Hayden's Top Albums of the Decade 40-31

We continue our list with my number 40-31 top albums of the decade. The album descriptions/analysis will get a little more in depth as the list goes on, but this are a bit longer than with the previous ten.

40. The 1975 - The 1975 Deluxe Edition (2014)

Woah, I know we’re getting a little controversial even for my own list early on… If this list were about how many times I’ve listened to these albums, this would surely be in my top 5, but I want this list to be at least a little bit objective as well.

Listen, I LOVE this album -- it was my first introduction to a band that would change my life forever but the main reason why this album is #40 on my list, is it doesn’t have as much to say as their other albums (spoiler alert: they will both be on this list -- sorry!). It’s catchy, it’s ultra creative, but let me tell you Matty wrote most of this album when he was a teenager with some songs like Robbers and Sex being written when he was 16/17(!) and was just coming into his own as a songwriter.

The instrumentation on this album I think might be my favorite on any 1975 album, it truly makes you feel like you’re in a John Hughes movie. In the same way that Travis Scott's ASTROWORLD does, this album takes you to a different world. It was unlike anything I had heard at the time -- sure, it shares similar characteristics to 80’s pop and 90’s RnB but the blending of these two things together was something special and for some reason, it really struck a chord with me.

I would recommend this album to anyone who wants to get into pop music, but has trouble listening to mainstream pop -- this album isn’t too far away from that, but it’s execution is top tier.

39. James Blake - Assume Form (2019)

With what is pretty easily James Blake’s most accessible album, I think it does such a great job of conveying complex thoughts about love and coming into yourself through very pretty and catchy production. I think James Blake is one of the best and most creative songwriters of this decade, and this album shows that he can make more accessible music as well, which is something he hadn’t really done too much to this point in his career.

This album is very good for people who are in the early stages of falling in love -- so if you are in that situation, I highly recommend giving this album a listen. “Into the Red” will easily go down as one of my favorite songs of the decade.

38. Richard Dawson - Peasant (2017)

This concept album from Richard Dawson was not something I was expecting to love so much. The folk artist decided to make an album that’s supposed to be from around 150 years ago and each song shares a different perspective from different people of all different occupations.

Not only is this album lyrically engaging, but the plucky guitar riffs that are all over this thing are super hard hitting and punchy. The song “Soldier,” talks about a soldier’s experience right before going into battle. He talks about being tired, afraid, and his heart being full of dread. This is the theme for most of the song, but as it progresses, the soldier starts thinking about running away to start a family with his loved one and escaping his current reality. And as these thoughts become more and more serious to the soldier, the end of the song turns from his heart being full of dread, to his heart being “filled with hope.” This is just one of the many examples of incredible songwriting on this album, and is one of the main reasons I keep coming back and listening to it. Anyone who is into concept albums needs to check this one out.

37. Richard Dawson - 2020 (2019)

It just feels right to put these two Richard Dawson albums back-to-back. The conceptual successor to Peasant, this albums again deals with having each song come from the perspective of a different, fictional, person. But with this album, these people are dealing with problems of the modern era -- for example, the song “Heart Emoji” is about a person finding out their significant other is cheating on them by seeing a text on their phone late at night saying “I miss you too *heart emoji.*” The song Black Triangle is about a man who encounters a UFO and goes crazy obsessing over finding another one.

I think I like this album a bit more than Peasant because it deals with modern issues. The songwriting is right up there with Peasant, but putting it into modern context makes the album that much more hilarious/terrifying. Dawson has a lot to say about modern society on this thing, but he does it in such a beautiful and engaging way, it can make you forget about the problems that this album brings up… it’s quite the strange contrast. I highly recommend listening to these albums together.

36. Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp (2016)

This album holds a very special place in my heart. I found this album on bandcamp and quickly fell in love. As I do when I get super into an album, I go down a wormhole where I try to find as much out about an artist as possible. As I was doing this with Japanese Breakfast, I quickly found out the Michelle Zauner, the lead singer and founder is originally from and grew up in Eugene! Being from Eugene my whole life, this blew my mind.

