Gary's Top 100 of the 2010s

The most striking music video of the decade.
Will it claim the top spot on the Top 100?

So...it has come to this.

It has been a long six years since one of us hit "Publish" on this Little Blog That Could, but I am here to revive it from the brink, for at least one more post.

As the 2010s (The Tens? Teens? Ugh.) unceremoniously come to its expected Gregorian conclusion, it is apropos to close out the decade with a post on our very blog that was, ahem, thriving at the decade's beginning.

Ten years is an eternity in Music Years, particularly with how music is consumed. The decade started with an iPod like a pirate ship, and concludes with the entirety of music a mere tap away on our smartphones. In the same vein, the music landscape has gone through its share of changes, peaks, valleys, etc., during these past ten years. Ten years ago, EDM was a nascent, niche subgenre, Taylor Swift had yet to become a worldwide crossover pop star, and Kanye West was still making classic, genre-defining music.

At the end of every year, like clockwork, I lament how I missed on so much great music, and that I will compensate the following year. Not sure that has ever happened, but it is a fun little game I continue to play. Regardless, I have tried my damnedest to keep abreast of the pop music landscape this past decade. 

After an unnecessary amount of deliberation, I present my favorite 100 songs of the decade. This exercise was not taken lightly: Many excellent songs were cut, and others just seem too low. Again, ten years is an eternity, and it is impossible to distill it into 100 songs...but, fuck it, let's do this.

Listen along here:

100. Katy Perry - "Firework" (2010)
99. Big Boi (featuring Cutty) - "Shutterbugg" (2010)
98. The Limousines - "Very Busy People" (2010)
97. Future - "Mask Off" (2017)
96. CHVRCHES (featuring Matt Berninger) - "My Enemy" (2018)
95. Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks" (2010)
94. A$AP Rocky (featuring Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam) - "Wild For The Night" (2013)
93. Beyoncé - "Countdown" (2011)
92. Stray From The Path - "Goodnight Alt-Right" (2017)
91. Foals - "What Went Down" (2015)

90. Phantogram - "Black Out Days" (2012)
89. M.I.A. - "Born Free" (2010)
88. The Avalanches (featuring Danny Brown & MF Doom) - "Frankie Sinatra" (2016)
87. The Carters - "APESHIT" (2018)
86. Disclosure (featuring The Weeknd) - "Nocturnal" (2015)
85. The xx - "On Hold" (2016)
84. Travis Scott (featuring Drake) - "SICKO MODE" (2018)
83. The 1975 - "Somebody Else" (2016)
82. Neon Indian - "Slumlord" (2015)
81. Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again" (2012)

80. Chance The Rapper (featuring 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne) - "No Problem" (2016)
79. Calvin Harris (featuring Frank Ocean & Migos) - "Slide" (2017)
78. Nicki Minaj - "Super Bass" (2011)
77. Sleigh Bells - "Rill Rill" (2010)
76. Ariana Grande - "Into You" (2016)
75. The Weeknd - "Secrets" (2016)
74. Migos (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) - "Bad and Boujee" (2017)
73. Gorillaz (featuring Peven Everett) - "Strobelite" (2017)
72. Tyler, The Creator - "Yonkers" (2011)
71. Danny Brown (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul & Earl Sweatshirt) - "Really Doe" (2016)

70. Diplo (featuring Sleepy Tom) - "Be Right There" (2016)
69. Drake (featuring Majid Jordan) - "Hold On, We're Going Home" (2013)
68. Taylor Swift - "Blank Space" (2014)
67. Radiohead - "Lotus Flower" (2011)
66. Future Islands - "Seasons (Waiting On You)" (2014)
65. LCD Soundsystem - "how do you sleep?" (2017)
64. Beyoncé - "Partition" (2014)
63. Cardi B - "Bodak Yellow" (2017)
62. SOPHIE - "BIPP" (2013)
61. Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know?" (2013)

60. Beach House - "Lemon Glow" (2018)
59. Blood Orange - "You're Not Good Enough" (2013)
58. FKA twigs - "Cellophane" (2019)
57. DJ Khaled (featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne) - "I'm On One" (2011)
56. Kendrick Lamar - "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" (2012)
55. The Weeknd (featuring Drake) - "The Zone" (2011)
54. Burial - "Street Halo" (2011)
53. King Krule - "Dum Surfer" (2017)
52. Bat For Lashes - "Laura" (2012)
51. Jaime xx - "Gosh" (2015)

50. Sleigh Bells - "Rainmaker" (2017)
49. Bobby Shmurda - "Hot N***a" (2014)
48. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Round And Round" (2010)
47. Kanye West - "Blood On The Leaves" (2013)
46. Lorde - "Royals" (2013)
45. Lil Uzi Vert - "XO Tour Llif3" (2017)
44. Every Time I Die - "Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space" (2012)
43. Billie Eilish - "bad guy" (2019)
42. Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" (2010)
41. Foals - "Spanish Sahara" (2010)

