Matt's Books and Music

So many books, so many songs

The 2010s in Music: Decade Overview

I often say that there’s nothing less cool than what was popular ten years ago, and nothing cooler than what was popular twenty years ago. And because the 2010s, peak of Millennial culture that they were, are squarely in that ten-year window now, it’s easy to make fun of them and point out their foibles and cringe rather than on what made them special. And that means it’s too soon to know how they’ll ultimately be remembered.

Some of the trends that come to mind are the winding down of ‘recession pop’, the rapid rise and fall of ‘stomp clap’ folk rock, and dub-step, and an overall shift away from guitar-driven rock to ‘80s-inspired synth pop (a trend that is only now cycling back towards rock in 2026).

I’ve tallied up my scores from each year, and below are my top twenty artists of the decade, along with my favourite album and song from each of them. And just for fun, at the end, I’ve ranked the years themselves.

Artists of the Decade

1. Taylor Swift: Just 20 when the decade started, Swift had already established herself as an artist to be reckoned with. The decade saw her shift from country to pop, her ascend to global supremacy only to be ‘cancelled’, and then rebound. But the lukewarm reception of Lover left her in an uncertain place as the decade ended.

    • Favourite album: 1989 (2014)
    • Favourite song: “Cruel Summer” (Lover, 2019)

2. Lana Del Rey: If there’s one thing we know about Lana Del Rey it’s that she’s always going to be exactly the artist she wants to be, for better or for worse. And that makes her unique, and often a bit of a letdown for me, since she’s moved away from the more accessible pop sensibility of her early work. That makes the fact that she’s still my second rated artist of the decade all the more impressive.

    • Favourite album: Born to Die (2012)
    • Favourite song: “Young and Beautiful” (Gatsby soundtrack, 2014)

3. Beyoncé: This was already Beyoncé’s third decade of fame, and it only brought her to greater heights. As the decade progressed she moved from more typical RnB and dance pop sounds to a more challenging, provocative, and artistic sensibility that made her more relevant than ever, even if not quite as mainstream.

    • Favourite album: Lemonade (2016)
    • Favourite song: “Formation” (Lemonade, 2016)

4. CHVRCHES: This high placement may be a bit of a surprise, but it just goes to show what can happen when a band makes its strongest work right when the world is most open to their sound. No one does synth-pop like CHVRCHES and the mid-2010s were their moment.

    • Favourite album: Every Open Eye (2015)
    • Favourite song: “Heaven/Hell” (Love Is Dead, 2018)

5. Carly Rae Jepsen: When an artist is connected to a massively viral song, it’s easy to think of them as a one-hit-wonder, even if they’re not. Carly Rae Jepsen falls into this category for me. “Call Me Maybe” was so huge that I’m always surprised to remember that she’s made a lot of great pop music.

    • Favourite album: E-mo-tion (2015)
    • Favourite song: “Call Me Maybe” (Kiss, 2012)

6. Tegan and Sara: This Canadian duo transitioned from alt rock to full on pop in the 2010s and it couldn’t have worked out better for them. What a great decade of music!

    • Favourite album: Heartthrob (2013)
    • Favourite song: “Closer” (Heartthrob, 2013)

7. Sara Bareilles: Sara Bareilles is far from a typical pop star. It’s no surprise she’s stepped way back from this side of things to focus more on work for the theatre. But she made some great music along the way.

    • Favourite album: Kaleidoscope Heart (2010)
    • Favourite Song: “I Choose You” (The Blessed Unrest, 2013)

8. Marina (and the Diamonds): Mileage varies about Marina’s later work, but at the start of the 2010s no one was doing infectious alternative pop as well as her.

    • Favourite album: The Family Jewels (2010)
    • Favourite song: “Oh no!” (The Family Jewels, 2010)

9. Serena Ryder: This Canadian singer-songwriter had two stellar albums in the decade, which was enough to place her in my top ten.

    • Favourite album: Harmony (2012)
    • Favourite song: “For You” (Harmony, 2012)

10. Bleachers: If any producer could be said to have defined the sound of the 2010s it was Jack Antonoff, so it feels appropriate for his band to round out my top ten.

    • Favourite album: Strange Desire (2014)
    • Favourite song: “You’re Still a Mystery” (Strange Desire, 2014)

11. Florence + the Machine:

    • Favourite album: Ceremonials (2011)
    • Favourite song: “Shake It Out” (Ceremonials, 2011)

12. The 1975:

    • Favourite album: I like it when you sleep… (2016)
    • Favourite song: “The Sound” (I like it when you sleep…, 2016)

13. Arkells:

    • Favourite album: Morning Report (2016)
    • Favourite song: “Making Due” (Morning Report, 2016)

14. Ingrid Michaelson:

    • Favourite album: Lights Out (2014)
    • Favourite song: “Girls Chase Boys” (LIghts Out, 2014)

15. Birdy:

    • Favourite album: Beautiful Lies (2016)
    • Favourite song: “Keeping Your Head Up” (single, 2015)

16. Sia:

    • Favourite album: This Is Acting (2016)
    • Favourite song: “Footprints” (This Is Acting, 2016)

17. Lady Gaga:

    • Favourite album: A Star Is Born (soundtrack, 2018)
    • Favourite song: “Applause” (Art Pop, 2013)

18. Allie X:

    • Favourite album: CollXtion II (2017)
    • Favourite song: “HELLO” (CollXtion I, 2015)

19. Adele:

    • Favourite album: 21 (2011)
    • Favourite song: “Rolling in the Deep” (21, 2011)

29. HAERTS:

    • Favourite album: HAERTS (2014)
    • Favouite song: “Wings” (HAERTS, 2014)

Year Ranking

  1. 2014 (Taylor Swift, HAERTS, Bleachers, Ingrid Michaelson, Beyoncé)
  2. 2012 (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Serena Ryder, Carly Rae Jepsen)
  3. 2019 (Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, Lana Del Rey, Maren Morris)
  4. 2013 (Tegan and Sara, Sara Bareilles, One Republic, One Direcetion, The National, Lorde)
  5. 2010 (Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, Janelle Monae, Robyn, Marina and the Diamonds, Katy Perry, Arcade Fire)
  6. 2017 (Taylor Swift, Bleachers, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Allie X)
  7. 2015 (CHVRCHES, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, Years & Years, Adele)
  8. 2016 (Beyonce, Sia, The 1975, Tegan and Sara, Arkells, Ariana Grande)
  9. 2018 (Amy Shark, CHVRCHES, HAERTS, Lady Gaga, The 1975)
  10. 2011 (Adele, Florence + the Machine, Beyonce, Christina Perri, Lady Gaga)

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