The 25 Best Albums Of 2010

From Best Coast's surf-pop to Kanye's rap masterpiece, this is the definitive list of the year's best music.

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When the calendar hit January 1, 2010, everything changed. The Aughts were over. The new decade gave musicians a chance to wipe the occasionally embarrassing lows of the 2000s from our memories, and after 12 months, it's safe to say things are off to a good start. The music team here at Complex had a hell of year ourselves: controversial interviews, epic Making Of features for some of the year's biggest albums, and endless lists that analyze the culture while it's happening. After critiquing every significant release and a few office debates, we're confident that this is the definitive list of 2010's best albums. A lot of great music came out this year across several genres. Kanye West made the comeback we were all waiting for, Best Coast and Sleigh Bells showed us that girls can rock, and everyone from bedroom-pop acts to Barbie-channeling MCs got their big break. Yeah, this was a year for the books. Without further ado, we present The 25 Best Albums of 2010. Can we get much higher? We'll find out in 2011, but check out the list—it'll be tough.

RELATED: The 50 Best Albums of 2013

RELATED: The 50 Best Albums of 2016

Related: The Best Albums of 2017

#25: Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday

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The first relevant release by a female rapper in years, Pink Friday marked the first test of one of hip-hop's most polarizing rappers. Although Nicki grew her crossover appeal with "Your Love" and "Right Through Me" appearing on the Hot 100 (not to mention all of her guest spots), many still weren't convinced she could carry a whole album. So on Pink Friday she opted to reveal what's behind the wigs and bodysuits, giving us a closer look at Onika Maraj on standouts like "Fly," "Dear Old Nicki," and “I’m The Best.” The album was an extravagant coming-out party and although it was a bit short on lyrical bite, we’re willing to enjoy it for what it is.

#24: Earl Sweatshirt, Earl

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No one knows exactly where Earl is. Boot camp? Boarding school? Who knows? His Odd Future crew sure isn’t giving any clues to his whereabouts. So until the California native returns, he’s left us with a short, but entertaining album where he morbidly raps about choking women, rocking swastikas on his letterman jacket, and being a rapist in training. It’s a little bit disturbing that a 16-year-old has these kinds of thoughts, but who gives a shit when he articulates them so well. Fuck Steve Harvey!

#23: Salem, King Night

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The genre formerly known as "rape gaze" officially arrived this year, and with Salem at the forefront, it sounded great. Even the music's more PC term—witch house—is met with opposition from artists who want to avoid being pigeonholed, and it makes sense. Salem owes part of their early recognition to their hypnotic Gucci Mane remixes, and King Night proves that their fascination with rap is no gimmick. Although the synths make songs sound like a 3-D horror movie on acid, the drums are clearly a product of time spent with Southern rap. Adding to the effect, Jack Donoghue raps over songs like "Sick" with pitched-down vocals reminiscent of chopped-and-screwed Houston hip-hop. We've been checking for Salem since "Redlights" (which is here in updated form) won us over in 2008, and we're glad to say that the ambitious fusion of styles on their debut full-length works extremely well.

#22: Roc Marciano, Marcberg

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#21: Toro Y Moi, Causers Of This

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#20: Big Boi, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty

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Poor Big Boi. He spent most of his career as half of a group in which he was consistently overshadowed by Andre 3000. And even though he crafted one of the best rap albums of the decade with Speakerboxxx, as he prepared to drop his first solo effort the main question was, "Will Andre be on it?” Despite all that, Sir Lucious Left Foot is a triumph. While Big Boi delivers many a tongue twister and plenty of clever wordplay, what really sticks out here is the overall sound of the record. Boasting dense, robust production that mixes soul, electro, and of course funk, Big Boi (who co-produced every song) proves he’s fine all on his own.

#19: The Drums, The Drums

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Oh, the buzz cycle these days. One year you're playing local clubs in NYC's LES, the next you're playing European tours and rock legends are co-signing you. That's how the story goes for The Drums, a quartet of moderately flamboyant Brooklyn dudes who sing about love, loss, and the beach—and do it well. You've probably heard "Let's Go Surfing" in a car commercial by now, placement that's often a gift and curse for upcoming rock bands, but that won't be a problem for The Drums. Fans won't come to their concert waiting for "that one song" because every song on their extremely tight-knit debut is a banger.

