The Experts’ Best Albums Of 2010

January 14, 2011 Best Of, Music Reviews

The consensus #1 album of 2010

I’ve collected every year-end “best album” list published by reputable sources that I could get my hands on. The finalized tally below records the albums most frequently mentioned by music experts in their year-end lists. 115 lists have been compiled. With this many sources I consider the ranking below to be the definitive list of 2010. Much like the aggregate system Rotten Tomatoes employs, concensus is the key. In combining the lists I awarded albums points based on where they ranked on each year-end list. My points system works as follows:

20 points for each 1st place ranking

15 points for each 2nd place ranking

10 points for each 3rd place ranking

8 points for being ranked 4th – 10th

5 points for being ranked 11th-25th

2 points for being ranked 26th-50th, or for being included on an unranked list

1 point for being ranked 51st – 100th

To view the complete list in spreadsheet form visit this link. Or if you’re a glutton for punishment and nerd out on Excel you can download a copy and re-sort the list by source to your heart’s content here. And for Mac users a Numbers version here.

  ARTIST       ALBUM
#1 – Kanye West       My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
#2 – Arcade Fire       The Suburbs
#3 – LCD Soundsystem       This Is Happening
#4 – Janelle Monae         The ArchAndroid
#5 – The National       High Violet
#6 – Beach House       Teen Dream
#7 – Big Boi       Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son Of Chico Dusty
#8 – The Black Keys       Brothers
#9 – Deerhunter       Halcyon Digest
#10 – Vampire Weekend       Contra
 
#11 – Joanna Newsom       Have One On Me
#12 – Titus Andronicus       The Monitor
#13 – Caribou       Swim
#14 – Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti       Before Today
#15 – Sleigh Bells       Treats
#16 – Gorillaz       Plastic Beach
#17 – Robyn       Body Talk
#18 – Sufjan Stevens       The Age Of Adz
#19 – Flying Lotus       Cosmogramma
#20 –    Drake       Thank Me Later
 

#21 – Yeasayer       Odd Blood
#22 – Four Tet       There Is Love In You
#23 – Best Coast       Crazy For You
#24 – Jamey Johnson         The Guitar Song
#25 – The Roots       How I Got Over You
#26 – Superchunk       Majesty Shredding
#27 – Grinderman       Grinderman 2
#28 – Gil Scott-Heron       I’m New Here
#29 – Laura Marling       I Speak Because I Can
#30 – Deftones       Diamond Eyes
#31 – Owen Pallett       Heartland
#32 – Mumford & Sons       Sigh No More
#33 – Warpaint       The Fool
#34 – Cee Lo Green       The Lady Killer
#35 – These New Puritans       Hidden
#36 – Emeralds       Does It Look Like I’m Here?
#37 – Neil Young       Le Noise
#38 – The Walkmen       Lisbon
#39 – Rick Ross       Teflon Don
#40 – Broken Bells       Broken Bells
#41 – Sharon Van Etten       Epic
#42 – Oneohtrix Point Never       Returnal
#43 – No Age         Everything In Between
#44 – Liars       Sisterworld
#45 – The Tallest Man On Earth       The Wild Hunt
#46 – Foals       Total Life Forever
#47 – MGMT       Congratulations
#48 – Spoon       Transference
#49 – Jónsi       Go
#50 –    Surfer Blood       Astro Coast