100-51

100. Acid Rap

by Chance the Rapper (2013)

Chance at his best in my opinion. Colorful, soulful and this thing just makes me feel so young and cool.

99. Chinese Fountain

by The Growlers (2014)

Gritty but oh so smooth, not a huge growlers fan but this was at one time a classic in the Popa household.

98. Nonagon Infinity

by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (2016)

The repeating album. I love what King Gizzard is doing, they seriously might be the best current rock band pushing the genre forward. I just have yet to fully immerse myself in their catalog.

97. Mess

by Liars (2014)

Not something I usually go for but it's just so dancey and colorful!

96. Atrocity Exhibition

by Danny Brown (2016)

“Ain't it funny” need I say more? Truly the banger of the decade. The whole album is so manic though. I specifically remember my first listen rushing through crazy Austin morning traffic, what an experience!

95. Weezer (The White Album)

by Weezer (2016)

What can I say? It’s just so much fun.

94. The Echo Of Pleasure

by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (2017)

Dreamy, a little fuzzy, loved putting this on while driving home from Austin High and just zoning out. The whole album just goes down so smoothly.

93. Everything Now

by Arcade Fire (2017)

That title track though; pure ABBA influence. Definitely not my favorite Arcade Fire release of the decade *hint hint*. “Put your money on me” is another amazing standout. That train like bass line just chugs you along for just a nice and smooth ride.

92. No Love Deep Web

by Death Grips (2012)

This was the Death Grips album that solidified my love for them and their impact on hip/hop for years to come. My friend Eric made sure I listened to this one by taking me on a drive specifically to listen to the raw power of this album on full blast. When "No Love" hit, I knew with certainty we were listening to one of the greatest musical artists of our time. Although my love for this album and the group in general has waned over the years there is no denying their importance.

91. The Powers That B

by Death Grips (2015)

Two halves of the album released almost a year apart. Jenny Death, the later half, has the punchiest music Death Grips has created to date and is most definitely the half I prefer.

90. Lost In The Dream

by The War On Drugs (2014)

I was obsessed with this thing at one point. This is an amazing Bruce Springsteen inspired fever dream on a hot day that one should/would listen to on the way to Bonnaroo.

89. Be The Void

by Dr. Dog (2012)

Dr. Dog, where do I begin? It was honestly hard to differentiate their albums for me. I see them more as a band I can just put on shuffle after trying my best to digest their albums separately.

88. 99¢

by Santigold (2016)

I can't really say I've heard anything quite like this before or since. It is pure joy, and so much fun! A little R&B, Pop, and even some new wavey reggae. Santigold’s other stuff never caught on for me quite like 99 cents. I was obsessed!

87. Whokill

by Tune-Yards (2011)

“Bizness” took me to another world. I had never heard anything like this. It was the first song I heard from the album. This album was definitely the weirdest collection of songs in my music library back in 2011. I was so proud of finding Tune-Yards. Whokill is just so playful!

86. Nikki Nack

by Tune-Yards (2014)

A little more refined, I very slightly preferred this new sound. “Real Thing” was probably my favorite song of 2014!

85. Antisocialites

by Alvvays (2017)

Short and sweet.

84. Kaputt

by Destroyer (2011)

I never gave this album the time it deserved. I first heard it shortly after it came out in 2011 and it just wasn't quite my thing back then. Had it come out a few years later I bet I would have been obsessed with it and it wouldn't have been forgotten. As the years go on I promise not to forget about this one again because it is just too smooth and stylish to be forgotten.

83. Bottle It In

by Kurt Vile (2018)

"One Trick Ponies" might just be my favorite song of the decade and it carries the album.

82. Bonito Generation

by Kero Kero Bonito (2016)

Oh my god. One of the happiest albums I have ever heard. Do yourself a favor and go listen to this one right now.

81. Hang

by Foxygen (2017)

The most theatrical album of the decade that is not a soundtrack to a play. These guys are honestly the Rolling Stones of the 2010s, so much energy and swagger. Rock was alive and thriving on a few occasions this decade!

80. St. Vincent

by St. Vincent (2014)

My introduction to St. Vincent, I had avoided her for a long time for whatever reason but when I finally gave her a chance I was immediately captivated by her fuzzy and distorted yet futuristic sound.

