Welcome to this list of my favorite albums and EPs of the 2010’s. It’s completely subjective and as true to my honest favorites as I could be…which means lots of repeat artists. Sorry if anyone is bothered by that, but it’s the only way I can make a personal list. Thanks so much for reading! Now for the list:
120. Jimmy Eat World – Surviving (2019)
Hooks and riffs and a few surprises, as expected from the pop/rock masters.
Genre: Rock
RIYL: Bleed American and Futures
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1oXiDeNuXr0A4DFQEr3fhI
119. All Sons & Daughters – Live (2013)
We started singing some of these songs in church and they just stood out from a lot of the Hillsong-type stuff and hymns that we sing, so I looked into it and found it really enjoyable and heartfelt.
Genre: Worship
RIYL: Folky, well-crafted worship music
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1xFAQGLd2GUNK0Ji9ss9TG
118. Kari Jobe – The Garden (2017)
I’m so surprised to have this album on here. I like her voice, so I took a chance on this CD when it was $2 at Lifeway’s going out of business sale, and I was caught off guard and so pleasantly surprised by the big, almost post-rock structures, with big hooks.
Genre: Worship
RIYL: Huge sounding, anthemic, post-rock influenced worship music
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0VlrwygIqoI06z2BTCYuTq
117. Valleyheart – Nowadays (2017)
This band is so exciting to me. They have great lyrics that don’t distract at all from the structures and melodies and musicianship. This is a taste of something they would do even better with their full-length which will appear later in this list.
Genre: Rock
RIYL: Lyrical, emotional, alt-rock.
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0hhd9KDukrvcyhOjJQIaqU
116. Hands – Give Me Rest (2011)
The final Hands album cuts out most of the hardcore influence that I really enjoyed from them and went full-on post-metal. It’s heavy and spacey and worth a listen if you’re into that kind of thing.
Genre: Post-Metal
RIYL: Isis, Everything in Slow Motion, Rosetta
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/7kxHA6L2NxB1YBvlp7Je4L
115. Young Oceans – Suddenly (Or the Nuclear Sunburst of the Truth Revealed) (2017)
You’ll be seeing more in this list from one of my favorite bands of the decade. One of the more experimental worship bands you’ll find and this may be their most experimental release yet.
Genre: Worship
RIYL: Experimental, atmospheric worship music.
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1NnzAkcue0YdEzLWKb8bfp
114. My Epic – Violence (2019)
The darkest of My Epic releases. I’m a big fan of the electronic elements that they brought to the forefront for the first time.
Genre: Post-Hardcore
RIYL: Deftones, Chevelle, Norma Jean, Thursday
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1JEGmU4yqtuuFceHpVCvHK
113. Everything In Slow Motion – Phoenix (2013)
An offshoot of the previously mentioned band, Hands. This one is also spacey and riffy, but stronger melodically than Give Me Rest.
Genre: Post-hardcore
RIYL: Hum, Blindside, Hands, Space
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0B1Iy2POFJQQbIZsU04zYM
112. Thrice – Major/Minor (2011)
By far my favorite Thrice release of the decade.
Genre: Post-hardcore
RIYL: Heavy music with strong melodies.
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0xQYyIZThYYrCWcVqRNybH
111. La Dispute – Rooms of the House (2014)
A great album to yell along to.
Genre: Post-hardcore
RIYL: Touche Amore; mewithoutYou; heavy, word music
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5m0NdXjQm038wphE4VSTPU
110. Gemma Hayes – Let It Break (2011)
I just love her voice so much.
Genre: Pop
RIYL: Harriet Wheeler, The Corrs, Dia Frampton
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1drLsmab6XcCyJC1UuoiKa
109. I Break Horses – I Break Horses (2011)
This one didn’t really connect until after I fell in love with Chiaroscuro, but now I’m totally into it.
Genre: Shoegaze/Synth-Pop
RIYL: School of Seven Bells, M83, Postiljonen
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0CLz2Hqr0i9X7uvwjHNKEB
108. The National – High Violet (2010)
People aren’t gonna like that this album is ranked so low, but it’s one where I think the high’s are fantastic, but there’s a few tracks that don’t do much for me.
Genre: Indie Rock
RIYL: General melancholy, Ohio, baritone vocals
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/59gXPxZ8CwFaeknPxtxXHZ
107. Zach Winters – To Have You Around (2017)
I found out about Zach when I was looking for artists to approach for the Blurescent Compilation and boy, was it a happy find. Some of these songs are so good for putting on repeat when times are tough.
Genre: Folk-Pop
RIYL: A stylistic mix of folky Sufjan Stevens and Jack Johnson
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0C6TOafNvw2PpiSdoByAmD
106. No Devotion – Permanence (2015)
Featuring members of Lostprophets and Thursday, they up the 80s electro-pop influences that were largely nonexistent in their other bands, and it’s a lot of fun. Hopefully there’s more to come.
Genre: Rock
RIYL: New Order, Lostprophets, Thursday
Stream: No Devotion- Permanence in Youtube
105. Search The City – Flight (2013)
Well, it looks like this band is done again, but they put out a pretty nice album in between breakups, with lots of catchy hooks and fun jams.
Genre: Rock
RIYL: Forever Changed, Mae, Further Seems Forever, Anberlin
Stream: Search The City – Flight in Youtube
104. Deas Vail – Deas Vail (2011)
This album was a grower. I was not a fan of the production at all, but when the songs began to overshadow how overproduced it was, I couldn’t deny that this was the same band I feel in love with a few years earlier.
Genre: Rock
RIYL: Mae, Sherwood, later Relient K
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3XHMCmFxAdwY7fOJaPAtDs
103. Gates – The Sun Will Rise And Lead Me Home (2011)
Yeah, I’m a sucker for the post-rock/emo/post-hardcore combo.
Genre: Emo/Post-Rock
RIYL: Moving Mountains, Athletics, Owel
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6veKAyDh4FnDiB31ntFmE8
102. Holy Fawn – Death Spells (2018)
I listened to this on a whim and it blew me away the first few plays.
Genre: Post-Metal
RIYL: Junius, Deftones
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/3L9kfqui54S1V2MvOHKmJC
101. Cannons – Night Drive (2017)
“Kiss Me’ is almost good enough to get this album on the list by itself, but there’s a lot of other really fine nostalgia-inducing synth-pop moments to be found.
Genre: Synth-Pop
RIYL: Postiljonen, Chvrches, Polychrome
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5zifluY4N0CV8n88BF6Xvy
