Top 10 Albums of 2010

The Top 10 Albums of 2010

I don't claim to be a musical entrepreneur nor do I claim to really know anything about the technically good qualities of an album but I do enjoy music of many genres and listen to a fair amount of songs every day. That being said, feel free to mock, laugh, agree - pretty much whatever you please - with the following 10 albums that were my personal favorites of the year.

11: Lights - Acoustic EP

I know, I know, an EP is probably not technically an album and that is the reason it's at number eleven. Regardless of this fact, however, I absolutely love these five songs and have listened to them numerous times in the past six months. If you haven't heard of Lights, or have only heard her debut album, I highly suggest you try out her acoustic EP, as it is fantastic!

10: Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give

Yes I enjoy country music and yes I like my chicken fried so you can probably guess that I picked up Zac Brown Band's new album and I did enjoy it. While there are some great songs on here, as a whole I didn't find myself listening to the album as much as others that were released this year. Still, Zac Brown + Jimmy Buffet = awesome... and with that I've probably discredited this whole list with all of my peers.

9: Sara Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart

I have to say that I actually wasn't a huge fan of Bareilles previous album - there were a few catchy songs I liked - but Kaleidoscope Heart won me over. The songs are still catchy and pop-py but there's just something about her voice and musical style that I enjoy.

8: Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

Oh MCS, your lyrics are so clever and witty. I downright love the song "Her Words Destroyed My Planet" (though nothing will ever top "Antonia" or "Everything is Alright" in my mind). However, I found myself failing to get into this album as much as I thought that I would. Still, it deserves a spot I think.

7: Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Despite many of their songs sounding fairly similar I very much enjoyed the debut album from Lady Antebellum and was pleasantly surprised to hear the second album released near the beginning of this year. Yes, it is more country, and, in many ways, more of the same - but I still find myself listening to this one over and over and I'm sure you've all heard a song or two off of this album whether you like it or not.

6: Taylor Swift - Speak Now

As much as I might get berated for being a 22-year-old male who enjoys Taylor Swift I have to include this album on the list. As with Lady Antebellum directly above, Speak Now is definitely more of the same from Swift, but that is in no way a bad thing in my books. For more you can read my previous blog about the album here.

5: The Weepies - Be My Thrill

As a big Weepies fan I have to say that I didn't much care for their previous album, Hideaway. Luckily, the duo more than fought their way back into my ipod playlists and my car's CD changer with Be My Thrill. Their folksy charm is tied with a dab of edginess in this outing and I thought it worked well. I'll definitely be listening to this one for years to come.

4: Jack Johnson - To the Sea

I refuse to let the "bros" destroy Jack Johnson for me. I don't pop my collar, wear my hat backwards, tell people to "chillax," or refer to girls as "dudes," and I still love this album - and you can too. Heck, I want to BE Jack Johnson when I grow up. Imagine getting paid to surf, sit out on the beach and write songs, and play the guitar and ukulele. I mean come on bro, sounds totally awesome to me... wait... dangit...
But seriously - I've listened to To the Sea a ton this year and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

3: The Dirty Heads - Any Port in a Storm (Special Edition)

While it certainly wasn't the best film, one thing can be said about Surf's Up - the soundtrack was fantastic. One song in particular, entitled Stand Tall, I must have listened to a thousand times. A few years after the release of the movie and soundtrack I happened to see a new album by the guys behind Stand Tall, The Dirty Heads, sitting on the shelf. Having only heard one song by the group I was hesitant, but decided since the special edition included 22 songs that they couldn't all be bad. Turns out it was the best 10$ I spent in a while. Their lyrics and beats are fantastic and their style unique. While not all of the 22 songs are winners, the majority are some of the favorites of the year. If you haven't heard'm, do yourself a favor and give The Dirty Heads a try.

2: She & Him - Volume Two

When I heard that Zooey Deschanel had not one, but TWO albums out I absolutely lost it. I purchased Volume Two without having heard one full song on the album and don't regret it for a second. The oldies-folk-alternative-indie-ish sound is instantly recognizable and so unique that I couldn't help but fall in love with it. This one (appropriately) makes number two because there isn't a song on the album that I would skip or like much less than the others.

1: B.o.B - B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

I'm sure the first thing that most people think when they see me is something along the lines of "man, that kid looks like he loves him some rap and hip-hop" and I can honestly say that that stereotype is justified, so I don't blame you. Oh Bobby Ray Simmons, this was the third album I purchased this year without having heard much of anything on it (apparently that was a winning formula considering the top 3 on this list). If you couldn't tell, I was joking above - but the truth is I love well written lines in songs and B.o.B. excels at this like none-other in my opinion. Toss that together with insanely catchy beats, tons of awesome duets, and some crazy good rapping and you have my favorite album this year.

Edit: I just realized that Anberlin's Light is the Way, Dark is the Place isn't on here. It should be, but the simple fact is that I didn't listen to it enough.

Afterword: I'm sure many of you are now confused and disgusted by my list but wait there's more! I'm still working on my top 20 favorite movies of the year as well as my top 20 favorite video games and since I spend a lot more time with those two forms of media expect lists that have been more thought-out, quantified, and developed. Or don't. But please keep checking back and have a very Merry Christmas!


~Ben Gentry