The year has plenty of life (and releases) left in it, but NPR decided to see what their listeners considered the Top 50 Albums Of 2010 So Far. They tallied thousands of votes. According to their writeup, the no. 1 won handily. Or at least healthily. It looks like the others were a bit closer — a few top 10 albums are separated by just 10 votes each. As far as the overall tenor of the Top 50, it’s like chillwave never happened. (But Sade did.)
50 David Byrne: Here Lies Love
49 Bettye LaVette: Interpretations: The British Songbook
48 Laura Marling: I Speak Because I Can
47 Sade: Soldier Of Love
46 Corinne Bailey Rae: The Sea
45 Kings Go Forth: Outsiders Are Back
44 Quasi: American Gong
43 Owen Pallett: Heartland
42 Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Pt. 2, Return Of The Ankh
41 Ratatat: LP4
40 The Flaming Lips: Dark Side Of The Moon
39 Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer Of The Void
38. Four Tet: There Is Love In You
37 Laura Veirs: July Flame
36 Jakob Dylan: Women And Country
35 Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM
34 Freelance Whales: Weathervanes
33 Massive Attack: Heligoland
32 Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever
31 Gaslight Anthem: American Slang
30 Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (II)
29 Dead Weather: Sea Of Cowards
28 Caribou: Swim
27 Dr. Dog: Shame, Shame
26 Surfer Blood: Astro Coast
25 Frightened Rabbit: The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
24 Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid
23 Josh Ritter: So Runs The World Away
22 Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me
21 MGMT: Congratulations
20 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: I Learned The Hard Way
19 Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
18 The Knife: Tomorrow, In A Year
17 Jonsi: Go
16 Band of Horses: Infinite Arms
15 She & Him: Volume Two
14 Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma
13 The New Pornographers: Together
12 Yeasayer: Odd Blood
11 Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
10 Sleigh Bells: Treats
09 Spoon: Transference
08 Mumford And Sons: Sigh No More
07 Beach House: Teen Dream
06 Vampire Weekend: Contra
05 LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
04 Broken Bells: Broken Bells
03 The Black Keys: Brothers
02 The National: High Violet
01 Gorillaz: Plastic Beach
Enjoy the context over at NPR.
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ugh. broken bells #4 and no Liars or Morning Benders
i dismissed any credibility this list could have had when morning benders’ “big echo” wasn’t even an option in the voting.
My opinion of music is different! -or- Chillwave is dead! Long live Chillwave!
Sadness/anger at this list aside, is it interesting to anyone else many of the albums up there are the band’s album-after-their-first-critically-acclaimed-by-mainstream-music-reviewers album (in many cases, it was also their debut album). For instance: LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Beach House, Crystal Castles, Gaslight Anthem, Frightened Rabbit,
Since everyone is going to list their favorite albums not mentioned, I’ll throw out Titus Andronicus, Free Energy, and Besnard Lakes. I don’t know how they did the voting, but like Morning Benders, those might not have been eligible.
Seriously, TItus Andronicus might have the best album this year. At least Spoon, the Black Keys, LCD and The National have good spots.
Might? Nothing’s come close to touching The Monitor.
Oops, premature ejacuposting. Anyway, the list goes on with Flying Lotus, MGMT, Hold Steady.
Janelle Monae at #24 upsets me. That’s my album of the decade so far
Morning Benders are incredibly cheesy.
Broken Bells should be lower
BSS and Flying Lotus should be higher
Oh, thanks. I knew there was something off. You’re the best.
thx.
bss album was a huge disappointment- and i consider myself a huge bss fan.
It’s still better than Infinite Arms.
you disappoint yourself
Compared to most end of year lists that are going to emerge in a few months, this is probably the best.
I agree with this list, for the most part, I would rather have MGMT a little higher on the list as well as Band of Horses, but it seems to have come out pretty accurate.
Happy to see The Knife, Crystal Castles, Jónsi, and The National on the list. I would have put Foals second album, Total Life Forever, at the top, but I don’t think it was really noticed in the States. And of course Stars and Wolf Parade just released amazing albums and I would include those as well.
