My completely subjectiveTop 200 of the 2010s, #150–200
A best of for the first full decade during which I tracked my music taste thanks to Last.fm and iTunes.
I like music.
I like lists.
That is why when I realized that the end of this year also means the end of a decade, I knew what I had to do: Make a list of my personal Top 200 tracks of the decade as if I was the music magazine Pitchfork. Luckily I didn’t have to compromise in my selection of tracks with a whole room of music critics, but only with myself. Even more so luckily, I didn’t even have to discuss with myself too much, because the 2010s also were the first decade during which I completely tracked my music taste. On the one hand via last.fm and on the other hand via itunes playcounts. Yes, I’ve used one and only one iTunes database for the whole time and it was never corrupted. Yes, I am as surprised as you.
So even though this is a very subjective list, it is also a very quantitative list according to how often I listened to music on iTunes, my iPod and Spotify. So some words on methods, before I overwhelm you with music:
For each year I selected my top 20 tracks, each on iTunes (according to their playcount now) and Last.fm (according to their playcount DURING that year) — because for various reasons, these differ. I did this in August 2019, so sorry NEW TOOL ALBUM, you’re too late…
There is also one important condition: Only 1 track per album!
Of course I didn’t just take the mere playcounts because that would have favored the 2010 tracks…so I calculated a simple index which factors in pure plays (a mean of Last.fm and iTunes playcounts) and the playcount per year. I Z-standardized both values and made a simple mean of both indicators. This way I ended up with a Top 200 that consists of both older and newer tracks.
We can argue about this method, but not on my Top 200 list of songs ;)
And here they are, as spotify playlist (starting with the best ranked song) and a list including my ramblings (starting with the worst ranked song):
#200 CLIPPING. — Face
(Los Angeles, 2018, hip-hop|noise|experimental)
Clipping. bring experimental noise to hip-hop and it matches effortlessly. Like a misogynistic, ultra-agressive rap robot from the future.
#199 JAY-Z & KANYE WEST — Otis
(Los Angeles, 2011, hip-hop|rap)
Listening to this I have the feeling this was the last song sampling a funk classic in a decade full of bedroom-made wave-y samples. Probably also one of the last songs in which Kanye West retained some level of sanity before showing up in public in MAGA hats.
#198 GEORGE EZRA — Budapest
(Bristol, 2013, indie|folk|singer-songwriter)
Guilty pleasure as charged. One of the few radio songs I just couldn’t skip.
#197 PRIESTS — No Big Bang
(Washington D.C., 2017 , post-punk|punk rock|no wave)
You had me at the bass line. The second half of the decade was all about post-rock, the no-wave kind with ostinato bass lines, spoken words and repeat repeat repeat repeat. It comes right out of the machine that is everyday. Or as PRIESTS put it:
“ All of the sudden all of the science and evolution and progress
I mean sure, it looks good from a distance, but when you’re really inside of it you realize it’s fucking terrifying”
#196 BONAPARTE — White Noize
(Berlin, 2016, indie|dance-punk|electro rock)
“White Noize” is a perfect little “everything is far too much for all of us” song that got far too little air play or any recognition at all, but it has so elegant little lines like this: “And the world goes tweet tweet tweet tweet”
#195 HEAVEN’S BASEMENT — Heartbreaking Son Of A Bitch
(Manchester, 2013, hard rock|rock|sleaze rock)
The 10s were also bringing back the 80s and especially in hard rock/metal a lot of bangers like this song were written. Perfect for driving around and drinking Jack Daniels and Coke (but please not at the same time)
#194 SUFJAN STEVENS — All Delighted People
(New York, 2010, indie|folk|singer-songwriter)
Now to something completely different. An eleven-minute orchestral, choir-laden singer-songwriter epic. You have to give it time, but especially now in December it makes for some beautiful moments.
#193 ODESZA — If You Don’t (feat. Cumulus)
(Bellingham (WA), 2012, chillwave|electronic|ambient)
The early years of the 2010s made “Chillwave” mainstream. Electronic music that somehow felt like indie even though it was stripped of all guitars. Electronic music that wrapped around your brain and made it pretend it’s summer.
