. With Front Line Assembly's Rhys Fulber behind the board, the record has a true old-school feel to it.

6. Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour - Ambush Reality (2012)

Following the release of 2009's Common Dreads, British post-hardcore group Enter Shikari continued their stance against government foolishness with A Flash Flood Of Colour. Some longtime fans might've been turned off by the lyrical content, but those who stuck around found themselves wanting to make a change in the world.

5. Andrew Wyatt - Descender - INGRID (2013)

After delivering indie-pop tracks such as "Animal" and "Paddling Out" with Miike Snow, Andrew Wyatt showcased a softer side with their solo debut album Descender. The singer traded the electronics for the 75-piece Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The end result is a collection of songs fit for Broadway musicals.

4. Bad Rabbits - American Nightmare - self-released (2016)

While Bad Rabbits' debut album American Love featured a slew of songs about romance, their sophomore album American Nightmare is a different ballgame. With the country going through shocking changes leading up to the election, Bad Rabbits delivered a record reflecting the world around them.

3. Hopesfall - Arbiter - Graphic Nature (2018)

Beloved post-hardcore band Hopesfall reunited after a five-year break to unveil Arbiter. Seen as an amalgamation of their previous work, the 10-track album, which was their first since 2007's Magnetic North, made longtime fans feel right at home with the opening track "Faint Object Camera." With some lyrical nods to their previous material, Arbiter can be seen as a love letter for those who've stuck by the band for years.

2. Sleigh Bells - Treats - Mom + Pop (2010)

While Poison The Well fans expected something heavy from guitarist Derek Miller, they were hit with a 180 on Sleigh Bells' 2010 debut album Treats. While the album is chockful of gritty noise-pop sensibility, vocalist Alexis Krauss smooths things out with her lavish vocals. From its blaring opener (“Tell ‘Em”) to its chaotic finale (“Treats”), Sleigh Bells hit the jackpot with this ferocious 11-track album.

1. Letlive - Fake History - Epitaph Records (2011)

It's pretty damn difficult to mention post-hardcore in the past decade without Letlive's name in the conversation. Their sophomore studio album Fake History became an instant classic in the scene with its ferocious delivery and lyrical content about society's negative impact on the planet ("The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion"), recognizing lost talent ("H. Ledger"), and the inevitability of death ("Day 54").

Our favorite songs of the past decade