This list sort of proves to me that we have a lot of year left, with some amazing albums on the way: Interpol, Arcade Fire, Antony and the Johnsons, (potentially) Radiohead, to name a few.
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so, what do you listen to from up there in your ego tower? i’m curious.
polecat – d didn’t come here to be constructive! he just came here to call everyone a cunt!
shit, well then i guess his post was a success! kudos!
the fall is easily in the top 10. where’s love is all, gil scott-heron, sharon jones and dum dum girls?
oops. sharon jones is on the list.
happy to se laura veirs. on the list.
So based on this list Gorrillaz, Sleigh Bells, The Knife… (yes, that’s the unlistenable Tomorrow In A Year) and Spoon made better albums than Janelle Monae, Erykah Badu, Four Tet and Dr Dog? ?
Good news Paste readers, you have another six months to rethink this over and fix it.
Edit: my bad, I meant NPR readers of course.. I got confused because I had been reading this: ( http://bit.ly/dyJJ2W ) prior to posting my comment.
Mmm… yes? Erykah Badu, Four Tet, and Dr. Dog all had good albums, that’s not being disputed. But Gorillaz and Spoon always put out top of the line stuff. I don’t know, your comment just seems a little backwards.
However, Shame Shame is awesome and the Knife really can eat it.
actually, i think Sleigh Bells is an incredible album and would definitely rank it higher then Four Tet. sorry dude!
yeah i think so. sleigh bells’ new sound this year.
the new mgmt is a bunch of cracker hoakum hoosteroo
this list is very mor adult contemporary, but good 1st choice
liars should be up there
contra is unlistenable mostly
heligoland sucks
this list gets one big MEH
funny, i was just thinking of naming my newborn son cracker hoosteroo. this shows i was right to consider it. thanks.
no stars? : / the five ghosts should have been on that list
The album came out like a week ago and the voting was done like 2 weeks ago.
agreed!
Surprisingly OK list. I’m just happy Broken Bells, Transference, Gorilla Manor, High Violet, and Sigh No More made it.
I like the list. Its not bad. We all have our personal favorites.
I’m surprised Crystal Castles is on it. Crystal Castles II has been my favorite album this year, and while I’m not sure if it’s really the “best” album, I listen to it all the time. However, it just doesn’t seem like the kind of album most NPR listeners (my mom) would be into. And I say that with all the love and respect for NPR.
What this list makes me want to do is blast Watain’s 2010 masterpiece Lawless Darkness as loud as possible.
Wild Nothing / Gemini and These New Puritans / Hidden deserve to be in the list!!!
All list are silly. There is no bad taste, its just not your taste.
Caribou should certainly be in the top 5. That album is my favorite of the year so far. And where the hell is Hot Chip?
Totally agree, leaving Hot Chip off this list is just idiotic. I know might scare some people and it’s not mainstream enough, but Tobacco’s Maniac Meat is definitely the most interesting album this year.
Well, apparantly I AM the only person who finds Plastic Beach incredibly mediocre and dull. Other than that (and no Shearwater, Eels or Titus Andronicus) I can’t complain much about this list.
OK, scrap that, I’ve just realised that The Tallest Man On Earth’s The Wild Hunt isn’t here.
WORST LIST EVER!
what! no ___?
I can’t believe there’s no ______________!!!! Worst list ever!
hilarious!
Looks like 25-35 year old professionals really dig the new Gorillaz album.
Romance Is Boring by Los Campesinos! deserves a spot on this list. Jus’ saying.
Yes, Plastic Beach is the album of the year. Accept it.
does anyone else really hate npr?
I’m glad Surfer Blood is at least on the list.
Teen Dream is a much better album than Contra, I also think that it should be number 1 so maybe i’m not being fair, but even Yeasayer should be higher than Vampire Weekend, in my opinion.
Also I kind of feel like Janelle Monae’s album was like a female vocals version of Plastic Beach. It is also better than Plastic Beach.
Agree with some that it’s too early for these lists but here’s what mine would look like at this point, it’ll change by year’s end I’m sure.
