Join us as we celebrate the best music, film, and television of the decade. Today, we celebrate the 100 Best Songs of the 2010s.
Fuck it. It’s been a good decade.
I know, I know, we’re not supposed to be positive. Optimism is naivety. The world is run by fools, nothing is good, we’re all going to die before our time, etc. etc.
However, it recently dawned on me that often the most vocal doomsday preppers and preachers are those who’ve always had it good. Those who’ve had the privilege of being granted permission before they’ve even asked. The decades before this one have always been ruled by the palatable, the approachable, the keepers of the status quo.
But, in the 2010s, the outcasts and eccentrics reigned supreme. We talked about mental health and scheduled time with our therapist out loud during our daily commute. We coined the term self-care and redefined and realigned with it in a direct reaction to the #hustle culture of the early aughts. We walked in women’s marches, amplified the tenets of Black Lives Matter, and told those who misused their power that their time was up. We bolstered LGBTQ issues and legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country.
Yes. Much of this was in reaction to power structures that shouldn’t have been and are still in place. But that doesn’t mean we don’t get credit for squaring up and saying enough. We might not be where we need to be, but here’s to leveling the fuck up.
What you’re about to see is a soundtrack for those moments, songs that captured the essence of the past 10 years. Montage music for the misfits, if you will.
Through the filter of the 2010s, Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” isn’t just a dance song, but a primer on subdued defiance. Kanye’s “Power” becomes a prophetic warning. Father John Misty’s “Chateau Lobby #4” in all its dysfunction and irony can still call itself a relatable love song. Whether it’s the post-collegiate slump captured in Vampire Weekend’s “Diane Young” or the cathartic chorus detailing a triumph return to self in Florence and The Machine’s “Shake It Out”, the songs we chose not only speak to the ethos of those who wrote them, but to those who listened to them … and why.
In an attempt to collate the undeniable and entangled feelings of the last 3,650 days, we’ve pulled together the songs we leaned into during the heartbreak, political turmoil, celebration, and devastation that was the 2010s. From the hip-hop political to pop sensational, the sultry R&B to the new frontiers of rock, our favorite tracks broke down social norms, colored outside genre lines, and just did whatever the fuck they wanted, then called it art. I’d like to think that in some ways, we all spent the last decade doing that very same thing.
–Erica Campbell
Music Editor
100. Queens of the Stone Age – “My God Is the Sun” (2013)
Queens of the Stone Age returned in 2013 after a six-year hiatus with the brilliant …Like Clockwork LP. “My God Is the Sun” was the lead single, and it brings together nearly everything QOTSA do best, from stoner metal to taut desert rock. The riff is undeniable, the rhythm section pummels with urgency in a way it hadn’t since “Songs for the Deaf”, and Josh Homme’s croon is impossibly charismatic and sexy. On an album full of sonic detours and exploration, “My God Is the Sun” is the monolithic slab of rock that connects the group’s past with their future. –Jim Shahen
99. BTS – “Fake Love” (2018)
Think about how many people haven’t heard the biggest band in the world and maybe at first you’ll grimace about the death of the monoculture. Then maybe you’ll have the epiphany that it’s a good thing for complacent, old America to play catch-up. BTS’ anti-gravity dance routines and anything-goes stylistic breadth have resulted in visionary synth-pop,hip-hop, Halsey-pop, hair metal, and double albums. The breathy anthem-ballad “Fake Love” is from the latter and helped set records for the seven-piece K-Pop juggernauts on complacent, old America’s charts. Not bad for a boy band transfixed with Jungian psychology that barely sings in English. –Dan Weiss
98. Tyler, The Creator – “EARFQUAKE” (2019)
In “EARFQUAKE”, Tyler, the Creator promises he’s “for real this time.” From getting banned from entering the UK to rapping he’ll “stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus,” Tyler was often viewed as a callous, explosive, and jocular individual. But on IGOR, Tyler isn’t joking. Like its predecessor, Flower Boy, the album is baked in ornate production, flirting with ideas of uncertainty and a crumbling love. The first glimpse into this uncertainty is found on “EARFQUAKE”. Originally written with Justin Bieber in mind, the catchy standout single balances a mixture of off-kilter harmonies and brazen instrumentals depicting Tyler struggling to maintain his grip on his relationship, begging for some “conformation for how you feel” and trying to literally calm the “storm” by affirming “it’s [his] fault.” Taken in total, “EARFQUAKE” serves as an emblem for Tyler’s mastery and growth as not only a musician, producer and songwriter, but also as a person in general. –Samantha Small
97. Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” (2010)
Much of Frightened Rabbit’s music is somberly re-contextualized in the wake of frontman Scott Hutchison’s tragic death in 2018. While a song about walking into the sea to drown seems eerily close to the circumstances of his suicide, “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” is actually a beautiful analogy about finding courage in the face of uncertainty. Coming from one of the genre’s most complicated songwriters, it’s delivered as a pristine example of unfussy early-2010s indie and one of Hutchinson’s masterpieces. The track remains a stirring note of hope that will continue carrying listeners onward well after Hutchinson departed for shores unknown. –Ben Kaye
96. Pusha T – “If You Know, You Know” (2018)
Of the five albums and dozens of songs produced by Kanye West at Jackson Hole last summer, there was no beat as spicy as “If You Know You Know” and no MC as ready to eat it up. Pusha T is the preeminent craftsman of coke rap, making syllabic avalanches sound as natural as a conversation over coffee. The beat is full of bravado and humor, perfect for both punchlines and straight stunting. So much of the time, it’s both: “If you know ‘bout the carport/ The trap door’s supposed to be awkward/ If you know, you know.” The whole song is delivered this way, with half a shrug and a cocky smile. –Wren Graves
95. Katy Perry – “Firework” (2010)
Katy Perry had hit her stride by her third album, Teenage Dream. It was pop music escapism at its best, and “Firework” was the ring leader in the getaway. Sweet without being cheesy, positive without being overbearing, motivational without being condescending, it gave a whole generation of sad song lovers something to dance about. Perry did, however, want the track to be more than just something to sing along to. After dedicating the hit to the “It Gets Better” project, Perry shared the meaning of the song, saying, “A lot of times it’s only us that’s standing in the way of reaching our goals, fulfilling our destinies, being the best version of who we possibly can be, so that’s why I wrote it.” — Erica Campbell
94. Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode” (2018)
It was the track that had us out like a light. As a three-part suite from the seamless opening of Travis Scott’s third album, ASTROWORLD, it doesn’t open with Scott himself, but the uncredited surprise of Drake in a rampant back-and-forth that shook 2018. As Scott’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Sicko Mode” also spent 30 weeks at top 10. With a screwed-up bridge featuring Swae Lee and posthumous vocals from Big Hawk, “Sicko Mode” was a captivating hit that wrapped up the two-tier Wish You Were Here tour dates with vomit-filled animation on the show’s projectors. The rage goes on. –Jaelani Turner Williams
93. Wilco – “Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)” (2011)
Never doubt Jeff Tweedy and his need for more paper. When Wilco go long, they earn it, and “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)” is no exception. The closing track to 2011’s The Whole Love finds Tweedy wrestling with themes of mortality, religion, and closure for a good 12 minutes, churning out what feels like an indie drama in the vein of Baumbach or Anderson. Yet, while the song does feel cinematic, it’s also surprisingly sparse for the Chicago outfit, a trick they’ve been exploring all decade. It fits the source material, though, to which Tweedy keeps up an unspoken conversation between a son and his deceased, overbearing father. Devastating and beautiful. –Michael Roffman
92. A Tribe Called Quest – “We the People…” (2016)
Three minutes, two verses, one hook. That’s all it took Tribe to deliver a sprawling (and scathing) synopsis of America just nine days after Trump’s election. Q-Tip, still subscribing to the “Low End Theory”, delivers punishing production (sampling Black Sabbath) liable to punch you in the gut just as hard as their indictment on rising racism, classism, xenophobia, homophobia, gentrification, and gender inequality just to name a few discussion topics. Despite a recording hiatus of 18 years, the track is unforgettably urgent, featuring some of the most laser-precise bars of Tip and the late Phife Dawg’s career. –Christopher Thiessen
91. Rosalía – “MALEMENTE Cap.1: Augurio” (2018)
The sensation of hearing Rosalía’s earthquake of a voice for the first time is like discovering a new color. Maybe it’s because hearing the 26-year-old Spanish singer’s signature vibrato over her striking fusion of flamenco and polyrhythmic pop is the closest thing you’ve ever heard to modern-day opera. Or rather, opera that even classical haters (hi) can enjoy when stretched across piles of hand claps that gesture at Timbaland and reggaeton. Or maybe it’s the videos. “Malamente” was merely the opening battering ram that sent 2018’s astonishing El Mar Querer skyrocketing; few artists are so poised to completely revolutionize the 2020s. –Dan Weiss
