End of a Decade - Albums 50-41

The one constant with this blog since I started it in 2011 has been the year end "best of" music lists. In 2011 I thought it would be really cool if I could keep the blog going long enough to do a "best of the decade" album list for the 2010s. I'm proud to say I've accomplished that goal. Here it is; a list of the music that defined my 20's, built in real time over the past 10 years. Enjoy.

Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.

50. Incendiary - Cost of Living (Closed Casket Activities, 2013)

Incendiary's second album is a masterclass in classic New York metalcore. It pulls influence from 90's legends Indecision and VOD, with a healthy dose of modern mosh and a biting political bent. NYHC made a comeback in the 2010's, and Cost of Living was the torchbearer.

49. Ariana Grande - My Everything (Republic Records, 2014)

Ariana Grande's hits are pretty evenly distributed across her five albums, so picking one album for this list was a chore. Her sophomore effort introduced her to a world outside of Disney Channel stans, setting her on a path to superstardom with smash hits like "Problem" and "Break Free". This album tackles a number of different production styles while showcasing Grande's breathtaking range.

48. Youngboy Never Broke Again - Realer (Never Broke Again, LLC, 2019)

The 2010's haven't exactly been easy for NBA Youngboy. He's been incarcerated, meme'd to death, and somewhere along the line, contracted herpes. His singles have been knocking in the club, though. In 2019, the young Louisianan finally added a great mixtape to his resume as one of rap's most consistent hit-makers.

47. Abuse of Power - What on Earth Can We Do? (Triple-B Records, 2019)

Melodic hardcore has been mostly bearish for the last decade, but with the Have Heart reunions and a glut of promising new bands, it might be time to buy futures. Abuse of Power is at the forefront of the renaissance. Their first full length has eminently hummable moments, but what sets it apart is breakneck speed, top-notch tone and dynamic songwriting.

46. Travis Scott - Astroworld (Grand Hustle Records/Cactus Jack Records, 2018)

Most people wouldn't expect an album full of experimental song structures, psychedelia and rap risk-taking to be a hit with Kardashian fans. But we don't Kardashian-shame on this blog, so I'm not at all surprised. Astroworld features some of the best vocal production and highest risk/reward payoff in terms of songwriting we saw all decade. Hit single "Sicko Mode" is a perfect example of the layers this album pulls off while still being accessible.

45. Sun Kil Moon - Benji (Caldo Verde Records, 2014)

Pitchfork practically anointed Benji as album of the decade until Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek burst into a sexist tirade onstage midway through 2015. Those snobs can try to bury this album, but Benji is hard to ignore. Every song is a beautiful story, bursting at the seams with details. Kozelek masterfully adapts the words of the choruses to their melodies to reveal more with every refrain. This approach adds detail and builds characters in a way unmatched by anything this decade.

44. A$AP Rocky - LONG.LIVE.A$AP  (RCA Records, 2013)

Rarely does a rap artist burst onto the scene with as cohesive a sound as A$AP Rocky did in 2013. The formula is simple. Minimalist, EDM-influenced beats. Memphis flows with chopped-and-screwed Houston accents. Tons of quotables about bitches, liquor and clothes. When Rocky strays from the formula, he's arguably even more successful -- the pop hit "Fuckin' Problem", Skrillex's obnoxious club banger "Wild for the Night" and the New York grittiness of crew-track "1Train" are the three punch combo that sent Rocky's career into the stratosphere.

43. Self Defense Family - Try Me (Deathwish Inc., 2014)

Try Me is a transitional album, even for a band whose prolific output has been constantly evolving. The band's first full length under the Self Defense Family moniker is a perfect snapshot between an emotionally overwrought emo-core five piece and a too-cool-for-school indie rock collective.The album thrives on a tension and creativity that's hard to replicate or fake. 

42. Jeremih - Late Nights: The Album (Def Jam Recordings, 2015)

Whoever produced this album is a fucking genius. The beats really knock, but they're low key enough to let Jeremih breathe. The vocal effects are dialed in, but they don't drown out the singer's raw talent. This album is just fun to listen to. The 2010s were the decade that saw RnB and hip-hop blend together. Late Nights is an RnB album with hip-hop swagger. It's the exclamation mark on the decade where RnB singers had swag and rappers could sing hooks.

41. Harm's Way - Posthuman (Metal Blade Records, 2018)

Harm's Way has been grinding in the hardcore scene for over 15 years now. Their third full length this decade is a culmination of all the hard work and practice. The album is their most well-written. It also sounds the best, probably thanks Metal Blade's bigger budget. Posthuman finally saw Harm's Way garner the respect they had been flirting with, and quite frankly, deserving, for the last decade and a half.