79. Made The Harbor

by Mountain Man (2010)

The purest folk album of the decade period. Three women harmonizing, one guitar, and I think that's about it. So beautiful.

78. Didn't He Ramble

by Glen Hansard (2015)

This man is one of the greatest songwriters of our generation, from being the leading man in The Frames and The Swell Season to his starring role in Once, he has become one of my very favorite musicians. His solo career has had some of his best work yet. On this release Glen turns away from his traditional sad songs and offers some hope. "Wedding Ring" and "Winning Streak" are the hopeful standouts here and both are at the core of what makes Didn't He Ramble this quiet, gentle reminder that everything is going to be alright at the end of a long day.

77. Modern Vampires Of The City

by Vampire Weekend (2013)

Coming at the end of this perfect trifecta of albums people will be talking about for years to come, Modern Vampires of the City found me at a time of new found love. This became one of the many soundtracks to Nanette and I's first summer together. Both of us being big fans of Vampire Weekend we found this one in particular to be drenched in a thick layer of romance.

76. Fading Frontier

by Deerhunter (2015)

Living on my own for the first time in my life Fading Frontier was the first album to come out that continuously filled my empty apartment. With a slightly lonely feeling seeping through the album and in my life in general at the time there was still this immense pleasure that came over me every time I put this on. It's dreamy, cold, lazy, and just a little angsty. I could listen to "Breaker" on repeat for the rest of my life. That guitar riff may be the best of the decade.

75. Little Neon Limelight

by Houndmouth (2015)

The voices, all at once, the rockabilly all work together to capture a by-gone era in such a fresh and refreshing way. Think Edward Sharpe with a little more twang and guitar.

74. Government Plates

by Death Grips (2013)

The first few tracks on this album are my favorite group of tracks Death Grips ever sequenced together. So much energy, so much power. The second half of the album gets a little too electronic focused which I loved when this originally came out. I've just realized I don't have to force myself to like music without vocals if I don't want to.

73. What We Saw From The Cheap Seats

by Regina Spektor (2012)

This album is all about memories and growing up as you can tell from listening from the first track "Small Town Moon." Most of Regina's best work sadly exists in the 2000s so it can't be featured on here. Not that she's capable of putting out a bad album.

72. I Am Easy To Find

by The National (2019)

Similar to my favorite album by The National, this release sees a range of female guest vocalists which makes for an amazing change of pace for the band. From the religious undertones to the quiet serenity this album feels so different in tone from anything they have done so far while still feeling authenticity them. In time I Am Easy to Find may become my favorite by the band.

71. B'lieve I'm Goin Down...

by Kurt Vile (2015)

I was trying to get into Wakin on a Pretty Daze around the time this came out and I forgot all about that album. Something about these songs were just way more accessible to me at the time. Kurt's music is all about his vocal delivery for me. In fact having a unique vocal style is the single most important factor to me in music as you will see more and more as this list goes on. Anyway, the whole slacker rock vibe is what keeps me coming back to this one. His careless, lazy, dylanesque often twangy voice just does it for me everytime.

70. Treats

by Sleigh Bells (2010)

Loud, in your face, unbridaled girl power! The power mixes so well with the sweetness of the vocals. The stand out here "Rill Rill" is stripped down to pure sugar coated sweetness.

69. Lemonade

by Beyoncé (2016)

Queen B, this was the release that I was ready for. By 2016 I had expanded my horizons to include more and more “mainstream” music like pop and R&B. Lemonade was one of the first times I heard raw feminine power firing on all cylinders and I was in love.

68. By The Way, I Forgive You

by Brandi Carlile (2018)

Brandi’s largest release to date. So great to see her getting the recognition she deserves. This album has timeless written all over it and it will age ever so gracefully. Of course “The Joke” is absolutely amazing but my personal favorite track is “The Mother.”

67. CLPPNG

by clipping. (2014)

Daveed Diggs, now of Hamilton fame, opens the album with such speed and force you immediately know you are in for something special. This debut album of fantastic experimental hip-hop manages to be just as catchy as the chart toppers of the time.