90. Father John Misty – “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)” (2015)
The scariest part about falling in love is being vulnerable. And that’s even scarier to someone like Josh Tillman, who consistently finds a way to wrap his most genuine sentiments in a blanket of cynicism. However, “Chateau Lobby #4” is a departure from that. Tillman uses the four-minute track to express his feelings for his wife, Emma, through hidden jokes guised in romantic declarations, most of which are incredibly specific to the development of their relationship. Although full of sharp remarks in usual FJM style, the song gradually becomes more and more intimate, eventually exploding into a bombastic horn section when Tillman realizes just how big falling in love is. –Jennifer Irving
89. Lizzo – “Juice” (2019)
The glacial guitars recall The Police. Everything else is the best disco you’ve heard in years, narrated by the world’s greatest Twitter feed: “I’m the pudding in the proof,” “I be dripping so much sauce got a bih looking like Ragu,” “No, I’m not a snack at all, baby, I’m the whole damn meal.” Then there’s the astonishing bridge about someone else’s man trying to sneak into her DMs, which resonates extra for her many plus-size followers who’ve endured being some dude’s (attempted) secret. Lizzo’s heart is the mirrorball but every facet of her is gonna shine. As they say, iconic. –Dan Weiss
88. FKA twigs – “Two Weeks” (2014)
If we could know what the sirens of Greek mythology sang to seduce sailors to their deaths, it’d probably sound close to FKA twigs’ “Two Weeks”. It evokes the feeling of a mesmerizingly horny hymn — twigs’ lush, breathy falsetto feels utterly incantatory layered over that silken drone of synth and rumbling drumbeat (courtesy of Arca and co-producer/writer Emile Haynie, respectively). While the song is a pure exaltation of female sexual prowess, the vein of tenderness in the way she makes promises like “I’ll put you first, just close your eyes and dream about it” is what makes it completely spellbinding. –Aline Dolinh
87. Snail Mail – “Pristine” (2018)
Ah, unrequited love; it’s the subject of many a teen rock tune. But not often is it so well-delivered as on Snail Mail’s “Pristine”. Lindsey Jordan wrestles with love, change, and identity, allowing us to be her diary as she scribbles and scratches notes with the solitary crunch of a guitar, her voice restrained so that no one else will overhear her insecurities or confessions of love. It’s cathartically melodramatic, hyperbolically romantic. Yet, every single time Jordan sings, “Who do you change for/ Who’s top of your world” in the crescendoing outro, we’re transported to memories of adolescent love’s hopelessness. –Christopher Thiessen
86. Ellie Goulding – “Lights” (2011)
Big, brilliant, and euphoric is singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding’s 2011 hit, “Lights”. The British pop star delivers breathy, comforting vocals atop zesty, melodic undertones. The track feels much like being in an ethereal dream full of color, packed with a potent pounding of synth keys and a simple, yet poignant, chorus (“You show the lights that stop me turn to stone/ You shine them when I’m alone/ And so I tell myself that I’ll be strong/ And dreaming when they’re gone/ ‘Cause they’re calling, calling, calling me home”). The multi-layered tune is much like a well-crafted cocktail — flavorful and balanced. Certainly, a classic pop record to be enjoyed well beyond the first listen. — Gabrielle Pharms
85. Alabama Shakes – “Don’t Wanna Fight” (2015)
That muscular guitar riff is a great example of why Brittany Howard is one of the most interesting songwriters in rock, but the strangled scream that kicks off the song shows why she’s among the greatest rock vocalists of her generation. You can hear it in the weariness as she sings “Lying down ain’t easy” and the staccato flourishes she lends to “Why can’t I catch my breath?” It’s a breathtaking performance, full of nuance and power, sadness and anger and loss. Howard doesn’t just have more ideas than most of her peers; she has more talent to pull them off. –Wren Graves
84. Johnny Jewell – “Windswept” (2017)
On the titular track to his 2017 solo album, Johnny Jewel seemingly bottles the crushing angst and dread of the past decade. It’s a somber jazz medication that soothes as much as it bruises, losing itself in Michel Rubini synths and a jazz shuffle befit for the Peanuts gang. It was so good, in fact, that David Lynch scooped it up for his Twin Peaks revival that year, pairing the track with his iconic lead Kyle MacLachlan, whose zombified Dale Cooper/Dougie Jones watched aimlessly as uncompromising change casually drifted by him. Two years later, we’re still Dale/Dougie, clutching on to that coffee, staring off into space, and wondering with all our heart, “What year is this?” –Michael Roffman
83. Kanye West – “Black Skinhead” (2013)
Provocative, menacing, distorted, backed by Tarzan-like screams, and punctuated with “Black” spoken authoritatively throughout, Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” drummed in the era of Yeezus. It calling out a “post-racial” America. More than just a track, it squared up to religious ridicule and scrutiny West had received from middle America, with an unpalatable and compulsive West introducing the world to the lyrics “You see a black man with a white woman/ At the top floor they gone come to kill King Kong” live on Saturday Night. “Black Skinhead” was, and is, West at his best, calling out power dynamics and bravely pushing hip-hop into sonic terrain it had never navigated before. –Erica Campbell
82. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – “Shallow” (2018)
In crafting a list of the best songs of a decade, it’s easy to point to the lyrics we remember nine years later. But when it comes to those tunes still powering through their adolescence, we ask ourselves, “Is this simply of the moment or an enduring force?” “Shallow” incites a gut-feeling of the latter. In an increasingly shallow reality — a culture desperately clinging to the rush of a “like” or “follow,” the modern currency of validation — we all silently ache for depth. “Shallow” belongs on this list because you probably spent a lot of solo nights crying into a slice of pizza over it, sure, but also because it serves as the emotional locus of an entire generation, an anecdotal anthem for the pains of modernity. –Irene Monokandilos
81. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass” (2010)
After a series of ballads (“Your Love”, “Moment 4 Life”, “Right Thru Me”) from her Cinderella-story debut album, Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj hit pop stardom with “Super Bass”. Backed by the melodic rasp of co-songwriter Ester Dean, the flossy track was an ode to men of all types, but especially those who made Minaj’s heart pound (or rather, boom-badoom-boom-bass). As Minaj hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, her mixtape heyday was merged with international notoriety. The fluorescent video for “Super Bass” was filled with male eye candy galore and a tantalizing neon lap dance that still glows nine years later. –Jaelani Turner Williams
80. Cage the Elephant – “Cigarette Daydreams” (2013)
The final track of Cage the Elephant’s Melphobia captured the feeling of parting ways with a lover with clarity and sincerity love songs rarely transmute effectively. It wasn’t trite or tired or overworked, but like actual heartbreak, it was real and sad; you could feel the raindrops in the chords, the burn in your chest from a post-breakup cigarette lingering in the chorus. It also threads in that age-old desire to find the answer to something, before realizing there probably won’t be one. When asked about writing the track, lead singer Matt Shultz acknowledged that he struggled to be transparent and speak from naked honesty in the track, but thankfully for us, he did. –Erica Campbell
79. Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy” (2019)
Surprised “I like when you get mad” became the rallying cry for a generation of blue-haired TikTok teens? Ok boomer. Brother Finneas’ headphone-exploring production (that subterranean bass, Billie Eilish intoning the title via ceiling fan) and the “Hava Nagila”-meets-Addams Family melody set up the world’s most beloved goth since Robert Smith for a wicked cosplay as a “might seduce your dad type” who’s never not calling the shots and refuses to be sexualized at 17. Throw in the Missy Elliott-worthy video (the bellies!) and her delightful, Invisalign-prompted guffaw intro and you’ve witnessed an instant classic. You should see her in a crown. –Dan Weiss
78. Courtney Barnett – “Pedestrian at Best” (2015)
There was a time when Aussie Courtney Barnett might have been in danger of being labeled the artist who writes those songs. It’s a label that almost tries to make a gimmick of Barnett’s penchant and talent for stream-of-consciousness musings and stuffing more syllables in a line than thought humanly possible over loud, distorted guitars. Now, two full-lengths into her career, we just think of those as Courtney Barnett songs. And when Barnett — all wiry arms and lumbering licks when playing the role of guitar god on stage — rips into the roaring “Pedestrian at Best”, an existential crises you can air guitar to, we understand she’s so much more than a gimmick. She’s one of the young voices who will give names to the things we see, the places we visit, and the emotions we feel in the years to come. And that’s hardly pedestrian. –Matt Melis
77. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (2014)