#192 WASHED OUT — You and I (feat. Caroline Polachek)
(Perry (GA), 2011, chillwave|electronic|lo-fi)
Even more chillwave, ok! The album “Within and Without” has one of the most simple, beautiful cover art that pretty much sums up for what this music is created. In a way, the 10s were bringing the neo-soul of the 80s back by sampling its bass lines and sounds and infusing it with a modern feelings that made it perfect for staring at screens at night.
#191 ALBERT HAMMOND, JR. — Muted Beatings
(New York, 2018, indie|indie rock|singer-songwriter)
If anyone is allowed to sound like the Strokes of 2001 in 2018, it’s Albert Hammond, Jr. Nothing much to say about this song but that it’s catchy as hell and makes you dance whether you want it or not.
#190 FEINE SAHNE FISCHFILET — Zuhause
(Rostock, 2018, punk|ska|ska-punk)
Germany’s most famous and controversial left-wing band (hell, pro-police protesters in my hometown even protested their concert…) claim to make “anti-fascist beer tent music” and that is probably the most reflected self description by a musician ever. This song for example: You could just sing along to the “whooooo” parts or you could listen to the lyrics that talk about “home” and what it means to people. And except for some little lines it works for students just moving into their first own flat, or homeless people or refugees.
#189 THE COMET IS COMING — Blood Of The Past (feat. Kate Tempest)
(London, 2019, jazz|jazz fusion|nu jazz)
“ Shower, smoothie, coffee, commute
Check the internet, never stop, never stop
There is a scar on the soul of the world and it needs you to look
The blood of the past is here, it remains”
#188 NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS — Rings of Saturn
(Brighton, 2016, post-punk|rock|alternative)
This album is just so sad.
#187 HACKTIVIST — Deceive and Defy
(Milton Keynes, 2016, djent|rapcore|progressive metal)
Grime + Nu Metal = extremely my kind of thing. HACKTIVIST also delivered one of the best live gigs of the decade in a tiny club in Cologne.
#186 KARL-HEINZ FLESCHER — Gießen du Wurst
(Gießen, 2011, comedy|giessen|swing)
Just a funny little song about the city I lived for 8 years of the 2010s.
#185 FOO FIGHTERS — In The Clear
(Seattle, 2014, rock|alternative rock|grunge)
Foo Fighters have become THE rock band of the 2010s. The one to fill stadiums and still rock. I especially like the epic brass section here.
#184 TWIN SHADOW — Old Love / New Love
(New York, 2013, electronic|dream pop|new wave)
GRAND THEFT AUTO V, Ladies and Gentlemen. Let me drive my newest car into the sunset to this song.
#183 RUDIMENTAL — Not Giving In (feat. John Newman)
(London, 2013, drum and bass|dubstep|electronic)
Ok, how do I know this song? The goddamn “Mercedes Benz powers the German team” commercial for the 2014 Football World Cup. It mixes real instruments and souly vocals with drum & bass and wobbly dubsteps and is really powerful.
#182 DIE ORSONS — Schwung in die Kiste
(Stuttgart, 2015, rap|hip-hop|deutschrap)
Yeah, German music can also be bootyshakingly fresh.
#181 L’AUPAIRE — I would Do It All Again
(Gießen,2015, indie pop|singer-songwriter|indie folk)
Much guilty pleasure such wow. The perfect “indie voice”. When people will make fun of the 2010s this will be the singing voice they’ll make. Doesn’t matter. Still a great song.
#180 ANOHNI — Drone Bomb Me
(New York, 2016, electronic|experimental|art pop)
What an epic of a song.
“ Drone bomb me
Blow me from the mountains
And into the sea
Blow me from the side of the mountain
Blow my head off
Explode my crystal guts
Lay my purple on the grass”
#179 HONNE — Good Together
(London, 2016, alternative rnb|indie|electronic soul)
At this point I have to add that due to thesis writing the 2010s are filled with soft songs that I can listen to while writing. Well and it doesn’t hurt if these are the same songs that you can listen to when you feel good about another person. ;)
#178 ANNENMAYKANTEREIT — Pocahontas
(Köln, 2016, singer-songwriter|folk|rock)
I knew them when they were selling out the Schlachthof for the first time. I saw them there and they were truly great. That was when their debut EP was released. They became much too popular for their own good after that unfortunately. But I’ll take any cheesy indie band before all the crap that was popular in the 2010s.
