Albums of the Decade
By: Kyle Spencer
Creative Editor
Throughout the past decade there have been many albums that will go down as some of the greatest in history. From hard hitting 808’s to mesmerizing guitar melodies, these albums are sure to catch your ear as all of them have been carefully thought out.
Starting in 2010 with Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” this album changed music that we know to this day. It contained amazing hits like “Power” and “All of the Lights.” This album was also filled with some of the most amazing features of all time like Nicki Minaj’s verse on “Monster” or Pusha T’s on “Runaway.” “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is a staple in the Hip Hop community and will always be remembered as one of the best to come from West.
In 2011, Drake released one of his most memorable albums “Take Care.” This album takes your through Drakes lost love and stays true to his feelings which is what makes this album a classic. With hits like “Headlines,” “Take Care” and “Marvin’s Room,” Drake made it clear that he was made for the music industry. He also received amazing features from Rihanna, The Weekend and Lil Wayne. This album is filled with sad songs and is great if your looking to dive into your feelings.
Next in 2012, Kendrick Lamar released “good kid, m.A.A.d city” proving that he knew his way around the rap game with hits like “m.A.A.d city” and “Swimming Pools.” Kendrick had many different flows on this album with hard hitting lyrics. His song “m.A.A.d city” was known across the nation and still is to this day.
Chance the Rapper released the album “Acid Rap” in 2013 having hit songs like “Favorite Song” featuring Childish Gambino and “Cocoa Butter Kisses” with Vic Mensa and Twista. This album, being released as a free mixtape, changed rap forever while also getting a grammy nomination for best mixtape.
In 2014, J Cole released arguably one of the best albums of all time with “2014 Forest Hills Drive.” Cole takes you through his life as he grows up to be a man using soulful beats. The album takes you on a journey and does a great job at exploiting the cold world for what it really is. Some of the memorable songs on this album are “Wet Dreamz” and “G.O.M.D.”
“DS2” by Future, being his second studio album in 2015, contained hit songs like “Thought It Was a Drought” and “Where Ya At” featuring Drake. This album puts you in a trance from start to end with its hypnotic production and Future’s mesmerizing vocals. This album pushed Future to mainstream audiences but ended his official reign of terror.
In 2016, Anderson .Paak released “Malibu” and this album is filled with warm full beats as Anderson fills the album with his great singing and lyrical raps. This had hit songs like “The Bird” and “Am I Wrong” featuring ScHoolboy Q. The album has live instruments that make the album that much more attractive.
“Playboi Carti” by Playboi Carti had great songs like “Magnolia” and “New Choppa” featuring A$AP Rocky. This simple and catchy album, released in 2017, had people in a trance with help from producers like Pierre Bourne and Harry Fraud. This album sends you to space with its beats which is why it is so catchy.
“ASTROWORLD” by Travis Scott released in 2018 takes you on a crazy ride through Travis’ mind with some of his most personal lyrics yet. This album is full of surprise guests like Drake, Frank Ocean and The Weekend and multiple beat changes mid song like in his opening song ‘STARGAZING” or “SICKO MODE.” This album does a great job at holding your attention the whole time.
Lastly in 2019, Tyler, the Creator released the hit album “IGOR”. This album was very well thought out and had surprise features like Playboi Carti in “EARFQUAKE” or Kanye West in “PUPPET.” This album has very smooth beats and is currently being nominated for best rap album of the year.
These albums represent this decade in both popularity and style. They will continue to influence the style of albums that come after them, and will always be remembered as some of the most influential albums in history.