It took some time for the country’s collective consciousness to accept Bruno Mars as the multi-hyphenate power player he really is, but Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk” did its job in solidifying his ascent to pop’s premier feel-good mainstay. The throwback track — a funkified ode to feeling yourself, oozing with goofy sex appeal and charisma — ultimately took on a life of its own, becoming so embedded in our cultural core that it proved inescapable. Imbued with the kind of rare, connective power present only in a handful of Top 40 hits, “Uptown Funk” transcended demographic. All at once, the entirety of the planet was busy collectively celebrating the contained euphoria living inside of every grunt, every trumpet flare, every beat. Not since “Uptown Funk” has the world felt so united. –Ali Szubiak
76. Tom Waits – “Hell Broke Luce” (2011)
It’s not that Tom Waits has shied away over the years from reflecting on the pain, despair, and devastation that war brings to soldiers and their families. He’s just always touched upon the topic rather subtly — by picking through a box of old keepsakes, including war medals, at a yard sale (“Soldier’s Things”) or through an epistolary song from the point of view of a soldier getting ready to be discharged and sent home (“Day After Tomorrow”). However, on “Hell Broke Luce”, Waits creates a festering, wretched hellscape, using a collage of disoriented sounds, the cadences of a platoon march, and a mix of soldier biography, eye-witness accounts, and infantry doggerel. It’s what one might imagine a flashback or nightmare might be like for an ex-soldier suffering from shell shock. By creating such a haunting portrayal of war, Waits forces us to rethink what we’re signing up our children for — no matter how proud we might be of their service. –Matt Melis
75. Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (2017)
Kendrick Lamar’s prophetic lyricism — and bombastic execution of it — makes him one of the best and most imaginative emcees of our time. The meteor-storm production of “Humble” perfectly compliments his performative prowess; Pluss and Mike WiLL Made-It concocted a torrential and unrelenting beat fitting of K. Dot’s modernism. On “HUMBLE.”, the rapper boasts about his superiority with cinematic specificity, which makes his claims an easy sell. Kendrick is fully aware of both his cultural currency and his sonic fearlessness–traits that made his the first rapper ever to win a Pulitzer Prize. This track is an undaunted reminder that he not only sets trends, he masters them. –Candace McDuffie
74. CHVRCHES – “Recover” (2013)
Pop music revitalized an ’80s sound for modern dance floors when it began absorbing synthesizers in the aughts. By the early 2010s, synthpop started shifting as it tried to keep pace with the more subdued indie dominating the blogosphere. Then came CHVRCHES with a way to blend the two on their debut full-length, The Bones of What You Believe. Though not the biggest hit on the album, “Recover” best showcases the band’s layering of singer Lauren Mayberry’s siren-sweet vocals and emotionally forward lyrics over mesmerizing compositions. CHVRCHES’ early success heralded renewed interest in synthpop, and they remain one of the genre’s most beloved purveyors. –Ben Kaye
73. Radiohead – “True Love Waits” (2016)
True love does, indeed, wait. In this case. Radiohead fans had been waiting over two decades to hear a studio recording of the beloved track that had often been played live since touring for The Bends in 1995. Although releasing what producer Nigel Godrich deemed “That shitty live version” on 2001’s I Might Be Wrong, the song eventually found its proper home on 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Similar to how 2001’s version is barren with an acoustic guitar and Yorke’s dolorously pleading voice, “True Love Waits” closes Pool with only two dueling pianos in a slower, weighted-down ballad with Yorke professing, “I’m not living/ I’m just killing time.” As one of the few true Radiohead love songs, albeit one that’s saturated with abstract lyrics and melancholy arrangements in true Radiohead fashion, the wait was most certainly worth it. –Sam Small
72. Spoon – “Inside Out” (2014)
If you’d told most Spoon fans in 2005 that the band would be responsible for one of 2014’s most underrated beach songs, they would’ve snorted, adjusted their trucker hats, and retreated to the nearest High Life tap. However, “Inside Out” exists, and, at least sonically, its beachiness is undeniable. The sweetest fruit of the band’s subtle reinventions under producer Dave Fridmann, “Inside Out” juxtaposes Britt Daniel’s bruised lyricism with waves of synth and fluttering harps that render Spoon’s sound warmer and more contemplative than ever before. If you need a soundtrack for feeling sad in the sunshine, this song’s a top contender. –Tyler Clark
71. Drake ft. Majid Jordan – “Hold On, We’re Going Home” (2013)
To listen to this song is to be instantly ensnared. It starts with the drums, as crisp as an apple, and moves on to a snatch of heavenly humming. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” was created with R&B duo Majid Jordan, and it is presumably them we should thank for that melody, simple and pure. It’s a timeless one, the kind that could dress up for anything from doo-wop to disco, that could bounce in the clubs or make love in the tub. Here, Drake prefers a bit of all-of-the-above, as only Drake would. –Wren Graves
