The decade that just barely finished was a fractured and interesting one for music. How we consumed music firstly changed dramatically. Buying physical media became less common, although vinyl sales did make a comeback. But streaming services such as Spotify made an even bigger impact. Music could be consumed even more with the artist barely receiving a cent. Of course it did mean music was more widely accessible to much more people, but at a distinct cost to the artist. Commercial music became even more of a wasteland with charts totally dominated by pop and rap, mostly bad. Rap and hip hop became a leading force in music. Even as artists like Kanye West lost touch with reality we saw talents like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples and Danny Brown make significant and exciting music. It was even decried that 'rock was dead' and I guess in the conventional sense it was. 

Rock music became a marginal story in popular music. But in my little world it was as exciting as ever. Wolf Parade and Sleater-Kinney returned after hiatuses. Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and The War on Drugs made beautiful sounds and whilst major acts such as My Morning Jacket and Arcade Fire gave diminishing returns I welcomed talents like Car Seat Headrest to carry the torch. Women also made a huge impact in this decade as they were eventually given some sort of parity. I fell in love with female led bands such as Beach House, Big Thief and Hop Along and artists such as Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Lucy Dacus, Angel Olsen and many, many more. It was a decade we lost huge talents such as Jason Molina, Scott Hutchison and David Berman. All gone way too soon. My artist of the decade though was Ty Segall. The prolific garage rocker from California thrilled all decade with a huge catalogue of inventive, exciting rock. I was lucky enough to see him live 5 times. My album of the decade though came out in 2010. The Monitor was a monumental album that was significant and political. A searing document.

1. The Monitor-Titus Andronicus
2. Modern Vampires Of The City-Vampire Weekend

3. Twins-Ty Segall

4. Teens of Denial-Car Seat Headrest

5. Freedom's Goblin-Ty Segall

6. Teen Dream-Beach House

7. Singing Saw-Kevin Morby

8. Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)-Car Seat Headrest

9. Manipulator-Ty Segall

10. Helplessness Blues-Fleet Foxes

11. At Echo Lake-Woods

12. Lost in the Dream-The War on Drugs

13. Crack-Up-Fleet Foxes

14. I Love You, Honeybear-Father John Misty

15. House of Sugar-(Sandy) Alex G

16. Allelujah! Don't Bend Ascend-Godspeed You! Black Emperor

17. Atrocity Exhibition-Danny Brown

18. Bend Beyond-Woods

19. Bloom-Beach House

20. High Violet-The National

21. Mines-Menomena

22. MCII-Mikal Cronin

23. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-Kanye West

24. Expo 86-Wolf Parade

25. Bon Iver, Bon Iver-Bon Iver

26. Shields-Grizzly Bear

27. Father, Son, Holy Ghost-Girls

28. Cry Cry Cry-Wolf Parade

29. Hummingbird-Local Natives

30. Moms-Menomena

31. Ty Segall-Ty Segall

32. MCIII-Mikal Cronin

33. City Music-Kevin Morby

34. The Most Lamentable Tragedy-Titus Andronicus

35. Wakin On A Pretty Daze-Kurt Vile

36. Fear Fun-Father John Misty

37. Muchacho-Phosphorescent

38. Contra-Vampire Weekend

39. Sleeper-Ty Segall

40. Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped-Moonface

41. The Suburbs-Arcade Fire

42. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper-Panda Bear

43. They Want My Soul-Spoon

44. A Deeper Understanding-The War On Drugs

45. First Taste-Ty Segall

46. Pure Comedy-Father John Misty

47. Julia With Blue Jeans On-Moonface

48. Heaven-The Walkmen

49. Take Care, Take Care, Take Care-Explosions in the Sky

50. 22, a Million-Bon Iver

51. Goodbye Bread-Ty Segall

52. The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You-Neko Case

53. Two Hands-Big Thief

54. Yeezus-Kanye West

55. Tramp-Sharon Van Etten

56. 7-Beach House

57. Stubborn Persistent Illusions-Do Make Say Think

58. Have One On Me-Joanna Newsom

59. Get Disowned-Hop Along

60. God's Favorite Customer-Father John Misty

61. I Had a Dream That You Were Mine-Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

62. Bury Me At Makeout Creek-Mitski

63. Big Fish Theory-Vince Staples

64. Transference-Spoon

65. B'lieve I'm Going Down-Kurt Vile

66. Carrie & Lowell-Sufjan Stevens

67. Still Life-Kevin Morby

68. Are We There-Sharon Van Etten

69. With Light and With Love-Woods

70. Lisbon-The Walkmen

71. Clear Moon-Mount Eerie

72. uknowwhatimsayin-Danny Brown

73. Halcyon Digest-Deerhunter

74. Smoke Ring For My Halo-Kurt Vile

75. Tomboy-Panda Bear

76. Seeker-Mikal Cronin

77. Puberty 2-Mitski

78. Gorilla Manor-Local Natives

79. New Moon-The Men

80. Poison Season-Destroyer

81. La La Land-Plants and Animals

82. The Winter of Mixed Drinks-Frightened Rabbit

83. This One's For The Dancer and This One's For The Dancer's Bouquet-Moonface

84. Now Only-Mount Eerie

85. Melted-Ty Segall

86. To Pimp a Butterfly-Kendrick Lamar

87. Bark Your Head Off, Dog-Hop Along

88. Slave Ambient-The War on Drugs

89. Mikal Cronin-Mikal Cronin
90. Historian-Lucy Dacus

91. Pedestrian Verse-Frightened Rabbit

92. Old-Danny Brown
93. Father of the Bride-Vampire Weekend

94. Open Your Heart-The Men

95. America-Dan Deacon

96. Lemonade-Beyonce

97. Light Upon the Lake-Whitney

98. Painted Shut-Hop Along

99. Be the Cowboy-Mitski
100. Oh My God-Kevin Morby