#177 THAT POPPY — Lowlife
(Los Angeles, 2016, pop|experimental|indie)
Every time I check out what THAT POPPY is doing she’s doing another genre. She is the perfect internet star, morphing and reincarnating seamlessly between genres. She kind of started out as a digital culture commentary with videos which quickly became underground memes. Millions watch her videos but I think I’ve never seen her referenced outside the virtual world. And I just realize that her video from 2015 carries akind of proto-”ok boomer” vibe. She is the future and she will eat every popstar for breakfast.
#176 JAPANDROIDS — The House That Heaven Built
(Vancouver, 2012, noise rock|garage rock|indie)
When I discovered JAPANDROIDS I made a mix CD “Nü Gäräge will save the world” because I so much wanted this to be the rock music that brings rock back to the kids. Ok, that didn’t happen. But still, there’s a bunch of bands that blasted their amps into the 2010s.
#175 BENIN CITY — All Smoke, No Fire
(London, 2018, london|hip-hop|trip-hop)
A song about gentrification and the death of club culture? Damn right!
#174 LUCY DACUS — Night Shift
(Richmond (VA), 2018, folk|indie|singer-songwriter)
“You got a nine to five, so I’ll take the night shift
And I’ll never see you again if I can help it
In five years I hope the songs feel like covers
Dedicated to new lovers”
#173 CHILDISH GAMBINO — This Is America
(Atlanta, 2018, hip-hop|rap|indie)
If you haven’t, watch the video, it is probably the only music video of the 2010s you should see. The rest is just viral.
#172 ALGIERS — The Underside of Power
(Atlanta, 2017, post-punk|noise rock|gospel)
ALGIERS mix post-punk with gospel/soul effortlessly and this makes them a force to be reckoned with. They bring a power to their art that you don’t get that often anymore.
#171 NOTHING BUT THIEVES — Amsterdam
(Southend-on-Sea, 2018, rock|alternative rock|indie rock)
The first time I listened to this, the DJ (I am looking at you Tobi B.!) followed this with “Despacito”, maybe because he lost the friday evening crowd with this song. But he won my heart ;)
#170 FJØRT — Raison
(Aachen, 2017, screamo|hardcore|melodic hardcore)
A song about the worldwide uprising of right-wing mobs.
“I’ve got 1933 reasons to see black”
#169 GHOST LOFT — Seconds
(Los Angeles, 2013, electronic|chillout|alternative)
And another one of these chillwave sounds that make everything orange. Like a good insta filter.
#168 BOYSETSFIRE — Wrecking Ball
(Wilmington (DE), 2015, post-hardcore|hardcore|emocore)
This cover is just too funny to not play it.
#167 OWLLE — Ticky Ticky
(Cannes, 2012, synthpop|electropop|electronic)
LYKKE LI and especially the remixes of her songs made female-fronted Indietronica all the rage in 2011–2013. This song just lives off the sound effects, doesn’t matter. I listened to it a lot.
#166 CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN — Soundcheck
(Llandudno, 2016, indie rock|indie|rock)
When the KINGS OF LEON started to be uninteresting, there were bands like CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN that filled the void.
#165 TY SEGALL — Diversion
(Laguna Beach, 2016, garage rock|lo-fi|garage punk)
This is it. The most distorted guitars of the 2010s. RIP, your headphones.
#164 BADBADNOTGOOD — Times Moves Slow (ft. Samuel T. Herring)
(Toronto, 2016, jazz|hip-hop|experimental)
Samuel T. Herring (FUTURE ISLANDS) is so good on this.
#163 PERIPHERY — It’s Only Smiles
(Washington D.C., 2019, progressive metal|djent|math metal)
This is probably not the best PERIPHERY song, not at all. But it’s so damn catchy.
#162 ROGER WATERS — The Last Refugee
(New York, 2017, progressive rock|rock|classic rock)
I really don’t like ROGER WATERS’ BDS antics, but this album makes for a comfortably numb listen.