After having a quick freak out (because it’s not often you see artists from Eugene get much success) I went back to the album and had an even stronger connection to it. It’s actually a really somber album about the passing of Michelle’s mother, and touches on really important topics of mortality and learning from loss. Its an instrumentally beautiful album as well and helps convey the sadness that Michelle was feeling about her mother’s death, but also features some songs that sound quite hopeful of the future.

35. Childish Gambino - STN MTN/Kauai (2014)

The mixtape/album that Gambino dropped seemingly out of nowhere after his incredible 2013 release Because the Internet. This project is very unique because it features a mixtape side which Gambino reveals on the opening song is a “Gangsta Grillz mixtape,” which is something he had always wanted to make. The Kauai side of this project is a more sugary RnB group of songs that feels a bit more finished. Both sides of this project have some great songs in them. If you’re looking for songs to get you hyped up, then STN MTN has bangers like “No Small Talk,” Move That Dope/Nextel Chirp/Let Your Hair Blow,” and “All Y’all” that will definitely get the job done. If you’re in your feelings or wanna sing in the shower, then Kauai has great songs for that too, like “Sober,” “Pop Thieves,” and “The Palisades.”

I remember driving around Eugene with my friends and blasting this thing out of the car. Those memories definitely make this thing special to me, but as I go back to it years and years later, I still feel like it holds up as a very versatile and creative hip-hop project.

34. Girl Ray - Earl Grey (2017)

I had not heard of this band until I saw them open up for Porches at a concert a couple years ago, but their performance was so good that I found myself playing this album on repeat for weeks after. With unique instrumentation and soft backing vocals from the two other members, this album is some nice pillowy British indie pop -- right up my alley. There is something really lofi about this album which I like quite a bit, it’s nicely recorded and they are all very good at playing their instruments, but still feels like it isn’t too overproduced and sugary, which is a nice change of pace for some pop music! Songs like “Just Like That,” “Don’t Go Back at Ten,” and Stupid Things” are bound to get stuck in your head after listening to them.

33. Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream (2012)

Miguel, probably my favorite RnB artist this decade, comes through we probably his most experimental album here -- but it stills shares similar groove and characteristics to the rest of his discography. This album took me a little bit longer to get into than some of his other albums but it’s totally worth the patience. The song structures here are a little bit different from some of his biggest radio hits and get you waiting to get to the most catchy parts, which I admire. Some of my favorites here are, “Do You…,” “How Many Drinks?,” and “P*ssy Is Mine.” These songs are cute, sensual, and I personally think are in good taste for those times where you’re feeling in the mood.

32. Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation (2016)

The cutest album on the list! Kero Kero Bonito’s debut album was unlike anything I had ever heard, and something I would never have considered myself liking. But after hearing some of the critical acclaim the album was getting and listening to the songs myself… at first I was a little underwhelmed. But I kept finding myself going back and listening to the songs almost everyday -- surely enough, I had fully come around on the album after about a week and had become obsessed for a little bit. Songs like “Heard a Song” “Lipslap,” and “Trampoline” are songs that constantly get stuck in my head to this day. Although KKB’s style has changed quite a bit since this album, I love the new experimental trek that they’ve been taking and am excited for their new music in the future!

31. Drake - Take Care (2011)

Another album that is nostalgic to me but I also think it’s Drake’s best work. I take pride in this album because I had been a fan of Drake since even before his So Far Gone mixtape… we have to rewind all the way back to 2009/10 to truly put this back into context. Drake was not the artist he is now back then. His style of sing first, rap second that is so popular now, was not the go to back in 2011. I remember telling people that Drake was one of my favorite artists and them telling me how soft and bad his music was. Flash forward to 2019 and all I see on Twitter is people begging Drake for a “Take Care 2.”

I truly think this album has been one of the most influential albums of the decade and changed the course of hip hop going through the mid 2010’s. But I also think this is an amazingly good album, it’s catchy, personal, and real in all the right places. It should be considered Drake’s best work, which I think is a pretty common opinion to have.