I'm gonna list 20 because I actually think 2010 was a pretty good year myself, so in Casey Kasem style, moving backwards from #20.
20- "Contra" by Vampire Weekend
While not as good as their self titled debut it is still pretty damn good. But is anyone as sick of "Holiday" as I am right now?
19-"Plastic Beach" by Gorillaz
I wasn't sure how this would fare without the input of producer Danger Mouse, but I had nothing to worry about, great CD. (anyone downloading their free Christmas CD tomorrow?)
18-"Broken Bells" by Broken Bells
The reason why Danger Mouse was too busy for the Gorillaz. This collaboration with James Mercer of The Shins was just fantastic.
17-"The Place We Run From" by Tired Pony
This collaboration by Peter Buck of R.E.M. & Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol made for the best Non-country country CD this year.
16-"My World 2.0." by Justin Bieber
Hah, just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
16-"Treats" by Sleigh Bells
This CD sounds like 2 very different sounding bands were recording next door to each other but somehow got blended together. It's noisy and sometimes messy but also gorgeously melodic.
15-"Transference" by Spoon
This band just continues to make great record after great record.
14-"Congratulations" by MGMT
They could never pull of the quirky brilliance of Oracular Spectacular a second time, but they came pretty damn close. "The Youth" is one of my favorite singles of 2010.
13-"Cold Day Memory" by Sevendust
One of my favorite metal bands of all time put out one of the best CD's of their great career, I may be the only one who noticed.
12-"High Violet" by The National
Matt Berninger's voice is like nothing you hear in pop music, it's haunting and his almost talk/sing approach makes every song unique. The fact that the songs as written are brilliant doesn't hurt.
11-"The Sea" by Corrine Bailey Rae
It took a long time for her to release her sophomore CD after her brilliant self titled debut back in 2006. Her husband had shockingly passed away in the interim. This CD is filled with songs about that loss and it is as sad a CD as you will hear and is stunningly beautiful and emotional.
10-"Come Around Sundown" by Kings Of Leon
Their previous CD, "Only By The Night" was my favorite CD of 2008. This isn't as good, but their bar was set so high that it could never be. I think that there is something of a media backlash against them for becoming as big as they did, not to mention a bizarre selling out rep they've developed in some hipper than thou music blogs which really isn't fair IMHO.
9-"Brothers" by Black Keys
Modern blues by a pair of musicians who truly love what they do, and I love it right back.
8-"A Thousand Suns" by Linkin Park
Their darkest record, a couple of the tracks literally gave me chills.
7-"Danger Days" by My Chemical Romance
Boy has this CD been the subject of utter vilification just about everywhere (there is a whole thread right here on JUB devoted to knocking it). Well I think it's fucking brilliant, a great pop record. Is it as ambitious as "Black Parade" or as haunting as "Three Cheers"? No it's not, but it is more melodic and dare I say less pretentious than those previous efforts. "Sing" is a kick ass anthem.
6-"The Winter of Mixed Drink" by Frightened Rabbit
Wow what a great CD, it wraps around you like a musical blanket. Get this now.
5-"The ArchAndroid" by Janelle Monáe
2010's best dance record. JM is brilliantly melding the genre's of rock/pop/soul and dance for this generation the way Prince did for the last. I predict that she will be one of the biggest pop stars on the planet in 5 years.
4-"Odd Blood" by Yeasayer
Most musical acts start mainstream and move into more exotic and experimental sounds as they release more music (Hello Radiohead), this band went in the other direction, and damn if it didn't pay off.
3-"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" by Kanye West
When I first heard this my jaw dropped. The more Kanye the man becomes a loose cannon the more Kanye the artist becomes the greatest innovator in hip hop's history. How can a man have all that power?
2-"Suburbs" by Arcade Fire
This CD (like all their CD's) is just so brilliant. The ambitiousness of this band is breathtaking, every song is an adventure. "Rococo" is a song I played over and over again for weeks. I want them to release another CD already, I can't wait.
1-"Infinite Arms" by Band of Horses
Stunning, beautiful, moving...there are not enough adjectives to describe this CD's greatness, I'm listening to it right now as I type this in fact. This is my favorite CD of 2010 because no other has obsessed me like this one has, wherever I am or whatever I am doing, this CD more than any other of 2010 has been on.
Honorable mentions: "Interpol" by Interpol, "Personal Life" by The Thermals, "Habits" by Neon Trees (I defy you to name a catchier tune this year than "Animal"), "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky" by OK GO, "Teen Dream" by Beach House, "In The Dark" by The Whigs, "Audio Secrecy" by Stone Sour, "Lady Killer" by Cee Lo Green ("fuck you" got a lot of hype, but this whole CD is awesome), "Invented" by Jimmy Eat World, "The Union" by Elton John & Leon Russell, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry (no I'm not kidding), "This is Happening" by LCD Soundsystem and "Recovery" by Eminem.