66. Salad Days

by Mac DeMarco (2014)

There are few songs this decade that I was as instantly enamored with as I was with "Salad Days." It is such a tone setter for the whole album. So mellow and just a little on the sad side. Salad Days was so refreshing at the time and can be seen as the beginning of the current Bedroom Pop trend.

65. Sonderlust

by Kishi Bashi (2016)

After Kishi Bashi's disappointing follow up to 151a this album officially redeemed him in my eyes. For me personally 151a was about the magic and uncertainty of new love and Sonderlust found me happy and ever so content in the same relationship with the woman who would become my wife just a few years later. "Honeybody" may be my favorite Kishi Bashi song.

64. High Violet

by The National (2010)

2010, the year I began listening to and keeping a collection of albums. This was in my first 50 or so in my old itunes library and it remains very important to me to this day. Any song on here brings me right back to the beginning of the decade.

63. Birthmarks

by Born Ruffians (2013)

The beginning of this album is pure melodic bliss with some really interesting rhythms you can't help but groove along to. The sheer power of "6-5000" is utterly stunning. The rest of the album is pretty good but nothing compared to those first few tracks.

62. Let's Be Still

by The Head And The Heart (2013)

This release found me when I needed it most. The mix of beautiful, hopeful tracks and heartbreaking ones was exactly what I needed to hear during a rocky time in a long-distance relationship with the love of my life. The title track has become our anthem of trying to appreciate the current moment before it is gone and it was played at our wedding this past summer.

61. There's No Leaving Now

by The Tallest Man On Earth (2012)

My least favorite album by my favorite artist of all time. Still excellent. This release saw him at a weird crossroads between his old sound and his current sound.

60. Boys & Girls

by Alabama Shakes (2012)

From the moment I heard "Hold On" on the radio of all places, I knew Alabama Shakes was something special. This bluesy, soulful, ode to yesteryear offered up something new and fresh sounding at the perfect moment.

59. Get To Heaven

by Everything Everything (2015)

The beats, the melodies, the energy, and most importantly the unique vocals complete with a British accent, all make Get To Heaven one of the catchier releases of the decade. This thing is seriously a big ball of fun.

58. My Woman

by Angel Olsen (2016)

Haunting, emotional, punchy, Angel Olsen delivers some of my very favorite vocals of the decade on the first half of this album.

57. Teen Dream

by Beach House (2010)

Beach House is basically legendary at this point. Fun fact, the first time I listened to them was this album as I was drifting off to sleep in a beach house on Edisto Island. This album featured a larger sound than they had ever produced before and they continued this trend on their next release Bloom.

56. Exmilitary

by Death Grips (2011)

The debut. Charles Manson sets the tone of this album and all Death Grips releases to come. Such an important moment in music history.

55. Damn.

by Kendrick Lamar (2017)

Another hugely important artist this decade, Kendrick gets a little more personal and a little more accessible on Damn. Personally, this is my favorite Kendrick album.

54. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

by Florence + The Machine (2015)

This was the album that made me take Florence seriously. Lungs was good but not quite my thing at the time and I still don't love Ceremonials. More mature, with a larger than life sound, Florence used this album to become one of the best live acts of the decade with her domination of every music festival she played that summer.

53. We Are The Tide

by Blind Pilot (2011)

After Blind Pilot's debut this was a bit of a let down when it came out. Since then I have seen the band a few more times and this album has grown on me. This album has a slightly different feel to me, it's a little sweeter and a little happier than their other two albums.

52. And Then Like Lions

by Blind Pilot (2016)

With more experience under their belt Blind Pilot got a little more serious with this release and it was a welcome change of pace. "Don't Doubt" and "Like Lions" are undoubtedly my favorites.

51. In The Mountain In The Cloud

by Portugal. The Man (2011)

Yes, every song sounds almost the same but that's kind of the magic of In The Mountain In The Cloud. From the moment I heard the closing track "Sleep Forever" I was in love. I listened to some of their other stuff but nothing quite compared to the cohesiveness and the nostalgia I have for this album. I loved seeing Portugal. The Man blowing up with their single "Feel it Still" later in the decade.

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