The Experts’ Best Albums 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