My 10-year-old’s top 10 albums of the decade
Ten picks from her first ten years
It’s the end of a year that ends in “9,” so unless you’re some sort of math nazi who insists that decades aren’t over until the zero year, it is one again time for “best of the decade” lists.
Yes, these lists are silly. But I have a special place in my heart for them. Ten years ago, I wrote up my top 10 albums of 2000–2009 and it kicked off my annual music ranking, an exercise that gives me great joy.
I’m currently working on my 2019 list (stay tuned!) but my thoughts also turned to an-end-of-the-decade ranking.
Then a funny thing happened.
At the end of THIS decade, I find myself with a 10-year-old daughter. She’s rad. And she loves music.
So, I thought, “Why don’t I involve her in my review of the decade’s albums.” So I put together a playlist of 20 or so albums that I considered to be contenders, added that playlist to the Sonos, and asked her to check it out.
An hour later, she walked in with this list.
She didn’t agonize over it for weeks. She didn’t quibble about the rankings. Just just skimmed through them all, wrote down her favorites, ranked ’em and handed me the list.
And you know what? It’s pretty damn good.
I’m not sure it would be my exact list, but who the hell wants to wait for that. So here it is: rankings by my daughter and commentary by me, the best albums of the decade.
NOTE: Both my daughter and I agree that the best album of the decade is probably the Hamilton soundtrack. It’s transcendent…and a category by itself. So her rankings in popular music ASIDE from Hamilton are as follows…
1. 1989 — Taylor Swift (2014)
Sure, my daughter is 10 years old and a confirmed “Swifty”…but hot damn, it might BE the best album of the decade. Every song is a hit. Also, remember when that dude re-recorded the whole album and then all of the sudden everybody had permission to call the songs amazing? And then that guy turned out to be a dick? Well, the songs ARE great and SHE wrote ’em. At age 24. Hashtag respect.
2. Prism — Katy Perry (2013)
I can attest that she and I listened to this album, at her insistence, every day…for a year. It was in heavy rotation with the Frozen soundtrack during the commute to preschool. “Roar” is a hell of an anthem spot (overused now by advertising and politicians, but you can’t blame Perry for that.) And some of the deeper cuts like “Birthday” and “International Smile” are terrific, effervescent modern pop. I don’t think I would have put it on my top 10, but re-listening to it again, my daughter may be smarter than me.
3. Father of the Bride — Vampire Weekend (2019)
OK, some recency bias on this one. She loves this album from this year. In my decade ranking, I might have given the nod to 2013’s “Modern Vampires of the City” or even 2010’s “Contra,” but a Vampire Weekend album would absolutley make the list. (And this one is definitely one of my top picks for my 2019 list.)
4. Meaning of Life — Kelly Clarkson (2017)
I love this pick by my big-hearted daughter. Clarkson is superstar, of course, but it feels like she doesn’t get the same attention as the Adele’s of the world. And she’s put out some terrific albums this decade; my daughter had a hard time picking between this one and the equally great “Piece by Piece.” Oh, and you haven’t really lived until you’ve heard your 8-year-old belting out the lyrics to “Love So Soft.”
5. July Flame — Laura Viers (2010)
I love that she picked this one because it was, essentially, released on her first birthday and I remember listening to and loving this album when she was very little. The oldest pick on this list, it’s a worthy representative of the early 10s, from a singer-songwriter that I love.
6. After Laughter — Paramore (2017)
Here’s what I wrote about it the year it came out: “This collection of Paramore tunes is catnip for an 80s music addict. Crisp pop with Hayley William’s gorgeous can-do-anything pipes. Not ashamed at all that this album was a favorite of my 8-year-old daughter and her more-than-8-year-old father.” Still a favorite of both parties.
7. Bearer of Bad News — Andy Shauf (2015)
This is an album that we discovered retroactively. Completely missed it the year it came out, but Shauf’s follow up album, “The Party” was my pick for AOY in 2016. In searching out everything he’d done, I discovered “Bearer of Bad News” and it might even be better. I’ve played this album a million times (“Hometown Hero” is a favorite track) and my daughter may have put it on her list just to make me happy.
8. Recreational Love — The Bird and the Bee (2015)
My favorite album from 2015 and definitely one of my top 10 picks for the decade. Here’s what I wrote at the year it came out and it all still applies: “I love the fact that my 6-year-old can pretty much sing the entire album and I’m not mortified that she knows the lyrics. This is gorgeously crafted, hooky lounge-pop that I haven’t stopped listening to since it came out this summer.” Five years later, we’re still listening to it and she still know all the words.
9. The Only Place — Best Coast (2012)
My favorite album of 2012 still holds up. It still makes me happy. Bethany Cosentino’s voice was in tip-top form for this one. Both my daughter and I love the sunny California vibe and the gorgeous production (hello, Jon Brion.)
10. Carrie and Lowell — Sufjan Stevens (2015)
I gotta be honest, I had no idea she’d ever even heard this album before. But, really, no best-of-the decade list is complete without some Sufjan Stevens and this was probably his best of the past decade. When she clicked through and reviewed all the “finalists,” this caught her ear. Not sure she really unpacked all the melancholy and loss on this album, but, hey, the young lady has good taste.
Not a bad list, eh? I love, love, love that my daughter loves music as much as me. Her picks feel like a perfect way to wrap up the decade. I’d say she’s way cooler than I was at 10…but she’s way cooler than I’ll EVER be. Thanks for the fun, kiddo.
John Kovacevich is a writer and creative director in San Francisco.
