CJLO's Best of the Decade

December 31 2019 // Magazine // Features

As the decade comes to a close, we at CJLO, have taken the time to look back at the past 10 years to document our favourite albums, artists and movies. Join us on this blast from the past and see if you agree with our choices!

See you in the New Year!

Alex hosts Ashes to Ashes every Tuesday from 8 p.m.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010)
Kanye West - Yeezus (2013)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
The Jezabels - Synthia (2016)
Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
Phoenix - Bankrupt! (2013)
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
Alaclair Ensemble – Les Frères Cueilleurs (2016)
Friendly Fires – Pala (2011)
Lydia Képinski – Premier juin (2018)

Honourable Mentions

Fear of Men - Early Fragments (2013)
Heat - Overnight (2017)
Honeyblood - Babes Never Die (2016)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound (2017)
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour (2018)
Kali Uchis - Isolation (2018)
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon, Vol. II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010)
Loud - Une année record (2017)
Paramore - After Laughter (2017)
Paramore - Paramore (2013)
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

Sylvain Verstricht host The Rest of Us every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Best Albums of the Decade
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010)
Eluvium – Static Nocturne (2010)
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz (2010)
A Winged Victory for the Sullen – A Winged Victory for the Sullen (2011)
Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (2012)
Mistki – Puberty 2 (2016)
Pop Winds – The Turquoise (2010)
Sigur Rós – Inni (2011)
AURORA – All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016)
Alvvays – Antisocialites (2017)

Best Singles of the Decade
Mitski – “Your Best American Girl” (2016)
Lana Del Rey – “Ride” (2012)
Sia – “Chandelier” (2014)
Cat Power – “Cherokee (Nicolas Jaar Remix)” (2012)
Sharon Van Etten – “Love More” (2010)
Arcade Fire – “Everything Now” (2017)
Gunship – “When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies” (2018)
Hurray for the Riff Raff – “Pa’lante” (2017)
Lissie – “Hero” (2015)
Rihanna – “Diamonds” (2012)

Most Memorable Concerts of the Decade
Thee Nodes at Casa del Popolo (2012) + Death House (2012) + Loudhouse (2014)
Jon Mueller at La Vitrola (2015) + Auditorium Maxwell Cummings (2011) + Coop Katacömbes (2016)
Perchten at Coop Katacömbes + l’Hémisphère Gauche (2014)
Bas at Le Belmont (2016)
Dawn of Midi + Nils Frahm at Metropolis (2014)
Big Freedia + Gobble Gobble at Espace Reunion (2010)
Porn Persons at RATS 9 (2013)
NØ MAN at La Sotterenea (2019)
Bing & Ruth at Divan Orange (2017)
Sigur Rós at Centre Bell (2013)

Emeline hosts Nozin’ Around every Friday at 2 p.m.

Best 20 Albums of the Decade (in alphabetical order)

Alvvays - Alvvays
Anoraak - Wherever the Sun Sets
AUSTRA - Olympia
Black Marble - A Different Arrangement
Black Marble - It’s Immaterial
Boy Harsher - Lesser Man
Chastity Belt - Time to Go Home
Chromatics - Night Drive
Com Truise - Galactic Melt
Drab Majesty - The Demonstration
feu doux – feu doux
Foliage - II
Grimes & d’eon – Darkbloom
Jessy Lanza - Pull My Hair Back
Kelela - Take Me Apart
Lydia Ainsworth - PSI
Neon Indian - Era Extraña
TOPS - Picture You Staring
Troy No – To Be Predetermined
Partner – In Search Of Lost Time
Violence – Violence Erlebnis

Banger of the Decade
SAINT PEPSI – “Cherry Pepsi”

Chris the Frog host Sewer Spewer every Monday at 12 p.m.

