The 10 best songs from the 2010s

The short answer:

1. Grimes - Realiti (demo) (2015)
2. Clams Casino - I’m God (2012)
3. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse (2012)
4. Main Attrakionz - Chuch (2011)
5. Tirzah - Holding On (2018)
6. CCFX - The One To Wait (2017)
7. Pachanga Boys - Time (2011)
8. Men I Trust - Tailwhip (2018)
9. Melanie De Biasio - Blackened Cities (2016)
10. Connan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love (Erol Alkan Rework)(2011)

The long answer:

2010-2014

1. Clams Casino - I’m God (2012)
2. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse (2012)
3. Main Attrakionz - Chuch (2011)
4. Pachanga Boys - Time (2011)
5. Connan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love (Erol Alkan Rework)(2011)
6. Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish - Flowers (2012)
7. Chromatics - Cherry (2012)
8. Destroyer - Suicide Demo for Kara Walker (2011)
9. Kendrick Lamar - Money Trees (2014)
10. EMA - California (2011)

2015-2019

1. Grimes - Realiti (demo) (2015)
2. Tirzah - Holding On (2018)
3. CCFX - The One To Wait (2017)
4. Men I Trust - Tailwhip (2018)
5. Melanie De Biasio - Blackened Cities (2016)
6. Chance the Rapper - Summer Friends (2016)
7. Jack J - Thirstin’ (2015)
8. Wet - Old Bone (Jim-E Stack remix)(2019)
9. Kids See Ghosts - Reborn (2018)
10. JPEGMAFIA feat. Helena Deland - Free the Frail (2019)

The previous threads
The 10 best songs from the 90's
The 10 best songs from the 80’s
The 10 best songs from the 70’s

All that was left behind: Runner-ups: Dean Blunt Inga - The Narcissist, Jai Paul - Jasmine (demo), Nicolas Jaar - Mi Mujer, Beach House - Lazuli / 10 mile stereo, Chrome Sparks - All there is, Beyoncé - Countdown, Charlotte Adigery, Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill, The 1975 - Love It If We Made It, Playboi Carti - Lean 4 real //magnolia, Floating Points - For Marmish, Mt Kimbie - Marilyn, Vegyn - Debold, KOKOROKO - Abusey Junction, Radiohead - Staircase, Shabazz Palaces, Sault, AK Paul, Alvvays, Drake - passionfruit, Ariana Grande - problem / into u, vw - hannah hunt, jb - sorry, j balvin - ginza, spoon - inside out, bad bunny - otra noche en miami, danny ocean - me rehuso, jessie ware 110%, smerz, selena gomez, caroline polachek, carly rae jepsen, maggie rogers, st vincent, shura, jamie xx, usher, yumi zouma, rosalia, girls, purity ring, janelle monae, carla dal forno, tops, kate nv, laurel halo, hunee… I need to stop now…

hot fruit - falling off the grid
and nine others maybe idk

I have never heard of that one before, watching the video right now. This is demented. Love it.

Main Attractionz! Not my first choice for goat but glad to see they aren't totally forgotten.

A solid list overall. You're setting a strong precedent, it's thankfully not too poptimist although I would be okay if Grimes were totally forgotten. Seriously, Theo Parrish didn't make the cut for your A-list but she did? Sorry I'm nitpicking.

Main Attrakionz were amazing!

Regaring Grimes: I know, I should cancel her completely off my life by now. But Realiti (demo) is attached to many happy memories that I can’t unshake.

Also it kind of sounds to me like she synthetized the collective emotion of so many twee dance pop from my 90s childhood into a single memory of a song. I may be overrating the hell out of it for sure.

Right this is a personal list and that's a solid defense. My objection overruled.

I just noticed one of my top choices is from...your blog! But it's also from 2008, so no The Sun Smells Too Loud. A tear was shed.

That’s a great song! I skipped 00s for the moment because it felt like drowning puppies.

great short answer #1

are we ever gonna do the big '10s poll?

