AllMusic’s Favorite Albums of 2010

Over the past month, AllMusic has chronicled the highlights of 2010, selecting our favorite albums from a wide variety of genres. Now, we offer the cream of the crop of those many lists — the very best new albums of 2010, chosen from every sound and style. Yes, you’ll find some usual suspects — Kanye West and Arcade Fire, Janelle Monáe and LCD Soundsystem — but this list digs deeper, offering choice metal, electronica, and country albums, the music that wound up defining 2010 for us.
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh
Beach House – Teen Dream
Dierks Bentley – Up On the Ridge
Best Coast – Crazy for You
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son of Chico Dusty
Bilal – Airtight’s Revenge
Aloe Blacc – Good Things
The Black Keys – Brothers
Black Milk – Album of the Year
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Elizabeth Cook – Welder
Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Four Tet – There Is Love in You
Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
Cee-Lo Green – Lady Killer
Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here
Glasser – Ring
Harlem – Hippies
Harvey Milk – Small Turn of Human Kindness
The Hotrats – Turn Ons
José James – Blackmagic
Jamey Johnson – Guitar Song
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Liars – Sisterworld
LoneLady – Nerve Up
Magic Kids – Memphis
Janelle Monáe – ArchAndroid
Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers
Nas & Damian Marley – Distant Relatives
Robert Plant – Band of Joy
Robyn – Body Talk
The Roots – How I Got Over
Salem – King Night
Shakira – Sale el Sol
Matthew Shipp – 4D
Sleigh Bells – Treats
The Soft Pack – Soft Pack
Spoon – Transference
Jazmine Sullivan – Love Me Back
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
The-Dream – Love King
Titus Andronicus – Monitor
Trombone Shorty – Backatown
Vampire Weekend – Contra
The Walkmen – Lisbon
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy