Top 100 Tracks From the 2010s Decade (2010 – 2019)
A decade is a long time to listen. These 100 tracks weren’t chosen because they topped charts (though a few did), but because I believe they are objectively better than most mainstream music released in this time period. Spanning indie, alternative, rap, R&B, classical, electronic, and ambient, this playlist reflects the wide net the 2010s cast across my listening habits.
Before You Judge the Mix: If you’re looking for a Billboard-certified recap or a playlist curated by an algorithm owned by a record label, you’re in the wrong corner of the internet. This list isn’t that. It’s personal, instinctive, and happily unqualified. It’s free from label politics, trend forecasts, or influencer math. Take it with a grain of salt. Not the iodized kind that clumps in a diner shaker, but the grey, mineral-rich stuff pulled from the coast of Brittany. The kind that actually makes things taste better.
Listen On
APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY
100/ Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – I Need You
99/ boygenius – Salt In The Wound
98/ Active Child – Evening Ceremony
97/ Zola Jesus – In Your Nature
96/ Spiritualized – Hey Jane
95/ Radiohead – Spectre
94/ Panda Bear – Mr. Noah
93/ U.S. Girls – The Boy Is Mine
92/ Rafael Anton Irisarri – The Clock
91/ Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – In Motion
90/ Blood Orange – Uncle ACE (a/jus/ted Remix)
89/ Parquet Courts – Borrowed Time
88/ Gabriela Parra – Olopte’s Lullaby
87/ Skrillex & Diplo – Where Are U Now (feat. Justin Bieber)
86/ Underworld – Low Burn
85/ American Football – Uncomfortably Numb
84/ Oneohtrix Point Never – Chrome Country
83/ The Radio Dept. – Never Follow Suit
82/ Four Tet – Two Thousand and Seventeen
81/ Kanye West – All of the Lights
80/ Destroyer – Tinseltown Swimming In Blood
79/ BADBADNOTGOOD – Time Moves Slow
78/ LCD Soundsystem – seconds (electric lady sessions)
77/ Lana Del Rey – Video Games
76/ Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Love’s Refrain
75/ Sleigh Bells – Riot Rhythm
74/ Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and Round
73/ Thundercat – Bus in These Streets
72/ Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd – Radiant City
71/ The Field – Cupid’s Head
70/ Playboi Carti – Long Time (Intro)
69/ Beach House – Dark Spring
68/ Tindersticks – Like Only Lovers Can
67/ Chance the Rapper – Same Drugs
66/ Sleep Over – Romantic Streams
65/ Frank Ocean – Nights
64/ Porches – Country
63/ Big Thief – Mythological Beauty
62/ Kendrick Lamar – FEEL.
61/ Perfume Genius – Dark Parts
60/ Mark Renner – Half a Heart
59/ Tirzah – Holding On
58/ Negative Gemini – Body Work
57/ Stray Ghost – Two Steps Too Often Aside
56/ Savages – She Will
55/ Kanye West – 55/ Kanye West – New Slaves
54/ Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle – Gustavo
53/ Bon Iver – Beth / Rest
52/ Damon Albarn – Sister Rust
51/ Grimes – Oblivion
50/ The Walkmen – Heaven
49/ Chromatics – Shadow (12 Inch Mix – Last Dance At the Roadhouse)
48/ Wild Nothing – Live in Dreams
47/ Vampire Weekend – Hannah Hunt
46/ Beach Fossils – Clash the Truth
45/ Gold Panda – My Father In Hong Kong 1961
44/ Tame Impala – Let It Happen
43/ Radiohead – True Love Waits
42/ Frankie Rose – Pair of Wings
41/ Oneohtrix Point Never – Ouroboros
40/ Gang Gang Dance – Adult Goth
39/ black midi – Near DT, MI
38/ Father John Misty – Bored In the USA
37/ Banks – Brain
36/ Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
35/ Cat Power – Nothin’ But Time
34/ Brian Eno & Karl Hyde – Return
33/ Lana Del Rey – Venice Bitch
32/ David Bowie – I Can’t Give Everything Away
31/ Jamie xx – Gosh
30/ Sky Ferreira – Everything Is Embarrassing
29/ The Bilinda Butchers – Tulips
28/ Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
27/ Wolf Alice – Don’t Delete the Kisses
26/ Beach House – The Hours
25/ Alexandre Desplat – River (The Tree Of Life)
24/ U.S. Girls – Rosebud
23/ The Walkmen – Angela Surf City
22/ Vampire Weekend – I Think Ur a Contra
21/ Grouper – Clearing
20/ The Radio Dept. – This Thing Was Bound To Happen
19/ Destroyer – The River
18/ Mark Ronson – True Blue (feat. Angel Olsen)
17/ Kamasi Washington – Truth
16/ Tim Hecker – The Piano Drop
15/ Lana Del Rey – The greatest
14/ LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean
13/ D’Angelo and The Vanguard – Really Love
12/ Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)
11/ Blood Orange – Champagne Coast
10/ Frank Ocean – Nights
9/ King Krule – Dum Surfer
8/ How to Dress Well – You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Goin’
7/ Blur – Under the Westway
6/ Beach House – Space Song
5/ Burial – Kindred
4/ James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream
3/ Slowdive – Don’t Know Why
2/ Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx – I’ll Take Care of U
1/ Destroyer – Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
