Year: 2015
Original Rank: Not ranked in my 2015 lists
Genre: Rap
A double album, Summertime '06 clocks in at just under an hour. Through the runtime it is dense and heavy, tackling uncomfortable topics with ease and grace. Sales wise, it didn't make much of an impact, but one of its singles did spawn an amazingly awkward viral video.
Year: 2013
Original Rank: 7/10 ranked on my 2013 lists
Genre: Country
Easily the best output the band has ever had, this self-titled debut includes "The Ceiling", one of the best songs of the decade. This record is a mix of folk sounds and harmonies, but the vocal twang and visible influences make it unmistakably country.
Year: 2014
Original Rank: 3/15 ranked on my 2014 lists
Genre: Folk
Rice's first proper record in nearly a decade went straight to the top of the charts in his native Ireland and also performed admirably in the US & UK. His trademark delicate vocals are present throughout and his powerful songwriting gives all of these tracks their legs.
Year: 2010
Original Rank: 5/10 ranked on my 2010 lists
Genre: Alternative
The best record by The National released in the timeframe, High Violet was the band's mainstream breakthrough. More and more layers of this record reveal themselves with subsequent listens. While subtlety has always been prominent in the band's songs, it's more powerful here than before.
Year: 2013
Original Rank: Not ranked in my 2013 lists
Genre: Rap
If The National are kings of subtlety, Kanye West would be... the opposite of that. Yeezus is 40 minutes of brash, in your face declarations from a man that knows he is important - even when he's demanding croissants. Yeezus has been certified platinum by the RIAA and represents Kanye's 5th consecutive #1 album. "Black Skinhead" is the most representative track on this record.
Year: 2017
Original Rank: 17/25 ranked on my 2017 lists
Genre: Country
Tyler Childers emerged from the previous unknown of the eastern Kentucky mountains to take the Americana world by storm in 2017. This collection of songs covers small town life (and the desire to get out) as well as any recent records. Childers earned a number of awards for the record, including Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Awards in Nashville.
Year: 2016
Original Rank: 7/20 ranked on my 2016 lists
Genre: Country
Similar in feel and content to the prior ranking, Midwest Farmer's Daughter showcases Margo Price's retro tastes and desires. She's a great lyricist, covering well worn ground with an approach that makes her thoughts feel fresh.
Year: 2011
Original Rank: 6/10 ranked on my 2011 lists
Genre: Folk
The last record to feature the traditional Bon Iver folk sounds, this is one of the most beautiful releases of the decade. It just sounds pretty. Endless layers of strings and brass combine here for some absolutely perfect moments. Lead single "Holocene" gets most of the headlines, but album opener "Perth" is probably the strongest track.
Year: 2014
Original Rank: 1/15 ranked on my 2014 lists
Genre: Rock
Lazaretto finds Jack White at his most Jack White-y. It's extremely self-indulgent, but not in a detrimental way. White had a vision to cram as much into the record as possible and he executed. It's a rock and roll record, but provides a wide variety of sounds across that spectrum. The vinyl version of this record is the best selling vinyl since sales tracking began.
Year: 2010
Original Rank: 1/10 ranked on my 2010 lists
Genre: Indie
MGMT departed from the synthesizer heavy sound that made them famous and brought guitars on this record. Critically, they paid the price for it as Congratulations was panned upon release. To me though, this one always hit the mark. It's different, yes, but it's a great collection - their best, I say - and the title track is a perfect album closer.
Year: 2011
Original Rank: Not ranked in my 2011 lists
Genre: Folk
Frank Turner set out to make a record representative of his version of English life. Turns out that's not so different than middle class America. This record is sprinkled with tracks addressing fear of failure and veering off your path, but it's also got triumphant anthems about the power of connecting with the music. It's a complete work and one that hits home no matter which side of the Atlantic that happens to be on.
Year: 2012
Original Rank: 1/10 ranked on my 2012 lists
Genre: Punk
On The Impossible past is rooted in punk, no doubt, but at the same time The Menzingers are tipping their cap to their east coast rock brethren on the record. It's blunt and timeless. It's got a rough edge to it that may not be easily digestible for everybody, but it's authentic and human. This is a collection of powerhouse songs with unlimited staying power.
Year: 2014
Original Rank: Not ranked in my 2014 lists
Genre: Rap
Run The Jewels 2 is the most aggressive hip-hop record of the decade, and possibly one of the most aggressive recorded. It is intense. Both members are given chance to feature and air their grievances across the runtime, but the mesh points produce the best moments of the record. El-P & Killer Mike were made for each other.
Year: 2010
Original Rank: 2/10 ranked on my 2010 lists
Genre: Indie
The general consensus on this record is that it's the perfect metaphor for the actual suburban life. This record presents itself as perfectly polished but in reality its real meat lies in its chaotic underbelly. It's an amazing accomplishment of an album. On the back of an Album of the Year win at the Grammys, The Suburbs went to #1 in the US, sparking a string of three straight records for the band to do so.
Year: 2014
Original Rank: Not ranked in my 2014 lists
Genre: Country
In recent years, Sturgill Simpson has taken heat from a certain subset of fans for abandoning the hardcore traditional country sound of this record. That's because it's so damn good. Simpson's psychedelic side is in play here as well, no more than on the album opener. This record is proof that great art will find an audience even if the deck is stacked against it.
Check back tomorrow as the countdown concludes with #5-#1.
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