#18: Yeasayer, Odd Blood

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#17: Wavves, King Of The Beach

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Nathan Williams' year is similar to that of the year's biggest rapper. Shocking onstage antics led to backlash, and the guy who goes by Wavves had something to prove with his next record. Fortunately for him (and us), King of the Beach is so good that it's all the "fuck you" he needs for anyone who has a problem with Ecstasy x Valium-triggered festival meltdowns. On his third album in two years, the 24-year-old San Diego kid toned down the distortion, went from his parents' garage to a real studio, added the late Jay Reatard's drum and bass players to the band, and started working with a seasoned rock producer. Because of those changes, we got songs like "Take On The World," "Green Eyes," "Linus Spacehead," and an entire album of Nirvana/Blink-182-inspired punk songs that we still bump in the dead of winter.

#16: Yelawolf, Trunk Muzik 0-60

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Catfish Billy’s So Far Gone-style re-release makes our list not only because it features all the best songs from his Trunk Muzik mixtape, but because it’s armed with brand new bangers like "Daddy's Lambo" and “I Just Wanna Party” (which boasts a great Gucci Mane feature). As the Internet’s new favorite rapper and the future purveyor of southern rap sensibilities, the expectations for Yela are off the charts. But he's got the makings of something special thanks to his rapscallion style and southern charm. Our guess is Yela is ready for the spotlight, and 0-60 is the perfect setup.

#15: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

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Indie rock came a long way this year, huh? A band that we hardly knew three years ago started getting Grammy nominations and selling out Madison Square Garden. Thankfully, Arcade Fire didn't let mainstream looks make them lame, and they didn't start making bad music like so many much-hyped bands do. The seven-member outfit kept their cool and dropped an album with more than a few of their best songs ever. The Suburbs has 16 songs about #whitepeopleproblems and still manages to not be annoying. That's an achievement in itself.

#14: Curren$y, Pilot Talk II

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Curren$y may not roll with Lil Wayne anymore, but there’s no doubting he might have taken notes on Weezy’s work ethic. Ironic, since he (along with Wiz Khalifa) is a part of the stoner rap milieu. Nonetheless, Pilot Talk II comes nipping at the heels of his previous release, this year’s Pilot Talk. Although the original surely had its moments, PTII comes equipped with the infectious and hypnotic single “Micheal Knight” and is a much more cohesive listen (thanks in large part to Ski Beatz and his houseband The Sensies) than his previous effort. PTII is a spaced out, hazy record that finds Spitta in the midst of yet another burst of creativity.

#13: Wild Nothing, Gemini

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#12: Waka Flocka Flame, Flockaveli

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Truthfully, M.O.P. hasn't made us want to punch someone in the face since "Ante Up." Luckily the new generation has Waka, who positioned himself as the new king of riot-starting rap music in 2010. No one expected much from the rowdy Brick Squad rookie's debut, but after three undeniable hits—"O Let's Do It," "Hard In The Paint," and "No Hands"—it became clear that he was serving up something special. Overall, Flockaveli suffers slightly from too many no-name guest appearances, but when anthems like "Bustin' At Em" come on, you might be too busy lickin' off shots to care. BOW! BOW! BOW! BOW!

#11: Big K.R.I.T, K.R.I.T Wuz Here

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K.R.I.T. Wuz Here features two different types of songs. On the one hand, there’s songs like “Viktorious,” “Just Touched Down,” and “Hometown Hero” where KRIT—who wears his Mississippi inferiority complex on his sleeve—is out to prove himself as a worthy lyricist. That he is, but where he really finds his voice (literally, he sings a number of excellent hooks) are the more emotionally charged songs like “They Got Us,” “Good Enough,” and “Something,” where he’s able to articulate feelings of hopelessness and despair that the average 23-year-old has no business being so thoughtful about. There’s no doubt K.R.I.T. has talent (did we mention he produced every song?), but he’s got something else his counterparts lack: soul.

#10: The Roots, How I Got Over

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On “Dear God 2.0” Black Thought spits, "I'm off work, right back to work again/I probably need to go ahead and have my head examined/Look how they got me on the Def Jam payment plan." It’s true, The Roots have a day job—they consistently rock the crowd on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—and they still manage to do other gigs on occasion, but somehow on their ninth LP they sound as inventive as ever. This time around ?uestlove incorporates indie rock elements (with guest spots from Dirty Projectors, Joanna Newsom, and Monsters of Folk) into the sonic scope of this flawlessly sequenced record, creating a bleak backdrop that's the perfect anthem for self-destructive loners on a gray Saturday.

