Just so you know, I've been thinking about this too much. Seeing Pitchfork + Paste + Uproxx all publish their own lists this week made me feel like it's okay to overthink music lists and just throw something out there. Even if it's a couple months too soon.
Also, this list was really hard to compile. I was going to write a blurb for each album, but I don't trust my journalism skills nearly as much as I let on. And why try harder?
I think my top 4 is pretty unimpeachable. I think my top 10 should have 11 albums in it, but numbers are stupid. It was pretty hard to come up with 100 albums, no more/no less, because I simultaneously care too much yet don't care at all about what's gonna be #88 as opposed to #87 and whatnot. I like lists. This kind of stuff is therapeutic to me.
Feel free to bark at me about my terrible music taste, or entirely base your newfound musical opinions on this, or whatever. I wouldn't mind sparking some conversation!
Here's the list.
100
Rosalia
El Mal Querer
2018
99
Andy Stott
Luxury Problems
2012
98
YG
Still Brazy
2016
97
Erykah Badu
New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh)
2010
96
A Tribe Called Quest
We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
2016
95
DJ Rashad
Double Cup
2013
94
Noname
Room 25
2018
93
U.S. Girls
In A Poem Unlimited
2018
92
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Skeleton Tree
2016
91
Flying Lotus
You're Dead!
2014
90
Dean Blunt
Black Metal
2014
89
Beach House
Bloom
2012
88
Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
2010
87
Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music
2012
86
My Bloody Valentine
m b v
2013
85
Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty
2010
84
Pusha T
DAYTONA
2018
83
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
2012
82
Oneohtrix Point Never
Garden Of Delete
2015
81
Women
Public Strain
2010
80
Earl Sweatshirt
Some Rap Songs
2018
79
SZA
Ctrl
2017
78
Savages
Silence Yourself
2013
77
Kanye West
The Life Of Pablo
2016
76
Tune-Yards
w h o k i l l
2011
75
Low
Double Negative
2018
74
Caribou
Swim
2010
73
Radiohead
A Moon Shaped Pool
2016
72
Scott Walker
Bish Bosch
2012
71
The Caretaker
An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
2011
70
Ariel Pink
Pom Pom
2014
69
The Knife
Shaking The Habitual
2013
68
Perfume Genius
Too Bright
2014
67
Shabazz Palaces
Black Up
2011
66
Grouper
Ruins
2014
65
Anderson .Paak
Malibu
2016
64
Colin Stetson
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
2011
63
Tim Hecker
Virigins
2013
62
Beyonce
Lemonade
2016
61
Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
2010
60
Car Seat Headrest
Teens Of Denial
2016
59
Lana Del Rey
Norman Fucking Rockwell!
2019
58
Four Tet
There Is Love In You
2010
57
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
Pinata
2014
56
Bjork
Vulnicura
2015
55
Japandroids
Celebration Rock
2012
54
Tame Impala
Lonerism
2012
53
Darkside
Psychic
2013
52
Vampire Weekend
Contra
2010
51
Kurt Vile
Wakin On A Pretty Daze
2013
50
PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
2011
49
Daughters
You Won't Get What You Want
2018
48
D'Angelo And The Vanguard
Black Messiah
2014
47
Bon Iver
Bon Iver
2011
Perfume Genius
No Shape
2017
45
The War On Drugs
Lost In The Dream
2014
44
Kendrick Lamar
DAMN.
2017
43
Jamie xx
In Colour
2015
Angel Olsen
All Mirrors
2019
41
Chance The Rapper
Coloring Book
2016
40
Angel Olsen
MY WOMAN
2016
39
Solange
A Seat At The Table
2016
38
Daft Punk
Random Access Memories
2013
37
David Bowie
Blackstar
2016
36
Disclosure
Settle
2013
35
St. Vincent
Strange Mercy
2011
34
Julia Holter
Have You In My Wilderness
2015
33
Danny Brown
XXX
2011
32
Arcade Fire
The Suburbs
2010
31
Deafheaven
Sunbather
2013
30
Swans
The Seer
2012
29
Fiona Apple
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
2012
28
Joanna Newsom
Have One On Me
2010
27
Mount Eerie
A Crow Looked At Me
2017
26
Iceage
Plowing Into The Field Of Love
2014
25
FKA Twigs
LP1
2014
24
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Before Today
2010
23
Weyes Blood
Titanic Rising
2019
22
Sufjan Stevens
Carrie & Lowell
2015
21
Father John Misty
I Love You, Honeybear
2015
20
Fleet Foxes
Helplessness Blues
2011
19
Death Grips
The Money Store
2012
18
James Blake
James Blake
2011
17
SOPHIE
OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES
2018
16
Flying Lotus
Cosmogramma
2010
Oneohtrix Point Never
Replica
2011
14
Swans
To Be Kind
2014
13
Run The Jewels
Run The Jewels 2
2014
12
Danny Brown
Atrocity Exhibition
2016
11
Frank Ocean
Channel Orange
2012
10
LCD Soundsystem
This Is Happening
2010
9
Destroyer
Kaputt
2011
8
Vampire Weekend
Modern Vampires Of The City
2013
7
Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
2010
6
Sun Kil Moon
Benji
2014
5
Beach House
Teen Dream
2010
4
Frank Ocean
Blonde
2016
3
Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city
2012
2
Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2010
1
Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp A Butterfly
2015