Best of the 2010s | Jmunney's Blog

Best Musical Artists of the 2010s

June 25, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Music Adele, Ariana Grande, Beck, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Beyoncé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, Childish Gambino, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Hans Zimmer, Janelle Monáe, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, Kesha, Lady GaGa, Lana del Rey, Lizzo, Lorde, Major Lazer, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Sia, St. Vincent, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, Tegan and Sara, The Black Keys, The Weeknd, Tove Lo, Vampire Weekend, Weird Al Yankovic 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

One more list! One more list!

My Best of the 2010s list-making journey has finally come to a close! (Or has it? … For now, it has at least. The future will come as it may, and it may just surprise you, and me.) All this week, I’ve been posting my rankings of a few categories that I was inspired to put together after submitting them to a Best of the 2010s polls that I’m participating in with some of my fellow cultural aficionados. To wrap it all up, I guide you along to the realm of music and lyrics, as I present the Best Musical Artists of the 2010s.

My criteria was similar to that of my choices for Best Film Directors. I considered a combination of how much I enjoyed their musical output as well as how much – and how well – they influenced the industry at large.

Best Film Directors of the 2010s

June 24, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Cinema Alex Garland, Ava DuVernay, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Bong Joon-ho, Christopher Miller, Christopher Nolan, Damien Chazelle, Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, David Robert Mitchell, Denis Villeneuve, Drew Goddard, Edgar Wright, Greta Gerwig, James Wan, Jaume Collet-Serra, Jeff Nichols, Jennifer Kent, Jordan Calloway, Jordan Peele, Justin Lin, Marielle Heller, Martin Scorsese, Mike Flanagan, Paul Feig, Phil Lord, Quentin Tarantino, Rian Johnson, Spike Lee, Stephen Chbosky, Steve McQueen, Steven Soderbergh, Terrence Malick, The Safdie Brothers, Wes Anderson 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

I’ve got another extra-innings Best of the 2010s for ya. This time, the focus is on Film Directors, those folks who hang out behind the camera and let everyone know how they would like the movie to go.

Based on the eligibility rules of the poll that I submitted my list to, each director had to have at least two films come out between 2010 and 2019 to be considered. I made my selections based on a combination of how much I enjoyed their output and how much they influenced the medium and the culture at large.

My choices, along with their 2010s filmography, are listed below.

Best TV Performances of the 2010s

June 23, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Television Aden Young, Alison Brie, Andy Daly, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Bill Hader, Billy Porter, Bob Odenkirk, Danny Pudi, Eden Sher, Hugh Dancy, Joel McHale, Jon Hamm, Kyle MacLachlan, Lee Pace, Louie Anderson, Mackenzie Davis, Mads Mikkelsen, Michael McKean, Nathan Fielder, Rami Malek, Rhea Seehorn, Tatiana Maslany, Zach Galifianakis Leave a comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

The extra-special-bonus Best of the 2010s lists keep arriving all this week! Yesterday, it was the Best Film Performances, now we’re moving to the small screen with the top TV Performances. And while the screens were smaller, the roles were arguably bigger, at least in terms of running time.

Regarding eligibility: all Lead and Supporting (but not Guest) performances from any show that aired at least one full season between 2010 and 2019 was eligible. Actors who played multiple characters in the same show were considered one performance. Actors who played the same character across multiple shows were also considered one performance.

Best Film Performances of the 2010s

June 22, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Cinema Alicia Vikander, Amy Adams, Barkhad Abdi, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Daniel Radcliffe, Denis Lavant, Elisabeth Moss, Ethan Hawke, Florence Pugh, Hugh Jackman, Isabelle Huppert, J.K. Simmons, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Franco, james mcavoy, Jennifer Lawrence, John Goodman, Judi Dench, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Pierre Coffin, Rosamund Pike, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Tom Hardy, Uma Thurman 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

Back in April, I revealed my lists of the best podcasts, TV shows, TV episodes, albums, songs, and movies of the 2010s. I declared that that was it for my Best of the Decade curating for this particular ten-year cycle. But now I’m back with a few more, baby! I’ve been participating in a series of Best of the 2010s polls with some of my online friends, and I wanted to share my selections with you. We’re including film performances, TV performances, directors, and musical artists, so get ready for all that.

First up is Film Performances. Any individual performance from any movie released between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 was eligible, whether it was live-action, voice-only, or whatever other forms on-screen acting take nowadays. For actors who played the same character in multiple movies, each movie was considered separately.

Best Movies of the 2010s

April 23, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Cinema Annihilation, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Bridesmaids, Cabin in the Woods, Ex Machina, First Reformed, Gone Girl, Inception, Inside Out, Lady Macbeth, Looper, Prisoners, Silver Linings Playbook, Sorry to Bother You, The Babadook, The Big Short, The Big Sick, The Cabin in the Woods, The Endless, The Lego Movie, The Social Network, The Tree of Life, The VVitch, The Witch, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Under the Silver Lake, Whiplash, Zootopia 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

I love movies.

I love films.

I love flicks.

It was a great time to be alive in the 2010s, as hundreds – thousands, even – of new cinematic offerings were produced and released. How did I manage to condense them down to the most wonderful of the wonderful? I consulted the projector within my mind’s eye and asked, “Did this make a positive, enduring impression on me (and possibly the rest of the world)?” The results of that endeavor are below, along with mentions of moments that I cannot help but declare my love for.

