The relatively unknown Southend outfit fought off stiff competition from well established artists including Arcade Fire, and LCD Soundsystem as well as some of 2010’s most hotly-tipped talent, such as Hurts and The Drums.
The list – voted for by NME writers – contains a fair share of surprises, more than a few big-name omissions and a lot of plucky little fighters clawing their way to the top.
Emerging at the summit of NME’s yearly pile is the fitting coda to These New Puritans’ 2010. Their critically acclaimed second album, Hidden redrew the boundaries of popular music and signified the moment the band went from being just students of post-punk to something far more special.
NME editor Krissi Murison says: “I'm so pleased to see an album as truly deserving as Hidden at the top of the list. It is one of the most ambitious, forward-thinking and unexpected albums of the year. Although it might not have received much mainstream attention or commercial success when it was released in January, it is the kind of record that will still be inspiring artists in years to come.”
Top 10 Albums of 2010
1. These New Puritans - Hidden
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
4. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
5. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
6. Foals - Total Life Forever
7. Zola Jesus - Stridulum II
8. Salem - King Night
9. Liars - Sisterworld
10. The Drums - The Drums
NME can also announce that Foals’ Spanish Sahara has topped NME’s 50 Best Tracks of 2010. The Oxford five-piece topped the essential list of tracks that have rocked NME’s world over this past year, seeing off fierce competition ranging from global stars such as MIA and Kayne West, to some of the hottest new bands around, including Everything Everything and Warpaint.
Top 5 Tracks of 2010
1. Foals Spanish Sahara
2. MIA XXXO
3. Janelle Monaé Tightrope
4. Kanye West Power
5. Arcade Fire We Used To Wait
The full list of NME’s 50 Best Albums and Tracks of 2010 is published in the current issue of NME. For exclusive video interviews, sessions and track-by-tracks with the artists behind NME’s albums of the year, visit www.nme.com/video.