I'll go for the Moka format and won't think too long about it

2010-14
Tinashe - 2 on
Warpaint - Warpaint
Tulipa Ruiz - Êfemera
Luisa Maita - Lero Lero
Carla Morrison - Disfruto
DJ Rashad - Rollin
Miguel - Adorn
Susanne Sundfør - The Silicone Veil
Big Boi - Shutterbug
Frank Ocean - Novacane

2015-2019
Sun-El Musician - Akanamali
Koffee - Toast
Jamila Woods - Zora
Rosalía - Pienso en tu mirá
Wizkid - Soco
Samthing Soweto - Akulaleki
Joanna Newsom - A Pin-Light Bent
Björk - Stonemilker
Julia Holter - Feel You
Jenny Hval - High Alice

Oh I love most of those! Cool list.

Idk half of those from Nabozo but judging from the quality of their lists in previous threads I've got some listening to do!

In no particular order, my top ten:

Danny Brown - Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine) feat. Darq E Freaker
Rudeboyz - Get Down
Stormzy - Shut Up
Kornél Kovács - Pantalon
?? - Time to Love (Space Duke Edit)
Future - 56 Nights
The War On Drugs - Comin' Through
Rockwell - Aria
Kendrick Lamar - Cartoons & Cereal feat. Gunplay
Magic Mountain High - Workshop XX Untitled A1

Runners up:

Amadou & Mariam - Ce N'est Pas Bon (J.D. Twitch Edit)
Mad Professor & Jah9 - Lioness Order Dub
Four Tet - Sing (Floating Points Remix)
The Weeknd - The Morning [possibly Screwed version preferred to original]
KiNK - Bitter Sweet
Clams Casino - Swervin
Doc Daneeka & Abigail Wyles - Tobyjug
Theo Parrish - Love Triumphant
Iglew - Urban Myth [Oneman mashup version also rates]
Mumdance - Take Time feat. Novelist

An honest list would have EVEN MORE leftover blog house but I think we've had enough of that for now haven't we.

Crud I forgot Oldie by Odd Future. What can I say, it hasn't aged badly.

And also Oh Why by Balam Acab. Fine, bump the Clams Casino.

Sophie - BIPP

Clearly I should pause a bit longer to consider before just belly flopping in.

oooh I don't think I've heard most of those songs or artists before. I can't believe I've never heard that sing rmx since I like both four tet and floating points a lot.

Balam Acab almost made it in mine too... probably 'Big Boy' or 'See birds' I love that EP. 'Oh Why' is a great pick too.

Also that Theo Parrish song is actually 00s iirc ;)

?? - Time to Love (Space Duke Edit)

this is Roxy Music I think.

Oh no forget it. The Roxy Music edit is for lover. I can't find that one.

I'm getting old, so what:

Chromatics - Shadow
Hen Ogledd - Problem Child
Eleanor Friedberger - I'll Never Be Happy Again
Bonnie "Prince" Billy & the Cairo Gang - Troublesome Houses
Lana Del Rey - Venice Bitch
Weyes Blood - Do You Need My Love
A Tribe Called Quest - The Space Program
Purple Mountains - Darkness and Cold
Rihanna - Kiss It Better
Grouper - Headache

are we ever gonna do the big '10s poll?

― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili)

I offered to help but it's too massive a job for one pollrunner only I think.

“California,” EMA (2011)
“Slippery Slopes,” Jenny Lewis (2014)
“War on the East Coast,” The New Pornographers (2014)
“Run Away with Me,” Carly Rae Jepsen (2015)
"Coffee," Miguel (2015)
"Clearest Blue," CHVRCHES (2015)
“Sorry,” Beyoncé (2016)
"Black Beatles,” Rae Sremmurd (2016)
“Famous Tracheotomies,” Okkervil River (2018)
“Americans,” Janelle Monáe (2018)

Balam Acab almost made it in mine too... probably 'Big Boy' or 'See birds' I love that EP. 'Oh Why' is a great pick too.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Sunday, October 31, 2021 5:02 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Mostly selected cause it was recently mentioned in the ambient thread. I could've picked any number of Floating Points songs tbh but that was a good way to rope in two goat artists with one song.