40. Run The Jewels (featuring Zack De La Rocha) - "Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)" (2014)
39. Daft Punk (featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers) - "Get Lucky" (2013)
38. Frank Ocean - "Thinkin Bout You" (2012)
37. Caribou - "Can't Do Without You" (2014)
36. Robyn - "Dancing On My Own" (2010)
35. Drake - "Nice For What" (2018)
34. Bon Iver - "Hey, Ma" (2019)
33. Oneohtrix Point Never - "Replica" (2011)
32. Vampire Weekend - "Step" (2013)
31. Diplo (featuring Nicky Da B) - "Express Yourself" (2012)

30. Four Tet - "Love Cry"
29. The Weeknd - "House Of Balloons / Glass Table Girls" (2011)
28. Every Time I Die - "Map Change" (2016)
27. Tame Impala - "Let It Happen" (2015)
26. Deerhunter - "Helicopter" (2010)
25. Radiohead - "True Love Waits" (2016)
24. JAY-Z & Kanye West - "N***as In Paris" (2011)
23. Jaime xx (featuring Young Thug & Popcaan) - "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" (2015)
22. Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo) with Justin Bieber - "Where Are Ü Now" (2015)
21. Bon Iver - "Holocene" (2011)

20. Rihanna & Calvin Harris - "We Found Love" (2011)
19. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Prancer" (2013)
18. Disclosure (featuring Sam Smith) - "Latch" (2013)
17. Jaime xx (featuring Romy) - "Loud Places" (2015)
16. Kanye West (featuring JAY-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver) - "Monster" (2010)
15. Grimes - "Realiti" (2015)
14. Kendrick Lamar - "DNA." (2017)
13. Ariana Grande - "no tears left to cry" (2018)
12. Childish Gambino - "This Is America" (2018) - (Narrator: It did not claim the top spot.)
11. Lorde - "Green Light" (2017)

10. FKA twigs - "Two Weeks" (2014) - There are sexual songs, and then there is "Two Weeks". The entire song exudes sexual confidence, both lyrically and musically. As FKA twigs breathlessly seduces and promises her soon-to-be lover "give me two weeks, you won't recognize her", the rhythm pulsates and builds to its climactic chorus, taking the listener along for the passionate ride. With her vocal range and dynamic, genre-defying sound, FKA twigs has established herself as one of the most exciting acts today, and "Two Weeks" helped rightfully launch her into the public's consciousness.

09. Grimes - "Oblivion" (2012) - A bubbly piece of indie pop at first listen, Claire Boucher creates a chilling disconnect between sound and meaning on "Oblivion". Boucher describes an incident when she was violently assaulted, in an eerie sing-song voice. The unsettling sense of threat permeates the song, with the taunting "la la la la la"s and repetition of "See you on a dark night" as a constant reminder. The music video adds another layer, as it depicts the sharp contrast between a solo Boucher singing and dancing while surrounded by overt masculinity. The visuals are stark, as she appears to be tackling the root of her fears head-on. While the reminders are (and always will be) there, Boucher uses "Oblivion" as a therapeutic outlet, all the while creating a pop masterpiece.

08. Todd Terje - "Inspector Norse" (2012) - The epitome of "earworm", "Inspector Norse" is an impressive example of infectiousness. During the six-and-a-half minute futuristic disco journey, Todd Terje throws every trick at the listener, daring him or her to dance along for its entirety without pause. The synths and buildup are captivating, all the while maintaining the sonic equivalent of a smirk. The payoff is mesmerizing and dazzling, beautifully subtle in comparison to many EDM "drops". 

The end result is an impossibly catchy trip, without a wasted moment. Music serves many roles, and "Inspector Norse" is a masterclass in irresistible. 

07. LCD Soundsystem - "Dance Yrself Clean" (2010) - James Murphy has always seemed hyperaware of time passing one by and getting older, while simultaneously having the ability to twist that feeling into something bigger and "in the moment". The opening track to LCD's (at the time) final album plays on this sense of self-awareness and urgency, setting up a nine-minute, two-part dance party to end all dance parties. The three minute buildup is slow, calculated, and barely audible, making the arrival of the energetic, synth-heavy second half that much sweeter. While Murphy knows it is "the end of an era, it's true", he does everything he can to keep the party going just a little bit longer (like holding a note for fifteen-seconds-going-on-an-eternity). "Dance Yrself Clean" is the grizzled, gray-haired counterpart to "Shake It Off": Despite its impending despair, Murphy convinces the listener that all of one's current preoccupations can be forgotten by dancing oneself clean. 

06. The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Limerent Death" (2016) - The Dillinger Escape Plan have become the gold standard for combining raw aggression and...math. Their atypical song constructions and precision set them apart from their peers, spearheading the subgenre of mathcore for nearly twenty years. Their final act before disbanding, Dissociation, revealed a band that was firing on all cylinders, still well in their prime with a lot more to give. Their albums' opening tracks have long been home to some of their best songs, all unrelenting introductions to the album that follows. With apologies to "Prancer", Dillinger saved their best opener for last in "Limerent Death". The song is an unbelievable showcase for Greg Puciato's impressive vocal range, as he pours his soul into every note. He comes off as an utter madman, who continues his descent into insanity by the song's end, as his words become less and less comprehensible. As always, the technical aspects of the song are impressive, striking all of the right primal chords, leaving the listener both in awe and sympathetic overdrive.

05. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Run Away With Me" (2015) - Never underestimate the power of a sweet saxophone riff. (Seriously, look at this Top 5.) Jepsen's soaring vocals pair with the evocative backing to create the best pure pop song of the decade. As with most great pop songs, the premise is simple enough: Overwhelming infatuation to the point of escape. The relative calm of the verses sets up the beautiful whirlwind of a chorus, where Jepsen convincingly pleads to "take me to the feeling". Fittingly from the album Emotion, "Run Away With Me" is a perfect encapsulation of glee and yearning, a timeless classic in the pantheon of pop.

04. Kanye West (featuring Pusha T) - "Runaway" (2010) - The highlight of a nearly flawless album filled with them, "Runaway" saw Kanye exploring a new emotion: Self-awareness. In typical 'Ye fashion, he fully admits to full-on douchebaggery and other nicknames of that ilk. He stops short of repentance, instead admitting that he cannot change who he is, and encouraging others to run away if his behavior is too much. Despite the self-deprecating, self-realizing lyrics, the three-minute vocoder outro provides the closest thing to catharsis for Kanye. While his voice is masked and manipulated, he still comes off as raw and vulnerable, as the haunting piano plinks and orchestral swoons surround him. The decade has been a veritable rollercoaster for West, but MBDTF and "Runaway" were unquestionably his best work.

03. Kendrick Lamar - "Alright" (2015) - Police brutality and the continued oppression of black Americans unfortunately permeated throughout the decade. The Black Lives Matter movement helped bring these atrocities to the public consciousness, and "Alright" fast became an anthem of resilience, a rallying cry of sorts. Despite all the pain, all the suffering, Kendrick assures "We gon' be alright", providing a beacon of hope in these troubling times. The song is driven by a Pharrell-produced jazz beat and Terrace Martin on saxophone, elevating the feeling of cautious optimism. No artist had as consistently an excellent decade as K. Dot, but To Pimp a Butterfly was his greatest, most thought-provoking work, and "Alright" was its centerpiece.

02. The 1975 - "Love It If We Made It" (2018) - A "We Didn't Start The Fire" for the 2010s, The 1975 create an anthem of the decade by exploring and namedropping many of its headlines and atrocities. As lead singer Matt Healy reels off topics such as the opioid epidemic, the disproportionate incarceration of black Americans, the Syrian refugee crisis, the perpetuation of misinformation, and Trump himself, it is easy to feel that "modernity has failed us". Despite all of this, Healy remains optimistic about the resiliency of the human spirit, hopeful that we can make it through together. Despite the inherent ennui of the times, Healy's best vocal performance to date, surrounded by swirling saxophones, is convincing evidence that we might make it after all.

01. M83 - "Midnight City" (2011) - With one song, M83 were elevated from indie darlings to household name. For good reason: "Midnight City" is a work of art, and their magnum opus in a library littered with magical moments. Heavily steeped in and inspired by the '80s, Anthony Gonzalez pays homage to the decade, while toeing the line between sincere and cheesy. The song is gripping from the get-go, immersing the listener into a synthesized dreamscape of nostalgia. As the title implies, "Midnight City" is an ode to the allure of the city, with its endless possibilities and wonder. It is even therapeutic: "The city is my church", cries Gonzalez, "it wraps me in its blinding twilight", as the synths wrap the listener. The song ends in dramatic fashion, played off with a sultry saxophone that would make "Careless Whisper" blush. The decade has come and gone, but "Midnight City" is the rare example of an evocative, powerful classic that has the ingredients to endure the test of time.

That's all she (I) wrote. I had to pay my respects to the Top 10, but the entire damn list is deserving of a blurb...I just do not have the time or the energy.
We continue this regular scheduled hiatus, already in progress. See y'all in 2029.