Best of the decade 2010-2019 (music album)

An absolute metric ton of music comes out in 10 years. For me, what I listened to most (as an album) was Waaves' Afraid of Heights. Here's a list of 25 or so (in reverse alphabetical order):

Best of the decade 2010-2019 (film)

Here's my list of about 10 movies which were great in the past decade. Mind you, I haven't seen everything in 2019 (or previous) years, but I've seen a ton of comic book films and obviously Denis Villenueve and Christopher Nolan stuff.

Quite clearly for me, Mad Max was the best thing I saw. I think everyone would agree that it's the most transcendent/iconic for filmmaking in the 2010s.

• Inception (2010)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
• Prisoners (2013)
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
• Gravity (2013)
• Gone Girl (2014)
• ⭐ Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
• Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Tie: Black Panther (2018) or Deadpool (2016) or X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

As I finish this list, I'm going to see Star Wars: Skywalker in a few hours ...It has nothing to do with the list above... Wish me luck!

blog update: Best of 2019 and the decade

Hello!

Looks like we're fully into the "end of the year" cycle... Tons of sites are posting their best-of lists. I've been listening to a lot of good tunes and a heap of great cinema. I think it's a little too early to post my lists. Over the next weeks, I'll be researching my "best of 2019" and "best of the decade". If you can't wait until January/February (maybe April), I'll make some crystal ball award season predictions now... 🔮

• Billie Eilish will be the toast of the town. She'll win many awards (like the Grammy).
• Once Upon a Time In Hollywood will win the Best Picture Oscar. I personally don't agree, but experience tells me it'll win... or come close to the win.
• Tom Hanks 
• Watchmen will get tons of attention. I haven't seen it, but I'm reading it's good.

Those are my most lucid predictions. I'm excited for several December movies, including the intriguing Richard Jewell dramatization.

 I'll have several lists ready for the cold and icy winter that's coming! ☃️

Best music videos of the decade (Honorable mentions)

"Video Phone" (Extended Mix) (2009) 

Beyonce with Lady Gaga

Director: Hype Williams
It was a tad too late in the year to put them up against the Chosen 15, but I had to give these ladies a shout-out. Beyonce has become a video minimalist while Gaga has gone the other way--Hype Williams melds the two the only way he can: awesomely. Hype even left some of the bluescreen hoods in the video! Chicks, guns and chewing gum; please don't leave us in 2010!

 "3's and 7's" (2007)

Queens of the Stone Age
Director: Paul Minor
QotSA definitely understand the importance of 21st century video making. There is one particular shot near the end of this one--it only lasts a second--but it's a view from a shotgun, blasting a fleeing victim. It may sound morbid that I like it, but it perfectly captures what grindhouse/exploitation films were all about. Really authentic.

Best music videos of the decade (5 - 1)

#5 
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (2003)

The Darkness

Director: Alex Smith
Best use of a sausage as a microphone in history.... Just watch it and enjoy the spaceship tomfoolery.

#4

"Dashboard" (2006)

Modest Mouse
Directors: Mathew Cullen and Grady Hall
All of Modest Mouse's videos are worth watching. "Dashboard"'s video is the least surreal (subjectively) and most story-driven, but what a great ride. A fisherman tells a dive bar about a hyperbolic fish tale, all with some great elektro-fantasy CGI and island shots [that totally remind me of Tim Burton's Chocolate Factory remake]. It's a bit Moby-Dick and a bit that Daggermouth episode of Family Guy. The moral: always watch out for the old fisherman that gives you the wink.

Best music videos of the decade (10 - 6)

#10

"Whale Song" (2009)

Modest Mouse
Director: Nando Costa
If I had to pick a hall-of-famer from America for their video achievements in 2000s, it would be Modest Mouse. This one is about drawing no less, and this contraption thingy lets Isaac Brock go on a mind trip, extrapolating visions from the paper. Neither gravity nor snails prevent the band from rocking in this waking dream. And, when used right, projectile intestines and ejected organs are a perfect touch.

#9

"Invincible" (2007)

Muse
Director: Jonnie Ross
Oftentimes great videos have stale follow-ups (usually because the previous had an overblown budget). The previous wow factor isn't there most of the time, but Muse nearly equals "Knights of Cydonia". The It's A Small World After All ride may be a tad cliche here, but the CGI-laden climax is really cool. I don't know what the message here is, but time travelers are definitely good alien killers.

#8

"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (2002)

The White Stripes
Director: Michel Gondry
There's a sizable chance you've never heard of this song or video. In the are-they-siblings-or-lovers era, nothing can come close to fitting the Jack and Meg White public personae. It's amazingly simple and yet something only seen regularly in Disney World's Haunted Mansion... I don't know why this projector effect isn't used more. This is just one of the few Michel Gondry musings that made the White Stripes a household name.

Best music videos of the decade (15 - 11)

#15

"Lose Control" (2005)

Missy Elliott with Ciara and Fatman Scoop
Director: Dave Meyers
We start off with Missy's 2005 contribution to the video pantheon. If anything defines a good R&B video, it's dance moves, weird cameos and other sillyness. "Lose Control" is just perfect for a high school pep squad... kinda like Gwen Stefani tracks but with a little less cheerleading and a fat guy... and Tommy Lee.

#14

"Cinnamon Girl" (2004)

Prince
Director: Phil Harder
Mix up some September 11th airport paranoia with crayon-y special effects, and you've got Prince's most political track ever. Yes, that is the Whale Rider girl; and no, I don't know what the "5:5" means on Prince's forehead. Undoubtedly the best Prince video in the last 10 years. But, it barely beat out "Black Sweat"...

#13

"Across the Night" (2003)

Silverchair
Directors: Sean Gilligan and Sarah-Jane Woulahan
Silverchair quietly made some spectacular vids in the last decade. At least 3 are in the Top 50 for me, and "Across the Night" is their best. In a time where the band was on an indefinite touring hiatus and the future was dim, this managed to keep the band alive through airwaves. I didn't even realize it was in grayscale until a second viewing. It took me about 20 views to realize that was Guy Pearce, too.

Best music videos of the decade (2000-2009)

A decade ends. Ten years of joy (blogging), grief (politics), and mostly apathy (YouTube). To commemorate the death of the 2Ks, I am covering the best fifteen music videos to grace the planet since December 31, 1999. Narrowing it down to 15 was hard--a test of will. There are no Kanye or Weezer videos; no "Trapped in the Closet". This is serious time. This is a top 15 list... Get inspired, learn and enjoy!


INDEX:

• Videos 15 - 11
  
• Videos 10 - 6
  
• Videos 5 - 1
• Honorable Mentions
  

Related:

• Pitchfork's Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s