Here is the next post for the important years in my music-listening life. Before 2010, I did not have a music taste. I liked some of the old music my parents loved, and I had some knowledge of modern music from my older sister. Then, in 2010, I paid more attention. I stole my parents' satellite radio receiver and enjoyed AltNation. I read some music blogs, such as Stereogum and Spin Magazine. I bought CDs from bands like The National, the Black Keys, and Vampire Weekend. By the end of the year, I was into the alternative/ indie-rock scene.
To celebrate this year, I will look back at the best critically acclaimed tracks of 2010. I will use the site acclaimedmusic.net again. Here is the list. This time I listened to all 120 tracks instead of the top 100 like I did with the 1992 list. Without much further ado, here are the honorable mentions:
- Nightcall by Kavinsky feat.Lovefoxxx (#43): Here is a charming synthwave track co-produced and co-written by a member of Daft Punk, which became famous due to the soundtrack to Drive, and was performed live at the 2024 Olympics' closing ceremony. Somehow this song has cold synthesizer sounds and feels warm simultaneously.
- Zebra by Beach House (#28): Baltimore's critically acclaimed dream-pop group has this beautiful track. The lyrics talk about a fleeting love from someone who isn't open with their true self.
- Luz de Piedra de Luna by Javiera Mena (#117): An exciting electropop track in Spanish from a Chilean musician.
- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry (#11): Katy Perry had many hits around this time, but none of those hits were better than this song. She sounds so overjoyed singing about her thrilling first love.
- New York is Killing Me by Gil Scott-Heron (#57): Scott-Heron is a jazz poet who influenced hip-hop with his spoken word performances. In one of his final tracks, Scott-Heron talks about how hard city life is. I like the constant handclaps on the track and the old guitar line in the background.
15. Terrible Love by the National (#106)
Let's start with the opener for the National album High Violet to open this list. Like I said in the intro, I bought this album on CD. I greatly enjoy their use of orchestra instruments on the album and the frontman's beautiful baritone voice. In this song, the frontman shows apprehension and anxiety as he starts a new relationship and notices the same fear in his partner. While the lyrics are anxious and nervous, the guitars and other instruments build and build. The narrator may be scared but is committed to the new relationship.
14. Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson and Business Intl feat. MNDR and Q-Tip (#109) (Language Advisory)
Mark Ronson is an English-American producer. He is part of the reason you know who Amy Winehouse is, He also produced the Bruno Mars song "Uptown Funk" and a lot of the Barbie soundtrack. In 2010, he released Record Collection to favorable reviews. This song is the first single on the album and a top 10 hit in the UK. I really like Ronson's synth lines in the verses. The lyrics do not mean anything deep; it's just Q-Tip and MNDR flexing. They do quote the French Canadian song, "Alouette."
13. Rolling in the Deep by Adele (#3)
Yes, this song should be much higher on the list. Adele released 21 the next year and this was the first single. I like Adele, but I wish she would experiment more. All of her songs sound the same. This is not the case with "Rolling in the Deep." She has not made that many "gospel disco tunes." It stands out a lot among her hits. She sounds as great as ever with her big, emotional voice. The lyrics are about her kissing off to an ex who was unfaithful. Her anger rages through every lyric to the unnamed man.
12. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells (#38)
Sleigh Bells is a band that gives me mixed feelings. I first heard their music through the song "Tell 'Em." It is a noisy, tuneless mess that I still don't understand the appeal. Everything else I heard sounded like Tell 'Em." Then, my older sister gave me a mixed CD for my birthday, and it featured the song above. It changed everything. This song is not a mess. The fake snaps fit with a guitar loop (It's a sample from a Funkadelic song.)_ and the bells, making a laid-back vibe. The lyrics are about an adolescent girl chatting with her friend about stuff.
11. Radioactive by Kings of Leon (#102)
I don't have much to say about this song. I liked this song in 2010, and it's still good 14 years later. This is the last time I noticed the Kings of Leon. In fact, I bought the CD it's on. Their blend of bluesy rock and roll with gospel is refreshing and exciting. I don't know what the lyrics say. I think it's from their adolescence. The band members are three brothers and one cousin. The brothers' father was a traveling Pentecostal preacher and, the brothers provided music at his revivals. This song is based on one of the old gospel tunes they played.
10. Power by Kanye West (#12) (Language Advisory)
Remember when Kanye was actually good? In 2010, he released the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. According to acclaimedmusic.net, this album is the top album of 2010 and the second most acclaimed album of the 2010s. The production by Kanye West and Symbolyc One is spot on, exuding power with its sample from the psych rock band King Crimson. In the lyrics, West raps about the danger of giving the authorities and celebrities too much power, but he does deserve that power. He also contemplates his own death because the power is too much for him to bear.
