Album of the Decade - Honourable Mentions

Later this week I’ll be posting my official top 50 favourite albums of the decade. Understandably though, there were so many to choose from and narrowing it down to just 50 was the source of many a headache for me. 

So, I decided to do this, a list of 25 honourable mentions. 25 more incredible albums that I fell in love with at some point over the past 10 years.

Listed in alphabetical order, I’m gonna try and run through these pretty quickly. Oh, and any artist in my official top 50 was not eligible to make this list. 

Let’s get started…

A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP

ASAP Worldwide / Polo Grounds / RCA | Hip Hop (2015)

Maybe it is a little too long, and maybe it does sound just a little unfocused in places, but still, at its best, this is a stoned, smokey and psychedelic rap album and it remains the stylish rapper’s best project to date. 

Favourite song? Jukebox Joints (feat. Joe Fox & Kanye West)

Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN
Jagjaguwar | Indie Rock (2016)

In 2019, Angel Olsen released her brilliant album All Mirrors, which was so great, it had many championing it as her best yet. As great as it is, I will politely disagree, and point to its predecessor instead.

Favourite song? Heart-Shaped Face

The Antlers - Burst Apart

Frenchkiss / Transgressive | Chamber Pop (2011)

One of my favourite bands over the past 10 years or so has been the Brooklyn based trio The Antlers. In 2011, they followed up their conceptual masterpiece Hospice with this dark and dramatic LP.

Favourite song? I Don’t Want Love

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

City Slang / Mercury / Merge | Art Rock (2010)

And a favourite band of mine from the 21st century in general so far is the Montreal based group Arcade Fire. At the turn of the decade they released their third LP, which is a huge and ambitious rock album. 

Favourite song? Rococo

Beyoncé - LEMONADE

Columbia / Parkwood | Pop / R&B (2016)

I didn’t love this as much as everybody else seems to. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t list it on here. An eclectic pop album from one of music’s biggest stars, with Beyoncé revealing a number of personal revelations throughout. 

Favourite song? All Night

Bill Callahan - Dream River

Drag City | Folk / Singer-Songwriter (2013)

One of my favourite singer-songwriters of all time, Bill Callahan released three great albums this past decade, with Dream River being my favourite of them all. Another one full of extremely well written, immersive folk songs. 

Favourite song? Seagull

Bob Dylan - Tempest

Columbia | Rock (2012)

It’s almost an ongoing joke now, that every list I do has to feature this man somewhere on it. There’s no bias here though, this is a great album and featured some of his best, and darkest songs in years. 

Favourite song? Long and Wasted Years

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

4AD / Jagjaguwar | Alternative / Folk (2011)

An album which has grown on me tremendously since its release back in 2011. It’s the second album from Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver project and it comes with a much fuller and prettier sound than that heard on his classic debut. 

Favourite song? Holocene

Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld - Never Were The Way She Was

Constellation Records | Ambient (2015)

This has been the one and only collaboration to date between the two accomplished musicians Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld. It’s an unsettling, creepy but ultimately extremely effective and, at times, beautiful ambient album. 

Favourite song? And Still They Move

Earl Sweatshirt - Doris

Columbia / Odd Future / Tan Cressida | Hip Hop (2013)

Some may prefer his more recent projects, like the excellent Some Rap Songs, but this debut studio album of Earl’s is dark and abstract, but with a clear accessibility to it too. It’s the combination of those two traits which makes it my favourite of his thus far. 

Favourite song? Chum

Future Islands - Singles

4AD | Synthpop (2014)

The finest album to date from this awesome synthpop trio. An appropriately titled project, this came packed with not just some of their best songs yet, but some of their catchiest and funnest too. 

Favourite song? Seasons (Waiting On You)

The Horrors - Skying

XL | Indie Rock (2011)

An impressive sonic evolution indicative of its cover art, the third album from English post-punk and rock outfit The Horrors also came with a shoegaze influence in the form of some huge, shimmering walls of sound. 

Favourite song? Oceans Burning

Jake Xerxes Fussell - Jake Xerxes Fussell

Paradise Of Bachelors | Folk (2015)

This self-titled album serves as the debut from the underrated artist from North Carolina. And it features his endearing and comforting takes on ten old folk songs of the past. 

Favourite song? Raggy Levy

Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy!
Jagjaguwar | Alternative / R&B (2019)

The sophomore studio album from the Chicago based poet and artist Jamila Woods, is an alternative and versatile ode to her race and culture. Offering sounds influenced by R&B, hip hop, pop, rock and much more. 

Favourite song? MUDDY

Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

Atlantic / Bad Boy / Wondaland Arts Society | Pop / R&B (2010)

What was easily one of the biggest and most artistically daring albums of the entire past decade, was this debut studio album from the cool and well rounded talent of Janelle Monáe. 

Favourite song? Faster

Julia Holter - Loud City Song

Domino | Art Pop (2013)

A sophisticated art pop album from the LA based artist Julia Holter. Across the grandiose and dramatic production, Julia is masterful and enigmatic on what remains many of her best songs to date. 

Favourite song? This Is A True Heart

Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

MCA Nashville | Country / Pop (2018)

The latest from Texan singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves was so great, catchy and endearing, even the staunchest country music hater couldn’t deny its appeal or brilliance. 

Favourite song? Slow Burn

Kamasi Washington - Heaven and Earth

Young Turks | Jazz (2018)

And similarly, saxophone player, composer and bandleader Kamasi Washington offered this huge, double album, which was an accessible and incredible take on the, at times, intimidating genre of jazz. 

Favourite song? Street Fighter Mas

Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze

Matador | Indie Rock (2013)

Philadelphia based folk rocker Kurt Vile has been a favourite of mine for a long time now. In 2013 he released his longest, most focused, prettiest, and in my opinion, best album to date. 

Favourite song? Wakin On A Pretty Day

Moses Sumney - Aromanticism

Alternative / Singer-Songwriter (2017)

Hearing this unique and romantic album is a spellbinding experience. Impossible to pin down, the LA based singer-songwriter Moses Sumney masters in subtlety with some truly gorgeous vocals.  

Favourite song? Plastic

Perfume Genius - Too Bright

Matador | Art Pop (2014)

Mike Hadreas turned heads with a stylistic shift for his third album under his Perfume Genius moniker. With a brighter, and poppier soul sound which mixes flawlessly alongside his beautiful, piano led ballads. 

Favourite song? I Decline

The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack

Kemado | Indie Rock (2010)

A real personal favourite, this short and sweet album was in heavy rotation for me at the turn of the decade. Featuring harsh post-punk, with messy, yet exceptionally catchy, garage rock. 

Favourite song? C’mon

Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

A Boy Is A Gun / Columbia | Hip Hop (2019)

The latest and, in my opinion, best project to date from the Californian rapper and producer. Featuring a wealth of talent in the foreground and background of the soulful, R&B influenced production. 

Favourite song? GONE, GONE / THANK YOU

The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

Secretly Canadian | Indie Rock

Adam Granduciel and company continued to blend influences from past artists like Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen, with vast, and dreamy textures on what is still their best album yet. 

Favourite song? Under The Pressure

William Basinski - A Shadow In Time

2062 / Temporary Residence | Ambient (2017)

William Basinski is a sound and noise making maestro, responsible for some of the greatest ambient albums of all time, and the two pieces present on this project are the best he offered this whole decade. 

Favourite song? For David Robert Jones

Twitter @dustymixtapes