The 2010s produced an era of music that played a role in the lives of many St. Joe’s students. The current student body grew up largely during this decade. Not only are our tastes in music reflections of us, but we are reflections of our music. Hip-hop and pop dominated the music world and many of the most popular songs and albums came from these genres.

The list below was compiled based on albums that have either impacted the music world, caused society to stop and talk about it or redefine what it means to belong to one genre. Check out some of the most iconic albums of the decade below:

“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West (2010)

“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” redefined what a rap album can look like. The orchestration behind this album dips into pop, hip-hop, R&B and alternative rock with West conducting it all the way through. The list of collaborators is seemingly endless, but a few include Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, John Legend and Bon Iver. West’s artistic ability is evident as this album has yet to leave to The Billboard 200 chart.

“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga (2011)

Gaga has gone from wearing her infamous meat dress in 2010 to winning Oscars and Grammys in 2019. “Born This Way” encompasses some of Gaga’s most iconic songs like “Marry the Night,” “The Edge of Glory” and the album’s titular song, “Born This Way.” Epitomizing what it means to love yourself, “Born This Way” is obviously and unapologetically an LGBTQIA+ anthem that became an instant classic. Listeners were shown exactly who Lady Gaga was with her second studio release: brave, artistic and ambitious.

“channel ORANGE” by Frank Ocean (2012)

Frank Ocean changed the way people listen to R&B with the release of his debut studio album. If you close your eyes while listening to the album it sounds more like a movie than it does an album. Fresh off his time spent with Odd Future, a rap group based in Los Angeles, Ocean released “channel ORANGE” which was met with high acclaims (three Grammy nominations and one win). This album didn’t go platinum, but it gave us instant classics like “Thinking Bout You” and haunting social commentary on “Bad Religion.”

“Bangerz” by Miley Cyrus (2013)

With the release of this highly talked-about rebranding, Miley Cyrus made it very clear that her alter ego, Hannah Montana, was a thing of the past. “She was murdered,” Cyrus said while hosting Saturday Night Live soon after this album’s debut. Cyrus showed society she was destined to be more than a Disney star. Songs like “Wrecking Ball,” “We Can’t Stop” and “FU” span the emotional spectrum. There are songs to cry to, party to and use as your own personal anthems, but not in the pop-country way we got used to Cyrus releasing beforehand.

“2014 Forest Hills Drive” by J. Cole (2014)

J. Cole has always been an artist that let his music do the talking for him. A man of his music, Cole takes listeners into his youth as the album’s title is the address of his childhood home in North Carolina. Cole proves he’s more than just a rapper; he’s a storyteller, exploring the topics of race, relationships and wealth. While this album certainly had its more popular songs like “Wet Dreamz” and “No Role Modelz,” people remember this album as a whole rather than individual hit tracks.

“Hamilton” by Original Broadway Cast (2015)

Very rarely does Broadway find itself in the mainstream of music, but Lin Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop opera did just that. Besides popularizing Broadway for the first time in a long time, “Hamilton” redefined what it meant to be a musical. By telling the story of a white founding father with a mixed race cast and hip-hop music, Miranda tells the story of America’s past with a modern twist. Oh, and not to mention the fact that “Hamilton” also won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

“Lemonade” by Beyoncé (2016)

Lemonade was an in-depth look into Beyoncé’s marriage as well her identity as a black woman, which made her more relatable. Beyoncé has for a long time made her lifestyle and career appear flawless, but with the announcement that the future of her marriage was uncertain there was a crack in the facade. With powerful anthems such as “Formation,” “Freedom” and Malcolm X’s voice-over in “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” Beyoncé takes pride in who she is, what she looks like and where she comes from and challenges listeners and black fans to do the same.

“ANTI” by Rihanna (2016)

For those who may not know, Rihanna did in fact make music before running the world with her makeup and fashion companies. With “ANTI” being RiRi’s latest release, the album has certainly held its own for nearly four years. “ANTI” racked up six Grammy nominations at the 2017 awards, and last week it became the first album by a black woman to spend 200 weeks on The Billboard 200 chart. Dance hits like “Work,” anthems like “Needed Me” and “Woo” and ballads like “Close to You” round out a body of work, and Rihanna makes it look effortless.

“reputation” by Taylor Swift (2017)

“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cause she’s dead.” Swift has always found ways of saying everything she needs to through her songs. On songs like “I Did Something Bad” and “Don’t Blame Me,” Swift makes one thing clear: “My reputation’s never been worse, so / You must like me for me.” Embracing the “Kimye” (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West) drama that threatened her social image in 2016, Swift gives listeners a new sound, something dark and layered, yet delicate.

“Invasion of Privacy” by Cardi B (2018)

Besides currently being one of the most outspoken celebrities, Cardi takes pride in her work, her lifestyle and her past. The range offered on this debut album is something that usually takes artists multiple albums to compile. Cardi seamlessly blends island sounds (“I Like It”) and storytelling (“Get Up 10’ and “Be Careful”) with hints of R&B (“Ring” and “Thru Your Phone”) all in one album. “Invasion of Privacy” was nothing short of a smash hit as it won a Grammy award, had two number one hits (making Cardi the first female rapper to achieve this on the same album) and has been certified triple platinum.

“WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” by Billie Eilish (2019)

Few artists are all of the following: chart toppers, Coachella performers and Grammy nominees, especially soon after the release of their debut album. Fewer are 17 years old. Billie Eilish joins the likes of Lana Del Rey and Lorde in the sense that she pushes the boundaries of pop music. The alternative pop vibe of this album differentiated Eilish from other pop albums released this year. Eilish wasn’t afraid to embrace dark and weird themes for visuals and lyrics, and by doing so she has solidified her place in pop music.