2010 was a major time for music.
The year brought landmark records for artists like Kanye West, Kesha, and Vampire Weekend—all of which we've previously discussed at length. But that's only the tip of the iceberg of records that, despite being released a decade ago, still feel timeless in their own ways.
From massive pop debuts to surprise Grammy winners, here are just 22 albums that are turning 10 in 2020. These are guaranteed to make you wonder where the time went.
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
No matter how hard you may have tried to avoid radio country in 2010, the title track to Lady Antebellum's second album was nearly inescapable. In addition to winning the Grammy for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, Need You Now also nabbed the award for Best Country Album.
▲Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me
Harpist extraordinaire Joanna Newsom was already well-established as a musician by the time she released her third record, Have One On Me, but the ambitious triple album solidified her legendary status. Many publications have regarded it as one of the best albums of the decade.
▲Frightened Rabbit, The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit's third album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, told a semi-fictional story. "It's about an escape and maybe even a slight breakdown," late frontman Scott Hutchison said. The album includes one of their most successful singles, "Swim Until You Can't See Land."
▲DJ Khaled, Victory
It's hard to remember there was ever a DJ Khaled before "All I Do Is Win" began infiltrating all stadium sound systems. Victory was his fourth album, and though the record itself might not have performed as well as its predecessors, it brought us the smash hit single that he'd be remembered for forever.
▲Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
It's hard to follow up the virality of "Feel Good, Inc.," but with their third album, Plastic Beach, Gorillaz gave it a successful shot. Plastic Beach spawned their hit "On Melancholy Hill" and boasted a slew of esteemed guests including Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, and more.
▲Broken Bells, Broken Bells
Broken Bells marked one of the first all-star duos of modern indie, combining the forces of Shins frontman James Mercer with big-name producer Danger Mouse. Their self-titled debut and its alt-radio single "The High Road" proved the pair were here to stay. Other superduos, like Big Red Machine (Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and the National's Aaron Dessner) and Better Oblivion Community Center (Phoebe Bridgers and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst), followed suit.
▲LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening
What beat drop could be as satisfying as the one in "Dance Yrself Clean," one of the best songs James Murphy ever made as LCD Soundsystem? His hour-long indietronica opus, This Is Happening, was meant to be his band's final record. Thankfully, that wasn't the case—but from the whispery introduction of "Dance Yrself Clean" to its reprised melody in closer "Home," this album could easily forever be his best.
▲Neon Trees, Habits
Rarely does a band's debut album generate a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100, but that's just a part of Neon Trees' reality. Habits was promoted with the band's first official single, "Animal," just the first in a steady stream of crossover smashes to come.
▲She & Him, Volume Two
The duo of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel released their second album not long before the latter starred in the sitcom New Girl, spawning a generation of bangs-wearers and ModCloth-shoppers.
▲Justin Bieber, My World 2.0
In a way, it feels like Justin Bieber has been with us forever. His reign commenced with his debut album, My World 2.0, which topped the Billboard 200. It included "Baby," his Ludacris-featuring breakout hit that'd be stuck in our heads for years on.
▲Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
Neo-soul legend Erykah Badu's fifth album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), was praised for its introspection and reflection of her personality. Its most successful single, "Window Seat," was given a controversial music video in which Badu walked the sidewalks of Dallas, shedding her clothes until she was butt naked at the site of John F. Kennedy's assassination.
▲MGMT, Congratulations
After the breakout success of their debut Oracular Spectacular, MGMT mellowed things out with its follow-up, Congratulations. They took a more psychedelic approach this time rather their original synth-pop, and although it didn't spur any alt-radio smashes, loyal fans still revel in Congratulations' eccentricities.
▲The National, High Violet
Naysayers of the National have deemed their music boring and vanilla, but High Violet sure made vanilla taste good. Their fifth album contained much of the somber material they'd become known for, but the crown jewel was "Bloodbuzz Ohio," their anthemic ode to falling out of love with your hometown.
▲The Black Keys, Brothers
It took the Black Keys six albums to get to Brothers, the record that would gain the garage-rock duo commercial success. With tracks like "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You," they became synonymous with mainstream rock.
▲Tame Impala, Innerspeaker
Though Kevin Parker and company hail from Australia, their debut album Innerspeaker hardly took any time to make waves in the U.S. Many have tried to imitate their modern psychedelic aura, but Innerspeaker proves that Tame Impala are the original.
▲Sleigh Bells, Treats
After emerging from Brooklyn's DIY scene, Sleigh Bells became a bit of a polarizing group. Combining typical indie pop with lo-fi noise, they gained the attention of established acts like M.I.A. early on. Critics often regarded Treats as one of the best albums of 2010.
▲Drake, Thank Me Later
That's right: Somehow, it's only been a decade since Aubrey Graham subverted his "Jimmy from Degrassi" role and jumped into his full-fledged rapper persona with a debut LP. With a star-studded roster of features—Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and more—Thank Me Later affirmed Drake's title as rap's ultimate sadboi.
▲Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
With The Suburbs, Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire went from cult favorites to festival headliners. After landing on year-end lists for multiple major music publications, it won the Grammy for Album of the Year, spawning exclamations of "Who the hell are Arcade Fire?" from many who were out of the loop. But, soon enough, everyone knew who they were.
▲Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
Katy Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream, produced six No. 1 singles—six of them!—with melodies so infectious we'll be taking all of them to our graves.
▲Taylor Swift, Speak Now
Speak Now was Swift's first big-girl record—a.k.a. the first album she wrote entirely by herself. It proved she was a force more powerful alone, churning out barnburners like "The Story of Us" and "Better Than Revenge." When she was heartbroken, Speak Now assured us, Swift didn't have to just be sad. She could rage, too.
▲Rihanna, Loud
Back when Rihanna still made music, she blessed us with Loud, chock-full of hits like "Only Girl (In the World)," "What's My Name," and "S&M." It earned Rihanna three Grammy nominations, including a Best Dance Recording win for "Only Girl."
▲Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
On Kanye West's "Monster," a spotlight-stealing verse from Nicki Minaj boasts: "50k for a verse, no album out." Pink Friday eventually came along to nix that qualifier, but proved that whatever money Minaj made beforehand was well-earned. She was sweet and coy on "Your Love," infectiously joyous on "Super Bass," and ferocious on "Roman's Revenge." Her novelty wasn't for everyone, but Minaj found strength in her multiple personas.
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