The world of music has changed drastically over the past decade, and with 2019 coming to a close, here is a list of the top five albums of the past decade.

#5: To Pimp a Butterfly: Kendrick Lamar (2016)

        No rapper has made his mark on the 2010’s quite like Kendrick Lamar, and this was his masterpiece. After Kendrick burst onto the scene with his 2012 record, “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” with his complex views on politics and life in one of America’s most notoriously violent cities, Compton.. To Pimp a Butterfly was uniquely diverse in it’s tackle of views on politics, but now instead of the mind of a corrupted child, he was speaking from the top of the totem pole. Trying to find his place as a representative of the African American community, he passionately repudiates black on black violence, “It’s funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war, Two tribal armies that want to build and destroy, remind me of these Compton Crip gangs that live next door, Beefin with Pirus  only death settle the score”-The Blacker the Berry. Through jazzy psychedelic beats K-dot made one of the biggest political and musical statements of the century.

#4: Channel Orange: Frank Ocean (2012)

        A silent musical genius, Frank Ocean’s first major label studio album was nothing short of a classic. After stepping away from a wildly successful songwriting career, and his pulverizing rap group, Odd Future, Ocean became

a house-hold name with Channel Orange. Channel Orange is a spectacle of introspective lyrics and  beautiful harmonies. It’s a masterful mix of self-awareness and classic 21st century anthems, such as “Thinkin about You” and “Super Rich Kids”. Ocean takes you on a journey through his world of extremes, with his life of extra, in songs like “Crack Rock” and his life of self reflection and personal struggle displayed in “Bad Religion” were he talks to a taxi driver about his demons. The taxi driver responds “Bo-Bo you need prayer” and Ocean responds with “I guess it couldn’t hurt me”.

#3: 21: Adele (2011)

          One of the biggest albums of our generation, the beautiful voice of Adele had fully entered the limelight with her sophomore album selling 30 million copies and becoming the first album to every spend 24 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard top 200. Adele took the world back to their first real heartbreak with songs that she had written at the young age of 21. The album has tear jerker after tear jerker and gives the listener goosebumps every time. There was no album as commercially successful as Adele’s masterpiece in the 2010’s and there is hardly any singer with a more tragically emotional voice than Adele to grace this earth.

#2: Doo Wops and Hooligans: Bruno Mars (2010)

You would be hard pressed to find anyone under the age of 25 that doesn’t remember this charming kid singing the “Lazy Song” with his friends wearing gorilla masks. This was just the start of the cultural importance of Bruno. Bruno Mars is one of the most entertaining and charming artists of the 21st century and Doo Wops and Hooligans is the pop equivalent of a Picasso. Song after song perfectly paints you the picture of who Mars is and what he is all about. It is a perfect mix of fun, 60s rock influenced bangers like “Runaway Baby” and emotional heartbreak anthems. Doo Wops and Hooligans includes one of my favorite songs ever, “Liquor Store Blues” where Mars emotionally puts himself in the life of a man struggling to pay the bills as he drowns his sorrows in alcohol and cigarettes behind an addicting Reggae beat, all while capturing the hearts of millions of 12 year old girls. Bruno Mars took over the world with his first album, and to this day it is one of the best pop albums.

#1: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: Kanye West (2010) 

          Kanye West dominated the 2010’s music scene in a way only comparable to Michael Jackson’s run in the 80’s. In order to fully appreciate the greatness of this undeniable masterpiece we must know the build up. After having three critically acclaimed soul-infused albums, a legendary producing career,  a microphone situation watched by just about everyone in the world, and a marriage to one of the most controversial public figures ever, Kanye left the noise of the world for Hawaii to record an album. In these legendary recording sessions Kanye used sounds and beats like paint on his paintbrush and used it on a canvas called rap. With features by Bon Iver, Rihana, and Elton John Kanye had created a legendarily grand piece of music unlike any rap album ever made. Countless stories of the recording sessions such as West making everyone wear suits when in the recording studios, and the putting out of singles through a mystery streaming service called “Good Fridays”, the lore was set. West did not disappoint with huge instrumentals backed with songs of self hatred and coping with his immense fame. In his emotionally powerful song “Runaway” he yells at a girl to runaway from him as he makes a toast to “all the douchebags”. With this album Kanye set the bar for every album, not just rap, and no one has met that bar yet.