Good call on the Theo Parrish too! It's from 2007, you're right.

Blood Orange, Debbie Harry - EVP
Emmanuel Jal - Kuar (Olof Dreijer Mix)
Games, Laurel Halo - Strawberry Skies
Kendrick Lamar, Bilal, Anna Wise, Thundercat - These Walls
Laurel Halo - Hour Logic
M83 - Midnight City
Martyn - We Are You In The Future
Shura - The Stage
Twin Shadow - Slow
We Are KING - In The Meantime

Here's 11

Azealia Banks - "212"
Eric Church - "Springsteen"
Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
Grouper - "Headache"
Phoebe Bridgers - "Funeral"
Carly Rae Jepsen - "Cut to the Feeling"
Rihanna - "Work"
Todd Terje - "Inspector Norse"
Kacey Musgraves - "Merry Go Round"
Robyn - "Honey"

Games and We Are King are two great ones I considered. “Midnight City” was massively addictive when it came out but I grew out off it and can’t seem to enjoy it anymore :/

"midnight city" is ok but feels totally underwritten

Superchunk - "What a Time to Be Alive"
billy woods - "A Day in a Week in a Year"
Brittany Howard - "Stay High"
Self Defense Family - "Tithe Pig"
Owen Pallett - "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt"
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays"
Danny Brown - "Scrap or Die"
Angel Olsen - "Sister"
State Champion - "Lifetime Sentence"
Lil B - "I'm Paris Hilton"

Oooh, fun. Here we go:;

"Capacity" - Charly Bliss (2019)
"Old Town" - Say Sue Me (2018)
"Desire" - Ought (2018)
"Phantom of Aleppoville" - Benjamin Clementine (2017)
"Phantom Limbo" - A. Savage (2017)
"Soak Up The Sun" - Broncho (2016)
"Cool Slut" - Chastity Belt (2015)
"He Is" - Ghost (2015)
"Ghetto Rendezvous" - DJ Quik (2011)
"Taxi Cab" - Vampire Weekend (2010)

Scott Walker - Epizootics!
Sun-El Musician - Akanamali
Young Thug ft. Zuse - Treasure ​
Girls In Airports - Grass By The Roses
Domenique Dumont - L'esprit de l'Escalier
Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu
John Talabot - Missing You
Eyving Kang - Invisus Natalis
Rae Sremmurd - No Flex Zone
Richard Dawson - Jogging

XP I love that Ought song so much

And "He Is"

Ah Domenique Dumont! I had “sans cesse, mon cheri” in my shortlist but l’esprit de l’escalier is a great one too.

The Go! Team - Buy Nothing Day
Mosca - Square One
Sky Ferreira - Everything Is Embarrassing
Nabihah Iqbal - Zone 1 to 6000
Grimes - REALiTi (Demo)
Paramore - Grudges
Julia Bashmore - Battle for Middle You
Migos - Bad & Boujee
Kidnap Kid - Thin Lines
Charli XCX - Superlove

2010-2014

Anna Meredith - Nautilus (2013)
Charli XCX - Take My Hand (2012)
Dreamtrak - Odyssey, Pt. 2 (A. G. Cook Remix) (2014)
Javiera Mena - Otra Era (2014)
Julia Holter - Maxim's I (2013)
Shamir - On The Regular (2014)
Shura - Touch (2014)
Tkay Maidza - U-Huh (2014)
Toro Y Moi - Still Sound (2011)
Twin Sister - All Around And Away We Go (2010)

2015-2019

Anna Lunoe - Radioactive (2016)
Daphne & Celeste - You & I Alone (2015)
David Bowie - Lazarus (2015)
Grimes - REALiTi (Demo) (2015)
King - The Greatest (2015)
Machinedrum - SeeSea (DJ Rashad & Taso Remix) (2015)
MEUTE - You & Me (Flume Remix) (2018)
Missy Elliott Ft. Pharrell Williams - WTF (Where They From) (2015)
Ocean Wisdom - Blessed (feat. Dizzee Rascal) (2019)
Solange - Cranes In The Sky (2016)

Daphne & Celeste! Shamir! Tkay! Shura! Twin Sister! Yes yes yes.