#161 INCUBUS — No Fun
(Los Angeles, 2017, alternative rock|rock|alternative)
One of THE bands of the late 90s/early 2000s, they don’t actually belong in this list. But 2017 it was time for a comeback and “No Fun” (mixed by Skrillex, I shit you not!) is a nice callback to what makes INCUBUS such a successful band.
#160 CLOUD NOTHINGS — Modern Act
(Cleveland, 2017, indie rock|lo-fi|indie)
CLOUD NOTHINGS delivered some real slacker indie hymns in this decade and this is their best. “ I want a life, that’s all I need lately / I am alive but all alone”
#159 PROTOMARTYR — The Chuckler
(Detroit, 2017, post-punk|garage rock|punk)
This band was my gateway drug to post-rock post-2016.
“I guess I’ll keep on chuckling ’til there’s no more breath in my lungs
And it really doesn’t matter at all”
#158 PORTUGAL.THE MAN — Feel It Still
(Portland, 2017, indie|experimental|indie rock)
Portugal. The Man really deserved this breakout hit. I mean, yes, everyone and their mother hummed this song while doing the dishes, but that just is what good pop music is about. In the end, this song perfectly ended the lifecycle of indietronica. What started between 2005–10 with some bands that ditched their guitars for synths, became more and more popular until you couldn’t watch the NFL without hearing this song blaring from somewhere.
#157 MOTHER’S CAKE — Now Or Never
(Gnadenwald, 2017, progressive rock|rock|funk)
Somewhere near Innsbruck there are some very talented Austrian musicians who put together a very well-balanced mix of Muse prog and RATM riffage with hard rocking vibes.
#156 HO99O9 — Knuckle Up
(Los Angeles, 2017, hip-hop|horrorcore|hardcore punk)
How much fun was it to blast these lyrics during my Monday Night DJing at Ulenspiegel (Giessen)?:“ I hate the place I work /I showed up late to work” and see a lot of people definitely not making it on time the next day? Ho99o9 mix THE PRODIGY with aggressive, hardcore rapping. That’s what we needed post-2016, not bedroom Trap productions!
#155 AZEALIA BANKS — “212”
(New York, 2012, hip-hop|rap|electronic)
When I started out DJing in 2011, this track quickly became one of our staples. It was so fresh. And it still is. I feel it anticipated the success of Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. But unfortunately, the wikipedia entry of Azealia Banks’ controversies appears longer than the one for her discography. She could’ve, should’ve been huge after this song.
#154 THE WOMBATS — Your Body Is A Weapon
(Liverpool, 2015, indie|indie rock|britpop)
THE WOMBATS know how to make the people dance by mixing cheesy synths and beats with british Indie rock. Like so many bands of their type, they reduced the guitar shredding and put poppy electronica to the front. But yes, it IS catchy. Best line: “Your body is a weapon / my body is a temple of doom”
#153 DISCLOSURE — Bang That
(London, 2015, electronic|uk garage|house)
Damn that is a danceable track. But, as I rarely visit electronic dance events, I never danced to it. Too bad, because it sounds like 1990s Miami Bass and 2010s UK Garage at once. Disclosure feel like one of the superstar acts of the 2010s who totally deserve it.
#152 HOT CHIP — Hand Me Down Your Love
(London, 2010, electronic|electropop|indie)
Indietronica was huge in the early 2010s and frankly, I couldn’t get enough of it. Until…about 2016 I think. This track is beautiful in its crescending nature and its blend of organical instruments and songwriting and electronic elements.
#151 THE PRODIGY — Need Some1
(London, 2018, electronic|techno|industrial)
In the 2010s, The Prodigy came back with “The Day is my enemy” and “No Tourists” but tragically ended due to the suicide of their singer Keith Flint. “Need Some1” is one of these tracks with which your morning commute becomes instantly epic.
#150 THE INTERSPHERE — Relations In The Unseen
(Mannheim, 2014, alternative rock|progressive rock|alternative)
THE INTERSPHERE are such a great live band and one of the few German rock bands that really should be export hits. Their musicianship is flawless. AND they can write catchy songs! Something for fans of Alt-Prog bands like Oceansize, Karnivool or Dredg.
Thanks for following this list. See you in some days for the next part! :)
