INTRODUCTION



How does one evaluate a decade? For the purpose of history books and ponderous think-pieces (hand waving emoji), a capital-D Decade encompasses with a 10 year period between calendar years ending in 0 and 9. This measurement is entirely arbitrary, but also very much The Way Things Work. As a result, for every year ending in 9, the shadow of self-reflection that normally accompanies the night before NYE looms even larger, calling forth reflection on the unformed, blustering thing we were 10 years prior. As the decades pile up, I’d like to think that this shadow becomes less and less menacing, but right now I am 27. 10 years ago I didn’t even know how to drive! Needless to say, the chasm behind me yawns quite wide.

So then, how can I evaluate a decade that engulfs both a third of my life and close to 100% of my taste in music? Well, not easily. Everything on this list is personal. Some of these albums were my first foray into a genre, while others were a crucial soundtrack to my own personal forays into love, self-doubt, and friendship. This means that my list, no matter how hard I try, is almost overwhelmingly subjective. To be honest, it is probably better off that way. I couldn’t write a lick about Kendrick or Deerhunter or half a dozen bands missing from a “Best-Of” list. So instead, I’ve created a list of my favorite albums, one that leans somewhat on objective analysis, but more so on personal experience. While reading it, I hope that my journey with music sets off your own exploration, both of the music world at large, and perhaps most importantly, of the last ten years of your life. After all, it is the end of a decade!

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