9. 6 Foot 7 Foot by Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz (#118) (Language Advisory)
I got into rap after Lil Wayne's time in the spotlight, so I did not like his music in 2010. Years later, I put the edited version of this song on my running playlist, and I remember it fondly now. The beat is based on a sample of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" which warps it into something completely different from the source material. I have to give a ton of credit to Wayne here. He is on point for this song. His punchlines hit more than they miss, and he has enough charisma to sell the stupider lines. Cory Gunz's guest verse is a great display of promising talent that we did not see due to label mismanagement.
8. Tightrope by Janelle Monáe feat. Big Boi (#9)
Here is Janelle Monáe with the first single from her album The ArchAndroid. The track mixes the older sounds of funk and soul with a rap verse by Outkast member Big Boi. Most of the credit has to go to Janelle. She has a ton of talent and charisma displayed in this song. She commands the track. The lyrics are about how to stay positive in a world of haters. Like most people, I do not relate to this topic, but she sells it.
7. Wonderful Life by Hurts (#69)
This song was a complete surprise. I did not hear this in 2010. I have never heard of the UK duo Hurts, but this song was a hit in their homeland. I like the production; it sounds dramatic and over-the-top with the synthesizer, the guitar, the sax solo, and the two pretentious-looking music videos. The lyrics are about two extremes. The first verse is about a man about to jump off a bridge to his death. Suddenly, a woman shows up and saves his life. These two people then fall in love. These lyrics are too optimistic for how the production sounds, but they fit together well enough to not be jarring.
6. Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala (#66)
Here is the beginning of Kevin Parker's career, known as Tame Impala. For those unaware, he is a psychedelic rock musician with much acclaim from critics and the alternative crowd. The song itself is a feeling. I love the psychedelic guitar with the drums, which are things that Parker composed. The lyrics also relate to the enjoyment that can come from isolation.
5. All of the Lights by Kanye West feat. Rihanna and Kid Cudi (#15)
Another song from Kanye. This one tells a compelling story. The protagonist is a flawed man who is a wifebeater and wants to do better. Kanye compares these struggles to the light, which is seen as a metaphor for his own struggles with fame. Additionally, it parallels Kanye's own failed relationships. The production is a masterpiece by Kanye West. The trumpets give the song a triumphant-sounding tone, and I love that 13 uncredited pop stars sing the chorus.
4. Ready to Start by Arcade Fire (#27)
Let's talk about Arcade Fire. They are a band from Montreal fronted by Texan Win Butler. In 2010, they released the Grammy-winning album The Suburbs. This song is powerful. The guitar sounds intense and becomes bigger as the song reaches the bridges. The four-note keyboard line before the chorus is a memorable hook. Win Butler's singing matches the guitar perfectly. The lyrics are great. "The businessmen drink my blood/Like the kids in art school said they would " is one of the best opening lines ever. the protagonist in the song is ready to start something. I am still trying to figure out what.
3. Yamaha by The Dream (#47) (Language Advisory)
Meet The-Dream. He never made it as a solo act, but he is a successful "behind-the-scenes" guy. He wrote and produced many hits for Beyonce, Rihanna, and Mariah Carey. In the song above, he made a Prince song. Specifically, he remakes "Little Red Corvette," but this time, he compares the woman to a motorcycle. He is convincing in performance and production, sounding straight off Purple Rain. I have listened to this song more than any other song. I love a good throwback.
2. Undertow by Warpaint (#46)
An undertow is a water current beneath the surface that moves in a different direction than the surface current. People will drift out to sea because of the undertow. In this song, the undertow refers to falling in love. It's pushing her life in a new direction, and she fears falling too deep. Her partner feels the same way. At the bridge, she runs away from the feeling out of fear. It's a very gripping and emotional song. the production is great. All the instruments are in the back of the mix. This gives the vocals more focus in the song. Even with the compression, the bassline is still very hooky.
1. Not in Love by Crystal Castles feat. Robert Smith (#21)
Here we are at the end of the countdown. Crystal Castles was an electronic duo from Toronto. In 2010, they covered "Not In Love," and a song from rock band Platinum Blonde. The Crystal Castles version improves on it. First, they got the Cure's frontman, Robert Smith, to sing on the track. He is more emotive and a better overall singer than Platinum Blonde's lead singer. Second, the synth brings a much sadder atmosphere than the rock production, which fits a song about not being in love. Overall, this song is a cold, emotional ride that builds up to an explosion on the chorus. This is my favorite song from the 2010 list.
Congratulations on reading this entire post. I will soon work on year-end hit song lists, the best and the worst.
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