70. David Bowie – “I Can’t Give Everything Away” (2016)
It’s no exaggeration to say that 2016 rose and set with David Bowie. The year began, in a sense, with both a birth and a death — the jubilation of welcoming a new album soon blanketed by a sense of profound cosmic loss. The year expired in another heap of accolades and reflections with a burgeoning constellation of blackstars ready to shoulder the galaxy. In between, the gifts he left us helped us negotiate a year that for all it gave seemed to take a lot more. With ★ on the turntable, songs like album closer “I Can’t Give Everything Away” put us within whisper’s reach of an artist who knew his moons were numbered. It’s an extremely personal and intimate last transmission that causes us to examine the relationships between art, artist, and mortality not in terms of ashes to ashes, dust to dust but “Ashes to Ashes”, Stardust to stardust. A final, urgent gift from our eternal starman. –Matt Melis
69. Perfume Genius – “Queen” (2014)
To revel in one’s outsider status or to assimilate — a question all queer folx face. Michael Hadreas answers it on “Queen” with a resounding, “No!” Hadreas wields words like “sashay” on the track like they’re a threat. Forget about lewks — this killer queen is serving up your ass. The mix of choral voices and grunts, Hadreas’ vulnerability, and the razor-sharp guitars plays up the duality of its narrator: a harbinger of disease in the eyes of bigots, a divine presence on the make in the eyes of fellow travelers. Beloved and hated by all, heavy is the head that wears the crown. –Ashley Naftule
68. SZA – “Love Galore” (2017)
Before Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer” came the “Angry Girl Summer”, a less-branded but equally impactful phenomena prompted by the June 2017 release of SZA’s Ctrl. “Love Galore” lives on this cataclysmically emotional record, one that, in a tightly packed 14 songs, made a whole generation of women feel seen and heard because its inability to hide the ugly. On “Love Galore”, SZA is painfully spiteful, oozing with confidence and yet remains self-destructive. She’s disastrously in love — but equally regretful. “Love Galore” isn’t a love song: It’s a synopsis of a bitter confrontation, both of her own harmful tendencies and an arduous relationship. –Lucy Shanker
67. Foo Fighters – “Rope” (2011)
In his Grammy acceptance speech for Wasting Light single “Walk”, Dave Grohl reminded us that “the human element of making music is what’s most important.” To that end, Foo Fighters rejected the push for digital precision and returned to the basics of rock and roll on “Rope”. Recording on analog equipment in Grohl’s garage, Foo Fighters and producer Butch Vig recaptured the energy and swaddling production value of the grunge era. From its layered opening guitar riffs to over-the-top drum breaks to rich vocal harmonies, “Rope” is a good, old blast of rock and roll from one of the genre’s most consistent patrons. –Christopher Thiessen
66. Rae Sremmurd – “Black Beatles” (2016)
Though “Black Beatles” is inextricably linked to the Mannequin Challenge, the track’s less-viral music video does a far better job of capturing what made the song such a triumph. From the walk across Abbey Road to John and Yoko’s bed-ins, brothers Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee relocate The Beatles’ most iconic imagery from England to Atlanta, where they pair a slow-motion trap beat by Mike WiLL Made-It with brags and boasts (Slim Jxmmi’s “me and Paul McCartney related” takes top prize here) sure to ruffle the Boomers in your life. The result is the freshest hit from the duo behind some of the decade’s leanest party rap, one that resurrects the perks of rock stardom without any of their prior pretensions. No wonder Paul himself is a fan. –Tyler Clark
65. The National – “Terrible Love” (2010)
A low, steady thrum of reality, the unshakable feelings, the “quiet company.” Then apocalyptic drums — harder and harder to ignore. After fan favorites Alligator and Boxer, whose opening statements are far less earth-shattering, The National kicked off a prolific decade with the knotty High Violet. Of course, The National became the vanguard of the 2010s’ “grown up” rock: emotional intensity in a button-up shirt. “Terrible Love” gestures toward High Violet’s heady production and meditations on sorrow and addiction. It is measured and solemn until the final minute: a crush of drums, a haunting falsetto, the piano just barely audible. –Erin O’Brien
64. Ariana Grande – “thank u, next” (2018)
