Cream of the Crop: 2 - 10

Finally, the last installment of the Cream of the Crop series of 2010. Want to know the best album of 2010? Find out on New Year's Day!

2. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Strange noises and keen musicianship by Canada's very own, The Suburbs is an eerie tribute to suburban life and dedicated to Win Butler's fascination of the music of his youth, making this record their best and most innovative to date.





3. Teen Dream by Beach House
A major step forward in their music, the electro-pop duo adds strong and beautiful lyrics to their ambient dream pop making their record their most ambitious and most adventurous work in their catalog.




4. The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
Inspired by the classic sci-fi film, Metropolis, The ArchAndroid is a dynamic represenation of the singer's charasmatic personality and unmistakable talent as she tackles everything from soul, afro pop and even indie rock.






5. Go by Jonsi
The Sigur Ros frontman makes his first mark in music as a solo artist and creates an album that with one listen will make you feel the celebration of the wonder of life.







6. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
Innovating, gripping and as always controversial, many people are already claiming that Kanye's fourth installment in his catalog may be his magnum opus and only solidfies him as being one of the most influential hip-hop artist of all time.






7. Recitation by Envy
Despite the language barrier, Japan's ambient hardcore outfit created a remarkable listening experience by painting beautiful landscapes of sound and incorporating of heavy and melodic that allows it be cohesive and dynamic.







8. Ø (Disambiguation) by Underoath
Despite the loss of their last and founding member, the reigning Florida metalcore act was able to craft their heaviest and most experimental work to date, which features the strongest lyrics that Spencer Chamberlain has ever written.







9. Treats by Sleigh Bells
The former Poison The Well guitarist, Derek Miller incorporates his love for hardcore breakdowns and hip hop production and combines them with Allison Krauss's pop charisma to create one of the most groundbreaking records this year.

10. Odd Blood by Yeasayer
The experimental rock band from New York gives a whole new meaning to the term pop music with their second album which presents their brilliance and inventiveness by combining many different genres in a disorganized but genius way.