I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’d be looking at my top albums lists from the past ten years of lists here and choosing my favourite from that period. I’ll be doing that from December 27th – 31st, but if you can’t wait, here are the full top 20 lists for all 10 of those years. They haven’t aged too badly – not too many albums I would re-evaluate downwards too much.
2009
20 Red Light Company Fine Fascination
19 Green Day 21st century breakdown
18 Ash A-Z Series (download)
17 Low Anthem Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
16 Friendly Fires Friendly Fires
15 Alela Diane To be still
14 Arctic Monkeys Humbug
13 Grizzly Bear Veckatimest
12 Hockey Mind Chaos
11 Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion
10 Bombay Bicycle Club I had the blues but I shook them loose
9 Metric Fantasies
8 The Big Pink A brief history of love
7 Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz
6 Florence and the Machine Lungs
5 Mumford and Sons Sigh No More
4 The Maccabees Wall of Arms
3 The Joy Formidable A Balloon called Moaning
2 Sweet Billy Pilgrim Twice Born Men
1 The Wild Beasts Two Dancers
2010
20 Free Energy Stuck on Nothing
19 Titus Andronicus The Monitor
18 Two Door Cinema Club Tourist History
17 Mynabirds What we lose in the fire we gain in the flood
16 Bombay Bycyle Club Flaws
15 Band of Horses Infinite Suns
14 Midlake Courage of Others
13 Frightened Rabbit Winter of Mixed Drinks
12 Lissie Catching a Tiger
11 New Pornographers Together
10 Chew Lips Unicorn
9 Paul Weller Wake up the Nation
8 Anais Mitchell Hadestown
7 Stornaway Beachcomber’s Windowsill
6 The National High Violet
5 Robert Plant Band of Joy
4 The Mystery Jets Seratonin
3 Yeasayer Odd Blood
2 Arcade Fire The Suburbs
1 Laura Marling I Speak Because I Can
2011
20 Hurray for the Riff Raff Hurray for the Riff Raff
19 Phoenix Foundation Buffalo
18 Low C’Mon
17 Bon Iver Bon Iver
16 Yuck Yuck
15 Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire
14 Vaccines What Did You Expect from the Vaccines
13 Ben Howard Every Kingdom
12 Feist Metals
11 Horrors Skying
10 James Blake James Blake
9 Laura Marling A Creature I Don’t Know
8 Wild Beasts Smother
7 EMA Past Life Martyred Saints
6 Bombay Bicycle Club A Different Kind of Fix
5 Arctic Monkeys Suck It and See
4 Joy Formidable The Big Roar
3 Florence Ceremonials
2 Decemberists The King is Dead
1 Antlers Burst
2012
20 First Aid Kit The Lion’s Roar
19 Spector Enjoy It While It Lasts
18 Shearwater Animal Joy
17 Fixers We’ll Be The Moon
16 Citizens! Here We Are
15 Here We Go Magic A Different Ship
14 Tribes Baby
13 Frank Ocean Channel Orange
12 Vaccines Come of Age
11 King Charles Youngblood
10 Anais Mitchell Young Man in America
9 Dry the River Shallow Bed
8 Sweet Billy Pilgrim Crown and Treaty
7 Dog is Dead All Our Favourite Stories
6 The Maccabees Given to the Wild
5 Grimes Visions
4 Sharon Van Etten Tramp
3 Django Django Django Django
2 Of Monsters and Men My Head is an Animal
1 Alt-J An Awesome Wave
2013
20 David Bowie The Next Day
19 Queens of the Stone Age Like Clockwork
18 Laura Stevenson Wheel
17 The National Trouble Will Find Me
16 Public Service Broadcasting Inform – Educate - Entertain
15 London Grammar If You Wait
14 Caitlin Rose The Stand-In
13 Suede Bloodsports
12 Foals Holy Fire
11 Arcade Fire Reflektor
10 Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer, Different Park
9 The Wonder Years The Greatest Generation
8 Jonathan Wilson Fanfare
7 The 1975 The 1975
6 Tegan & Sara Heartthrob
5 Laura Marling Once I was An Eagle
4 Arctic Monkey AM
3 Lanterns on the Lake Until the Colours Run
2 Peace In Love
1 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
2014
20 Simone Felice Strangers
19 Antlers Familiars
18 Black Keys Turn Blue
17 FKA Twiggs LP1
16 Catfish and the Bottlemen The Balcony
15 Family Rain Under the Volcano
15 Horrors Luminous
13 Frazey Ford Indian Ocean
12 Merchandise After The End
11 Hookworms The Hum
10 War on Drugs Lost in the Dream
9 George Ezra Wanted on Voyage
8 La Roux Trouble in Paradise
7 Jamie T Carry on the Grudge
6 Ben Howard I Forgot Where We Were
5 Hozier Hozier
4 Ex Hex Rips
3 Alt-J This is All Yours
2 Royal Blood Royal Blood
1 Bombay Bicycle Club So Long See You Tomorrow
2015
20 Bring Me The Horizon That’s The Spirit
19 Night Terrors of 1927 Everything’s Coming Up Roses
18 Laura Marling Short Movie
17 Brandi Carlile The Firewatchers Daughter
16 Nothing But Thieves Nothing But Thieves
15 Rhiannon Giddens Tomorrow Is My Turn
14 Stornoway Bonxie
13 Circa Waves Young Chasers
12 Susanne Sundfør Ten Love Songs
11 Rae Morris Unguarded
10 Blur The Magic Whip
9 Alabama Shakes Sound and Colour
8 Florence & the Machine How Big, How Bold, How Beautiful
7 Grimes Art Angel
6 Du Blonde Welcome Back to Milk
5 Julia Holter Have You In My Wilderness
4 The Districts A Flourish and a Spoil
3 Courtney Barnett Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit
2 Maccabees Marks to Prove It
1 Wolf Alice My Love Is Cool
2016
20 Jack Garrett Phase
19 Suede Night Thoughts
18 James Vincent McMorrow Move
17 Lisa Hannigan At Swim
16 David Bowie Blackstar
15 Sturgill Simpson A Sailor’s Guide To Earth
14 Bastille Wild World
13 Cat’s Eyes How to Be A Human Being
12 Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool
11 Beyoncé Lemonade
10 Frightened Rabbit Painting of a Panic Attack
9 Catfish and the Bottlemen Ride
8 Drive-by Truckers American Band
7 Glass Animals How to Be A Human Being
6 The 1975 I Like It when You Sleep
5 Michael Kiwanuka Love & Hate
4 Let’s Eat Grandma I, Gemini
3 Nick Cave Skeleton Tree
2 Bon Iver 22 A Million
1 Christine and the Queens Chaleur Humaine
2017
20 The National Sleep Well Beast
19 Amber Run For A Moment, I Was Lost
18 Circa Waves Different Creatures
17 Vant Dumb Blood
16 Hippo Campus Landmark
15 Nothing But Thieves Nothing But Thieves
14 Flyte The Loved Ones
13 St Vincent Masseduction
12 Sampha Process
11 Big Moon Love in the Fourth Dimension
10 Laura Marling Sempa Femina
9 Neck Deep The Peace and the Panic
8 Toothless The Pace of the Passing
7 Declan McKenna What Do You Think About the Car?
6 James Vincent McMorrow True Care
5 Hippo Campus The Halocline
4 Wolf Alice Visions of a Life
3 Sundara Karma Youth Is Only Fun In Retrospect
2 Lorde Melodrama
1 Hurray For The Riff Raff The Navigator
You forgot La Roux-La Roux in 2009 🙂