#9: LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening

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This Is Happening is like an awesome vinyl record you found in your parents' basement, from the vintage album art to songs that sound like the experimental recordings of a late '70s New York band. We only get nine of the them, but every single one does its job. Kid Cudi co-opted "Dance Yrself Clean" for a freestyle earlier this year, clearly just as crazy about the slow-building but explosive album opener. "All I Want" pulls from David Bowie's "Heroes" to give us 2010's best (and only?) glam rock classic. "I Can Change" ranks up there with the band's best. Following up 2007's borderline perfect Sound of Silver was no ordinary task, but damn, James Murphy handled it like a G.

#8: Wiz Khalifa, Kush&Orange Juice

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#7: Sleigh Bells, Treats

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#6: Rick Ross, Teflon Don

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Malice of Clipse once reasoned, “If I never sold my rhymes would sound like this...” But he didn’t finish the rhyme, letting his words linger, which made them that much more haunting. In pivotal moments on Teflon Don Rick Ross does the same—pausing for effect on songs like “Tears of Joy,” “B.M.F.,” and “Maybach Music III”, letting his silence speak volumes about his growth as an MC. At this point we all know Ross never sold what he claims, yet Teflon Don finds Ross using all of last year’s momentum to catapult himself to the height of delusional grandeur. He continues the charade, but we can’t help but play along. Rocking the mic with both bombast and precision, backed by undeniable production, Ross proudly leaves the comfort of potential and delivers what is arguably his best album to date.

#5: Best Coast, Crazy For You

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If anyone has a problem with Bethany Cosentino's success, it's because they can't accept the fact that a girl from California who's obsessed with her cat, smokes a lot of weed, and Twitter flirts with her boyfriend (Wavves) made the best rock album of the year. It's like it was too easy for her. The sound leans on instantly likable '60s surf pop, the lyrics are extremely simple, and most of them are about how she longs for a nameless series of boys. Bobb Bruno gives the song some gut with his bass, and Beth takes it from there, killing it with easy guitar rhythms and choruses that make singing "I wish he was my boyfriend" out loud acceptable (in the comfort of your own home, B). Sometimes you don't want the rookie to win, but in Best Coast's case, there are few records we listened to and liked more this year than Crazy For You.

#4: Kid Cudi, Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager

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Kid Cudi’s sophomore set finds him teetering on the brink of complete self-destruction. Addressing all of his problems head-on, including his cocaine abuse, Cudi offers a depressed, lethargic take on life and a lukewarm review on fame. While his G.O.O.D. Music mentor may have opted for the most layered production possible, Cudi strips everything to its barest essentials, employing a minimalist sound that often features nothing but a hollow drumbeat and a few keys on the piano or strums on the guitar. The album works wonders if you’re invested in the lonely stoner and identify with his Mr. Rager persona, but even if you don’t you can always appreciate the blunt honesty of lines like, “Wanna know what it sounds like when I’m not on drugs?/Please, please don’t play this song.”

#3: Eminem, Recovery

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#2: Drake, Thank Me Later

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If it wasn't for Yeezy's fourth quarter masterpiece, this would have been the Canadian kid's year, hands down. His debut was overhyped, sure, but Drizzy responded to the pressure by crafting an album that will stand the test of time. Thanks to the guidance of his main production partner 40, Drake hit all the right notes—club bangers ("Up All Night"), sensitive slow jams ("Shut It Down"), big name duets ("Light Up" f/ Jay-Z)—without sacrificing the essence of his cohesive So Far Gone sound. A pop album that bangs. A rap album with emotion. An R&B album with punchlines. However you define it, Drizzy's moody mix of melody and flow earned all the millions of spins it got in 2010.

#1: Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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After the world came down on Kanye for the Taylor Swift debacle, he headed out to Hawaii and found purpose in concocting far and away the best album of the year—'and arguably of his career. So confident was ’Ye that the songs were top notch, little regard was given to the music industry's standard practice of Fort Knoxing any unreleased material until the album's release. Ye leaked an unheard-of 75% of MBDTF, including the two songs ("Monster" and "So Appalled") with Jay-Z verses, before it hit stores. Why hold back? Malcolm West had the whole nation standing attention while stunting like he was on a JumboTron with lyrics that were pompous, witty, insanely insightful, introspective, and hilarious. This wasn't an exercise in self-indulgence, though, it was about creating a masterpiece no matter what. If that meant coaxing the best out of lyrical terminators like Nicki Minaj and Pusha T by asking them to re-write verses multiple times, so be it. If that meant throwing a three-minute interlude at the end of "Runaway," that's what it was. If that meant putting Bon Iver on a song with Rick Ross, fuck it. Many of those who worked on the album spoke with reverence afterward about how MBDTF changed their lives. What a coincidence; us, too.

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