Javiera Mena! And also my favorite one from her.

2010 - 2014
Alvvays - Archie, Marry Me
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Bottled In Cork
Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You
Allo Darlin' - Tallulah
Yuck - The Wall
Stoned And Starving - Parquet Courts
Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
Shamir - On The Regular
Rihanna - We Found Love
Grimes - Oblivion

2015 - 2019
Courtney Barnett - Depreston
Carly Rae Jepsen - Warm Blood
Power Trip - Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)
The Beths - Not Running
MGMT - TSLAMP
The Chats - Smoko
Charlotte Adigery - Highlights
Koffee - Toast
Ghost - Square Hammer
Ariana Grande - thank u, next

I offered to help but it's too massive a job for one pollrunner only I think.

i can run it sometime next year if you want to help?

i managed 15:
sicko mobb - remember me
sophie - bipp
azealia banks - 212
grimes - realiti
sun-el musician - akanamali
wednesday campanella - aladdin
j hus - did you see
gang gang dance - glass jar
f(x) - rum pum pum pum
the 1975 - love it if we made it
tove styrke - ego
sakanaction - yoru no odoriko
kara - step
majical cloudz - downtown
destroyer - suicide demo for kara walker

The 00s are impossible for me specially 2000-2004, turns out there weren’t as much albums and songs I loved after 2005. Those early years in the decade were mindblowing though… very diverse.

i can run it sometime next year if you want to help?
― ufo

Yes! I’m usually available whenever you may want to do one.

enochroot ... we should hang

Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay, "212"
Louis Cole, "Things"
Lana Del Rey, "Video Games" [Joy Orbison Remix]
Drake, "Hotline Bling"
Ariana Grande, "Into You"
KING, "The Greatest"
Amel Larrieux, "I Do Take"
Lil Uzi Vert, "XO Tour Llif3"
Jai Paul, "Jasmine"
Solange, "Cranes in the Sky"

We could easily do a top 10 LDR remixes of the 2010s

i'm looking at all these track lists and drooling. someone should put them all into a spotify playlist

1. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
2. Susanne Sundfør - Fade Away
3. Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me
4. Solange - Cranes In The Sky
5. Miguel - Do You
6. Japanese Breakfast - Boyish
7. The Beths - Little Death
8. Charli XCX - SuperLove
9. Vanessa Paradis - Love Song
10. Niki & The Dove - Ode To The Dancefloor

Crystal Castles - Not in Love (Feat. Robert Smith) (2010)
Kassem Mosse - Untitled (Workshop EP) (2010)
Melchior Productions Ltd. - The Blessing (2014)
Folklore - Original Sound (2015)
MOi - Untitled - B (03) (2016)
Satoshi & Makoto - Crepuscule Leger (2017)
2XM - Leave With You (Feat. Quails) (2018)
Christine and The Queens - Damn, Dis-Moi (Feat. Dâm-Funk) (2018)
Floog - Când Am Venit (2018)
Tinashe - Remember When (2019)

Addendum: Grimes is most definitely not in my lists anymore.

Dissolve by the Chemical Brothers is my No. 1, old habits die hard or whatever

I don’t know that much of his stuff, quite like a few bits and pieces by him - but I don’t really get why there’s quite so much love for Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse. What’s so special about it?

Have you listened to it?

It makes no impression whatsoever

Is the stereo plugged in with the volume up?