Best Songs of the 2010s

April 16, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Music Adele, Ariana Grande, AWOLNATION, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Beyoncé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Childish Gambino, Daft Punk, Disclosure, DJ Snake, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamara, Kesha, Lana del Rey, Lil Jon, Lorde, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Sia, Tame Impala, Taylor Swift, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, Tove Lo 1 Comment

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

Of all the pieces of art and entertainment that I’m ranking for the decade, songs are probably the most personal. Yet somehow I feel compelled to consider how they affected the world at large moreso than all the other categories. The tunes that I value the most aren’t just the ones that make my own heart sing but also the ones that draw all of us closer together. So as I assembled this list, I asked myself both, “What has made me dance these past 10 years?” and “How would I like to dance with everyone else?” Here’s what that playlist looks like.
(I aimed to stick only to songs that were released as singles, as opening this to deep album cuts would’ve made things so overheated.)

Best TV Episodes of the 2010s

April 9, 2020

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CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

In assembling my picks for the best TV episodes of the past decade, I noticed that I was leaning heavily on the comedy side. This was unsurprising, as I tend to watch more sitcoms than dramas. But the difference was even more pronounced than usual. I think that makes sense, because on average, comedies tend to be specifically designed on an episodic basis moreso than dramas.

I should also note that I did not limit shows to any prescribed maximum. You’ll notice that certain programs keep popping up, like Community and Nathan for You. They deserve it, as they’re the types of shows that revolutionized themselves on the regular.

So here are the television morsels from the 2010s that shine within the context of their full works and also stand brilliantly on their own.

Best Albums of the 2010s

April 2, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Music A Seat at the Table, Audio Video Disco, Avicii, Awaken My Love!, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Best of the Decade, Beyoncé, Black Messiah, Blackstar, Brothers, Childish Gambino, Circuital, D'Angelo, D'Angelo & the Vanguard, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Disclosure, Duck Sauce, Justice, Kanye West, Lana del Rey, Lemonade, Lonerism, Lorde, Miguel, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, My Morning Jacket, No Geography, Norman Fucking Rockwell, Pure Heroine, Quack, Random Access Memories, Settle, Solange, St. Vincent, Strange Mercy, Tame Impala, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, True, Wildheart 1 Comment

One of the big themes about entertainment in the past decade is the incomprehensible explosion of available content in every medium. While this may be a recent development in cinema and television, it’s been the case for music for centuries, or even millennia. Since humans have been banging on rocks and clapping their hands, really. Of course, it was a little more recent than that when recorded music became readily available.

This is all to say, I of course haven’t listened to every album of the past ten years that made its way onto SoundCloud or Spotify, or even all the Billboard chart-toppers. But I did listen to enough of them to be able to assemble a vibrant and varied soundtrack of my life in the 2010s. Here are the musical collections of the era that I just haven’t been able to stop pushing play on.

[4/2/20 2:00 PM UPDATE: This post originally mistakenly included Justice’s †, which came out in 2007.]

Best TV Shows of the 2010s

March 26, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Television 30 Rock, American Dad!, Atlanta, Baskets, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Better Call Saul, Billy on the Street, Bob's Burgers, Bojack Horseman, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Community, Documentary Now!, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Halt and Catch Fire, Hannibal, Key & Peele, Mad Men, Man Seeking Woman, Nathan for You, New Girl, Pose, Review, Review (TV Series), Rick and Morty, The Eric Andre Show, The Middle, Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks The Return 3 Comments

CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots

As a voracious consumer of Peak TV, I could have easily filled my list of the Best TV Shows of the 2010s with hundreds of entries. But instead, I chose to zero in on a golden set of 25 that I am absolutely sure I love and will continue to love for years to come. These are the shows that affected me profoundly when I first watched them and that continued to linger in my brain and my soul as the decade marched on.

Best Podcasts of the 2010s

March 19, 2020

jmunney Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Podcasts And a Movie: A Community Retrospective, Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project, Best of the 2010s, Best of the Decade, Blank Check with Griffin & David, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, Cult Movie Cult, Dead Times, Drag Her, Fighting in the War Room, Fluffy Town, Fundamentals of Community Podcasting, Good One, Harmontown, How Did This Get Made?, I Think You're Interesting, In Your Dreams, Inside Conan: An Important Hollywood Podcast, Judge John Hodgman, Podcasts, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Pop Mom, Primetime, R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE:ME?, Shipping Room Podcast, Show and Yell, That's Auntertainment, The Awards Show Show, The Ron Burgundy Podcast, The Vulture TV Podcast, Topics, U Talkin' U2 to Me?, Unspooled, WTF 1 Comment

Any ranking of the best of the best must come with the caveat that the ranker hasn’t seen/heard everything, and that’s especially true in the case of podcasting, despite it being one of the youngest entertainment mediums around. Obviously I didn’t listen to every podcast released in the 2010s, but I did listen to my fair share. My feed mainly consisted of comedy, pop culture, and comedic pop culture shows. But even if I confine myself to those categories, I cannot claim that I was anywhere near comprehensive. So then, what you are about to read is the revelation of my podcast journey I went on in the past decade.

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