Culture Roundup (May 9, 2026): Revisiting the 2010s

Posted on by stufffromthestuff

I’m in the midst of a fun, time-consuming, and slightly obsessive project doing deep-dives into the popular music of every year. (We all need hobbies!) I’m currently in the middle of 1986, but I recently finished recapping the 2010s on my books and music blog. And I thought, in the lack of anything interesting to say about or current pop cultural moment, I’d post my decade summary in the ‘in focus’ section here today.

But first, the biweekly roundup.

Roundup

Music

If I had to come up with a theme for the last two Fridays-worth of new music, it would be “solid music that I’ll forget by next month.” It’s certainly not that the new releases have been bad; I’ve enjoyed them quite a bit. I just have a sense that there isn’t anything that will make a big impact on my music year. Take the new album by Young the Giant; it’s a solid pop rock album. But does it do anything particularly interesting or impactful? Not really. Meanwhile, The Black Keys and Kacey Musgraves have returned to their blues-rock and country roots respectively, and MUNA has put out what is by my count the fifth retro disco dance pop album of the year. I’m a little underwhelmed! But that’s just me. One possible exception to the theme is Lykke Li’s The Afterparty, which I think will get quite a bit of play for me.

Albums
  • The Afterparty (Lykke Li)
  • Victory Party (Young the Giant)
  • Remember the Humans (Broken Social Scene)
  • Peaches! (The Black Keys)
Songs
  • “1989 (ft. Fly by Midnight)” (Nighty)
  • “Should’ve Known Better” (The Beaches)
  • “Shape of a Woman” (Lady Gaga)
  • “Don’t Tempt Me with a Good Time” (Gatlin)
  • “Bullet” (Tiffany Stringer)
  • “Torero” (Goose)
  • “Rock Music” (Charli xcx)

Reading

Last week was a little bit bleak for my reading life, but this week has been a bit better. Here are the highlights:

  • Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami, 1987)
  • Further Tales of the City (Armistead Maupin, 1982)
  • The Story of Dinosaurs (Steve Brusatte, 2026)
  • In the Skin of a Lion (Michael Ondaatje, 1987)
  • Son of Nobody (Yann Martel, 2026)
  • Celestial Lights (Cecile Ping, 2026)
  • Platform Decay (Murderbot Diaries 8) (Martha Wells, 2026)
  • The Sweet Girl (Annabel Lyon, 2012)

Focus on: 2010s Music Revisited

[This content is abbreviated from content posted on my book and music blog.]

I often say that there’s nothing less cool than what was popular ten years ago, and nothing cooler than what was popular twenty years ago. And because the 2010s, peak of Millennial culture that they were, are squarely in that ten-year window now, it’s easy to make fun of them and point out their foibles and “cringe” rather than on what made them special. And that means it’s too soon to know how they’ll ultimately be remembered.

Some of the trends that come to mind are the winding down of ‘recession pop’, the rapid rise and fall of ‘stomp clap’ folk rock, and dub-step, and an overall shift away from guitar-driven rock to ‘80s-inspired synth pop (a trend that is only now cycling back towards rock).

I’ve tallied up my scores from each year, and below are my top ten artists of the decade, along with my favourite album and song from each of them. And just for fun, at the end, I’ve ranked the years themselves.

My Artists of the Decade

1. Taylor Swift: Album: 1989 (2014) | Song: “Cruel Summer” (Lover, 2019)

2. Lana Del Rey: Album: Born to Die (2012) | Song: “Young and Beautiful” (Gatsby soundtrack, 2014)

3. Beyoncé: Album: Lemonade (2016) | Song: “Formation” (Lemonade, 2016)

4. CHVRCHES: Album: Every Open Eye (2015) | Song: “Heaven/Hell” (Love Is Dead, 2018)

5. Carly Rae Jepsen: Album: E-mo-tion (2015) | Song: “Call Me Maybe” (Kiss, 2012)

6. Tegan and Sara: Album: Heartthrob (2013) | “Closer” (Heartthrob, 2013)

7. Sara Bareilles: Album: Kaleidoscope Heart (2010) | Song: “I Choose You” (The Blessed Unrest, 2013)

8. Marina (and the Diamonds):  Album: The Family Jewels (2010) | Song: “Oh no!” (The Family Jewels, 2010)

9. Serena Ryder: Album: Harmony (2012) | Song: “For You” (Harmony, 2012)

10. Bleachers: Album: Strange Desire (2014) | Song: “You’re Still a Mystery” (Strange Desire, 2014)

Year Ranking

  1. 2014 (Taylor Swift, HAERTS, Bleachers, Ingrid Michaelson, Beyoncé)
  2. 2012 (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Serena Ryder, Carly Rae Jepsen)
  3. 2019 (Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, Lana Del Rey, Maren Morris)
  4. 2013 (Tegan and Sara, Sara Bareilles, One Republic, One Direction, The National, Lorde)
  5. 2010 (Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, Janelle Monae, Robyn, Marina and the Diamonds, Katy Perry, Arcade Fire)
  6. 2017 (Taylor Swift, Bleachers, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Allie X)
  7. 2015 (CHVRCHES, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, Years & Years, Adele)
  8. 2016 (Beyonce, Sia, The 1975, Tegan and Sara, Arkells, Ariana Grande)
  9. 2018 (Amy Shark, CHVRCHES, HAERTS, Lady Gaga, The 1975)
  10. 2011 (Adele, Florence + the Machine, Beyonce, Christina Perri, Lady Gaga)

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