Favourite Montreal Albums of the Decade

The BCASA - Fuck It Up Hard! (2010)
Barn Burner - Bangers II: Scum of the Earth (2011)
Grimskunk - Set Fire! (2012)
Trigger Effect - What’s Left To Eliminate? (2013)
Naughty Girls - LP (2014)
Dopethrone - Hochelaga (2015)
Dig It Up - Bad Water (2016)
Show of Bedlam - Transfiguration (2017)
The Great Sabatini - Goodbye Audio (2018)
Gazm - Heavy Vibe Music (2019)

Remi hosts At The Movies (with Iconic Sounds) every Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Best Artists of the Decade
Kanye West for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Bon Iver for Bon Iver (2011)
Frank Ocean for Channel Orange (2012)
Daft Punk for Random Access Memory (2013)
Lana Del Rey for Ultraviolence (2014)
Kendrick Lamar for To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Frank Ocean for Blonde (2016)
Lorde for Melodrama (2017)
Colin Stetson for Hereditary OST (2018)
Billie Eilish for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)

Best Albums of the Decade
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening (2010)
Bon Iver - Bon Iver (2011)
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (2012)
Lorde - Pure Heroine (2013)
Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence (2014)
Kendrick Lamar -To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Frank Ocean - Blonde (2016)
Lorde - Melodrama (2017)
Colin Stetson - Hereditary OST (2018)
Bon Iver - i,i (2019)

Best Songs of the Decade
Kanye West - “Power” (2010)
Bon Iver - “Calgary” (2011)
Lana Del Rey - “Video Games” (2012, *technically a late 2011 release)
Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams - “Get Lucky” (2013)
Lana Del Rey - “Westcoast” (2014)
Kendrick Lamar - “i” (2015)
Frank Ocean - “Solo” (2016)
Kendrick Lamar - “Humble” (2017)
Colin Stetson - “Reborn” (2018)
Nicholas Britell - “Agape” (2019, *technically a late 2018 release)

Best Score or Soundtrack of the Decade
Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross - The Social Network (2010)
Cliff Martinez - Drive (2011)
Mike Patton - The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Arcade Fire - Her (2013)
Disasterpeace - It Follows (2014)
Jóhann Jóhannsson - Sicario (2015)
Mica Livi - Jackie (2016)
Jonny Greenwood - Phantom Thread (2017 *technically an early 2018 release)
Colin Stetson - Hereditary (2018)
Bobby Krlic - Midsommar (2019)

Best Films of the Decade
Incendies - dir. Denis Villeneuve (2010)
The Tree of Life - dir. Terrence Malick (2011)
The Master - dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2012)
Her - dir. Spike Jonze (2013)
Boyhood - dir. Richard Linklater (2014)
Mad Max: Fury Road - dir. George Miller (2015)
La La Land - dir. Damien Chazelle (2016)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer - dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (2017)
You Were Never Really Here - dir. Lynne Ramsay (2018)
Us - dir. Jordan Peele (2019)

Best/Standout Directors of the Decade
Derek Cianfrance for Blue Valentine (2010)
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive (2011)
Sarah Polley for Stories We Tell (2012)
Alexander Payne for Nebraska (2013)
Damien Chazelle for Whiplash (2014)
Alejandro González Iñárritu for The Revenant (2015)
Barry Jenkins for Moonlight (2016)
Jordan Peele for Get Out (2017)
Ari Aster for Hereditary (2018)
Bong Joon-ho for Parasite (2019)

Best TV Shows of the Decade
Breaking Bad - Standout Episode – S03E10: “Fly” (2010)
Game of Thrones - Standout Episode – S01E09: “Baelor” (2011)
Parks and Recreation - Standout Episode – S5E09: “Soda Tax” (2012)
Breaking Bad - Standout Episode – S05E14: “Ozymandias” (2013)
True Detectives - Standout Episode – S01E04: “Who Goes There” (2014)
Mr. Robot - Standout Episode – S01E09: “eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt” (2015)
Atlanta - Standout Episode – S01E07: “B.A.N.” (2016)
Master of None - Standout Episode – S02E08: “Thanksgiving” (2017)
Atlanta - Standout Episode – S02E06: “Teddy Perkins” (2018)
Watchmen - Standout Episode – S01E06: “This Extraordinary Being” (2019)