Scott Walker - Epizootics!
Sun-El Musician - Akanamali
Young Thug ft. Zuse - Treasure ​
Girls In Airports - Grass By The Roses
Domenique Dumont - L'esprit de l'Escalier
Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu
John Talabot - Missing You
Eyving Kang - Invisus Natalis
Rae Sremmurd - No Flex Zone
Richard Dawson - Jogging

Mine hasn't changed much. I thought about it again though

Scott Walker - Epizootics!
Sun-El Musician - Akanamali
Young Thug - Jeffery
Lescop - La Foret
Frazey Ford - September Fields
Migos - Call Casting
Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu
John Talabot - Missing You
Teni - Shakeam
Rae Sremmurd - No Flex Zone
E-40 - Lightweight Jammin'

xpost Of course I feel the same about "Realiti (Demo)." Can't tell what people enjoy in that one.

No i didn't get that one either

Inspector Norse is absolutely fine and perfectly agreeable, but I can’t see anything special about it, that’s all.

Likewise but I assume I’m just not in the target audience for that one. Maybe the cute title is part of the appeal.

Realiti is awesome it's the final sendoff of early-era Grimes and it's kind of telling somewhat for what she became that she herself didn't think much of it iirc.

Inspector Norse— in the context of when it came out it was this highly approachable version of all-analog and it sounded like such an outlier. I DJ’d it once and it was like somebody farted, I’ve never seen the dance floor clear so quickly. I think it’s a great song regardless

I still love "Inspector Norse." My thing with "Realiti (Demo)" is I don't see it as being substantially better or more interesting than the album version, but I do like the song a lot!

Young Thug - Jeffery

did you mean "Kanye West"? I've been thinking about that song a lot lately as there's a Dijon song that reminds me of Thug's most blown out vocals on this track

thread inspired me to listen to both Inspector Norse and Wut -- both pretty fun imo!

Xp Rob, actually I meant Wyclef Jean. I love the reggae lope of that track and the weird mixed metaphors that only half make sense

Xps to fgti- my experience of playing Inspector Norse out is that it is almost always received with wold enthusiasm. Set and setting I guess

that one's great too! Honestly that album is underrated, everyone seems to think Barter 6 is his best album, but I'm much more likely to be in the mood for Jeffery (as long as I skip track 2)

Inspector Norse is amazing. I suck at writing, so here’s 13 different great music writers giving their takes on why they like (even love) it:

https://thesinglesjukebox.com/todd-terje-inspector-norse/

Xp i think Barter 6 is pretty boring. The production is so nothingy. Jeffery is so much more fun

I understand the love for Inspector Norse, although it seems like there could be hundreds of similar upbeat silly dance songs. It’s kind of like naming Groove Is In The Heart as the best song of the ‘90s.

And yet

Everyone knows Crystal Waters “La Da Dee” is the best song of the 90s

La Da Dee Lite

Groove Is In The Heart is one of the best songs of the 90s

Sorry, it's from the 70s. Look at how they dressed.

Named no. 1 single of 1990 by NME, Melody Maker, Sounds, The Face and Pazz & Jop, and only second by Rolling Stone - I dunno when a transatlantic critics consensus as strong as that was ever seen before/again

I spent the 90s wondering if anyone would make a better song than "Groove" and at the end of the decade concluded no one did. Same for "Kiss" in the 80s, but that appeared mid-decade.

we've done a 90s tracks poll, right? we must have?

I spent the 90s wondering if anyone would make a better song than "Groove" and at the end of the decade concluded no one did.

You must have missed this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtffv9bpB-U

we've done a 90s tracks poll, right? we must have?

Yes, back in 2004. "Groove Is in the Heart" finished 2nd, behind "Common People."

we should do it again!

although that list is pretty good

no RATM is interesting. my guess is there'd be a lot fewer UK entries these days from Blur, Belle and Sebastian etc

IIRC, that was one of the more fun polls to participate in. Back when I did that.

Montell Jordan will be somewhere in the top 20.
― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Tuesday, November 9, 2004 5:01 PM bookmarkflaglink

Was robbed.

That wasn't how we did it.

Very good