53.Surfer Blood: Astro Coast
52.The New Pornographers: Together
51.She & Him: Volume Two
50.Gaslight Anthem: American Slang
49.Spoon: Transference
48.Band Of Horses: Infinite Arms
47.Ratatat: LP4
46.Delorean: Bubiza
45.Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM
44.Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer Of The Void
43.Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (II)
42,Pantha Du Prince: Black Noise
41.Mumford And Sons: Sigh No More
40.Shout Out Louds: Work
39.Gorillaz: Plastic Beach
38.Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: I Learned The Hard Way
37.Sleigh Bells: Treats
36.Yeasayer: Odd Blood
35.Owen Pallet: Heartland
34.Caribou: Swim
33.Hot Chip: One Life Stand
32.Fang Island: Fang Island
31.Broken Bells: Broken Bells
30.Liars: Sisterworld
29.Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts
28.Dr. Dog: Shame, Shame
27.Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me
26.Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
25.Quasi: American Gong
24.Deftones: Diamond Eyes
23.Harlem: Hippies
22.Tame Impala: Innerspeaker
21.Jonsi: Go
20.The Black Keys: Brothers
19.MGMT: Congratulations
18.The Besnard Lakes: Are The Roaring Night
17.Woods: At Echo Lake
16.Wild Nothing: Gemini
15.Titus Andronicus: The Monitor
14.Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma
13.The Morning Benders: Big Echo
12.Vampire Weekend: Contra
11.The Tallest Man On Earth: The Wild Hunt
10.Gonjasufi: A Sufi And A Killer
09.Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Pt. 2, Return Of The Ankh
08.Four Tet: There Is Love In You
07.Gil Scott-Heron: I’m New Here
06.Local Natives: Gorilla Manor
05.LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
04.The National: High Violet
03.Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today
02.Beach House: Teen Dream
01.Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid
I am so glad to see someone mention Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti! I can’t understand why no one else has mentioned it. It is at the top of my list next to Beach House and Local Natives.
Your list is missing Ke$ha – Animal, I’m pretty sure.
On the serious, BEACH HOUSE <3
I hope youre joking about the Kesha album.
I like this list. I just got the Tame Impala album. Very nice
And Ariel Pink definitely deserves some credit! And i like that you threw Fang Island in there.
Mentioned Fang island for the win
Any negative feelings people have for whatever reason aside, Contra is my album of the year. High Violet not far behind though–especially after seeing the songs played live.
Other than that I do like the list: “Rhinestone Eyes” and “On Melancholy Hill” are both so good.
I am extremely pleased to see Plastic Beach on here. Its my favorite album of the year so far, and alot of my other favorites are on here too. eg: Surfer Blood. Anyone who doesn’t think Gorillaz belongs on here. (SubsickAlien) cannot have even listened to the album. It was brilliant.
This list is lacking 2 things for me, Tallest Man on Earth and Teen Dream in the number 1 slot. Broken Bells isn’t top 5(or even 10) good either. But Local Natives almost in the Top 10 makes up for atleast 2 of those. So really people who vote on NPR polls just need to listen to the Tallest Man on Earth and I will be happy
Made a Spotify playlist of the list – http://open.spotify.com/user/maorezer/playlist/2TsdLeSjuciKlB5zQzF4rU
Caribou, Joanna Newsom, and Janelle Monae are top 10 material. Uhmmm, duh.
tallest man on earth, for crying out loud! he played your tiny desk concert, npr! wtf!
my thought exactly man. I just saw that the other day, pure awesomeness
surprisingly (or not so surprisingly?) almost all my favourites of the year so far are here, despite being a little (or a lot) out of order.
only, I feel like the only one who simply loved Ben Sollee’s & Daniel Martin Moore’s Dear Companion? easily one of my top five for sure.
Wow, no Tallest Man on Earth? I can’t take this list seriously at all.
We all have different opinions and that’s fabulous and great. On that note, I think the Morning Benders and Local Natives albums are the two most overrated ones of the year. Pretty harmonies and lots of layers and all that, but pretty bland songs outside of one or two. I should love both of those albums based on my tastes, but I don’t.
i agree with this one. those records are all up in prod value but less engaging and lacking in depth.
Not having ‘Good Morning, Magpie’ by Murder By Death seems like something a bunch of silly people would do.
Pretty sure everyone had forgotten about The Knife’s travesty of a new album by now.
