The Best Music of the Decade

Simeon Barrett, Staff Writer|December 11, 2019

Rihanna, left, and Kendrick Lamar accept the award for best rap/sung performance for “Loyalty.” at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York.

As the 2010s wrap up, the Knight Crier compiled lists of the most unforgettable songs and albums from the past ten years.

No matter what your taste in music is, everyone can agree that we have been given some great music this decade. These are lists of the top 20 songs and albums of the 2010s and they were made by consensus of the entire staff of the Knight Crier. From pop to rock and from R&B to hip-hop, let’s look back at the music from the 2010s that will be remembered for years to come. 

Top 20 Songs of the 2010s

20. One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful (2011)

19. Chainsmokers- Closer [feat Halsey] (2016)

18. Maroon 5- Payphone [feat Wiz Khalifa] (2012)

17. B.O.B- Airplanes [feat Haley Williams] (2010)

16. Khalid- Location (2016)

15. Shawn Mendes- Stitches (2015)

14. Travis Scott, Drake- Sicko Mode (2018)

13. DRAM. Brocolli [feat Lil Yachty] (2016)

12. Katy Perry- Firework (2010)

11. Camilla Cabello- Havana [feat Young Thug] (2017)

10. Juice Wrld- Lucid Dreams (2018)

9. Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj- Bang Bang (2014)

8. Drake- Started From The Bottom- (2013)

7. Taylor Swift- Shake It Off- (2014)

6. Rihanna- Diamonds (2012)

5. Sia- Chandelier (2014)

(Singer Adele performs during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles.)

4. Ed Sheeran- Shape Of You (2017)

3. Adele- Hello (2015)

2. Wiz Khalifa- See You Again (2015

1.  Kendrick Lamar – DNA (2017)

Top 20 Albums of the 2010s

20. Fun- Some Nights (2012)

19. Daft Punk- Random Access Memories (2013)

18. Ed Sheeran- X (2014)

17. Travis Scott- Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight (2016)

16. Childish Gambino- “Awaken, My Love!” (2016)

15. Lady Gaga- Born This Way (2011)

14. J. Cole- KOD (2018)

13. Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next (2019)

12. Rihanna- ANTI (2016)

11. Migos- Culture (2016)

10. Bruno Mars- 24K Magic (2014)

9. Drake- Take Care (2011)

8. Katy Perry- Teenage Dream (2010)

7. The Weeknd- Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)

6, Adele- 21 (2012)

5. Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)

4. JAY-Z- 4.44 (2017)

Beyonce performs at a Get Out the Vote concert for Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.)

3. Taylor Swift- 1989 (2014)

2. Kayne West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

1.  Beyonce-Lemonade (2016)

Artist Of The Decade: Drake

In this June 27, 2015 file photo, Canadian singer Drake performs on the main stage at Wireless festival in Finsbury Park, London.

 The Toronto rapper gets the crown as his music is listened to by people of every background. Not only having a traditional hip-hop sound, he has also ventured into other genres like reggae and R&B. Being Spotify’s most streamed artist of the 2010s, Drake has received numerous accolades. He has racked up twenty-two top 10 Billboard Hits, six #1 albums including Take Care, Nothing Was The Same, and Views, four Grammy Awards, and five American Music Awards.