Think about when you first realized Beyoncé’s generational meaning was becoming way deeper than “Say My Name” or “Irreplaceable”. The mellifluous Ms. Grande didn’t stop at releasing 2018’s career peak, Sweetener; she realized she was on a roll, so why wait? Months later, she had split with Pete Davidson and regained control of her world with an amazing, off-the-cuff ditty that nipped several tabloid narratives in the bud. Her exes don’t define her, she still has love for them, and she’s moved onto self-care. And with that she achieved unprecedented parity between chart-topping success and social-media virtuosity. We’re so fucking grateful. –Dan Weiss
63. Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun” (2013)
Nearly a decade deep into their status as contemporary punk icons, Paramore ditched the genre label and charged full-force into pop territory with 2013’s “Ain’t It Fun”. Hayley Williams & co. were back, with a xylophone and gospel choir for good measure. “Ain’t It Fun” was a sardonic rebuke of the adulthood Paramore, and subsequently swathes of former emo kids, now emo adults masquerading in ties from 9 to 5, found themselves in. “Ain’t it fun/ Living in the real world?/ Ain’t it good/ Being all alone?” Played out within a deceptively bubble-gummy beat, “Ain’t It Fun” set the course for pop-rock’s new, diverse sound in the 2010s. –Irene Monokandilos
62. Beyoncé – “Partition” (2013)
The sexiest song from Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled surprise album leaves very little to the imagination. The star has always reveled in the autonomy she has over her body. From the infamous glass menagerie seen in the video for “Naughty Girl” to details of her lascivious escapades alongside hubby Jay-Z on “Drunk in Love”, Bey has made it clear that she celebrates being viewed as a sexual being. But “Partition” takes it a step further as the singer adds an avant-garde flare to sensuality. A slinky and hypnotic beat gives way to verses that combine obscenity and romantic playfulness so well that even Jay couldn’t pass up making a cameo in the single’s video — can you blame him? –Candace McDuffie
61. The War on Drugs – “Red Eyes” (2014)
It took until 2014’s Lost in the Dream, the third album from Pennsylvania indie rockers The War on Drugs, for frontman Adam Granduciel to fully emerge from the smoke-ring shadow of ex-member and frequent collaborator Kurt Vile. in many ways, “Red Eyes” is his coming-out party; while the influence of Vile’s trademark haze is still evident, that “whoo!” around the 1:45 mark should tell you that you’re dealing with music more insistent, more desperate, and more stirring than expected. By adding a touch of Springsteen to the slackerdom, Granduciel found his voice, and the world found a new source of troubled-times rock that leans into the jitters instead of sitting still. –Tyler Clark
60. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built” (2012)
Garage rock was the savior of guitar music for much of the early half of the decade, and Japandroids were the flag-bearers. “The House that Heaven Built” is everything you want in a sweaty rock song: an epic illustration of love and glory so furious in delivery that the scratchy bellows seem to come from your own throat. It’s perfectly constructed to rouse hope in the hopeless, an electrifying example of how powerful two musicians can be when they go for broke together. When you can feel the joyous moshing just listening through your headphones, you know you have a true rock anthem. –Ben Kaye
59. Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball” (2013)
You know the shot: It’s a naked Miley Cyrus, swinging from a monstrous steel and chainlink ball. Although the pop sensation had been at the forefront of pop culture since before she turned 14, there was never quite as much public upheaval than after the accompanying video to said scene. Of course, it closely followed her infamous VMAs performance, but “Wrecking Ball” also struck a chord for a much more genuine reason: The song is unadulteratedly intimate, shatteringly beautiful, and shockingly painful. The song lives on Bangerz, a highly controversial record that is beloved by many and traitorous to others, but “Wrecking Ball” is a friendly reminder: Like millions of others have during her decade plus of stardom, you can question her choices, her drug use, her lovers, etc. But you can never question her unequivocal musical ability. –Lucy Shanker
58. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls” (2013)
“Life fast, die young, bad girls do it well.” A chant for the ages. M.I.A. didn’t have to go this hard on “Bad Girls,” but she did it for the millions of bad girls all across the globe who exude a rebellious, progressive and iconoclast spirit — who in their towns and neighborhoods and worlds make their own picture of what life should look like. “When I get to where I’m going, gonna have you trembling,” M.I.A. spits over a hypnotic beat. “Bad Girls” is all ferocious, invigorating physicality, perfectly captured in the song’s music video (one of the best of the decade, no question), which features a crew of badass women driving hard through the Moroccan desert. –Kayleigh Hughes
57. The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face” (2015)