I don’t get why Foals aren’t getting any recognition in the US. Total LIfe Forever is definitely my album of the year so far.
also eels – the end?
anyone who publicly proclaims to have loved the new MGMT album is just being pretentious.I’m pretty sure the album was meant as a costly,elaborate joke,a sort of massive “F*** You!” to their newfound fame following the last album.MGMT will announce about two years from now that this album was meant as a joke,or something because I truly see no value (Ok,”Something’s Missing” was kinda beautiful but lasted like 2 seconds) and the album in its entirety seems to be either a massive punchline to a joke only MGMT themselves get,or an prelude to something else.
Really, are you serious? Congratulations was a really beautiful album. Have you heard Siberian Breaks? That is a beautiful and epic song. The whole album is epic and beautiful. Also Congratulations is not a joke at all.
Wow. You’re a moron. Congratulations (omg pun intended).
I need More Funk Music on this list.
(((Long Live Funk MUSIC)))
Im glad caribou & David Byrne made the List. Dopeness!!!
http://www.electricslim.com/
LOS CAMPESINOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111111
This post is a good place to bitch about the future
SEEWUTIDIDTHAR
i miss:
future islands – in evening air
active child – curtis lane EP
dom – sun-bronzed greek gods EP
+
ariel pink
tame impala
the tallest man on earth
gonjasufi
wheres Slash’s album?? defo one of the best albums of 2010, not just heavy, its very melodic.
http://www.totalcubicles.co.uk
Your opinion is lame already as it was, why the hell did you have to put a link on here for cubicles and Urinals.
http://www.fellinlovewithadrummer.com/
The Acorns “No ghost” is amazing, should of made it on this list. If you haven’t heard it you really need too.
The Emeralds new Cd “Does it look like i’m here” is awesome as well, should of made it somewhere on here
Alot of these albums are very NPR, aka, very boring, and besides didn’t that Mumford & Sons album come out last year, and is it just me, or doesn’t it kind of suck? And then the new Vampire Weekend should definitely not be in the top ten, it’s not horrible, just not top ten worthy. I feel like they didn’t exactly check out as many newer and fun bands that have come out in 2010, and just compiled this list with “safe”, npr 35 and older fan favorites, and are sadly missing out on a ton of cool new bands.
Sigh No More only saw North American release in February. and yeah, it’s just you, cause it is, in fact, amazing.
Oh and also, I know this is probably a slight against indie rock, but has anyone heard Drake’s album? It’s actually pretty good, and in my opinion is top 50 worthy.
There’s no such thing as “indie rock” any more. I mean, none of the above even begins to rock.
I didn’t realize what a weak year it’s been for new music until I saw this list. Yikes! A few good but not great albums (the Caribou is good but far inferior to his two previous albums) and a bunch of overrated bands (BSS) and “flavor-of-the-week’s” (forget about Sleigh Bells and just go buy Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain and stop asking where the sample you love is from!). Godspeed the next Deerhunter record, we need it fast!!
I wasn’t expecting the Knife to be on this at all and I was even surprised that they were an option for voting but I’m so glad they are on it. Tomorrow In A Year is usually very underrated and is easily the best album so far this year.
I agree with Gorillaz being number one, but Clinging to a Scheme by The Radio Dept should be somewhere in the top ten. That album does not get enough credit.
90% or more of those acts suck.
What a surprise… npr listeners are boring trendy yuppies. No Titus Andronicus or Thee Oh Sees, this list sucks.
No Los Campesinos! ?
NPR listeners can DIAF.
Here’s another bitch regarding Titus Andronicus not being on there. It’s pretty rare that a band hits that still fits the “important” bullet points. Leave it to NPR listeners to not realize when one hits the ground runnin’.
I’m 44 years old and long ago gave up my love of punk. It still makes me happy when I hear it but I’m just not young enough or angry enough for punk to truly resonate anymore. Wait a tic….what in the @#$ is this Titus Andronicus all about? Punk still lives and it can still make a middle aged fat guy pound his steering wheel like he was listening to The Ramones as a kid. Thankx, TA.
This is the first time I’ve seen Freelance Whales listed for anything :’)