The King of Pop cast a long shadow over the 2010s. Even as damning revelations about him continued coming to light, there were still countless pop artists angling to channel that Thriller magic into their songs. Leave it to the reigning champion of performatively sketchy R&B to do Jacko better on tape than anyone else. Leveling up from his mixtape days as a faceless and sinister Lothario, The Weeknd’s Abel Tesfaye hopped on a blockbuster Max Martin/Payami production with his inner MJ dial cranked to 11. Singing over a bowel-shaking bassline, Tesfaye makes numbness sound good — Off the Wall good. –Ashley Naftule
56. The 1975 – “Love It if We Made It” (2018)
When the decade began, the members of The 1975 had just escaped teenagehood, and for the first part of the 2010s, their songs reflected the experiences of young men freshly in their 20s. However, as they’ve aged, so has the subject matter of their songs. The culmination of their growth as a band peaks on “Love It If We Made It”, a track detailing the failings, both social and political, of the modern world. Vocalist Matty Healy knows the world may be bleak around us, but wouldn’t it be great if we made it? That’s the hope Healy clings to and you can’t help but believe in him. –Jennifer Irving
55. Against Me! – “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” (2014)
If there’s one thing bullies hate above all else, it’s to get a taste of their own medicine. It’s what makes the title track to anarcho-punks Against Me!’s sixth album so bracing: It’s the sound of somebody else’s “fuck you” getting rubbed back in their face. Her voice full of pain and righteous anger, Laura Jane Grace speaks up for every transwomen who’s ever wanted to tell a TERF to go die in a fire. This is no-bullshit anthemic rock at its best: The kind of song where the riffs and the words land as breath stealing gut punches. –Ashley Naftule
54. SBTRKT – “Wildfire” (2011)
The 2011 banger “Wildfire”, produced by British DJ-producer SBTRKT and featuring Little Dragon’s leading lady, Yukimi Nagano, is a timeless match made in heaven. From the body-roll-inducing beat to the opening lyric, “I could bet all of the riches that I ever had,” you’re pulled into the tune’s funky world from the outset. As opposed to slapping a vocal over swirling melodies and boisterous beats, SBTRKT seamlessly fuses his clean production with that of Nagano’s harmonious vocals. The gritty bassline and punchy synths of “Wildfire” serve as the highlight of SBTRKT’s eponymous debut album showcasing the art of collab between the electronic and pop worlds in an inimitable way. –Gabrielle Pharms
53. The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness” (2011)
It had been five long years since their last full-length when The Strokes positioned themselves back on the scene with “Under Cover of Darkness”, the lead single of their fourth studio album, Angles. It gave fans the familiar allure of their glittering guitar and the stumbling lyrical irony from frontman Julian Casablancas, but more than just a return to their sound, it was a confident reintroduction and call to arms from a band who’d been known for where they’re from, ridiculed for being style over substance, and critiqued for their best songs being behind them. When Casablancas sings, “Get dressed, jump out of bed into a vest/ Are you OK?/ I’ve been all around this town /Everybody’s been singing the same song for 10 years,” he means it. –Erica Campbell
52. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith “Latch” (2013)
Disclosure and Sam Smith go together like peas and carrots or Michael and Quincy. Wheres the English singer often indulges in titanic balladry by his lonesome, producers Howard and Guy Lawrence know how to get him outta the house. “Latch” was the first example of this, a cruising, kaleidoscopic pop single that still wears the sharpest suit at the club. Like anything Smith puts a pen to, it’s affecting as ever — just listen to how he strips it down on tour — but it’s also sexy in its energy. It’s all in that chorus, the way Smith roars to life, sounding carnivorous even. The three would replicate this success a few years later with “Omen”, proving this was hardly lightning in a bottle. –Michael Roffman
51. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You” (2012)
In an open Tumblr letter three days before the release of Channel Orange, Frank Ocean detailed the hopelessness and unmatched power of falling in love for the first time. The letter — in which he describes his summer with a man when he was 19 — proved to be the experience that inspired most of his debut album. “Thinkin Bout You” encapsulates everything about Frank’s first love: heartache, longing, and the lack of reciprocity. But more than anything, the song is a testament to the strength in being open. A large part of Ocean’s impact on the past decade has been creating a more inclusive space in hip-hop where young queer artists can express themselves openly, and “Thinkin Bout You” was just the beginning. –Jennifer Irving
